How Much Energy Will A Solar System Produce for My Home?

Deciding on what size solar system your home needs for its average consumption patterns is often a difficult task because there are various factors that go into play to determine the best-fit solar system for your needs, as not all households are the same and have varying requirements around energy usage. 

Location

Depending on your location (state) that you reside in will determine how many daylight hours that is available for a solar system to produce energy. Although Australia boasts incredible amounts of available solar energy, every state has a different length of time in the sun because of its geographic location.

The below figures are the average hours of daylight throughout a year, this includes daylight hours during winter and summer months where in winter there is shorter days and in summer longer days.

City	Melbourne	Sydney	Perth	Darwin	Brisbane	Adelaide	Hobart
Average hours of daylight over a year (hours)*	4.6	5.1	5.3	5.8	5.4	5.6	3.9

Source: Australian Government, Your Home – Australia’s guide to environmentally sustainable homes – Photovoltaic Systems

Size of the system

The output of the solar system will depend on your location – if you live in a city that has a higher average length of daylight compared to others this will show in your overall output of a solar system. The amount of daylight/sunlight will determine how much output of your solar system there will be and is not the same for every city in Australia.

City	Melbourne	Sydney	Perth	Darwin	Brisbane	Adelaide	Hobart
System Size (kW)	4	4	4	4	4	4	4
Average kWh solar production/day (kWh) ^	18.4	20.4	21.2	23.2	21.6	22.4	15.6

 

City	Melbourne	Sydney	Perth	Darwin	Brisbane	Adelaide	Hobart
System Size (kW)	6	6	6	6	6	6	6
Average kWh solar production/day (kWh) ^	27.6	30.6	31.8	34.8	32.4	33.6	23.4

For example, if you are living in Brisbane and your average daily usage is 18.3kWh of energy then a 4Kw system may fit your needs as your system will be able to meet your energy demand and above. This excess energy will then be fed into the national grid and you will be paid a feed-in-tariff for this energy in the form of an energy credit on your power bill. Your energy provider will determine your feed-in-tariff, however there are state-based minimum tariffs that must mandatorily be met, and energy providers can offer you more.

State	Victoria	New South Wales	Western Australia	Queensland	South Australia	Tasmania	Northern Territory
Feed-in-tariff c/kWh (cents) **	11.3	11.9	7.1	6	11	8.9	N/A

Using more of your solar you’ve produced

With energy prices skyrocketing for many households throughout Australia the price of energy imported for a household far outweighs the price paid through feed-in-tariff which has influenced many to install solar battery storage. Solar battery storage gives you the opportunity to store your excess solar energy in a battery to use later when the sun goes down and your solar stops producing energy for the day.

In some states, the price per kwh of energy can be as high as 33c/kwh during peak periods which is more than 200 per cent the price you might be paid for feeding energy into the national grid. Making little impact on energy bills and the growing prevalence of blackouts throughout Australia, many have opted to install solar battery storage with blackout protection to not only allow them to store excess solar energy their solar system has generated but also to power the home in an event of a blackout.

It is important to determine when your household uses energy to gauge the best solar solution.

When your home uses energy	Solution^^
Daytime only	Solar PV System
Evening only (after sunset)	Solar Battery storage
Daytime and evening	Solar PV with Battery Storage

If this is the first time that you’re looking into solar PV systems or battery storage, Sunbank Solar will happily take you through the entire process to give you a system built to suit your household’s needs as not every home under the Australian sun is the same. Solar is not a one-size fits all solution, so it is very important to get a thorough understanding of when your home uses energy and when it doesn’t.

For more information on solar or battery storage learn more here or call us today on 1300 28 29 30. 

*Figures are based on data supplied by Australian Government body and are averages over the course of a year. Data may vary.

**Feed-in-tariff values are mandated by state and territory governments and are the base price given. Your energy provider may choose to pay you more for your energy or the required minimum. Contact your energy provider to find out how much you receive for your feed-in-tariff. Tariffs may change over time and is accurate at time of publishing.

^Solar production results are approximate values and calculated based on the amount of sunlight hours for the region and may vary depending on factors such as weather conditions, shading etc. For an accurate results for your home contact us on 1300 28 29 30.

^^Solutions are based off very basic information provided and the solution to fit your home may differ depending on how your home uses energy. For a personalised solution please contact us.