FAQs

The most common product warranty for a solar panel is 10 years but can be up to 25 years. Performance warranties on solar panels are almost all 25 years. An inverter product warranty is generally between 5 – 10 years. Most batteries on the market are provided with a 10 year warranty. Choosing a product with an Australian presence or a local supplier is essential. This will simplify the claims process if a warranty claim is needed.

A solar only system cannot prevent a blackout as there is no way to store your generated energy. With a solar and battery system, we offer a backup function at an additional cost to prevent a blackout.

We don’t generally suggest that you backup the entire house, unless you have a big enough inverter and battery. The essential circuit to prevent a blackout would be your kitchen, all the lights, garage door and power outlets in the kitchen area.

Yes, you can! Most inverters we use have either a built-in display or Wi-Fi with cloud-based monitoring. You can easily monitor your power output, energy generated, energy export to the grid and your battery SOC. Our qualified installers will help you to set everything up upon completion of the installation.

This comes down to the size of the system you have purchased and the difficulties that may be specific to your house for the installation. Generally, a full day is required for a 5kW+ system.

This depends on the inverter you purchased at the time, and what type of battery you are adding on later down the track. If you have plans to add a battery later, please let us know in advance, we can then quote you with a battery ready inverter (Hybrid inverter). We can also retro-fit a battery to an existing non-battery ready solar system, so do not hesitate to make an enquiry.

This depends on your roof space and the size of the inverter. If you have sufficient roof space and additional capacity in the inverter, you could increase the size of your solar system. Or you could add a second system to your roof. Most batteries we use support parallel more than 1 battery. Thus, when the time comes, we can add another battery to your existing solar and battery system.

Yes, you certainly can, but we don’t always advise you do. If you are in a metro area and already connected to the grid, the answer is not to. To go completely off grid, it will require a very large solar and battery system at much greater expense. In these cases, we can help you design a system to minimize your reliance of the grid.

We always recommend customers schedule solar panel cleaning every 12 – 24 months. This will ensure the efficiency of your solar panels and prevent cracks from hot spots (caused by debris blocking the sunlight). There is no required maintenance cycle for inverters and batteries. During a cleaning session, our technician will perform a check up on the inverter and battery to make sure they are performing as they should.

Yes, you can! Below is a summary of the 5 ways to pay for your solar system.

1. Cash – Paying cash for a solar system will give many other investments a run for their money. This is currently bringing in the highest return on investment that is also tax-free.
2. Add to your home mortgage – Most retail mortgage rates are around 4-5%. This is significant lower than any Green Loan or Personal Loan available.
3. Green loans – If you had to take out a new loan for your system, this is the best option for most. Green loans are offered by financial institutions that understand a person installing solar panels is usually a good bet. A typical green loan has an interest rate of 6-8%.
4. ‘Interest free’ solar loans – Finance companies that offer interest-free repayment schemes receive a fee (typically around 15-25% of the price) from the merchant (solar retailer in this case), which is where the real money is made. If you’re paying cash, the sticker price of a system may well be the same, but the merchant will be much more negotiable on cost than if you’re financing the purchase. Also, establishment, monthly and other fees can add up over time to act as a small interest rate.
5. Personal loan from a finance company – A finance company can help those who can’t borrow more on their home mortgage or want the added incentive of a higher interest rate to ensure they repay the loan faster. If you don’t have the discipline to repay more than your minimum repayments, then a personal loan may work out as a cheaper option in spite of the higher interest rates. A typical personal loan interest rate is around 10-15%.

• $50 for a solar only system under 10kW
• $100 for a solar only system between 10kW – 20kW
• $150 for a solar & battery system under 20kW
• $250 for a solar only system between 20kW – 40kW
• $400 for a solar only system between 40kW – 80kW
• $800 for a solar only system above 80kW

• The referee must not have previously been in touch with Empower Solar Australia.
• Payment will be organised within 28 days of the referee’s system being installed and paid for in full.
• Payment will be made via email in the form of Woolworths Wish eGift Card.
• In the event that we receive the same referee from different referrers, only the first referrer will be considered.
• Referrals are valid for 3 months.
• Empower Solar Australia will pay according to the system size listed above.
• Woolworths Wish eGift Card can be used at the below retailers (In-store & Online):
  • Woolworths
  • BigW
  • Ampol
  • BWS
  • Dan Murphy’s
  • Cellarmasters