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What You Need To Know About Solar

Thinking about installing rooftop solar? Before you invest, it’s important to know how solar works, what it costs, and whether it’s the right fit for your home or business. This guide brings together the essential information to help you make a confident and informed decision. Whether you're just starting your research or preparing to request a solar quote, this page will help you understand what to expect, and how to get the most from your solar investment.

Is solar right for you?

Choosing to install rooftop solar is a big decision, and it’s not one-size-fits-all. Understanding your property, how you use electricity, and your options will help you decide if solar is a good fit for your home or business.  Here are some things to consider when deciding if a rooftop solar system is right for you.  

What costs, rebates and export values apply? 

Installing rooftop solar involves upfront costs for equipment, installation, and connecting your system to the electricity network. However, these costs can be offset by government rebates and incentives in some instances, as well as ongoing savings on your energy bills. You may also be able to export excess electricity back to the grid through feed-in tariffs, helping improve the overall return on your solar investment.

How to get the most from your solar system?

Rooftop solar isn’t a set-and-forget investment. Getting the most value from your system requires some ongoing attention and understanding. By keeping your panels well maintained, monitoring how and when you use electricity, and ensuring your system stays connected and operating efficiently, you can maximise both your self-consumption and the value of any energy you export to the grid. Taking an active role in how your system performs will help you get the best return from your solar investment over time.

Basic maintenance

Regular maintenance keeps your solar system safe and efficient. Be sure to clean the panels by removing dirt and grime, and refer to the manufacturer’s guide beforehand, or hire a professional to do the work for you. To maximise efficiency of the panels, follow the maintenance schedule from your installer.

Self consumption vs export

Using your solar generation to power your home or business is the best way to save money on your electricity bill. While you get paid a little for sending extra energy to the grid, it’s less than what you pay for electricity when your system isn’t producing any.

 

To get the most out of your rooftop solar system, try shifting more of your electricity usage to peak solar production time (when the sun's out). And consider investing in smart devices to automate appliance consumption or installing a battery to store excess energy for use when solar generation is low.

Tracking your electricity usage

Did you know you can view and manage your electricity usage by creating an account in My Portal? Track your electricity consumption and CO2 emmissions, and compare your usage to others in your suburb. You could also save money by comparing energy retailer offers on websites like Victorian Energy Compare.

Keep your system connected to the internet

All new, upgraded and replacement solar system inverters must be wi-fi enabled and remain connected to the internet at all times. Ask your installer how to check the connection using your solar app and how to reconnect if your connection is lost. If your internet connection is not stable, ask for advice on arranging a wired internet connection.

What technologies are used in a typical solar system?

A solar system is made up of panels, an inverter, and supporting equipment that work together to generate and manage electricity safely either for your home or business, the grid, or both. Modern systems may also include monitoring tools and, in some cases, battery storage to help you track and optimise your energy use.

As part of the quoting process, accredited solar installers will assess your property and recommend the most suitable products, system size, and technologies. Understanding the basic components and how they work together can help you feel more confident when comparing options and making decisions about your solar installation.  

Solar panels

These sit on your roof and convert sunlight into electricity.

Inverter 

This converts the electricity from the panels into a form your home can use. It also helps manage how electricity flows to and from the grid.

Smart meter

Tracks how much electricity you use from the grid and how much solar energy you export back. Your smart meter must be solar configured for this.

Electrical wiring and protection equipment

Includes switches and safety devices to ensure your system operates safely.

Optional: Battery storage

Stores excess solar energy so you can use it later, such as at night.

Solar system types and how they work

AC vs DC coupled systems

What does AC and DC mean? 

Solar panels generate electricity as direct Current (DC), while homes and businesses and the electricity network use Alternating Current (AC).

To make solar energy usable, your system converts DC electricity into AC so it can power your property and, where applicable, be exported to the grid.

DC-coupled systems store solar energy more efficiently before conversion, while AC-coupled systems are easier to install with existing solar setups. Both safely supply power to your home and the electricity network.

Why does this matter?

From a network perspective, both DC-coupled and AC-coupled systems must meet connection and inverter requirements before they can be installed. AC-coupled systems may use separate inverters to manage solar generation and battery storage. The way energy flows through each system can also influence export limits and overall system performance.

 

Other technologies

We welcome connection of other renewable technologies to our network, including embedded generation (EG), batteries and electric vehicles. EG involves any form of onsite generation installed on your premise that may require a connection to the electricity network,  including: 
 
Inverter Energy Systems (IES) - Such as battery storage that exports to the network, wind generators, and solar panels.
 
Non-IES (rotating) - Synchronous machines like diesel generators or gas generators, and induction machines.
 
All generation systems that require a connection to our electricity network must be reviewed and approved by Jemena prior to connection and operation. This is to ensure safety and compliance.