FAQ

Yes you can!  With no deposit you can start saving from the day of your installation.  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.

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.

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.