Solar FAQ
Let’s kick this off the right way.
Q: Why Solar?
Q: How does solar power work?
- Solar Panel Arrays on your roof collect the sun’s energy and send it to an inverter.
- The inverter will change this energy from DC power into usable AC power, from the inverter, the AC power will be used for all of your daytime power consumption. As we would install a smart energy meter, Solar energy is produced to match your consumption unless you apply for the utility FIT scheme.
Q: What maintenance or wear and tear costs can I expect?
The life cycle of a system is 15 + years, you should not experience any wear and tear issues, but this all depends on how to take care of and maintain the equipment and the associated environment.
Q: Do I still need a grid connection? Is utility power still required?
Q: What happens at night?
Q: What if it is cloudy?
Q: What about shade?
Q: During a power cut, will my solar panels provide me with electricity?
Q: Does my roof need to face South?
A South facing array will produce most of its power through the middle of the day, while an east or West facing array will produce more solar production at either the beginning or end of the day; which is when you will generally use more power.
Q: Where is my inverter installed?
Q: How do I get solar power to my home or business?
Once you approve the quotation, Kunini will then set up the Installation which will be carried out by Kunini’s own Solar Install Team.
Kunini will take care of as much of the process as possible including any documents that may be required for permits and approvals. (Additional charges may apply)
Q: What permits will I require?
Q: Can I upgrade in the future?
At such time you want to upgrade your system to a larger system and you find a buyer, we can provide an installation service to the buyer. If you have a support agreement with us, we can provide a performance report to the buyer. If you do not have a support agreement with us, we will charge for performance checking and production of the report.
Q: What is the performance guarantee?
Q: How long will my solar system last?
Inverters are a little more complicated, and ultimately their longevity will depend on factors such as their location (how dirty, how much sunlight and heat in that location).
Most provide warranties of 5 to 10 years with an expected performance life of 15+ years.
Q: Are my panels covered by insurance?
Q: How do I maintain the solar panels?
Monitoring: Regularly checking yield results on the inverter is advised to detect any possible performance issues. If in doubt, a quick phone call to one of our staff members can quickly confirm if performance figures are within the normal range.
Q: What is your warranty policies on the systems?
Inverters: 5-10 years manufacturer’s warranty.
Mounting Warranty: 10 years, manufacturer’s product warranty.
Installation: 2 years, installer’s warranty.
Q: What is module (solar panel) efficiency?
A typical 455w solar panel has an efficiency rating of around 21% where a 550w solar panel of the same dimensions would have an efficiency rating of around 21.5%.
Q: What is the 'Tier System' for rating solar panels?
Tier 1 means a manufacturer supplies quality products at the most basic level and intends to stay around for the long-term. This is important because, after all, what good is a 25-year warranty if the company won’t be around to support it? Kunini only installs T1 Solar Panels
Q: Are there any Incentive programs in place at the moment?
The utility, PEA, MEA allows customers to install solar PV for self-consumption only. What does this mean? It means that you use Solar energy for your daytime consumption first, any excess energy can be sold back to the utility. This program is only applicable for residential systems at this time.