With renewable energy such a hot topic these days – it’s no wonder that everyone is thinking about installing solar panels, but it’s worth doing a little homework before making any decisions on buying them.

Take a moment to go through the following points to make sure all your ‘I’s are dotted and all your ‘T’s crossed.

·         Which direction does your roof face?.  For optimum outputs, solar panels need to be facing north at the correct angle without too much shading from trees or neighbouring buildings. 

·         Geographical location is also important.  For example, people with solar power in Perth can get up to thirty per cent more electricity on an average day than people with solar panels on the eastern side of Australia in Melbourne.

·         Determine what your current electricity usage is, and then work out the size of the solar installation that you require to achieve your targeted energy reduction.

·         Do the sums to determine what your system’s payback time will be as a solar electricity system isn’t a cheap undertaking and it’s worth knowing what you’re in for in the long run.

·         You may need council approval for your solar panels – so do the necessary checks before you commit. 

·         Making the right choice of installer is also pivotal to the effectiveness of your solar system. The growth of the solar industry has led to a significant growth in the number of solar electricity providers – and they don’t all work to the same quality standards !  Always check their accreditation, their guarantees, their after-sales service, their reputation and their prices …. as well as checking that the solar cells that they supply meet international quality standards.

For many people, the decision to install solar power is driven by a desire to save the planet and a desire to cut down on their electricity costs.  Whilst solar power is a huge step in the right direction, people can cut their electricity costs in many other ways, says a solar panel Perth expert, Solar My World, such as turning off appliances at the wall, running washing machines etc during non-peak hours and buying energy efficient appliances.