Reduce Your Power Bills With A 2kW Solar Power System
As power prices continue to rise, households across NSW are installing solar power systems to cover as much of their power consumption as possible with solar. Let’s have a look at a few of the key numbers of a 2kW solar power system including the price, to see if a 2kW solar system will be a good fit for your household.
A 2kW solar system in Sydney is a great sized solar system for a small sized home with a limited roof space.
A 2kW system typically has a 6-7 panel array and can save you up to around $200 a quarterly power bill if all of the solar power is used in the home. As solar prices continue to fall, it is now possible to get a return on your money in 3 to 5 years using top quality brands.
According to the Clean Energy Council Guidelines, A 2kW solar system in Sydney will output around 8 kWh a day (averaged out across the year), outputting more on the long summer days, and less in winter. It is important to understand that this 8 kWh of solar power will be produced during daylight hours, and typically as a bell curve as illustrated below. Depending on how much power you use during the day, typically you would want to have a quarterly power bill of around $300 to $500 (approx. 16 kWh a day excluding any off-peak hot water) to make good use of a 2kW system.
A solar system will peak when the sun is shining directly onto the panels, so for an array facing north, this will be for approximately 4 hours during the middle of the day. You can see in the graph how shade from clouds immediately results in a drop off of solar power, and that in summer the system will continue operating until nearly 8 pm if you have the panels installed to catch the late afternoon sun.
In Sydney during summer, panels that are installed flat will be working at their peak efficiency because the sun is so high in the sky. For this system installed at 20 degrees, the peak output will take place in spring and autumn.
Do you want this level of system monitoring? Solaray is the number 1 installer of Enphase Micro Inverter Systems, and our systems come with full system monitoring and a MyEnlighten login as standard. Find out more – Enphase Micro Inverter Systems
Types of 2kW Solar Systems
As technology improves we are now seeing high-efficiency panels drop in price, such as the LG Solar 340W panel, while the Trina Honey Range now have a 275W panel as standard. This means that for a 2kW Solar Installation in Sydney, Solaray designers are putting together 6 to 7 panel arrays, either in series with a string inverter or as a smart solar system with panel-level output.
2kW Smart Solar System
Solaray is the number one installer in NSW of smart solar systems with panel-level output. Our system design team are experts at putting together a professional solar array that will maximise solar output in all conditions.
The main benefit of a smart solar system is that each panel is independent of the others, making it possible to design arrays in different orientations and at different angles, or when you have patchy shade on your roof.
Panel-level output also significantly increases output when you have patchy shade across the panel array at various times across the day. According to Renewable Energy World, shading of as little as 9% of a solar system connected to a central inverter, can lead to a system-wide decline in output of as much as 54%.
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 for your power.
Standard 2kW System
If your roof is unobstructed by shade, is orientated north of either east or west and can fit 6 or 7 panels in one area of the roof, a string inverter system will be the best value option for your home. It is important to make sure the roof is clear of shade as if even just one panel is slightly shaded the whole array will drop down to the output of the worst performing panel.
There are some technical issues with a standard solar system that only apply to systems under 3kW. Because the main European inverter manufacturers all typically start at a 3kW inverter, we would prefer to see a minimum of 8 panels in a string as this creates enough voltage to run the inverter properly. If you give the Solaray Team a call, we can match you up with a good quality 3kW string inverter and try to convince you to buy an extra two panels (we will give you a good price, I promise), so that you have a highly efficient system that works really well in all light conditions.
The main European 3kW Inverter is the Fronius, which qualifies for the Fronius 5+5 year warranty. You simply need to register your system with Fronius to qualify for the extra 5 years.
2kW Solar System – The Key Numbers
| 2kW System | Standard System | Smart Solar System |
| Panels | 7 x Standard Panels | 6 x High-Efficiency Panels |
| Output | An average of around 8kWh a day | An average of around 8kWh a day |
| Potential Savings | $150 – $200 a bill depending on your cost of power | $150 – $200 a bill depending on your cost of power |
| Price Guide with Trina Honey Panels | From around $4000-$4500 | From around $4200-$4700 |
| Upgrade to high-efficiency LG 325W NeON 2 panels | Add around $500 | Add around $500 |
| Online Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Full-Service Warranties | Yes | Yes |
| 12 Months Technical Support | Yes | Yes |
| Panel Level Output | No | Yes |
| Back To Base Status Alerts | No | Yes |
| Increased System Safety | No | Yes |
| Remote Technical Support | No | Yes |
| Expandable | No | Yes |
The Benefit of a 2kW Solar System
A 2kW solar system in Sydney facing north with no shade will output around 2850 kWh a year. That works out to be around 7.8 kWh a day as an average. This is a guideline published by the Clean Energy Council. Based on our own output figures taken from thousands of systems across Sydney, our opinion is that this figure is a conservative guideline.
If you are on time of use billing and you pay an average of 30c a kWh for your power, a 2kW system will save you up to $850 a year off your power bills. This can be even higher if you have your panels facing west of north. If you pay a flat rate for your power, for example, 26c a kWh, a 2kW system will save you up to around$750.
Solar output varies across the year, with a 2kW solar system outputting around 10kWh a day over summer, and on average around 5kWh a day in winter. These figures will also vary depending on the weather:
If you don’t use the solar power as it is generated, any excess solar power will automatically go out to the grid and you will often be paid a feed-in tariff for this power by your energy retailer. Typically, this FIT is around 8c to 13c a kWh and it will come off your power bill as a credit. Solaray has partnered with Energy Locals to offer Solaray customers a feed-in tariff of close to 13 cents per kWh. Please talk with your Solaray representative for more information.
2kW Solar System Price
As a price guide, a standard 2kW solar system in Sydney will cost around $4,000 for a simple installation using good quality panels from China and a top of the range inverter from Fronius. Expect to pay from around $4200 for a smart solar system up to around $5,000 for the latest high-efficiency panels from LG Solar with panel level output. These prices include a government incentive of around $1250 and include installation. Our price is always a fully inclusive price, subject to confirmation by our system designers who will often need to conduct a site inspection.
Over 80% of our installations are now for smart solar systems, featuring panel level output. Please contact us for more information and pricing. These prices are a guide only and will depend on a number of factors, which your Solaray representative can confirm for you.
Trina Honey 300W Panels
Trina Honey Modules are a high-efficiency panel with a module efficiency of 18.6% – one of the highest from a standard crystalline panel.
This, combined with its high performance under low light conditions allows for consistently high output and the ability to maximise the financial return.
The Trina Honey panels have a guaranteed power output of – 0/+5W, meaning the performance of the panel will not be below its rated output and may potentially be up to 305W.
Available in 60-cell configurations, the Trina Honey 300W panel meet all of your rooftop PV needs. Advanced cell texturing techniques have enabled Honey products to set two world output records, including a 2012 record of 284.7Wp output for a 60-cell module.
Excellent low light performance on cloudy days, mornings and evenings due to cutting-edge technologies:
- Advanced surface texturing
- Back surface field
- Selective emitter
Ideal High-Efficiency Solutions for your Needs- 60-cell module maximises limited space with up to 159W/m2 power density.
Trina Honey modules are highly reliable due to stringent quality control- including over 30 in-house tests (UV, TC, HF, and many more). In-house testing goes well beyond certification requirements.
LG Solar NeON 2 Panels
340High-Efficiency Module
The NeON 2 panel is the most advanced module in the LG range and one of the best panels available in Australia both in terms of output and value for money in the high-efficiency class.
The LG Solar NeON 2 panel is the result of years of research and development. It is a panel with leading efficiency in the industry.
The fourth generation of the LG Solar NeON range has seen many improvements that really matter, from longer warranties and higher efficiency to a stronger frame and better wind loading. This panel is ideal for customers seeking a very high quality, highest efficiency panel and for roofs where space is tight or where future expansions for example to incorporate battery storage or electric cars might be considered.
This top of the range panel uses double-sided cells and Cello technology to absorb light from both the front and the back of the module. This technology sets a new standard for innovation and was recognised with the 2015 Photovoltaic Award at the Intersolar Industry Event in Munich, Germany.
The Highlights
- LG NeON 2 340W High-Performance Module
- 1640 x 1000 x 40 mm. 60 (6×10) cells per panel.
- 25-year material and workmanship warranty!
- 25-year power output warranty.
- Power tolerance: 0/+3% (positive sorting from 340W up to 350W)
- Weight: 18Kg
- Operating Temperature (°C): -40 to +90
