Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Â With no deposit you can start saving from the day of your installation. Â Learn more ……
The entry level Sunstainable 1.5kW Solar power system feeding in 33% of its production back into the grid will produce approximately $23500* worth of electricity over the 25 year warranty life of a solar panels.
Larger systems will feed in a greater percentage of their production and can produce up to $90,000* worth of electricity over the warranty period.* Adjusted for inflation and using historical output data for Melbourne, returns are higher for other mainland Australian Capital Cities.
The table below shows how much electricity is produced and the corresponding tonnes of CO2 saved for different sized solar power systems in each state capital or regional centre.
Size in kilowatts | No. of panels | Daily output in Brisbane/Adelaide/Canberra (kWh) |
Daily output in Melbourne (kWh) |
Tonnes of CO2 saved/year in Brisbane, Adelaide & Canberra | ||
Peak | Average | Peak | Average | |||
1.02 | 6 | 8.40 | 4.20 | 7.40 | 3.70 | 1.6 |
1.52 | 8 | 12.4 | 6.2 | 10.9 | 5.4 | 2.4 |
1.9 | 10 | 15.6 | 7.8 | 13.8 | 6.9 | 3.0 |
2.28 | 12 | 18.8 | 9.4 | 16.5 | 8.3 | 3.6 |
2.66 | 14 | 21.9 | 11.0 | 19.3 | 9.6 | 4.2 |
3.04 | 16 | 25.0 | 12.5 | 22.1 | 11.0 | 4.8 |
3.42 | 18 | 28.2 | 14.1 | 24.8 | 12.4 | 5.4 |
4.56 | 24 | 37.6 | 18.8 | 33.1 | 16.5 | 7.2 |
4.94 | 26 | 40.7 | 20.3 | 35.8 | 17.9 | 7.7 |
10.26 | 54 | 84.5 | 42.2 | 74.4 | 37.2 | 16.1 |
Yes you can choose a larger system. To make the most of free sunshine, we recommend you install the largest system you can afford consistent with your roof space and state or territory regulations. About the only regret that most buyers of solar power systems have is that they didn’t get a bigger one!
Yes. Your solar power system is part of the building structure and is thus covered by your House Insurance Policy. Talk to your insurer to ensure that they have your system listed on the insurance policy and that the cover is adequate given the increased value of your home with the panels.
To take full advantage of solar power, you will need to upgrade your electricity meter to a bi-directional smart meter. This allows the measurement of electricity when you buy it from the grid and more importantly, measurement when you sell it back to your electricity retailer. You will only be able to take advantage of the a feed in tariff if you have a bi-directional meter.
You can:
- Take a look at our solar power packages,
- Simply fill in the form and one of our experienced staff will get in touch, or
- Call us on 1300 487 200 for all the help you need to choose the best solar power system for your roof.
You pay a deposit of 50% at the time of scheduling to secure your order and lock in the price. We will then visit your property to confirm the quote if required. Installation normally occurs less than 30 days after your deposit or site inspection. We will book the installation time a few days in advance and full payment is required at the time of booking.
Sunstainable has automatically deducted the value of the RECs from your purchase price. You pay only the net retail value of the system and Sunstainable covers the cost of the rebate until we get reimbursed when the RECs are traded.
RECs are short for Renewable Energy Certificates. Each REC is equivalent to the production of one megawatt of renewable energy. RECs are created when hydro, wind, solar or other renewable sources of power produce a megawatt of electricity. RECs have a monetary value and are traded on a market where electricity retailers and other major electricity users are required to buy them to meet their obligations under the Renewable Energy Target Scheme (20% Renewable Energy by 2020). Every REC has a number and is registered to the particular generator of renewable electricity that produced it. The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER) keeps a record of all RECs produced.When you buy a solar power system ORER allow you to deem the RECs for 15 years. This means that you create RECs for the first 15 years of electricity production immediately into REC’s. Further to this the Federal Government has legislated that if you have an eligible system you can create 3 times the number of REC’s for the 1.5kW of generation capacity of your system (This is known as the Solar Credits Scheme).By assigning your systems RECs to Sunstainable you can reduce the capital cost of your solar power system making it more affordable to go solar. We will reduce the cost of the system by the value of the REC’s you have assigned to us at the current market rate for which we are able to sell them.
Sunstainable sources the best options globally and purchases panels from a variety of countries including Germany, China, and the USA.
At Sunstainable our prices are lower than our competitors because we buy solar equipment direct from the factories and sell direct to you. We have optimised all of the processes to ensure that they are highly efficient to keep costs down. We then pass the savings on to you.
If upon a detailed analysis of your home we are unable to install solar panels for any reason, we will quickly refund any deposit you have made.
Sunstainable only purchases high quality monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels from reputable manufacturers. The choice of panel depends on your specific needs. One of our qualified consultants will be pleased to advise you on choice of panel.
Most commonly, people install systems between 2.5 and 3.0 kilowatts. These can generate the amount of electricity needed by an energy efficient household. Many Sunstainable customers find they are able to reduce their energy consumption by 30-50% with some simple efficiency measures. The remainder is then produced by the solar power system.
The inverter is the heart of the solar power system. It converts the DC electricity generated by your solar panels into 240VAC electricity. It is critical part of your system, which is why Sunstainable only use tried and tested brands that you can rely on.See a list of Our Products here.
No, not all systems are the same.Grid Connect Solar Systems are manufactured from a variety of components such as solar panels, inverters, aluminium frames & stainless steel fasteners. Sunstainable uses superior brands from around the world to achieve the best value for our customers. This means that you get optimum performance and longevity which means no down time and maximum generating time.
With low cost systems, inverters often fail. That leaves the panels lying idle on your roof and you very frustrated on sunny days.
In most cases, no. Excess power you generate is sent to the power grid and used by other consumers. You will be credited for this power. When you are using more power than you generate, power is supplied by the grid. In effect, the electricity grid works a little bit like your battery.We can supply solar power systems that include battery backup. Talk to one of our consultants to find out which type of system is best for you.
Most grid connect solar power systems are designed to automatically shut down too. This is to ensure that it is safe for repairs to be made to the grid. When power is restored, your system will detect that the grid is working and automatically reconnect your system. Sunstainable can supply solar power systems that automatically disconnect from the electricity grid and switch over to battery backup, to keep the system operating and supplying power to your home or business. Talk to one of our consultants to find out more.
Sunstainable installs the Solar Power system. Installation by our licensed electricians and certified installers will take about a day. Our installers will also instruct you on the all operational aspects of the system to ensure optimal operation of the system at all times.
Solar panels convert sunlight into DC electricity. An inverter then converts this into 240-volt AC electricity. This electricity powers your house. Any excess electricity is fed out into the main electricity grid and is bought by the power provider. You can reduce your electricity bill significantly so that you have little or nothing to pay. You will also reduce your dwelling’s greenhouse gas emissions by several tonnes per year.Learn more about Solar energy and how solar systems work.
Benefits provided by a grid connect solar power system include reduced electricity bills, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, ongoing energy savings and an enhanced property value. Grid connect solar power systems have also been credited with reducing peak demand on the electricity grid during extremely hot weather, thus helping to reduce the risk of grid overload and blackouts.
Solar Panels are usually mounted on the roof of your house, shed or garage. They can also be mounted on the ground. Solar panels are located to maximise exposure to the sun and to minimise shading. A north facing roof at 30° is optimum, however, orientation within 45° east or west of north results only in marginal power losses. Our solar consultants and installers can design and supply solar array frames that can be installed on almost any roof to maintain optimum tilt and orientation of the solar panels.
Yes there are Government rebates to support the installation of solar panels. We individually assess our customers to make sure all eligible Government schemes are utilised. We manage the application process from start to finish and do all the paperwork for you.
Generally, yes your electricity bill does get credited. This is called a feed-in tariff. The amount you receive depends on which state you live in and your electricity retailer. As this is an area of frequent change, talk to one of our consultants to find out what level of feed-in tariff you may be eligible for.
You will need to keep the panels clean to maintain optimum performance. Sunstainable offer a yearly maintenance program to make sure that your Solar Power system continues to perform optimally. Ask one of our Solar Consultants how to sign up for yearly maintenance.
Testimonials Widget
-
Thanks to Bill and the rest of the team at Sunstainable. From the moment of first contact, Bill paid attention to what we asked for and came in with a competitive quote and great advice for a system tailored to our family’s needs.
From the moment I started talking to Bill to getting the panels installed took less than 2 weeks, how’s that for efficiency? Meanwhile some other companies are still yet to send me quotes or answer my questions.
The job itself is top notch and even better than what was originally planned prior to the site inspection. The installers were professional, polite, friendly and efficient and were in and out in less than 4 hours.They even called the inspector who came within half an hour of the job being finished.
They explained all the inner workings of the Fronius inverter and how to get the best out of our investment by staggering the running appliances.
All in all a wonderful experience and a few laughs with Bill, the charismatic Sales Manager who won us over with the friendly attitude even more so than the great price!
Thanks Sustainable!
Clem - Mornington
I just wanted to send you a short note to say thank you for the great solar power system that your company installed last Friday.
The information that you provided to me before I purchased the system was detailed and accurate.
Your team did a great job of installing the system, they used quality equipment, were courteous and professional at all times and kept me fully informed every step of the way.
Thank you for a smooth and quick installation.
T. Keel, Fitzroy
I will definitely use Sunstainable again for any future solar system installations. I had a very steeply raked tiled roof (45 degrees) on a double storey house in Melbourne which would have been a nightmare to install. Sunstainable had installers who did a sensational job despite the difficult roof. Very happy with the tidiness of the job, even the neighbours gave me compliments. Sunstainable sold me a top notch system at a very very competitive price and also replaced my 40 year old switchboard with a new system. Very happy with the experience from start to finish, and therefore I am super happy with this company. The company has been around for the last 10 years, so they are in this business for the long run.
Lawrence, Balwyn North
I just wanted to send you a short note to say thank you for the great solar power system that your company installed last Friday.
The information that you provided to me before I purchased the system was detailed and accurate. Your team did a great job of installing the system, they used quality equipment, were courteous and professional at all times and kept me fully informed every step of the way.
Thank you for a smooth and quick installation.
T. Keel, Fitzroy
I have just had a solar system installed by sunstainable and have had it inspected by two of my son’s in law and they both have systems with other companies, they and I too am impressed by the installers who were very helpful and gave me advice on electrical and solar matters I didn’t even ask for, as for workmanship it was professional and neat and they had the job done in no time.
I found their products to be of top quality and Sabreen’s customer service was outstanding, so if you are considering Sunstainable I would gladly recommend them.
Mrs. Scanlan, Healesville
After many months of research and seeking quotations, we decided to sign a contract with Sunstainable and so far we do not regret it.
There were no hidden extras or possible extras, as it was the case with most of the other quotes. The total cost was exactly as it was quoted.
From the time of signing the contract the installation was surprisingly quick and on the exact date promised. We were particularly impressed with the two installers, who despite travelling over 300km did the installation of 3kW in one day. They were very professional without taking any shortcuts and the quality of work could not be faulted. We appreciated their friendly disposition and any questions we had were answered without hesitation.
All the paper work for inspection and installation of the solar meter was processed without delay by Sunstainable and their installer. Inspection was done within a week from installation and the solar meter installed within 4 weeks.
Our system is operational since 1 June and we are happy with its performance.
We would not hesitate to recommend Sunstainable Pty Ltd to anybody considering installing a solar system.
M & S Vizjak, Rutherglen, Vic
Hi Mal, I was down at the beach last week and for the first 46 days the system has averaged about 24kw per day. Considering what the weather has been like, I was pretty happy with that and it even cranked out 24kw on Saturday when the sun was only out for about 10 minutes in total.
Malcolm Bamford, Victoria
To Bill and the team,
We would like to thank Sunstainable and the installation crew for their advice, professional service and the quality of the workmanship. It is also great to start to see the benefits of the choosing solar with our energy generation exceeding our usage almost every day and we will definitely recommend Sunstainable to any friends or relatives that are considering solar.
Pino & Sarah
Sunstainable installed a 35kW solar plant on our two adjacent engineering factories in October this year. We have been more than delighted with the excellent service and attention – from the initial analysis of our energy usage and requirements, presentation of options, and the quality completed installation.
Bill and Izy are to be congratulated for their efforts. I have no hesitation in recommending Sunstainable for commercial solar applications. These guys are all over it!
Karl, Thomastown
© 2021 · Sunstainable powered by DBDM