Common questions about installing solar panels answered by Ben and Nicole of local biz, Kik Connect 

Investing in solar panels and renewable energy is a fantastic way to lighten the load on the planet and your electricity bill. 

But it does come with a lot of questions, and there are plenty of misconceptions out there too. 

So, what do you do when you don’t know what to do?

ASK A LOCAL EXPERT!! 

We caught up with Ben and Nicole, the awesome husband and wife team behind Kik Connect, a local solar installation company to share the answers to the most common questions they’re asked by Highlanders thinking of installing solar. 

1 :: What are the most common misconceptions people have about solar? 

The most common misconceptions we hear are that solar panels are self-cleaning, and solar doesn’t save money on your electricity bills [or doesn’t work at all]. 

If your solar system has been designed properly, installed correctly with quality products and is cleaned on a regular basis, an average 6.6kW system can save approximately $1800 per year, for at least the next decade to come. 

That adds up! 

2 :: Why should I go solar? How will it benefit me? 

During sunlight hours, every time you turn on a light, dishwasher, air conditioning unit etc, you are paying to import electricity from the grid.

So why not use the sun’s free light to generate your own electricity?

The more you maximise your self-consumption, the more money you can save. 

3 :: How do I know if solar panels will work on my property? 

Solar will work on most properties, unless your roof gets no access to sunlight [blocked by surrounding trees], or you have a very small roof. 

If you’re lucky enough to have lots of land, a ground mounted solar system works too. 

4 :: What size system will I need? 

There can be two approaches to sizing your solar system:

•    The Solar Lover :: Just bang as many panels on your roof as you can fit. You know solar power is a good thing, and if you’re going to get solar installed you might as well cover your roof! 
 

•    Common Sense :: You want to maximise the financial return from solar energy and get the system size that will give you the optimum return. How to do this is a long answer. It depends on how much electricity you use and even more crucially when you use that electricity. 

5 :: What happens on cloudy days? 

Solar panels work by converting sunlight [not heat] into electricity. 

So yes, your system will still work, but with greatly reduced efficiency. Expect your panels to only produce 10-40% of their rated capacity on an overcast day. 

Lucky we live in Australia where sun is in plentiful supply! 

6 :: Is solar expensive to install?

The price of your solar system will, of course, depend on how many Kilowatts (kW) of solar panels and the quality of equipment installed. 

The payback period can vary between 3-5 years, depending on the local price of electricity, local amount of sunshine and electricity usage pattern in the home. 

7 :: What rebates are available and are they difficult to get? 

No, the rebate isn’t hard to get. We offer the rebate as an upfront discount at the point of sale. 

We complete all the necessary paperwork and only require a signature after all works are completed and our customer is happy. 

If you purchase a solar system today [December 2021], it is subsidised by a federal government scheme worth about $480 per kW installed [based on the $35 STC Price]. That’s around $3,200 off on a typical 6.6kW system. 

If all that still sounds a little confusing to you, get in touch with us and we can explain it and sort it out for you. 

8 :: What type of warranty is available?

We have a standard 5-year workmanship warranty on all our installations. 

All the inverters we install, come with a 10-year product warranty. 

The brands of panels we install come with either a 15 or 25-year product warranty. 

9 :: What sort of upkeep and maintenance is required? 

Guys, we can’t stress this enough….

LESS DIRT = MORE LIGHT = BETTER ENERGY SUPPLY

If it rains, or a bird decides to poop on your car – you clean it right? 

We like to hold solar panels to the same standard. 

If you take care of your investment, it’ll take care of you. 

We recommend cleaning your panels every 1-2 years depending on your local environment. 

10 :: What do most people say to you after you have installed the solar for them – what are they most surprised by? 

What we hear the most is “Wow, my solar doesn’t have to be an eyesore!”. 

Most of our customers have been stoked with the streamlined installation, high levels of communication, punctuality, tidiness, customer service and advice.

We encourage all future and possible customers to check out our reviews and see firsthand what positive words our customers have said. 

Thanks guys! Awesome info there. 

If you’ve been thinking about installing solar, get in touch with the Kik Connect team here. 

Kik Connect is a small, local and family run business offering solar installation and electrical services across the Southern Highlands.

Fully accredited and always working to a high standard, Ben and Nicole and Jake focus on giving their customers savvy and tailormade solutions and an honest and positive customer experience.

Contact the team here. 

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