A 10kW Solar Power System can save you up to $4000 a year off your power bills.
Thanks to plummeting wholesale solar prices and generous government incentives, it is now becoming common for a family household to install a 10kW solar system. Let’s have a look at a few of the key numbers and the brands you should be considering for a system of this size.
Energy Produced from a 10kW Solar System in Sydney
According to the Clean Energy Council guidelines, a 10kW solar system in Sydney facing north will produce an average of 39 kWh a day, outputting more power in summer and less in winter.
We have found that this guideline is a conservative estimate and that by using the top brands you can get considerably more out of our system, for example, our Enphase systems give our customers on average 110% of expected output.
On a sunny day in summer, a 10kW system will often give our customers between 60 and 70 kWh of power. Because this can be too much power for many households, we often recommend splitting the panel array across two or more orientations to distribute the output of power across the day.
How much will a 10kW solar system save me?
The potential savings from a 10kW solar system depend on how much solar power you are able to use in the home at the time of generation. You will typically save around 22 to 30 cents a kWh (depending on how much you pay for your power), and depending on your retailer, you will be paid around 6 cents a kWh for the power you send back to the grid. Assuming the system outputs 39kWh a day and you save an average of 30 cents a kWh (with time of use billing), you could save over $4000 a year off your power bills if you use most or all of the solar power as it is generated.
More information is available here: Solar Feed-in Tariffs in NSW: How Solar Power Reduces Your Power Bill
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Number of solar panels for a 10kW System
The larger the system, the more important it is to buy quality panels to ensure you maximise reliability, output in all weather conditions and the life of the system.
The other consideration is roof space. By installing high-efficiency panels, we can use 32 panels instead of the standard 40 panels.
10kW Micro Inverter System
Solaray is the number one installer of Enphase Micro Inverter systems in NSW, and our design team are experts at putting together a professional solar array that will maximise solar output in all conditions.
The main benefit of micro inverters is that each panel is independent of the others, making it possible to design an array across different roof areas and at different angles. A common panel layout is to have some panels facing north, and the others west – to spread the output of solar power across the day, making it easier to use more of the solar power as it is generated. Having panels west is also advantageous if you are on time of use billing, where you typically pay around 50c per kWh between 2 pm and 8 pm on weekdays for your power.
On larger residential systems, the panels in the middle of the array can get quite hot during summer as air flow under the panels is less than ideal. When panels get too hot, the output can be reduced. Because of this, we recommend using micro inverter technology and in fact over 80% of our systems now include this technology. Find out all you need to know about Enphase: 10 key benefits of micro inverter systems.
10kW String Inverter System
If your roof is unobstructed by shade and can fit 32 to 38 panels across 1 or 2 sections of roof, a string inverter system may be a suitable option for your home. It is important to make sure the roof is clear of shade, as even if just one panel is slightly shaded, the whole string will drop down to the output of the worst performing panel (typically with a 10kW system, there will be two strings).
If you give our team a call, we can run through the pros and cons of a string inverter and match you up with a good quality model such as the inverters made by SMA.
With Solarmax recently disappearing along with a long list of smaller manufacturers, it is critically important that you stick to the main brands when choosing an inverter of this size. This will ensure adequate support post-sale in the event that you need to claim on a warranty.
The main European 10kW Inverter we currently recommend is the SMA Tri Power.
Price of a 10kW Solar System
The price of a fully installed 10kW system has fallen dramatically in recent years. The wholesale price of photovoltaic panels continues to be driven down by market conditions, in particular, the increase in the scale of production in China.
As a rough guide, a 10kW system can save you up to around $4000 a year off your power bills. Of course, to save $1,000 off a quarterly bill you are going to need to use a lot of power during the daytime – as much as 65 kWh a day during summer. If you are able to get the most out of your 10kW system, you could spend up to $16,000 and get a top of the range system with a return on your investment in only 4 years!
With battery storage around the corner, many households are getting 10kW systems that are battery ready but a little too large for the time being. If you are considering batteries please mention this when you are talking to one of our representatives as there are a number of factors to consider.
A good quality 10kW system starts at around $10,000 to $12,000, which would include a European Made inverter such as the SMA Tri-Power, premium Chinese panels such as Trina Honey and a straight forward installation. It is important to note that with solar panels you generally get what you pay for, and most of our customers are choosing to install a top of the range panel such as the monocrystalline panels from LG Solar. For a system of this size it is important to maximise reliability, output, and longevity, hence spending a little more upfront can save you a lot of money over the life of the system.
If you are interested in more information please give the Solaray Team a call on 1300 525 451, or submit your details below, and we can design a solution that suits your budget and key requirements.
