Story Title: Installing a Photovoltaic Solar System
Episode: Six
Date: November 8th 2009
Presenter: Neville Passmore

Energy efficiency is a hot topic in today's society. Neville has been living with a dream of creating a sustainable home for years. Building a brand new home gave him the opportunity of including solar passive systems as well as a solar hot water system from day one but now he wants to switch to solar power for his electricity supply. Neville installs a photovoltaic (PV) system in his home and features a step by step guide on what to look out for.

Avant Solar Photovoltaic Systems.

• Avant Solar specialise in systems from 1kW or $4,000 upwards including large systems with the capacity to reduce your bills to Zero.
• Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly to electricity. They work any time the sun is shining, but more electricity is produced when the sunlight is more intense and strikes the PV modules directly.
• Unlike solar thermal systems for heating water, PV does not use the sun's heat to make electricity. Instead, electrons freed by the interaction of sunlight with semiconductor materials in PV cells are captured in an electric current.
• PV allows you to produce electricity— without noise or air pollution—from a clean, renewable resource.
• A PV system never runs out of fuel, and it won't increase oil imports. The basic building block of PV technology is the solar “cell.” Multiple solar cells are connected to form a solar “module,” the smallest PV component sold commercially. Modules range in power output from about 10 Watts to 300 Watts
• A PV system connected to the utility grid has these components:
• Solar modules, which are connected to an inverter.
• Inverter, which converts the system's direct-current (DC) electricity to alternating

current (AC).

• Batteries (optional) to provide energy storage or backup power in case of a power interruption or outage on the grid. (suggest remove)
• AC electricity is compatible with the utility grid. It powers our lights, appliances, computers, and televisions.

About Avant Solar

• Avant are highly experienced in the installation and supply business since starting out in 2003. 
• They’re able to set you up with the exact requirements for your family as well as commercial size units using the highest technology units available. 
• Both designers and installers are fully accredited.
• A terrific way to get started in reducing your energy usage is to get a home energy audit which the Avant team can organize free of charge. This lays out the various options available to you including things like the solar power system.

Neville’s Installation Tips

• The first step in the installation process is to work out the size of the system. The best guide is your previous power bills. 
• Finding the best location is the next task. This is where a specialized camera is used to take a reading which lets you know how much of the suns radiant energy is falling on your roof.
• Choosing the Solar modules is the next task and the key difference here is the efficiency of the particular cells which comes back to the quality of the unit.
• Having created electrical energy, it can be used directly in the house, however this supply stops at night so you need to find a system that stores power for later use to make efficient use of the resource. 
• Batteries are available for this purpose. But Neville tries something different. He feeds the electricity he produces into the Synergy grid and gets a credit for the green electricity he supplies them. He will use power from the grid to operate his house and pay for the difference between what he produces and total usage. This is the norm not something different.
• In order to encourage all Australians to take up solar there are a number of government subsidies available which significantly reduce the cost of installation. The Avant Solar team are able to guide you through understanding these subsidies.
• Warranties are really important with PV systems, as it is a significant investment. Avant offer a 25 year power output warranty in addition to a 10 year structural one to give you true peace of mind.

Contact
Avant Solar
5/320 Great Eastern Hwy
Ascot, 6104
Telephone: 1300 99 1800
Fax 08 94776428
Email: sales@avantsolar.com.au
Website: www.avantsolar.com.au