The House of the Rising Sun

Solar energy solutions for your home

Simon Barnett is a man with a vision. He foresees a day when every modern home has a solar panel array on the roof. “It used to be a niche market, and the setup costs were prohibitive, but now all that is changing”, says Barnett as he proudly displays his quarterly home power bill for $1.19. Energy costs are going up and the need for a clean power alternative has never been more apparent. Worldwide the sales of photovoltaic solar panels increased fourfold in the three years to 2007. The increasing popularity of solar technology is due to the lower prices and higher power outputs of solar panels. Many governments also offer tax concessions to home and business owners as an incentive to adopt renewable energy sources. The panel array may include a Solar Thermal Collector (STC) for directly heating hot water and a Photovoltaic Module for generating electricity. So what does it cost? Barnett expects that the cost of installing a solar panel array into the average Australian home would now be under $10,000. With a 50% government rebate and immediate savings on power consumption it is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment. Have you considered solar power for your home? How do you feel about the cost? Do you think solar panels should be compulsory for new developments?