Auswell Energy explores if it's possible to expand your existing solar panel system.
Either your solar panel system is not providing enough power for your home, or you want to be able to sell more energy to the grid. Can you add more solar panels to the roof to upgrade the existing system?
Yes, you can, however, it can be more complicated than you think.
Reasons you may want to install extra solar panels:
1. You may have an existing oversized inverter that you want to fill out
When your initial solar panel system was installed, you may have been sold an oversized inverter with the promise of being able to add more solar panels in the future.
Although this might have been an attractive deal, and achievable in the past, there are many factors to consider. For instance, what year was your solar system installed?
If it was installed between 2007 and 2012, it will be much more difficult to source and integrate new panels into an older system for many reasons:
- Existing panels may not be manufactured anymore so finding the same or similar panels would be difficult
- Your new panels don’t fit the same voltage and amperage as your existing panels—this will in turn affect your inverter negatively
- The model or brand may not be on the Clean Energy Council’s list of approved products, meaning that no government rebate can be claimed on additional panels.
- Your inverter is just unable to support new panels
Solar technology is ever improving and trying to integrate new solar technology with old technology may not be possible. So, an alternative is to install a new solar system entirely (panels and inverter) and have it work alongside your old inverter.
2. You still have free space on your roof
You may want to monopolise your roof space to take advantage of the feed-in tariff. Or you may not be participating in the feed-in tariff and simply want to increase your household energy production.
Again, it’s important to consider when your panels were installed, and if your inverter can take additional panels. Inverters can oversize to approximately 133% of the original rating. If your current system can’t take that, then you may want to look at replacing your inverter, or as suggested before, install a completely new system alongside your existing one.
Things to consider
If you find that adding solar panels to your existing solar system is feasible, it is best to go with the solar installer who installed your existing solar system. This is so you don’t void the warranty on your solar system.
And if you have malfunctioning solar panels, you might as well replace them with new panels rather than trying to supplement them with new panels.
How much can you save with solar? Use our Solar Savings Calculator.
Contact Auswell Energy
If you are based in Brisbane or the Gold Coast and are interested in getting the most out of your solar panel system, please don’t hesitate to contact Auswell Energy! We can provide guidance and help you get the best solution for all your energy needs. Call us on 1300 287 955 or email us at info@auswellenergy.com.au today.
Looking for a reliable and cost-effective way to power your home? Auswell Energy offers residential solar power installations across the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Tweed Heads areas. Get a free quote on our solar installation options today and start saving money on your energy bills.
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