Pillar guide
Solar
Panels, inverters and how a battery turns solar from a daytime offset into round-the-clock power. What actually matters when sizing a system, and how the numbers differ between Australia and the USA.
Panels
Efficiency, degradation rate and warranty length matter more than raw wattage — a smaller, higher-quality array often outperforms a bigger cheap one over 20 years.
Inverters
String vs microinverters vs power optimisers changes how shading on one panel affects the whole array, and what monitoring you get.
Batteries
Solar without storage exports excess power for a low feed-in rate and buys it back at a much higher rate after dark — a battery closes that gap. See our Battery & EV pillar.
Product picks
See all →
Guides & articles
- 7 min readWhat "clear-sky payback years" on a solar quote actually hideSolar quotes love a tidy payback number. Here's what assumptions are baked into it, and why your real payback will land somewhere else entirely.
- Australia7 min readSplit-orientation roofs: is east/west solar actually a bad idea?North isn't always available. Here's how east/west solar splits actually perform, and when spreading panels across two roof planes beats a single north face.
- 8 min readDoes your roof need replacing before solar? Here's how to actually tellA guide to assessing roof condition before solar, so you're not paying to remove and reinstall panels five years later.
- 8 min readSolar warranty terms that actually matter (and the ones that don't)Not all "25-year warranty" claims mean the same thing. Here's how to read panel, inverter and workmanship warranties before you sign a solar quote.
- 6 min readWhat the Efficiency Percentage on a Solar Panel Spec Sheet Actually Buys YouA 22% efficient panel isn't automatically better than a 20% one for your roof. It matters most when roof space is tight and barely matters at all when it isn't.
- 6 min readString Inverters vs Microinverters vs Power Optimisers: What Actually ChangesThe three topologies all turn DC panel output into usable AC power. The real differences show up when one panel is shaded, when something fails, and how much per-panel data you get.
- 6 min readHow Shading, Even Partial, Even From a Few Trees, Wrecks Solar PaybackA shadow covering ten percent of a string inverter's panels can cut way more than ten percent of the output. Model shading properly before you sign, not after the trees are already blocking your afternoon sun.
- 3 min readHow to Size a Home Solar System (Without Overpaying for Panels You Won't Use)Bigger isn't automatically better. Sizing a solar system properly means matching panel capacity to your roof, your usage pattern, and your export limits — not just filling the roof.
