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Solar Panels

SERVICING

GEELONG | BALLARINE | SURF COAST | COLAC |
OTWAYS | BALLARAT

There is a lot of information about Solar Panels on the internet, and most of it can be very confusing. Velocity Solar make the process of choosing Solar Panel Systems easy. Our knowledge is vast, and we are happy to pass on what we know.

Solar Panel Systems comprise of many components. Solar panels are the many costly part of the system though and would take time to replace if there was ever an issue moving forward. The expected life span across the industry for a solar panel is around 25 years and offers the ability to repay your initial investment by at least 5 times, over the lifetime of the system.

Velocity Solar offers our clients a choice of different panels, and we can source any panel on the market. We have however chosen a range of panels that we believe offer the best trade off between performance, value and quality.

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Our approach to choosing the right Solar Panel

We only use “Tier 1″ solar panel manufacturers.

There are way to many solar companies out there that do not specify the brand of panel to be supplied. You wouldn’t buy a car without knowing the manufacturer and the model, and solar is no different, If the solar company offers a panel however and you cant find any information of the panel when you do your research, reconsider the purchase. There’s a plethora of information available online about panels made by the world’s leading solar panel manufacturers. If you can not find the information theres a good chance their not a tier 1 manufacturer.

Tier 1 solar panels are made by the top 2% of manufacturers who invest heavily in research and development. They also have the highest levels of quality assurance.

We at Velocity Solar take a similar view to those who install solar farms overseas, they wont by a untrusted panel manufacturer that are not a tier 1 manufacturer, so we will not either. This giving the best piece of mind possible to our customers.

What is a Tier 1 Solar Panel?

A Tier 1 solar panel is a panel that is made by a manufacturer that has been rated as Tier 1 by a reputable independent PV industry analyst.

Tier 1 is the highest (best) tier, and means that the analyst who ranked it believes that the module manufacturer scores well on lots of criteria including:

  • Experience
  • Financial position
  • Manufacturing scale
  • Deployment scale
  • Durability & quality
  • Technical Performance
  • Vertical integration
  • Insurance and backing
  • Service and support

It’s easy for manufacturers to right ‘top quality’ in their marketing, but a ‘Tier 1’ ranking assures you the product has been tested and approved.

Wholesaler relationships.

Be wary of local solar retailers importing panels directly from overseas. In the case of a future malfunction, you’ll have very little warranty support if the retailer is not around anymore. Velocity Solar does not import panels from overseas, Our relationships with several solar wholesalers gives as the assurance that not only are we covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, but we have the facility to directly deal with suppliers to gain quick replacements if ever required.

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WHO DO WE TRUST?

We use and recommend these Tier 1 Solar Panel manufacturers.

The biggest mistake when buying a Solar System.

The biggest single mistake you can make when buying a solar power system is assuming all solar panels are created equal (or even anywhere close to being equal!). There is a huge disparity in terms of quality available on the Australian market.

Clean Energy Council Approved List

“The CEC listing verifies that a panel meets the minimum safety and functional requirements for installation in Australia, but does not reflect on a panel’s performance or long term reliability.

Just as with other products such as automobiles, there are considerable differences between makes and models, even though they all meet minimum safety regulations.

Consumers need to research the product carefully to decide whether it will meet their needs.”

This is part of the reason Australia is the largest consumer of low quality solar panels in the world.

“But my friend bought a cheap panel and it seems to be going ok”

Even low quality panels may perform well “out of the box” for a year or two. But given time in the harsh Australian conditions, inferior quality panels will start to degrade. This can take the form of: Significant degradation in performance (this is amplified by the fact a solar system only works as well as its weakest panel).

Two main issues we have seen many times on cheap solar panels are:

Discolouration

De-lamination (the peeling off of the back layer of the panel).

Hot Spots

Solar panels generate significant power and hot spots can occur when some of that power is dissipated in a localised area. Hot spots are rarely stable and will usually intensify until total failure of the panel performance in terms of electricity production and/or safety.

Will your warranty cover this?

A warranty is only as good as the company backing it. If you’re buying a cheaper inferior panel, chances are the manufacturer does not have a presence in Australia. Remember the 25 year warranty on solar panels is provided by the manufacturer. If they don’t have an operation in Australia, you will have very little chance of getting any type of warranty resolution.

Our Residential Solar Panel System Installation Process

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STEP 1:

Free Consultation

We’ll come to your home, we’ll look at your power usage history and ask you a few questions. We’ll use this information to formulate the best solar system for your circumstance.

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STEP 2:

Solar Panel System Design

While at your location we will physically inspect and measure your roof to make sure it will be suitable for the solar system we will recommend.

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STEP 3:

Quotation

Our location visit will allow to gather all the relevant information in order for us to give you an on the spot quotation. This way if you have any questions we can answer right there and then.

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STEP 4:

Approvals & rebates

There are a number boxes that need to ticked in order for your new solar system to work. Power companies need notification, forms for Government rebates need to be completed.

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STEP 5:

Installation

Once all approvals and pre-approvals are completed we can set a date to installation. Most installations tend to be completed in one day.

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STEP 6:

Connect to Grid

The approval process will have meant we already know we can connect your new solar system into the power network. We’ll explain all you need to know about the process of connecting to the power grid.

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STEP 7:

Monitoring & Training

In keeping with being transparent about the whole process, we will set-up the monitoring of your solar system and train you in how to read and decipher the information.

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STEP 8:

Maintenance

Solar systems save money, but require some on going maintenance to make sure your system stays save and works at optimal performance.

Guide to Installing Solar for Households

Residential Solar System Gallery

Get in contact with us today so we can book a time to do your free in-house consultation.

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