Solar energy is generated by the sun. This energy is captured and turned into usable electricity to help power your home.

Solar panels are made of conductive materials. The panels absorb sunlight with photovoltaic cells which create direct current (DC) electricity. Through an inverter the DC energy is then converted to usable alternating current (AC) energy. AC energy flows through the home’s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly.

If you’re considering installing a solar system, it’s important to understand how much money you could save, based on how much you are currently spending on electricity. It’s possible to drastically reduce your power bill with solar, but every household is different.

Here are a few steps to run through:

• Size up your roof and direction the panels will be facing. Size, age and pitch of your roof are important details when considering solar panels. There are helpful online tools you can use to assess the viability of your home for solar such as the EECA website.
  
• Shop around for the best solar installation deal and ensure you’re installing the best size system for your property. The largest system might sound appealing but may not be the best economic decision in the long run. Remember, EK customers get mate’s rates at ZEN Energy when you buy a new solar system.
  
• Look into your electricity options. All our plans are solar friendly, and our MoveMaster plan has a 23c/kWh solar buy back rate and 11.5c/kWh off-peak (incl GST).
  
• The installation and setup of a solar system requires an upfront investment, but the payoff can be high. You can also significantly reduce your carbon output with solar. Solar power is a renewable resource and produces zero carbon emissions while in operation.

The price of solar panels in New Zealand has decreased significantly in recent years, making it a more affordable option for homeowners. Rooftop solar is a smart choice for virtually any Kiwi home with an unshaded roof and some daytime electricity usage. The payback time for most solar systems is between five to seven years but that depends on several factors including available sunlight, panel position, electricity prices, the cost of the system and the amount of self-consumption.

Self-consumption is key to getting the most out of a solar system these days. This means using as much of the energy produced by the panels as possible directly within your home. Self-consuming solar energy helps avoid purchasing power from the grid.

This question was prominent at the beginning of the solar revolution, however with modern panels failure rate is extremely low and most reliable manufacturers provide a power output warranty with their systems. That said, solar panels will generally deteriorate and become a little less effective over time, so you’ll need to upgrade at some point in the future, but this would be at least 25 years away.

Solar panels need unobstructed access to the sun’s UV rays to operate at their full potential. Therefore, solar panels will still generate some electricity on overcast, rainy days – but it will be more limited compared to sunny days. If you track the power that your solar panels produce, you’ll really see the difference between cloudy and sunny days.

No, solar panels are usually not difficult to maintain as they’re designed for the outdoors and made to withstand any type of weather. However, they’ll need an annual clean to ensure that dirt, leaves and animal droppings aren’t obstructing their effectiveness.

Yes. To export energy back to the grid and receive solar buy-back credits, you need an import/export meter installed at your property. This meter records both the electricity you use and the surplus energy your solar panels generate and send back to the grid.

If you are already with Electric Kiwi and need an import/export meter, get in touch and we can help get that sorted.

If you are not with us yet and your solar system is being installed within the next two weeks, it may be easier to request the meter through your current retailer first, then switch to Electric Kiwi once it is installed.

Yes. Our standard plans support solar systems with a generation capacity of up to 10kW. Generation capacity is based on the total output of your solar array, calculated by multiplying the number of panels by the wattage of each panel. For example, 10 panels at 500W gives you a total generation capacity of 5kW.

If your system is over 10kW, get in touch with us before switching. We will work out whether we can supply you and purchase your exported electricity, and confirm what buy-back rate will apply. This may differ from our advertised rates.

If you do not let us know and we find out your system exceeds 10kW, we may rebill you at a lower buy-back rate for the period you have been with us.

A difference of 5-10% between the two is pretty common and nothing to worry about. Your meter records what is imported and exported at the grid connection point, while your solar app measures what is happening on the house side, usually at several different points. Different tools, different measurement points.

If the difference is much larger, your meter is almost certainly correct as it is a certified, revenue grade tool. The discrepancy is more likely coming from your solar app, whether that is a CT clamp in the wrong position, a lower quality clamp, or app calculations that are easy to misinterpret.

Your solar installer is the best first port of call. Download your half-hour data from your online account and share it with them so they can compare it against your inverter data. If they cannot find an explanation, get in touch and we can look into it further. As a last resort, we can arrange a meter accuracy test, though bear in mind there is a $250 fee if the meter is found to be accurate.

Every kWh you send back to the grid gets bought back at your plan rate and added to your account as a credit. Your credit balance works to offset your bill first, and anything left over sits on your account ready to be used.

Once you have been with Electric Kiwi for a full 12 months, you can request a credit payout to your bank account once a year. We ask for 12 months because solar generation and energy pricing are both seasonal. Summer tends to mean more generation but lower market prices, while winter flips that around. A full year gives us a complete picture and keeps things fair for everyone.

Our tip? Hold off on requesting a payout until after winter. Your summer generation is more likely to have cushioned the higher winter costs, which means a healthier credit balance and less chance of ending up with something owing.

If you add panels, upgrade your inverter, install a battery or make any other changes that affect how much you can generate or export, we need to hear about it.

Changes to your setup can affect which plan you are on and the rate you receive for your exports. Letting us know means we can make sure everything still lines up correctly for you and that you are getting the right credits for what you send back to the grid.

Get in touch before or shortly after making any changes and we will take it from there.