The Chronicle

Make money while the sun shines

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MAKING the switch to solar just makes good sense. Right now, investing in solar delivers serious and immediate returns. How so you might ask? We understand it can seem complicate­d to understand the real returns on a solar system, so we thought we’d break it down for you.

According to the Clean Energy Council the average hours of sunlight a day across the year is 4.2 hours, so we will use this as the base to calculate the solar generation. Based on 4.2 hours a day, a 5kW system will generate 21kW of clean energy every day.

Now let’s say you self-consume 50%, or 11kW your total solar generation each day. Based on today’s average electricit­y charges of 28c/kW, by cutting your reliance on the grid by 50%, you stand to make a saving of $3.08 each day. That might not seem much but over the course of a year that’s $1124 back in your pocket. Then there’s the other 50% of your solar production that you can export back to the grid. Based on today’s average solar feed in tariffs you’re looking at anywhere from 8 cents to 15 cents, depending on your electricit­y retailer. Let’s base our calculatio­ns somewhere in the middle… if you are exporting the remaining 50% at 12 cents per kW, that’s another saving of $1.32 cents per day, or a further $481 a year you’ll save in electricit­y costs. That’s a whopping total of $1605 per year in savings straight from the get go.

Now let’s say you want to finance your solar system. The cost of a good quality 5kW system will set you back approximat­ely $6000 (less than a third of the cost just five years ago). Based on a 5-year payback, with a $0 deposit, you’re looking at monthly repayments of just over $100, or $1200.00 per annum. So right now, you’re in front, with immediate electricit­y savings delivered of $1605 per year and the system cost of $1200 on payback, you’re $405 in front. That’s a win.

We are genuinely passionate about the benefits of a good quality solar system designed to deliver you real savings. If you’re ready to take control of your energy future, and you’re looking for honest, trustworth­y advice from your local energy contractor, call SAE Group today on 1300 18 20 50. To find out more visit www.saegroup.com.au

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