Description

This fact sheet promotes and provides the information needed to incorporate and make proper use of a robust micro-renewable technology that can significantly offset your electricity needs as well as reduce your environmental footprint – photovoltaics (PVs).

Grid-tied PVs are simple to install, quiet, reliable as the sun, non-polluting, require very little maintenance throughout their lifetime, reduce a home’s carbon footprint, may be a good longer-term financial investment and may add resilience to a home’s energy supply.

Scope

In this Fact Sheet:

• What is a photovoltaic system?
• Why use this technology?
  • User experiences
• Financial considerations
  • Subsidies
  • Buy-back rates
  • Size, shading, orientation and slope of panel set-up
  • Utilisation rate
  • Fault detection alert systems
• Financial returns (as at the end of 2016)
• Strategies
  • Planning
  • Design
  • Installation
  • Maintenance and monitoring
• Questions for the homeowner, architect and PV consultant to discuss
• Minimum criteria checklist for designers
• Supporting information
• Glossary of terms