Frequently Asked Questions
Can you send someone to explain the system to me and give me a quote?
Once you’ve filled in our simple online form to register your interest, we will contact you by telephone or email as soon as possible to answer your questions, find out your requirements and offer a quote.
If you are concerned about limited roof area or shading we can arrange for someone to visit you.
Do I have to decide on a system size before I place my order?
No, provided that we have sufficient notice prior to your installation (minimum two weeks), you can alter the system size that you select on your Auzion Solar Supply Agreement form.
How can energy efficient behaviours help me to increase my return on my investment?
Energy efficient behaviours are also an essential component of speeding up your return on your solar investment. By minimising your energy use throughout the day, you will export more of your solar electricity to the grid, therefore giving you the maximum return on your solar investment.
Energy efficiency tips:
- Use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs
- Avoid inefficient quartz halogen down lights
- Turn off your lights (including CFLs) when you are out of the room for longer than 5 minutes
- Turn off all of your appliances (at the wall) that have a standby function
- Ensure that fridges and freezers are set at the correct temperatures and that door seals are in good condition
- Use shading, cross ventilation and fans to minimise the use of air conditioning for cooling
- Buy energy efficient appliances
- Replace your electric hot water tank with a solar hot water system
- Install bulk installation in your ceiling and walls, use curtains over windows and ensure you have adequate passive solar access in winter to minimise heating costs
- Utilise off-peak tariffs for large electrical appliances such as pool pumps and hot water
How do I know what size system would be best for my household?
This depends upon your average daily usage and the amount of electricity your household normally uses during hours of sunshine. Factors to consider include:
- Whether or not electricity is used during the daytime by your household.
- Your average daily electricity usage, written on the back of your electricity bill in kWh.
- The amount of roof space that you have available for solar panels.
- The budget for your particular Auzion system.
An average household using 20 to 25 kWh of electricity per day, using only a small amount of electricity during the daytime (e.g. to run a fridge and freezer) might expect a 1.4 kW system to reduce electricity costs by 40% to 50% per quarter.
A household that uses more electricity during the daytime might consider installing a larger system to enable some feed-in to the mains grid to take advantage of the high feed-in tariff.
How do I know whether my property is suitable for a solar installation?
Ideally, solar panels are placed on a roof that is oriented somewhere between north-east and north-west. Other orientations are possible, but may incur additional installation costs or result in a loss in performance.
The roof must have enough space for the panels:
- A 1.5 kW system takes up 6.5 metres x 1.6 metres or 3.5 metres x 3.5 metres.
- A 2.2 kW system takes up 10 metres x 1.6 metres or 5 metres x 3.5 metres.
- A 3.0 kW system takes up 13 metres x 1.6 metres or 6.5 metres x 3.5 metres.
The roof must have minimal or no shade covering it. If there are trees or adjacent buildings casting shadows across your roof, it may not be suitable for a solar installation.
How do I maintain my solar system for maximum results?
The ongoing maintenance of your solar system is vital, as its efficiency can be significantly reduced by dirt and other obstructions to sunlight.Therefore it’s important to learn how to use, maintain and repair your solar system.Maintenance tips:
- Make sure your solar panels are free of shadowy obstructions. Cut branches and trim bushes if they are blocking the sun.
- Clean your panels with water and a soft cloth regularly. Dust, bird droppings, and other debris can accumulate over time, reducing the efficiency of your solar panels.
- Install a flow control system if you are using your solar panel to heat up water. A flow control system helps reduce the amount of water which needs to be heated, allowing it to reach optimum temperatures more quickly.
How do I maximise my feed in tariff?
How to maximise your Feed In Tariff:
- Ensure your panels are free from shading throughout the day, particularly from 9am to 3pm in summer
- Check your electricity account after your system has been installed to ensure you are being paid correctly
- Try to reduce your energy use during the day
- Consider load-shifting, whereby you use appliances that consume a lot of power (such as washing machines, desktop computers, electric heaters, irons etc.) outside of the main solar generating times (i.e. use these appliances in the morning or night time). This way you will be using mains electricity at the regular price rather than your solar-generated electricity which is worth up to 3 times more.
How does the feed-in tariff work?
During hours of sunshine, any power generated by the solar installation that’s not used by the house will be fed back into the mains grid.
Energex or Ergon (the owners of the mains electricity infrastructure) will supply you with a bidirectional meter that measures what you use and what you supply back to the mains. Rates will vary between stateshowever you’ll consume electricity typically at a tarrif rate of approximately 19 c/kWh and 'sell' it back to the grid at a multiplier rate of between 2 and 3 times the purchase price (net). Your electricity bill will be credited with the amount of power that your system feeds into the mains grid.
How long would it take before my system was installed?
Our lead time for installations is generally eight to twelve weeks.
How much does a system cost?
Please click on this link to open our Auzion Agreement form that shows current prices on Page 2.
How much energy will the system produce?
For each 1 kW of panels, a system in southern Queensland will produce an average of 4 to 5 kWh of electricity per day, averaged over a year. A typical 1.5 kW system will produce about 6 kWh per day on average.
How will a photovoltaic grid-connect solar installation reduce my electricity bill?
A grid-connect solar electricity installation can reduce your electricity bill in two ways:
- Firstly, the system provides power during the daytime, so you won’t need to draw electricity from the mains during this time (unless you’re using more than the panels generate).
- Secondly, any excess electricity generated by the panels is fed into the mains grid and your electricity bill will be credited for this power at the feed-in tariff (legislated at a minimum 44 c/kWh in Queensland).
We would recommend using electricity before 9:00 am and after 3:00 pm for large loads such as pool pumps, washing machines and ovens.
If I start with a 1.5 kW system with a 2500 W inverter, how much would it cost to upgrade to a larger system later on?
Please refer to the panel upgrade prices in the Auzion Agreement form.
Is there a government rebate or subsidy available for solar installations?
The Federal Government is no longer offering an $8,000 rebate for solar electricity installation, however the Renewable Energy Target legislation was recently amended to award a larger number of renewable energy certificates (RECs) to small renewable energy installations. These constitute a significant discount on the cost of your solar installation.
Please note that prices shown on Auzion’s contract form and website have already deducted applicable rebates and RECs.
Is this the whole price or would there be any additional costs?
Our price includes components, installation and GST. Pleaes note that remote fees apply outside the Sunshine Coast/Brisbane/Gold Coast area.
Because of the differing physical attributes of some homes, some customers may have special requirements. The costs of these are outlined here and will also be made clear in the quote. Variation costs can include such things as:
- Tiled roof mounting brackets
- Double storey or difficult access to roof
- Tilt support brackets for flat, low pitched or steeply pitched roof
- Variance from standard panel array layout
- Weatherproof inverter or DC cabling to remote inverter
- Fire resistant back required for older style meter box
Once the installation is complete, your electricity supplier will provide you with a bidirectional meter. Within Queensland there is no charge for the first bidirectional meter supplied to a property.
What are RECs?
RECs are ‘renewable energy certificates’ that are awarded to someone who installs a renewable energy appliance in accordance with the Renewable Energy Target* law. The number of RECs awarded is determined by the amount of electricity that will be produced by the appliance over 15 years. As an electronic currency, REC’s can be traded or sold to offset the capital cost of solar hot water or grid-connected photovoltaic installations.
Please note that prices shown on Auzion’s contract form and website have already deducted applicable rebates and RECs.
Please also be aware that, as a currency, The RECs market price fluctuates.
Find out more at www.orer.gov.au/publications/pubs/ret-thebasics-0909.pdf
Where are your panels made?
Our panels are manufactured by Global suppliers of mono crystalline PV panels in China.
We utilise a range of quality suppliers like CEEG, Ulica and Juli New Energy who are partnering with us here in Australia. Our suppliers products are exported all over the world to countries such as Spain, Germany, USA, Italy and Australia. They are tested in Australia to meet the toughest conditions and standards, and are registered for use here via the Clean Energy Council.
Why does a solar PV system create Radio Frequency Interference?
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is a phenomenon that exists in modern society and is a problem in many areas of electronics. With Photovoltaic Solar Generator systems utilising an inverter to convert DC current to AC current RFI normally presents itself in the form of static when listening to an AM radio in close proximity to the inverter location. Normal inverter installation requirements will minimise the potential for RFI however it may be necessary to relocate radio receivers away from the inverter if RFI is a problem and/or utilise an independent radio receiver aerial to improve signal strength of the receiver.
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1300 35 45 75
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