Solar panels on the roof of a house

Benefits of solar power

Our sunburnt country is the perfect place for solar power and there are many benefits of ‘going solar’.

Better for the environment

Solar electricity is one way to power your home or business that benefits the environment. There are no direct greenhouse gas emissions because the electricity is made from sunlight rather than burning fossil fuels.

Sunlight is a renewable energy source, meaning we will never run out of it. Coal and gas are fossil fuels and will eventually run out. And in our sunny state there’s plenty of sunshine all year round.

Once you install solar panels on your roof, they convert sunlight into electricity cleanly and quietly.

Save on your power bills

You should see a saving on your electricity bill, because you will be using power from your solar panels during the day rather than just from the electricity grid.

If you install a battery with your solar PV system, you can store your solar power not used during the day to use later. This should cut your electricity bill even further.

Give your property more appeal

Solar power is in great demand and around one in four homes already has it in regional Queensland. If you decide to sell or rent out your home or business premises, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system is a popular feature and may add market value.

Can be connected to the electricity grid

Once you have our approval1 and your solar PV system is connected to the grid, you may have the option of exporting and selling your unused solar power back to your electricity retailer2. If you have any issues with your system, you have the security of the grid as a back-up to keep a safe and reliable power supply to your property.

What does ‘exporting to the grid’ mean?

Power from a solar PV system is generally used to supply your premises first. Any excess solar power that is not used by your home or business may be ‘fed-in’, to the electricity grid (if you are approved to connect and export1). This is what ‘exporting to the grid’ means.

Footnotes

  1. You must first seek approval from us to connect your solar PV system to our electricity network.  We will complete a technical assessment (if necessary) of your application and then make a connection offer to you. This offer may include an exporting or non-exporting option for your system.
  2. If your solar PV system connection is eligible for the regional feed-in tariff, your electricity retailer may be required to pay you the mandated solar feed-in tariff rate for the electricity that you export (or ‘feed-in’) to the power grid. Contact your electricity retailer to find out more.