Solar Power Information Pack for Australia, by Optimus Energy. This document outlines all consumer details for solar power.

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CONTENTS
Why Go Solar? ............................................................................................................. 3
Types of Solar Power Systems ................................................................................ 4
How Grid Connect Solar Works .............................................................................. 5
How Hybrid Solar Works .......................................................................................... 6
How Off Grid Solar Works ........................................................................................ 7
Solar Power Installation Options ........................................................................... 8
Ground Mounted .................................................................................................. 8
Roof Mounted Pitched ......................................................................................... 8
Roof Mounted Flat ................................................................................................ 8
Solar Power Installation Variables ........................................................................ 9
Orientation ............................................................................................................ 9
Shading .................................................................................................................. 9
Solar Power System Components ........................................................................10
Solar Modules (panels) .......................................................................................11
Solar Inverters .....................................................................................................12
What System Size should I Install ........................................................................13
Solar Rebates & Incentives ....................................................................................14
About Optimus Energy ...........................................................................................15
Our Options ...............................................................................................................16
Value Range .........................................................................................................17
Smart Range ........................................................................................................18
European Range .................................................................................................19
How to Buy ................................................................................................................20
Site Scope ............................................................................................................20
System Design & Costing ...................................................................................20
Installation & Commissioning ...........................................................................20
Operations & Maintenance ...............................................................................20

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WHY GO SOLAR
Installing Solar Power is one of the few ways that you can significantly reduce
your electricity bill. Australian households & businesses are already saving mil-
lions of dollars a day.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
PROVEN TECHNOLOGY
AFFORDABLE

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TYPES OF SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS
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GRID CONNECTED
A grid connected system will create
electricity during the day & you are still
connected to the grid for electricity at
night.
HYBRID GRID CONNECTED
A Hybrid Grid Connected system will create
electricity during the day & store some
excess power generated in batteries for
use at night. You are still connected to the
grid if required.
OFF GRID
Off grid Solar is completely separated from
the grid & is generally used in regional or
remote areas where access to the grid is
impossible or cost prohibitive.

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HOW GRID CONNECTED SOLAR WORKS
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1. SOLAR MODULES - convert energy from the sun into DC electricity.
2. INVERTER - an inverter turns DC electricity into AC electricity.
3. SWITCHBOARD - the AC electricity flows into the board & is used by the
property 1st.
4. SMART METER - a smart meter is installed to measure energy consumed
from the grid & energy produced from solar.
5. THE GRID - any surplus solar electricity is fed back into the grid & is sold.

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HOW HYBRID SOLAR WORKS
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1. SOLAR MODULES - convert energy from the sun into DC electricity.
2. INVERTER - an inverter turns DC electricity into AC electricity.
3. SWITCHBOARD - the AC electricity flows into the board & is used by the
property 1st.
4. SMART METER - a smart meter is installed to measure energy consumed
from the grid & energy produced from solar.
5. THE GRID - any surplus solar electricity is fed back into the grid & is sold.
5. BATTERIES - Batteries are generally installed on the DC side so that
electricity can be used during brownouts or when solar isn’t available.

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HOW OFF GRID SOLAR WORKS
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1. SOLAR MODULES - convert energy from the sun into DC electricity.
2. REGULATOR - A regulator or solar charge controller is installed to stop the
batteries over charging.
3. CONTROL BOARD - The control board houses switching & circuit protection
devices.
4. INVERTER - The inverter converts DC electricity into AC electricity for use in
homes & businesses.
5. BATTERY BANK - The battery bank is sized to suit the energy demand
within the application, usually with several days of autonomy to cover for
any cloudy days. these batteries can be stored internally or externally.
6. BACK UP GENERATOR - A back up generator is installed as a ‘ just in case’
measure or for situations where demand out strips available solar supply.
7. WIND TURBINE - A wind turbine can also be installed to add additional
generation from renewable sources.

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SOLAR POWER INSTALLATION OPTIONS
Generally larger solar power installations
are positioned on the ground, although
this is now becoming popular in smaller
installations where roof installation is not
possible or plausible.
If you have a pitched roof on your home or
commercial premises it is generally
possible to attach solar directly to the roof,
although orientation is an important factor.
If your home or building has a flat roof it
is still possible to install solar using what is
known as a tilt kit.

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SOLAR POWER INSTALLATION VARIABLES
ORIENTATION - In the Southern
Hemisphere as a general rule true North
is the most ideal orientation for a solar
installation. In the Northern Hemisphere
a solar power system will be installed True
South. In saying this many systems are also
installed on roof tops Facing east or west.
These systems will still work, but just less
effectively.
There are several variables when installing
a solar power array & there are also
unique solutions available to overcome
adverse installation environments. The
main 2 variables are.
SHADING - Shading generally caused
by trees can significantly reduce the
effectiveness of a solar power system.
Fortunately new technology is available
to limit power losses through shading,
although it is still best to have as little
shading as possible.

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SOLAR POWER SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Solar Modules (Panels) - Typically a minimum of 6
solar panels are installed in a solar power array.
Inverter. - An inverter is installed to monitor
energy production & most importantly invert DC
electricity that is generated via your solar panels
to AC electricity.
Mounting structure - Fixing your solar array
securely will ensure that your property or solar
power system will not be adversely affected by
weather conditions.
Cables, Connectors & Isolators - When installing
a solar power system there are several products
required on the electrical side to ensure your
system is installed safely. Electrical isolators are
installed so that your system can be switched off
for maintenance & in case of emergency.
Electricity Meter - A bi directional meter or smart
meter will be installed at your property when you
install a solar power system. This meter will record
how much solar you are selling back to the grid.

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SOLAR MODULES (PANEL) TYPES
Mono crystalline silicon offers High efficiency,
although the technology is more expensive
than other options so as a general rule mono
crystalline is becoming less popular these days.
An example of a mono crystalline panel is from
Solar World
Polycrystalline (or Multi-crystalline) silicon based
solar panels are the most popular solar panel on
the market. Significant improvements have been
made with polycrystalline cells making them more
cost effective than mono crystalline products.
Jinko offer a top quality polycrystalline module.
Thin Film (Amorphous) Solar panels are the least
efficient solar panel on the market. In saying this
a thin film product will typically work better in low
light conditions
There are 3 technologies available for solar
power installations.

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SOLAR INVERTERS
Grid Tie String Inverter - This is the standard type
of inverter installed throughout the world. All
modules are installed in strings & DC is brought
down to the inverter to turn into AC.
Grid Tie Hybrid String Inverter - This inverter
works similar to the standard grid tie inverter,
with the added ability to install batteries for grid
storage.
Grid Tie Micro Inverters - Micro inverters are
relatively new technology, the difference is that
you have an inverter installed under every 1-2
solar modules. This provides for additional
installation flexibility & enhanced production in
partially shaded environments.

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WHAT SYSTEM SIZE SHOULD I INSTALL?
The system size that you
should install will depend on
The unshaded area that you have available
The amount of electricity that you want to generate
Your budget for installing the system.
$
Commonly household or
small business systems
will be between
1kW & 10kW.
For larger offices &
commercial buildings
sizes range from
30kW-100kW
AVERAGE DAILY PRODUCTION
City 1 kW system 1.5 kW system 2.0 kW system 3.0 kW system 4.0 kW system
Adelaide 4.2 kWh 6.3 kWh 8.4 kWh 12.6 kWh 16.8 kWh
Alice Springs 5.0 kWh 7.5 kWh 10.0 kWh 15.0 kWh 20.0 kWh
Brisbane 4.2 kWh 6.3 kWh 8.4 kWh 12.6 kWh 16.8 kWh
Cairns 4.2 kWh 6.3 kWh 8.4 kWh 12.6 kWh 16.8 kWh
Canberra 4.3 kWh 6.45 kWh 8.6 kWh 12.9 kWh 17.2 kWh
Darwin 4.4 kWh 6.6 kWh 8.8 kWh 13.2 kWh 17.6 kWh
Hobart 3.5 kWh 5.25 kWh 7.0 kWh 10.5 kWh 14.0 kWh
Melbourne 3.6 kWh 5.4 kWh 7.2 kWh 10.8 kWh 14.4 kWh
Perth 4.4 kWh 6.6 kWh 8.8 kWh 13.2 kWh 17.6 kWh
Sydney 3.9 kWh 5.85 kWh 7.8 kWh 11.7 kWh 15.6 kWh

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SOLAR REBATES
In Australia when your solar power
system is installed by a Clean Energy
Council (CEC) accredited installer
you are eligible for
• Small Scale Technology
Certificates (STC’s)
• Feed In Tariff Incentives
STC’s
An STC represents 1 megawatt hour of electricity displaced from the grid via
renewable sources. When you install a solar power system you will receive an
upfront payment for how many megawatts of renewable energy you will produce
over a 15 year period.
For example a 5kW system will receive 103 STC’s or around $3,500 off of the price
of your solar power system.
FEED IN TARIFFS
A feed in tariff is paid or credited to a system owner for electricity fed into the grid.
This value varies between states & there is also restrictions on the size of a solar
power system that can be connected for feed in. Of late there have been increasing
restrictions surrounding Feed In Tariffs, which has increased consumer interest in
Hybrid style systems.
Most states in Australia operate what is known as a Net Feed In tariff meaning that
households or businesses are only paid for the electricity that is surplus to their
‘self consumption’ .

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ABOUT OPTIMUS ENERGY
Optimus Energy is an Australian based wholesale distributor & partner
to the solar industry throughout Mainland Australia, New Zealand &
South East Asia.
Our economies of scale allow us to procure solar power equipment at
the worlds best prices, thus creating real value for our clients and end
users.
We work with a team of reputable businesses in our markets, to provide
local design, engineering, installation & after sales services.
Our Australian Warehouses are located in;
• Adelaide
• Melbourne
• Brisbane
• Perth
• Melbourne
• Sydney

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OUR OPTIONS
VALUE RANGE
Our value range utilises Tier 1 Jinko Solar Modules & Zeversolar
by SMA group grid tie string inverters, with Lock Solar racking
equipment.
SMART RANGE
Our smart range utilises the latest in Solar Module Technology
the Jinko Smart module which offers a range of benefits over
the standard Jinko module. The smart range still comes with
Zeversolar by SMA grid tie inverters & Lock Solar racking.
EUROPEAN RANGE
We offer the German made Solar World protect modules,
matched with German made SMA inverters in our European
range.

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VALUE RANGE
JINKO 250W MODULES
Bloomberg Tier 1 Product
10 Year Product Warranty
Linear Performance Warranty
ZEVERSOLAR INVERTERS
Zeversolar part of the SMA Group
Quality German Engineering
WIFI monitoring available
Single Phase & 3 Phase Options
LOCK SOLAR RACKING
12yr warranty
Made in Thailand
Tin Roof, Tile Roof or Ground.
Cyclone approved
SMA Inverter Upgrade Available

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SMART RANGE
JINKO SMART MODULES
Bloomberg Tier 1 Product
10 Year Product Warranty
Linear Performance Warranty
MPPT tracker per module.
Module level monitoring.
Increased installation 􀃸exibility.
Best in class shade tolerance.
ZEVERSOLAR INVERTERS
Zeversolar part of the SMA Group
Quality German Engineering
Single Phase & 3 Phase Options
LOCK SOLAR RACKING
12yr warranty
Made in Thailand
Tin Roof, Tile Roof or Ground.
Cyclone approved
SMA Inverter Upgrade Available

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EUROPEAN RANGE
SOLARWORLD MODULES
Produced in Germany
10 year product warranty
30 year linear performance warranty
Top weather resistance
SMA INVERTERS
Produced in Germany
Upgradable warranty to 25yrs
Single & 3 Phase Options
Bluetooth & WIFI monitoring
LOCK SOLAR RACKING
12yr warranty
Made in Thailand
Tin Roof, Tile Roof or Ground.
Cyclone approved
Enphase inverter upgrade Available

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HOW TO BUY
As Optimus Energy is a wholesale distribution company, we work with our partners to
assist end users to install an Optimus Solar Power System. All you need to do is click here
& we will arrange for one of our partners that is local to you, to get in touch.
SITE SCOPE - Our partners will contact you, discuss your requirements & to arrange
to scope your property. This site scope will either happen on site or by using satellite
imaging technology.
SYSTEM DESIGN & COSTING - The next stage will be to design the system to suit your
needs & budget. A fully costed proposal will be developed for you & presented to you.
INSTALLATION & COMMISSIONING - Once you have accepted the proposal, the next
step will be to arrange for approval for your system to be connected to the grid. Once
approval has been granted we are then able to professionally install the system & connect
the system to the electricity grid (where grid connected is chosen)
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE - Our partner will work with you to discuss the most
ideal option for maintaining your system. Depending on the system chosen & it’s size
some clients choose to have a regular maintenance plan, whereas others may monitor
the system online, then only call on our partners if something goes wrong.