Frequently Asked Questions
Solar Panels
Solar panels contain photovoltaic (PV) cells, which capture sunlight and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. This means that the panels only generate electricity during the day.
An inverter converts the DC electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity which is then used to power your home. Click here to view our range of inverters.
If the solar panels produce more electricity than your household consumes, you can feed this excess energy back into the power grid (reducing your power bill), or store it in batteries. Click here to view our range of batteries.
On the other hand, if you consume more power than the panels produce, you can always draw more from the grid.
The first step towards a successful and efficient solar system is an accurate energy assessment. We will need some information about your household including current and previous energy usage. Once this is done, we can give more detailed predictions on energy yields, financial savings and more.
SunPeople can also help you reduce your energy usage, in order to maximise the benefits of solar power. We can review your:
Hot water system
Heating and cooling
General appliances
Lighting
Other technology such as batteries
SunPeople are here to help, while on site reviewing your solar options we are happy to offer other advice and simple tips to reduce your power bill and energy demands on your home. We can review your:
Hot water system
Heating and cooling in your home
General appliances
Lighting
Other technology options such as batteries
At SunPeople we won’t try to talk you into installing as many panels as you can fit on the roof. We will work with you to design a customised system, depending on how much power you need, and when you need that power. For a basic guide, please view our solar packages here.
The ‘Tier’ ranking system was designed to help large-scale projects and investors select products from the world’s most ‘bankable’ manufacturers.
A company that has achieved Tier 1 status does not necessarily have the best panels, but they have passed the test for financial institutions to lend money against their products.
The Tier ranking system can be a good way to filter through lesser-known Chinese manufactured panels, but should not be substituted for understanding a panel’s performance, efficiency and warranty program.
This will depend on:
the quality of your panels – SunPeople have only selected Solar Panels that are the best quality, most efficient and durable.
the location of your panels – SunPeople will visit your property to ensure the panels are in the best position to capture the sun’s rays.
the way the panels are designed on your roof – SunPeople will design and install your panels to fit effectively and neatly on your rooftop.
We recommend that panels be cleaned and inspected annually by a professional.
You are able to clean the panels yourself, using warm water and a soft cloth to remove any dirt/residue. It is important to use a soft cloth to ensure you don’t scratch the panels and avoid using chemicals as it could damage the panel.
If your panels are damaged, we can organize an inspection to find out what caused the damage/fault and find a solution. Any error codes that appear on the inverter will speed up the process.
It is best to get in contact with the SunPeople team, we are able to organize for one of our solar experts to take a look at your roof, and determine the best option for you.
Shading can be caused by trees overhanging the roof or location where the panels will be installed, Aerials, chimneys or stink pipes. Shading will affect the amount of power that a panel/system can produce.
Inverters
An inverter is essential in a solar power system. It converts the Direct current (DC) electricity from the solar panels to an alternating current (AC) so it can be used to power your home.
It depends on what the error code is. As there are a large variety of different error codes some being significant and some will just fix themselves. If the customer can tell us what the error code is, we can investigate further to find the cause and solution.
We have videos available for this. See the relevent links below.
SolarEdge: Screenless inverter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRYPMGNOJho
SolarEdge screened inverter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZGCZW4Ydxs
Fronius: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IkL_MHpiOA&feature=youtu.be
If you have any issues with this, please contact the SunPeople team.
Batteries
Solar batteries work by converting the alternating current (AC) electricity into direct current (DC) and storing it for later use. When the panels are producing more power than your household consumes, it is stored in these batteries. This excess power can then be used later when the solar panels aren’t producing electricity (such as at night).
With a battery, you will only send power back to the grid when the battery is full, and you will only draw down from the grid when the battery is empty.
Yes, there is a battery option to suit every situation. However, adding batteries may require further upgrades to your system. Call us today and we can advise you on what is needed. If you are installing a new system, we can allow for specific items required for future batteries.
Other
Yes, all the products we offer are sourced from the largest, leading solar manufacturers in the world, through official Australian distribution channels. Our products are proudly detailed on our site, with trusted brands such as SMA, LG Chem and Winaico, which all have Australian based offices. Many solar companies come and go, leaving the consumer with problems if warranty issues arise. SunPeople are here to stay and will provide our customers with any after sales support required.
SunPeople will not sacrifice quality over quantity. This is proven by our commitment to quality products and advice after point of sale. Our installers are our own people, assuring our labour guarantee. We are a face to face business, we won’t be selling you a system over the phone. We believe in visiting the site, understanding your needs and tailoring the best package to suit your household or business.
This answer varies site to site, further information can be sourced on websites that offer carbon saving calculators. A local site we have installed with a 5KW solar system estimates a saving of 4.56 Tons of C02 per year, that’s 114 Tons of C02 savings over the lifetime of the system! That’s the equivalent to taking 24 cars off the road for a year!
Once your new system is installed our qualified technicians will walk you through your new or existing system, to help you understand your product.
We advise following all manufacturers’ instructions to ensure your panels are cleaned once a year from any debris or bird droppings, this will ensure your system works efficiently and safely for many years. SunPeople recommend an annual service, as per Australian Standards for solar installations, to test and maintain the electrical parts of your system.
All our inverters offer products to review your systems’ performance on a phone or tablet.
Yes we offer a maintenance service. We can clean your solar panels, or provide a System Safety Inspection service that includes cleaning your panels and an ‘all parts check’ – ensuring everything is up to scratch.
We also offer a repair service, if your system stops working. We’ll check out what’s gone wrong, either fix it on the spot or come back ASAP and fix the broken parts.
This will depend on:
the quality of your panels – SunPeople have only selected Solar Panels that are the best quality, most efficient and durable.
the location of your panels – SunPeople will visit your property to ensure the panels are in the best position to capture the sun’s rays.
the way the panels are designed on your roof – SunPeople will design and install your panels to fit effectively and neatly on your rooftop.
Unit 1/5 Sunset Ave, Barrack Heights NSW 2528
STC stands for Small-scale Technology Certificate.
It is a scheme developed by the Federal Government to encourage more people to install renewable energy systems and to make it more affordable for everyone. You might find some people refer to them as a “rebate”.
They are calculated based on the generation capability of the solar system and are applied as a point of sale discount on the cost of the system.
This varies depending on the size of the system. Our most common install is a 6.6kW system which generally takes a full day to install.
The expected time frame from the quote acceptance to a completed install is 6-8 weeks. If a date becomes available, earlier than what has been scheduled, we will contact you to see if we can make the change.
The day after the install has been completed or as soon as possible – please let the admin team know if there will be a delay.
We may have organised a subcontractor to do your solar install so you won’t have to wait as long to have the solar installed. As our schedule can get very busy, install dates can be pushed out as far as 8 weeks, so if you are happy for the install to be done by a subcontractor we will book that in for the next available date.