Many households located in Adelaide have already installed solar panels on their roofs. Actually, around 30 to 40% of all homes in the South Australian capital city have invested in solar technology. The answer to the question “does solar stack up in Adelaide?” is yes.
If you still use electricity through the grid, you might want to consider going solar. Adelaide has some of the highest electricity costs in Australia. This combined with the sunny climate in South Australia is making solar power very appealing. This alone makes solar stack up in Adelaide.
In the last few years, the introduction of different solar rebate schemes has made solar technology more affordable for Australians. But some rebates have been reduced dramatically because solar energy systems are not as expensive as they once were.
So, how does solar stack up in Adelaide as an investment? Is it still a good idea to install solar panel systems?
Different rebate schemes for solar energy systems in Adelaide
Despite the solar panel price reduction that we have seen in the last few years, investing in solar energy is still a big expense for most Australian households. Luckily, different financial schemes can help you out.
The government STC rebate
The Australian government introduced their STC rebate to make solar panel systems more affordable for everyone. This rebate is based on Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which are generated when installing a solar panel system.
One STC has its value, and this value will be subtracted from your installation costs. In other words, the more STCs your system generates, the larger your rebate will get. Your STC zone contributes to how many STCs you will get.
The government STC rebate is generating more STCs in zone 1 than in zone 2, 3 and 4. Adelaide is located in STC zone 3, which will give a smaller amount of STCs than in zones 1 and 2. Despite this, the rebate will still cover a great deal of the gross costs.
The South Australia Home Battery Scheme
South Australia’s Home Battery Scheme which covered up to $2,000 of your total battery costs has now closed to new applications.
The Home Battery Scheme website currently directs visitors to a page on the Department for Energy and Mining’s website, which states that all subsidies have been allocated.
Solar energy efficiency in Adelaide
Before installing a solar panel system, it is important to know whether the system can be expected to produce electricity efficiently or not. For households located in Adelaide, solar energy is considered effective thanks to the sunny climate.
To get the most out of the solar system, the solar panels should be installed with a north-facing orientation. However, if your rooftop is oriented west or east, solar energy can still be a good idea. But a north-facing orientation is considered the most ideal.
With a roof pitch of around 35 degrees, solar energy production will be at its most effective. But as long as the pitch is between 10 and 45 degrees, it is considered to be beneficial.
If you install a 6.6 kW solar panel system, you can expect the system to produce around 27.7 kWh of power a day. With a smaller 3 kW system, the output is expected to be around 12.6 kWh. With a big 10 kW solar system, your system might generate as much as 42 kWh.
The system basically will pay for itself
Thanks to the good efficiency of solar panel systems in Adelaide (and the generous financial schemes), most residents experience that the system will pay for itself. This may take years, but in the long run, you will definitely save money thanks to the reduction in power costs.
The payback period is around four years in Adelaide. This example is based on a household with daily electricity use of 14.6 kWh, and a system with a total cost of $6,800 which produces around 27.7 kWh a day.
As a bonus, you will also reduce your carbon emissions. With the system mentioned above, a family can reduce their lifetime carbon emission by 112 tonnes.
Conclusion: How does solar stack up as an investment in Adelaide?
For households located in Adelaide, investing in a solar panel system is considered to be beneficial. Not only will it be good for the environment, but also for your household budget. In the long run, you will save money, and the solar panel system will eventually pay for itself.
Thanks to the financial schemes the initial costs will also be more affordable for your household. If you want to get started, you just need to find an installer and the right solar panel system for your household.
Save money thanks to reduced power costs, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time!