Melbourne has about 2380 hours of sunshine in a year, with January being the sunniest, and June having the lowest amount of sunshine. Melbourne weather is unpredictable, but the amount of sunshine it gets in a year still makes it worthwhile to invest in a solar system for producing electricity, whether you live in a home or own a business.
For people who have low consumption of less than 4200 kWh per year, it makes sense to install a 5kW solar system, which has proven to be one that is the most popular in Melbourne and also the rest of the state of which Melbourne is the capital. Installation of this system also brings with it many government rebates and other incentives, that greatly ease the investment that requires to be made for installing this system.
Before you install this system you need to look at your usage of electricity, your energy bills, and importantly check on the orientation of your roof. Every panel in a solar system delivers 250W of power, so a 5kw solar system Melbourne will require you to install 20 panels. Each panel measures 1m x 1.6m and this means you will require between 30 and 40 square meters of space for a 5 kW solar system. Check whether you have this space available on your roof and whether the roof area that can take these panels has the correct orientation. The orientation must be such that the sun can fall on the panels at right angles, as this will produce the maximum power. You can mount the panels so that they are correctly tilted, even if the orientation of your roof is not suitable, but this will mean extra supports and other fixing arrangements.
A 5kw solar system can cost between $5300 to $7000, and prices are constantly declining due to the constant technological improvements in the tapping of solar energy for power. The actual power output of any installed system can depend on the way the system is oriented and the tilt angle of the solar panels. Daily solar irradiation and cloud cover can also affect the power that the system will produce. It is important that the panels must not have any shade cast on them from trees or other buildings, as this can severely affect their output. The actual operating temperature of the panels can also have an effect on the efficiency of the panels. A 5 kW system is best installed with inverters and batteries. Inverters convert the direct current that the panels produce into alternating current that is used by most electrical appliances including lighting. Batteries allow you to use power stored in them while the sun is not shining.
It is possible in Melbourne to connect your solar system to the electric grid so that you can divert the power produced to the grid in the daytime when you are not using it at home. This will give you a rebate on your electric bills. You can then economically use the grid power at night and can dispense with the need for batteries.
