That entirely depends on your energy usage and your geographical location. A 1 kW system will cover between 16 and 25% of the energy consumption of a medium household. A 4 kW system will cover aprox 100% of the energy consumption of a medium energy use household.

Most certainly. For example, a system with solar panels facing in a westerly direction will generate far less than one with a northerly aspect.

When sunlight shines onto your Solar modules, our advanced photovoltaic (PV) technology converts the light into direct current (DC) electricity. Your system’s inverter then converts the DC electricity into 240V alternating current (AC) electricity for normal use in your home.

In Australia there are two different ways of metering the electricity your Solar system produces.

One method used is called ‘net metering’. Electricity utilities allow the excess electricity generated (generation exceeding consumption) by your solar system to be sent to the grid at the retail rate for that given time period by allowing the utility meter to effectively spin backwards. This arrangement allows all electricity produced by your system to be used to offset the remaining portion of your utility bill. In other words, the utility buys back the excess electricity your Solar system exports to the grid at the same retail price you pay for that electricity. However, for most large homes or homes with high electricity demand, a solar electricity system will cover only a portion of the total demand, thereby simply reducing the amount you take from the grid.

The second method used is ‘export metering’ or ‘gross metering’. This is where utilities allow all the electricity generated by your solar system to be sent to the grid at the retail rate for that given time period. This is done via a dedicated utility meter which is separate from your utility consumption meter. This arrangement allows all electricity produced by your solar system to be offset against your entire utility bill. In other words, the utility buys back all the electricity your Solar system produces, at the same retail price you pay for that electricity.

By law, any grid-connected solar electricity system must shut down until utility power returns in order to assure a safe working environment for utility line workers. The system will automatically come back online when the blackout is over.

You will need battery back-up.

Using a comparison to a car, the average vehicle in Australia travels 20 000 km per annum, which is equivalent to 3.3 tons of carbon dioxide discharge annually. A 2kw grid connected system will prevent 3.3 tons of carbon dioxide being generated through coal fired power generation - so it's the equivalent of taking a car off the road each year.

Solar electricity systems are very safe. They have no moving parts and require very little maintenance. Solar components carry all appropriate/recommended electrical certifications. As with any electrical appliance, you should always use proper care when handling solar system components.
iSustain Australia highly recommends that installation and maintenance of solar systems be handled by BCSE-accredited solar installers and that licensed electricians be used for grid-connected systems.

A RAPS system to provide all of the power requirements for an energy-efficient house with a typical range of appliances can cost between $15,000 and $50,000. The size of the system needed will depend on the number of people in the home, what appliances are in use, and how often they are used. Rebates are available to pay for up to half of the system costs.
Connecting to a grid may cost $10,000 per kilometre of power lines, making the option of a RAPS system a viable alternative.
The cost of a small renewable energy system to run a farm shed light using one panel and a small battery can be as low as $200.

The DC electricity produced by the wind turbine or solar panel array is routed through wiring to a solar regulator or charge controller, which regulates the charging of the deep cycle battery bank. DC appliances can then be run off the battery or via a power inverter to supply standard household appliances with 240 volt electricity.

This will vary greatly, but as a very general guide, 75 to 120 watts of solar panels are required for every 200 AH of batteries.

Depends greatly on your energy requirements. For example, if you just wish to run a notebook all day, LED lighting and a few small appliances intermittently, a 100 AH battery may suffice, assuming you have the correct sized solar panel to charge it. To run a household will require far more battery storage.

A solar panel converts light energy into electricity without causing pollution. Solar panels are also referred to as a photovoltaic or PV modules (photo = light, voltaic = electricity).

With Remote Access Power Systems (not on mains power) the energy is stored in deep cycle batteries for use as required.
Grid connect systems direct excess electricity produced during the day back into the local electricity grid. This turns your electricity meter backwards in the process. You then receive credit for any power that you put back into the grid. At night time, you automatically use electricity straight from the grid.

The output of any panel will be reduced or cut off if shaded. However, some solar panels do work better than others in the shade. If a single cell is heavily shaded, that cell is cut off.

Deep cycle batteries used in solar power systems are batteries designed to be discharged over a long period of time (e.g. 100 hours) and recharged hundreds or thousands of times, unlike conventional car batteries which are designed to provide a large amount of current for a short amount of time.

Most household appliances use alternating current (AC) electricity, which is what comes out of the power point of a mains-grid connected house. However, the batteries used in RAPS supply (DC) electricity. To make conventional appliances run in a RAPS house, this DC electricity must be converted to AC.
This conversion is done by a device called an inverter. The inverter is connected to the battery bank, and provides mains-type AC electricity to the house. The inverter needs to be sized to suit the house's electrical requirements, a common size being around 2000 watts, or 2 kilowatts.

Power Inverters cannot store power, they just act as a 'converter' to change the power from a 12VDC power source to 240V AC. This enables you to use normal household appliances and tools from your vehicle.

There are two different types of power inverters: modified sine wave and true sine wave inverters.
The difference between the two types is how close the output power replicates standard AC mains power.
The difference in output between mains power, modified sine wave and true sine wave inverters is shown below: