As electricity prices continue to rise, it’s now common for a family household to install much larger solar systems. A 9kW solar system is now a common size. Let’s have a look at a few of the key numbers including the price of a Melbourne 9kW solar power system, and the brands you should be considering for a system of this size.
Price of a 9kW Solar System In Melbourne
A top quality 9kW Enphase Solar Power System is around $16,000 fully installed. It is important to note that with solar panels you generally get what you pay for, and most of our customers choose high-efficiency panels from manufacturers such as the ones from REC Solar.
It is possible to find cheaper 9kW solar systems, however, this will typically require buying low to mid-range panels manufactured in China, and often without any after-sales support.
For a larger residential system it is important to maximise reliability, output and of course longevity, so spending a little more upfront can save you a lot of money over the life of the system.
Solaray service full-replacement warranties and include full technical support. This gives our customers the peace of mind that if something goes wrong you will be looked after.
As a rough guide, a 9kW system can save you up to around $2,800 a year on your power bills. Of course, to save $700 on a quarterly bill you are going to need to use a lot of power during the daytime – as much as 40 kWh during the daytime over summer. If you are able to get the most out of your 9kW system, you could spend up to $16,000 and get a top of the range system with a return on your investment in 6-7 years.
The output of a Melbourne 9kW Solar System
According to the Clean Energy Council guidelines, a 9kW solar system in Melbourne facing north produces an average of 32 kWh a day. Of course, this is outputting more power in summer and less in winter. However, we have found that this guideline is a conservative estimate. By using 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 9kW system will often give our customers over 50 kWh of power. Because this can be too much power for many households, we often recommend splitting the panel array across two orientations to distribute the output of power across the day. Also, consider battery storage so that any excess solar power can then be used during the evening.
A 9kW Solar System – The Key Numbers
| 9kW System | |
|---|---|
| Number of Panels | 25 x 370W Panels |
| Output | 32 kWh a day average (see above) |
| Potential Savings | $600 – $700 a bill depending on your cost of power |
| Average Payback Period | 6-7 years |
| Cost | From around $16,000 for a top-quality system |
| Repayments | From around $61 a week over 7 years* |
| Suited to | Medium to large homes using on average around 32 kWh a day during the daytime (or over 24 hours with battery storage) |
* Repayment numbers are an estimate based on a 7-year term. 3-7 year terms available. More information is available here: Solar & Storage Finance
How much will a 9kW solar system save me?
The potential savings from a 9kW 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 earn around 5-13 cents a kWh for the power you send back to the grid. In conclusion, a 9kW solar system can save you up to around $700 to $900 per quarterly bill.
More information is available here: How Solar Power Reduces Your Power Bill
Number of solar panels for a 9kW System
The larger the system, the more important it is to buy quality panels to ensure you maximise reliability, increased output in all weather conditions and the longevity of the system.
The other consideration is roof space. By installing high-efficiency panels, we can use 25 x 370W panels instead of standard 300W panels.
9kW Micro Inverter System
Solaray is the largest and most experienced installer of Enphase Micro Inverter systems in Australia, and 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 microinverters is that each panel is independent of the others. This makes it possible to design an array across different orientations and at different angles. For example, 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. With this, households typically pay around 50c per kWh between 2 pm and 8 pm for power.
On larger residential systems, the panels in the middle of the array can get quite hot during summer as airflow under the panels is less than ideal. When panels get too hot, the output can be significantly reduced. Because of this, we recommend using microinverter 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 microinverter systems.
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