What is Solar Power?

Sunlight is an incredible source of energy for earth. Solar power is the technology used to harness the sun’s energy and make it useable. Today, solar technology produces around 3 percent of worldwide electricity demand.

Australia leads the world in household solar panel installations. So far, 20 percent of Australian households have installed solar power systems.

Solar energy has recently been reinvented in Australia with the introduction of Tesla Powerwall home battery. Before solar battery storage options, extra energy from the sun was sent straight back through the grid or wasted altogether. Now solar owners can take charge of the sun’s energy, day and night.

How Solar Power Works

Photons (sun light) are absorbed by the solar panels on your roof. The silicon wafers and the conductors (metal strips) that make up the solar panels, convert the photons into Direct Current (DC) electricity. This DC electricity cannot be used in your home and therefore needs to be converted to an Alternating Current (AC), which is done by an inverter. The energy that is created can be used to power your appliances, fed back into the grid or stored for later use.

How much power will my panels generate?

The output of a solar PV system depends on its size. The most common household systems are 5 kilowatts today, although some property owners have installed systems of up to 10 kilowatts. The table below shows the average daily production of some common grid-connected systems throughout Australia. A typical Australian house consumes around 21 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day.

A 5kW Bradford Solar ChargePack with Tesla Powerwall 2 is capable of producing 22kWh of solar energy and storing 13.5kWh for night time usage. Solar panels produce more energy in summer than they do in winter.

Average Estimated Daily Production^
CITY	2 kW SYSTEM (kWh)	3 kW SYSTEM (kWh)	5 kW SYSTEM (kWh)	8 kW SYSTEM (kWh)	10 kW SYSTEM (kWh)
Adelaide	8.4	12.6	21.0	33.6	42.0
Brisbane	8.4	12.6	21.0	33.6	42.0
Canberra	8.6	12.9	21.5	34.4	43.0
Hobart	7.0	10.5	17.5	28.0	35.0
Melbourne	7.2	10.8	18.0	28.8	36.0
Perth	8.8	13.2	22.0	35.2	44.0
Sydney	7.8	11.7	19.5	31.2	39.

^Assumptions: Solar panels produce more energy in summer than they do in winter. Actual system performance may vary due to a wide range of external factors outside CSR's control. Any performance, saving or payback estimations mentioned by CSR are estimate only.

Home comfort and energy efficiency with Bradford

With Bradford you can combine home insulation, ventilation and our solar panels to reduce your dependence on utility companies and keep your home at a more comfortable temperature all year round.

How Solar Works Video

Would you like to know more about solar energy and the ways in which it can benefit you? Watch the video to gain a better understanding of how the sun's power is truly harnessed and turned into a pure form of energy.

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ChargePack Explainer Video

The next evolution in energy solutions naturally comes from a name synonymous with the very cutting edge in technology. The Bradford Solar ChargePack including Tesla Powerwall 2 is the next step in a comprehensive approach to green, affordable all-electric solar power delivery. Watch the video to learn how we're leading the way to smarter power...

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Frequently Asked Questions

We answer your most common questions about Solar solutions.

GO TO FAQs

Your Financial Investment

The solar benefits and long-term return on investment that come with making the switch to solar are undeniable, but there is still a level of upfront financial investment to consider. This financial consideration is particularly important, with energy costs set to rise exponentially in the future.

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Calculate your solar savings

Use our simple savings calculator to find out how much you can save with a Bradford Solar Energy Pack

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Your Bradford Energy System

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BUILD WITH SOLAR

Assumptions: Savings calculation based on a detached house. Average electricity tariff for each state assumed. Based on an average household load profile. Simulation ran on an average day. Actual payback may vary. Annual saving is simplified to 365 x daily saving. 10 year saving is based on 3% annual increase in energy (CPI related).

Smart Monitoring

Control your energy from anywhere.

You are already using mobile apps to access your favorite music, movies, and even to find out when the next train is. We’ve made managing your energy just as easy.

Seamlessly monitor and automatically manage your solar and Powerwall anywhere with your intelligent monitoring app.

Enjoy connecting directly to your home. You can see, track and control your solar consumption, energy production, and energy use at any time during the day or night.