Solar panels are the part of a solar system everyone understands and the part
where most homeowners get taken advantage of. The panel itself is a commodity —
LONGi, Jinko and Seraphim all sell genuinely good 400 W-plus modules — so the
decisions that actually determine what your system produces are made before a
single panel is ordered.
What actually determines how much power your panels make
Three things, in order of importance:
- Orientation and pitch. North-facing panels in Brisbane lose
roughly 10 to 15% compared to true north, and a west-facing array still produces
a useful 75 to 80% of what north would. Before anything else, we work out what
your roof can physically do. - Temperature. Panel ratings are measured at 25 °C. A
Queensland roof in January sits well above that, and a panel rated at 475 W may
deliver closer to 400 W in the middle of a hot afternoon. The number that matters
is the temperature coefficient of maximum power — we sell modules at
−0.26% per °C, which is among the best available. - Shading. Even partial shade in the morning can cost a
whole afternoon of output on a string. This is where the number of MPPT inputs
on your inverter matters, and it is why we check every obstruction on the roof
rather than relying on satellite imagery.
How many panels do you actually need
For a typical Brisbane household, a 6.65 kW array of 14 LONGi Hi-MO X10
Explorer 475 W modules is the sweet spot. It produces around 27 to 30 kWh on a
good day, covers the household’s daytime consumption completely, and leaves
surplus worth storing. Larger homes and those with a pool pump, ducted air
conditioning or an EV on the driveway usually land at 10.45 kW or 13.32 kW.
We size from your actual usage rather than from a package, because the
mistake that costs homeowners money is a system that is either too small to
cover the bill or too large for the roof.
What we install
We fit LONGi modules — the Hi-MO X10 Explorer at 475 W and 23.3% efficiency,
on HPBC 2.0 back-contact cells. The back-contact design puts the contacts on the
rear of the cell, so nothing shades the light-facing surface and the cell
absorbs more of what reaches it. Combined with a gentle temperature
coefficient, that is what keeps output high through a Queensland summer.
We also install Seraphim panels where a roof needs a different form factor,
and Jinko Tiger Neo where budget is the deciding factor. We will tell you
which one to buy, including when the answer is the cheaper one.
Installation is where most systems go wrong
A panel is only as good as the installation holding it. We use rail systems
rather than point fixings, seal every penetration to the tile or corrugation
type on your roof, torque every clamp to specification, and photograph the
array before we leave. A roof with a cracked tile or a poorly sealed penetration
will cost you more in the first five years than you saved on hardware.
Do solar panels need maintenance
Very little. Panels are sealed units with no moving parts. A visual inspection
annually, and a clean if dust or bird droppings have built up on a heavily
shaded section, is genuinely all that is required. The inverter needs no
maintenance at all. We check both as part of every service call.
What solar panels cost in Brisbane
A 6.65 kW system with LONGi Hi-MO X10 panels, installed, typically lands
between $11,000 and $14,000 depending on roof complexity, switchboard work and
how much electrical infrastructure needs upgrading. A battery adds
considerably more, and the federal discount takes a substantial slice off that.
Send us your address and a recent bill and we will quote it properly, with
what you are paying broken out line by line.
1300 712 020 | Brisbane, the Gold Coast & Ipswich
LONGi and Seraphim panels, installed by CEC-accredited electricians with a
10-year workmanship warranty.