Solar FAQs

No. Higher wattage panels are generally just larger in size than lower wattage panels. The more important measure to look at is panel efficiency. You can calculate this by dividing the area of the panel by the wattage. Most panels have an efficiency of between 13% - 15%. Learn more about panels, and what can potentially go wrong with cheap panels in our Solar Panel Buyers Guide. The most important thing to consider when deciding on a panel, is the brand. Go with a brand you know and trust - have a read of our document Understanding Solar Panel Brands.

A performance warranty guarantees that a solar panel will produce a given amount of electricity after a given time. Most solar panels are guaranteed to produce 80% of their original output after 25 years (ie. A 200 watt panel will still produce 160 watts). Performance warranties differ from workmanship warranties, that actual warrant the construction of the panel. Don't settle for panels with less than a 5 year workmanship warranty.

Some companies offer inverters that have a capacity larger than the total output of the connected solar panels. For example, you may be offered a system with a 4.2kW inverter, and 8x 200 watt panels totalling 1.6kW. What this means is that at a later time (and depending on the inverter) you may be able to add additional solar panels to your system, up to 4.2kW. However, it does not make any immediate improvement to the efficiency of your system. Before being carried away by these deals, think carefully about whether you think you will ever upgrade (and whether you have the space to upgrade). With panel technology evolving, you may be better off adding a second system in 3-4 years, as opposed to upgrading an existing system.

While no one likes to admit it, solar power companies tend to come and go. In the last 12 months, 2 of the country’s largest solar companies have gone under, leaving thousands of customers without valid workmanship and performance warranties. While we like to think Neco is going to be here forever, in case we aren’t you can have comfort in knowing that all of our components are covered by local manufacturer’s warranties. By local manufacturer’s, we mean companies that have offices in Australia that you can turn to in the unlikely event of a warranty claim, or in the unlikely circumstance that Neco is no longer around!

Let's say you want to install a 3kW system, but you can only fit 8 panels on your North-facing roof (a 3kW system typically requires 16 panels). Say you had enough space to place 8 panels on your West-facing roof - problem solved, right? No. A conventional inverter has what's called a single Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT). This means that it can only optimise the production of panels on one roof at a time. meaning when your North-facing panels are producing electricity, your West-facing panels will be shut down, or even worse, will reduce the performance of your North-facing panels. Inverters with dual MPPT overcome this by enabling 2 strings of panels (ie. arrays or rows of panels) to feed into the inverter independently, so you have a true 3kW system. 

Currently Neco's solar power division only services Victoria. We are hoping to expand into other states in the near future.

In order to get the benefits of exporting surplus electricity to the grid, you will need to have a smart meter. If you already have a smart meter installed, great! If you don't have one, then we will arrange for your electricity distributor to upgrade your meter to a smart meter. This is usually at a cost of $150 - $400, depending on who your electricity distributor is. Upgrading to a smart meter can also take several months (that's just how long the distributors take) but don't worry - your system will still be exporting surplus solar electricity to the grid, which you will receive at a 1:1 tariff (as opposed to the feed-in tariff).