Your roof-mounted solar panels contain photovoltaic cells. When sunlight falls on these cells, they convert the sun’s energy into DC (direct current) power which can be used to power your home and charge your battery.

The inverter converts the DC power to 240V AC, the type of electricity used in your home. The ALDI Solar inverter is a hybrid model, which means it manages the solar battery charging and discharging. A digital display and mobile app provide statistics on how much power is being generated and how much you are using.

A solar system can only produce electricity if there is sunlight. That means solar can produce electricity on cloudy days when small amounts of sunlight are still shining down onto a rooftop. However, at nighttime, when there is no sunlight, your solar system will not generate any electricity.

It will charge your solar battery first. When the battery is full it will be exported to the electricity grid. Depending on your retailer and tariff, you may be given a credit towards your electricity bill.

This is the rate at which you are paid by your energy retailer for exporting excess electricity generated back to the grid.

Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) are the method the federal government uses to help fund household solar. These certificates reduce the cost of solar to you. Most solar providers advertise solar pricing with the STC rebates already removed from the price and we do the same with ALDI Solar. You assign the rights to the STC rebate following installation of the system.

Additionally, some people are eligible for state-based rebates. Our team will assist with these.

A smart meter is needed to support solar and can be arranged with your electricity retailer. Any fees and charges will be advised by your energy retailer.

In the vast majority of cases, getting solar power will reduce your electricity bills through reducing the amount of power you buy from the grid. In some states there is also a small feed-in tariff that you receive for exporting your excess power to the grid. The majority of your savings comes from self-consuming your solar and battery power. The ALDI Solar system, similar to most systems, is not designed to take you off grid and eliminate all electricity bills. It’s designed to give you a great payback period.

Commonly referred to as the payback period. Several factors influence this:

• The cost of electricity from the grid.
• How much electricity you use and when you use it.
• The weather
• Your location and the orientation of your solar panels.

The ALDI Solar system is sized for the average household to use the majority of the power generated from the solar panels and charge and discharge your battery daily. This typically generates the fastest payback period. The handy calculator on the home page can give you an estimate of this timeframe.

While ALDI Solar doesn’t currently recommend or promote any particular finance provider, there are many available that can lend you the funds for a solar system. We suggest you investigate and see what’s right for you.

Batteries store power produced by your solar panels during the day for use in the evening. This evening period, often called peak demand, is when energy retailers can charge higher amounts for electricity, hence a battery can really maximise your savings. The ALDI Solar battery also has an emergency power capability, which can keep an essential circuit, like your refrigerator, running in the event of a blackout.