We'll be the first to tell you how fantastic solar power is for the environment. But are there any circumstances under which solar panels and battery storage can be? Bad For the environment? And how do you avoid the risk of buying a bad solar system for the environment?
Buying solar energy offers huge benefits for the environment. You generate your own electricity from a renewable energy source – sunlight. Your panels and inverters convert solar energy for domestic use. Plus, any excess energy you generate is fed back into the grid for others to use instead of fossil fuels. The increasing generation of renewable energy means that less coal power is needed to power our homes.
Waste from low quality solar
In our experience and other industry experts, there is a growing problem with the components of a solar system as soon as they die. With a whopping 2 million households now running on solar power in Australia (CEC, December 2018)) the country is well on the way to becoming a solar power plant. However, with so many panels with a limited lifespan, we also need to find a solution to the growing waste problem.
The quality of a solar module makes a big difference in terms of the longevity of a solar module. A midrange panel often has a lifespan of just 10 years. High quality panels from LG come with a 25-year product guarantee – a full 15 years longer than most other panels on the market. For every LG panel that ends up in a landfill, there are almost three times as many panels from the cheaper brands. Panels of the better brands can be reused and resold on sites like eBay and GumTree. However, the cheaper panels have to land in a landfill within a few years.
Inverter technology is very different on the market. Depending on which system you choose, you can predict when you need to replace it. A conventional string inverter is usually guaranteed for 10 years. However, for the cheaper systems (<$ 4,500), you can expect to replace this inverter two or even three times within that 10 year period. Whether or not your original installer is available is an important thing to consider when choosing which installer to use! If you are considering a cheaper solar system it may cost less on the front end, but both you and the planet can suffer after just a few years.
If you are looking for a system that will last the life of the highest quality LG panels, the Enphase microinverters are your only choice. With no moving parts and exceptional performance in hot Australian conditions, Enphase technology is the longest lasting inverter technology on the market. It's the type of system that you installed once and have had for decades. Put simply, this system is better for the environment than anything else.