Want to know whether solar power is worthwhile for your new home or renovation?

This is part 2 of an interview with Lucy Best. Listen to Part 1 here.

In the last episode, Lucy and I began our conversation about solar energy and solar systems for your home. Lucy Best is the Community Engagement Lead for the Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd, and they run a programme called Positive Charge.

Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) is an independent not-for-profit organisation. They are dedicated to tackling climate change and committed to accelerating the energy transition by empowering communities to take action. They work hard to ensure communities play a meaningful part in this transition and that no one gets left behind.

The MEFL are a trusted educator, partner, advisor and service provider. They see their job is to build partnerships that demonstrate what’s possible; to give the right advice; and make sure people have access to the information and technology they need to take action. Their customers include councils, business, schools, community groups and members of the community.

In this episode … Part 2 … Lucy continues to share some fantastic knowledge and information and answer some of the most common questions I receive from the UA Community when it comes to solar systems and choosing them for a renovation or new build.

Some of the topics Lucy and I discuss about choosing solar power for your home:

We talk about what you need to know about where you’ll put the panels on your roof. This is a big question I get … when your roof faces the ‘wrong’ direction, or perhaps doesn’t have a steep pitch, or not a lot of space, many can think that means solar isn’t possible.

So, Lucy shares how panels need to be positioned in terms of orientation, and pitch, to be as efficient as possible. And what workarounds are available to you to create a solution for your place, and what to consider when designing from scratch to make your roof work for solar.

We also talk about requirements for your roof structure, whether using tile or metal.

And we look at what to do if your budget is tight and you can only afford a small system, how to find a reputable installer and the questions to ask them.

We talk about new technologies with solar tiles that you use instead of roofing material … and Lucy shares some fantastic resources to help with learning more about solar, and getting support and advice in your decisions.

Dive into the episode now.

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

Moreland Energy Foundation’s website >>> https://www.mefl.com.au/
Positive Charge’s website >>> https://www.positivecharge.com.au/
Your Home website >>> http://www.yourhome.gov.au/energy/photovoltaic-systems
Contact your state, territory or local government for further information on renewable energy: www.gov.au
Alternative Technology Association (ATA). 2008. Solar electricity ‘Plan your own solar electricity system’ >>>www.ata.org.au
Clean Energy Council. 2011. Consumer guide to buying household solar panels (photovoltaic panels) >>> www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au
International Energy Agency. Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme >>> www.iea-pvps.org/
NSW Fair Trading. Solar panels — consumer checklist >>> www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au
NSW Government – NSW Home Solar Battery Guide >>> www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au
ReNew >>> http://renew.org.au
DNV GL, a Darwin based organisation that test solar panels on behalf of manufacturers, produced an annual report on their performance >>> https://www.solarchoice.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2018-PV-Module-Reliability-Scorecard_DNV-GL.pdf

The post Part 2 | Choosing solar power for your renovation or new build | Interview with Lucy Best, Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd (MEFL) appeared first on Undercover Architect.