Everything You Need to Know About Solar for Your School – Part Three: Choosing Quality Components

Commercial solar is a significant investment and will be responsible for generating majority of your schools’ energy supply for up to 25-years. You want to ensure you’re selecting solar components that are going to be able to withstand the test of time and continue to deliver optimum performance.

This is why it’s crucial that price is not the only factor when considering which solar components and retailers to choose. Instead, choosing solar components that are of high-quality and are proven to perform long-term should be your primary focus.

At Infinite Energy, we only offer quality solar components from reputable manufacturers with a significant presence in Australia. After all, solar is a long-term investment and to guarantee maximum returns, it is imperative you choose components that will perform both now and long past the payback period of the system.

Why Quality Matters

The total cost of investment for a commercial solar system may appear quite significant, so it can seem like a worthwhile decision to choose the cheaper option or cut costs somewhere in the process. However, the problem with basing your choice on price alone is that you are most likely going to be selecting the lower-end quality of components, which could create several problems later down the track.

Poor-quality solar components are made with cheap materials and manufacturing processes, so they are much more likely to degrade at a faster rate. Your solar panels and solar inverter are the two main components of your solar system. Selecting  cheaper alternatives can increase your risk of a fault or failure, and because the warranty periods of cheap components are often much shorter, it’s likely you will have to front the costs yourself.

There are multiple factors you should consider when determining if a solar panel is of good quality:

• Power ratings: For today’s current standards, sufficient power ratings usually come from solar panels 300W or higher. Solar panels that are under this threshold indicate that the solar company is using old stock, which not only older technology, but could also mean you have a shorter warranty period.
• Technology: You should also do some research into the technology used, as this can have a big impact on their performance. For example, SunPower’s Maxeon technology is considered the most efficient solar panel on the market, meaning they deliver more power compared to conventional panels for the same amount of space. They also have the lowest degradation rate, meaning by year 25 they perform 45% better than other panels.
• Manufacturer: You should look into how long the manufacturer has been in operation.Well established, large manufacturers generally have more stringent processes and better quality standards. Producing low-quality products can lead to more warranty claims, a costly exercise for manufacturers.

To ensure you’re purchasing a minimum standard of panel, check that it’s included on the CEC approved list.

If you’ve received a quote that seems to be substantially cheaper compared to the others, we strongly recommend you look further into the quoted products to determine if they are a good choice. Companies who opt for cheap components can reduce the lifetime of the system and cause more need for repair, which ultimately affects you as a customer.

Warranty

Warranties are important because they not only provide support should a system incur an issue, but it also reflects the manufacturer’s confidence in their components. The standard product and performance warranties for solar panels these days are 10 years or more, however industry leading product warranties can be as long as 25 years. For inverters, the standard warranty is 5 years, however some are 10 years or more.

It’s wise to choose components supplied by larger, established manufacturers that have an Australian presence. This is because handling a warranty claim with an overseas manufacturer can become very difficult, as well as costly should you need to ship the components overseas.

Each brand of solar products we offer have industry-leading  warranties, so you can have peace of mind knowing your system is supported by the best components in the market.

Partnerships

Partnerships signify a unity in values between two companies. When a solar manufacturer chooses to partner with a solar company, it is because they recognise the solar companies’ skills, expertise, and similar principles.

We have several partnerships with well-respected, major manufacturers like Fronius, SunPower and Sonnen. These partnerships are a testament to our capabilities and highlight the excellent quality of work we deliver.

If you’re interested to see how solar can work for your school, contact us today for a free, no obligation proposal.