December 2022

Whether you own a retail business, restaurant, school or warehouse, your building likely experiences high foot traffic throughout the day and requires massive amounts of electricity. Rather than face a hefty electric bill every quarter, many business owners opt to install commercial solar panels and use their space to their advantage.

In Brisbane, business solar has taken off. In 2020, the Queensland Government reported that more than 600,000 homes and small businesses now have rooftop solar, with Mackay in one of the top five Australian solar postcodes.

Commercial solar panels allow businesses to generate their own electricity, which can be used to power everything from lights to an EFTPOS machine. Not only is this a more sustainable way to stay operational, but it can also significantly reduce your business’s electricity bill.

In this blog, we’ll explain the main differences between residential and commercial solar panels and share the three benefits of installing solar in your business.

How do commercial solar panels differ from residential solar panels?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions about commercial solar panels. While residential and commercial solar panels may look and perform similarly, there are key differences between the two products. In our experience, commercial solar needs differ from homeowners regarding generation requirements and ROI. Let’s take a look at the three differences between residential and commercial solar power systems.

• Size — As commercial buildings are drastically bigger than residential homes, the amount of solar panels needed to generate electricity is higher. The kWh amount to power appliances also increases, so your building requires a system that can handle this generation level.

• No feed-in tariff option — Unlike residential property owners, businesses cannot sell any excess renewable energy to the grid. Instead, you must shut off the inverter at the end of the day to prevent excess solar generation.

• Longer installation period — Because there’s more space to work with, your commercial solar power installation may take longer. That said, as building roofs tend to be flatter, the actual installation is simpler than a residential roof, which is typically slanted.

The three benefits of solar power for business

With the average solar investment sitting at around $40,000, it’s common for business owners to feel hesitant in making the switch. After all, your bottom line is your biggest priority. To ensure you feel confident in your decision, we’ve listed the three benefits of adding solar power to your business plan:

1. Reduce your energy bills and other operating expenses

As a business owner, finding ways to reduce operating expenses almost becomes second nature. And if your energy bills are one of your biggest expenses, switching to solar power can significantly affect your annual bill.

We crunched the numbers and found that businesses with an annual electricity bill of $60,000 who then chose to invest in solar power could potentially cut their power bills by 39% and save $23,202 every year! Having that extra cash in your pocket unlocks countless business opportunities, from expansion to purchasing new equipment.

As Queensland is known for its scorching summers, the potential generation for commercial solar power in Brisbane can guarantee a fantastic ROI. We estimate that the businesses could receive a 57% ROI in just five years, with the total payback period for your commercial solar power system sitting at just 1.7 years.

Using a commercial solar power system also reduces your business’s reliance on the grid and your electricity provider, giving you and your business greater independence.

2. Minimal maintenance required 

Like residential systems, commercial solar panels are low maintenance and require little upkeep. Over time, your panels may start to have a build-up of dust and other debris. Green Energy Technologies offer ongoing maintenance for your system as part of our service. So whether you live in Townsville or the Whitsundays, simply contact us if you believe your system could use a clean, and we’ll be there in no time.

High-quality systems also tend to have a long lifespan if properly maintained, spanning anywhere from 20-25 years, giving your business access to a clean, renewable resource for several years to come.

Depending on how invested you plan to be in your system’s generation date, business owners don’t have to constantly check in on their electricity supply and can review their data feed whenever they like.

3. Build a strong brand reputation

As the country continues to make better choices around sustainability, many Australians may also look to only shop at brands or businesses that align with their values. Research from Sustainability Victoria revealed that 73% of Victorians preferred to purchase from businesses that show they care about climate change.

Business solar powersystems generate a significant amount of renewable energy, and if your business is playing a part in making the country more sustainable, it could be great marketing material for future brand awareness advertising.

Choose Green Energy Technologies for your commercial solar power installation

Whether you’re looking to take the plunge and invest in your own business solar power energy system or want to explore lease options, Green Energy Technologies can help.

We cater to the solar needs of all business customers and offer three solar options. With our Invest package, businesses can purchase a commercial solar system tailored to their requirements. The $0 Cost package allows businesses to lease a solar generator at a fixed monthly fee, while our Buy Cheaper Power option helps businesses purchase cheaper electricity from a solar generator.

No matter what option you choose, you’ll have your choice of the top quality products and ongoing service and maintenance from our CEC Accredited installers and A Grade electricians. Find out how much your commercial solar power system could cost with Green Energy Technologies by requesting a quote or giving us a call at 07 4940 2900 today.

The renewable energy industry is booming across Queensland. In fact, according to the financial comparison site, Canstar, we’re leading the way and have the highest level of solar penetration in the country, with more than half a million rooftop solar systems installed — and it seems that most of us are happy with the results.

Almost two-thirds of respondents in a recent Canstar survey also agreed that installing solar panels was a good financial investment. So if you’re looking to invest in the best solar panel systems for your Brisbane home or are in the early stages of researching your options, you’ve come to the right place. Green Energy Technologies are experts in the renewable energy industry and have supplied households with high-quality solar solutions for several years.

In this blog, we’ll explain how solar systems in Brisbane work, the benefits of solar panels for homes, and where you can purchase your own system.

How do solar systems in Brisbane work?

While solar systems may look complicated, their generation process is actually pretty simple. During the day, your solar panels absorb and convert the sun’s rays into a direct current (DC). Your solar inverter then converts the DC into an alternating current (AC), the electricity that can run through appliances.

The benefits of solar panels for homes

While they may be a big investment, solar panels can provide the average household with a range of benefits, from energy savings to increasing the value of their property. So if you’re considering a Brisbane solar power system, here are five things you can look forward to:

1. Reducing your energy bills

According to a recent report by the Queensland Competition Authority, power bills are expected to increase by 9.2% or $119 annually in regional Queensland. One of the biggest benefits of a home solar panel system is that it reduces your energy bills and is one of the sole reasons homeowners look to invest in these products. According to Canstar,the average home solar power system in Brisbane provides a credit of $271 on a household’s electricity bill per quarter, totalling an impressive $1,084 a year.

Energy bills are one of a household’s largest expenses, and with the rising cost of living becoming unmanageable for many Australians, homeowners may be looking to cut costs wherever possible, including generating their own power to reduce their dependence on their energy provider.

2. Lowering your carbon footprint

Queensland is known for having some of the hottest summers around, making the potential generation for solar energy in Brisbane massive. Solar panels produce renewable energy, a clean and replenishable energy source that does not emit greenhouse gasses.

Having the ability to generate this much clean power helps make a positive impact on the environment. In fact, figures from 2019 show that a 10kW home solar system offsets 14 tonnes of CO2 every year. Solar also uses little to no water during generation, unlike fossil fuels, which churn through 383 billion litres of water annually.

3. Earning a profit on excess generation

Many homeowners opt to store their excess renewable energy in a solar battery as part of their home solar panel installation — though this isn’t a mandatory requirement. If you don’t choose to install a battery, you can still benefit from the excess power.

Households can sell their excess renewable energy back to the grid through a feed-in tariff. The rates vary between energy providers, so you must check your retailer’s current feed-in tariff rates.

Green Energy Technologies allows households to regularly monitor their energy consumption and feed-in tariff potential via our 24/7 monitoring feature to maximise their savings and potential earnings from their home solar panel system.

4. Increasing the value of your home

Solar panels can increase your property’s value, like adding any new fixture to your home. Many prospective homeowners look to purchase homes with smart technologies, like solar panels and are willing to pay top dollar for it. This may be an ideal scenario in the future if you decide to downsize and sell your home.

5. Low maintenance

The best solar panels for homes generally last between 20-25 years if they are well-maintained. Solar panels are self-sufficient systems that don’t require much maintenance other than a regular clean to remove dust, debris and other accumulated waste. This is ideal for homeowners who don’t want the hassle of constantly checking in on their system to ensure it’s working correctly.

As part of our service, Green Energy Technologies provide ongoing service and maintenance for all our solar products. Whether you’re based in Townsville or Mackay, rest assured that if your system isn’t performing as it should, you’ll immediately receive an alert, and we’ll be in touch to organise a repair from one of our local installers.

Install the best solar panels for your home with Green Energy Technologies

Based in the Whitsundays area, Green Energy Technologies are your local solar panel and green energy experts. We’ve used our industry knowledge and experience to create a solar package we believe will satisfy households across Queensland.

Our GET360 Package is broken down into three stages: GET Going, GET Control and GET Battery, which includes your panels, the inverter, the installation and ongoing maintenance.

We understand that no household is the same, which is why all our Brisbane solar solutions are tailored to customers and their power needs. And to guarantee our work, we only offer customers the choice of top-quality products installed by our CEC Accredited Installers and A Grade Electricians.

Whether you’re browsing our blog or brushing up on your solar FAQs, we want to empower our customers through knowledge to help them make more informed choices about their energy consumption. Get a quote today or call us on 07 4940 2900 and take your first step toward a $0 energy bill.

From helping Aussies make their morning cup of coffee to powering smart bins across the country, solar power has truly taken off in Australia. As of 31 January 2022, more than three million rooftop solar PV systems have been installed nationwide, accounting for 30% of all homes in Australia!

Australians are no strangers to the benefits of solar power for homes, from lowering energy bills to reducing greenhouse gasses and positively impacting the environment. But aside from the important bits, solar panels have an impressive history and boast some pretty impressive facts.

We are madly passionate about solar panels at Green Energy Technologies and have been for several years. That’s why we’ve decided to share some of our favourite fun facts about solar panels!

Fun fact #1 — Solar has been around for more than 200 years

While it may seem like solar has only recently come onto the scene, the technology has actually been around for almost 200 years. It all started back in 1839 when French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel found a photovoltaic effect of electricity generated from direct sunlight.

But that’s not all. Ready for another interesting fact about solar panels? Just over 100 years later, in 1941, inventor Russell Ohl created the world’s first solar panel cell, and Bell Laboratories introduced the first commercial solar panel shortly after in 1954.

Fun fact #2 — Las Vegas runs solely on renewable energy

Known for its bright lights and non-stop casinos, Las Vegas is also home to massive solar lovers. In fact, solar panels and commercial solar power now play a massive role in powering all of the city’s facilities!

With the launch of a 100-megawatt solar farm, the city could purchase enough renewable energy to power more than 100 buildings, parks, street lights and other facilities. And as of December 2016, the city’s mayor announced that Las Vegas had successfully transitioned to 100% clean energy.

At the time, most of the city’s green power came from the desert sun, but the city has now gone on to source additional clean energy from hydropower — a renewable energy source made from moving water.

Fun fact #3 — Solar panels pay themselves off in less than ten years

One commonly asked question about solar panels is how long they can be expected to pay themselves off — also known as the payback period. Depending on the system you choose to invest in, the average solar panel system could initially set you back an average of $4,000 to $10,000. While this can be a significant upfront cost for many Australians, it doesn’t take long for solar panels to provide a decent ROI.

Depending on your location and rooftop solar system, you can expect your solar panel system to pay itself off within three to eight years. And to make things even more impressive, another cool fact about solar panels in Queensland is that thanks to the state’s abundance of sunshine, it could take you less than five years to recoup the funds.

Fun fact #4 — Queensland leads the way in solar panel uptake in Australia

Of course, we couldn’t resist adding this to our list of facts about solar panels on houses. While most of the country has taken great strides toward adopting solar panels and investing in renewable energy, according to Canstar, Queensland is leading the way!

The financial comparison site revealed that Queensland has the highest level of solar penetration in the country, with more than half a million solar PV systems installed. And thanks to our trailblazing efforts, in 2020, the Queensland Government reported that Mackay was in one of the top five Australian solar postcodes.

But that’s not to say the rest of the country doesn’t have anything to smile about. The Australian PV Institute revealed that as of 30 September 2022, there have been more than 3.27 million solar panel installations across the country, with a combined capacity of 28.2 gigawatts.

Fun fact #5 — Solar panels can involve a community

While many PV systems have been designed to power the average Australian household, one fact about solar panel energy is that when coupled with additional systems, they have the potential to generate enough electricity to power a community.

Community solar farms use more than one renewable energy system to power several homes, buildings, non-profit organisations and more. Not only does this mean lower energy bills for all participants, but it also reduces a community’s dependency on fossil fuels.

To date, the largest community solar farm is the Majura project. Located in the ACT, the project has a total of 550 participants and is reportedly preventing 1,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Experience all the fun and profitable benefits of solar with Green Energy Technologies

Whether you’re looking to learn more fun facts about solar panels or ready to experience the benefits for yourself, Green Energy Technologies can help. Our mission is to help Australians lower their power bills with the latest renewable energy technologies.

We specialise in solar panel installation for households across Townsville, the Whitsundays and more. We have a range of solar packages with all of our systems made from the highest quality, plus our local solar panel installers are CEC Accredited installers and A Grade electricians.

Our solar for home GET360 Package is available in three stages: GET Going, GET Control and GET Battery. This includes your panels, the inverter, plus installation and ongoing maintenance.

If you would like to find out how much a high-quality solar panel system could cost, request a quote or call us at 07 4940 2900 today.