Relating to GraysOnline Auctions for Solar Products including a Bonus Installation Offer
Basic Solar System Information
Payment and Delivery
Bonus Installation Offer
Standard Inclusions and Exclusions
Next Steps
Transferring the Bonus Installation Offer or modifying the System
About Us
Definitions of Terms used in FAQs
Is my roof suitable for solar panel installation? [TOP]
Installation requires a structurally sound roof, and the installation cost can be impacted by a number of factors such as:
- Height: Standard Installation applies to single storey buildings only, installations on 2 storey or high roof warehouse / sheds can usually be performed at an Extra Charge
- Roof materials: tile (concrete or terracotta ) and tin (colourbond) are considered Standard. Any other roof types, including Clip lock are non-Standard.
- Other Considerations for Tin: The number of battens or purlins will affect how many rows of panels can be installed on each section of roof
- Shade: there must be a suitable unshaded location.
- Area, orientation and shape: A Standard Installation excludes splitting of the array. This means all panels must be able to be installed
- on one continuous roof area (excluding a 10% margin on all sides);
- facing in the same orientation;
- on the same pitch angle
- Wind rating: Standard Installations apply to locations within wind region A only.
Falling outside these conditions simply means there may be some Extra Charges that apply to You or that you may require more technologically advanced equipment. See Standard Inclusions and Exclusions for more information and additional requirements that may be relevant to You.
How big are Solar Panels? [TOP]
Solar PV panels come in a variety of sizes depending on the manufacturer and model. Please see the data sheet provided in the Auction for the dimensions of the panels you are buying.
As an example, CETC monocrystalline 190 Watt and 195 Watt PV solar panels are 1580mm X 808mm each, therefore they require a rectangular roof area of the following size. There must be a 20mm space between adjacent panels.
- 5kw system - 27 Panels: 34 m2 (Approx.)
- 4kw system - 21 Panels: 26 m2 (Approx.)
- 3kw system - 16 Panels: 20 m2 (Approx.)
How much money can I save with solar power? [TOP]
It is important to understand that the Systems offered these Auctions cannot store power eg. they are not Off-Grid Systems and they cannot be used during the night or blackouts. Any electricity that you don’t use during daylight hours will flow out to the grid for other users. Depending on which State you live in, You will be offered different rates for the electricity that Your System produces for the grid (called feed-in tariffs). Please contact your electricity provider to find out if a Feed-In Tariff is available to you. You will not necessarily be paid for electricity you provide the grid at the same rate you currently buy it at.
How much money you can save depends on a lot of factors
- What is your average electricity usage?
- What time of day do You use your energy most?
- What size System you install
- What are the energy prices that You pay?
- What are the feed-in tariffs that Your State offers?
You are required to install a meter for your System. The meter is provided by your electricity distributer. The distributer may require you to upgrade existing meters and switches to comply with current rules and regulations. This may include upgrading analogue meters to digital meters, which will change the tariffs (rates) you are charged for electricity that you consume. Please contact your retailer to find out if your electricity prices will change as a result of installing Solar Power.
The output of a solar PV system depends on its size. The table below from CEC shows the average dailyproduction of some common grid-connected systems throughout Australia.
Data Source: PV---GC spread sheet based on the CEC GC Design GuidelinesThe rated output is that achieved in perfect laboratory conditions. The CEC design summary software takes these ratings into account when predicting average for any given system.
http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/resourcecentre/Consumer-Info/solarPV-guide.html
A typical Australian house consumes around 18 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day so a 1-2kW system displaces an average of 25-40% of your average electricity bill. Solar panels produce more energy in summer than they do in winter.
If I purchase a System on GraysOnline what is the total amount I will pay? [TOP]
GraysOnline will render an invoice to You if You are the successful bidder. The total amount You will be required to pay will be:
- The Auction/Bid Price
- The GraysOnline Premium (15% of the Auction/Bid Price)
- The Q2 Solar Costs (This differs by System size and Your postcode. This is not displayed at the Confirm Bid stage; you will need to check this on the Calculator. Occasionally the Calculator may generate a $0 result caused by incompatibility with your web browser. If you generate a $0 result please phone Q2 Solar on 1800 488 122 for confirmation of Q2 Solar Costs before bidding)
- GST (10% of the above).
These amounts apply to all purchases and are referred to as the Grays Amount. Extra Charges may apply if You take up the Bonus Installation Offer and have Non-Standard Requirements.
What are the Q2 Solar Costs? [TOP]
The Q2 Solar Costs for the winning bidder are calculated using the post code of your Registered Address on GraysOnline. The fee may change if you change the delivery or Installation postcode. You can use the Calculator to estimate Your Q2 Solar Costs. Some examples of what the Q2 Solar Costs include:
- Costs associated with arranging and managing the Auction.
- Customer Service for pre and post purchase inquiries.
- Insurance of all System Components during all stages of freight to You.
- Delivery Costs
- Freight Costs associated with sourcing and collecting the various solar products from Australian and international suppliers and vendors and delivering them.
- Handling Costs, including packaging and fulfilment.
- Storage Costs (Note: Storage is available in the event You wish to purchase the System now and delay Delivery or Installation. The first 12 weeks of storage are free of charge for Buyers who take up the Bonus Installation Offer).
Because the Q2 Solar Costs apply to the Auction and delivery related costs not Installation costs they are payable whether or not you accept the Bonus Installation Offer.
Can I pick up the System to save on the Q2 Solar Costs? [TOP]
Pick up is not available as solar products are bulky and fragile and System Components are in many cases supplied by different Australian and international suppliers and vendors.
What is the Bonus Installation Offer? [TOP]
Eligible Buyers can take up the following Bonus Installation Offer, which means that for no additional charge (after paying the Grays Amount) the Buyer will receive:
- Standard Items: These include Professional Design Services: a site assessment and draft design will be prepared by Q2 Solar’s design & engineering team. The design will optimise the layout of Your purchased System on Your roof. The design process includes one round of revisions to address Your feedback; and
- Standard Installation of the System, to be performed by a Licensed Installer who participates in the Q2 Solar National Referral Network Program.
See What is included in the Standard Items and Standard installation? for more information. If You have Non-Standard Requirements (see below) You can still receive the Bonus Installation Offer, and the Standard Items and Standard Installation will be provided at no additional charge, however Extra Charges will apply for Non-Standard Requirements.
See What is included in the Standard Items and Standard installation? for more information.
If You have Non-Standard Requirements (see below) You can still receive the Bonus Installation Offer, and the Standard Items and Standard Installation will be provided at no additional charge, however Extra Charges will apply for Non-Standard Requirements.
How do I know if I am Eligible for the Bonus Installation Offer? [TOP]
You must meet the following important requirements in order to be eligible for the Bonus Installation Offer. You should check whether you meet these requirements before bidding.
- The owner of the Installation Site must be eligible to receive and assign the STCs arising from the System Installation to Q2 Solar. This means that, amongst other things:
- The owner of the Installation Site must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident aged 18 years or over.
- A solar PV system must not have previously been installed on the property.
- Any Non-Standard Requirements (see below) that make the property unsuitable for Installation must be rectified or addressed by You, prior to Installation.
- The System can only be installed as an on-grid System. Standalone/off-grid System Installations are not available.
The Bonus Installation Offer is only available for use with the System purchased in this Auction and for Installation of that System by an Installer who a member of the Q2 Solar National Referral Network of Licensed Installers, as referred to You by Q2 Solar.
Why do I assign the STCs to Q2 Solar? [TOP]
At no additional charge (no charge above the Grays Amount) You can receive the Standard Items including the the Professional Design Service and other Q2 Solar Services as described in these FAQs and the Terms. At no additional charge, Q2 Solar will also pay for a Standard Installation to be performed by the Licensed Installer. These benefits are provided to You at no additional charge in exchange for assignment of the relevant STCs that arising from System Installation to Q2 Solar. You receive an upfront discount on these Services equal to the STC Value in return for committing to assign the STCs to Q2 Solar. At the time of purchase the STC Value covers the costs of these item and services.
What are STCs? [TOP]
STCs are government issued solar credits known as Small-scale Technology Certificates (defined in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000). The government offers STCs as a financial incentive for purchasing and installing an eligible solar panel system. STCs were previously called renewable energy certificates (RECs) and can be assigned to a registered agent for an upfront discount or rebate; in this case STCs are to be assigned to Q2 Solar in exchange for the Bonus Installation Offer. You may be entitled to receive STCs as a result of the Installation of the System however no warranties or guarantees are made by Q2 Solar or anyone else that You will receive STCs or as to the value of the STCs.
What do I pay if I want to keep the STCs or am not eligible for STCs? [TOP]
If you don’t assign the STCs to Q2 Solar, or are not eligible to receive STCs but take up any part of the Bonus Installation Offer (the Standard Items or the Standard Installation by the Licensed Installer) You will be required to pay for the relevant items and services.
The total amount payable for these items and services is called the STC Value and is the value of the STCs that Your System would be eligible for if You met the Eligibility requirements. This amount is calculated at the date of Completion as it may vary depending on the market price of the STCs and the federal government multiplier that applies to the STCs.
If you don’t take the Bonus Installation Offer and don’t assign Your STCs to Q2 Solar, the System will be delivered to You for the Grays Amount. See “Can I take delivery of the System without accepting the Bonus Installation Offer?” for more information about what you will and won’t be entitled to receive.
What if the STC Value changes? [TOP]
If the market rate at which Q2 Solar trades STCs drops between the date of purchase and the date You provide the executed Assignment Form to the Licensed Installer, You will still receive the Standard Items and Standard Installation at no additional charge provided that the drop does not exceed 10%.
If the drop is more than 10% (between the date of purchase and the date You provide the executed Assignment Form to the Licensed Installer) Q2 Solar reserves the right to charge You an Extra Charge in respect of the variance.
If the Federal government determined multiplier that applies to the STCs at the time of assignment is less than 2x, You will still receive a discount equal to the STC Value at the date of assignment, based on the applicable multiplier, however an Extra Charge will apply to reflect the reduced value of the STC assignment to Q2 Solar.
Can I take delivery of the System without accepting the Bonus Installation Offer? [TOP]
Yes, you can have the System delivered to You without accepting the Bonus Installation Offer but You will only receive the System you have purchased (such as PV panels and the Inverter) as specified in the Auction. These are not a complete System. You will also not receive the Professional Design Service or other design assistance and will need to pay for and organise your own installation, lodge the relevant applications for grid connection, etc. yourself and You will need to purchase any additional items you require (such as mounting kits) to complete your Installation.
What do I pay the Licensed Installer? [TOP]
If you take up the Bonus Installation Offer, Q2 Solar will handle invoicing and payments processing on behalf of the nominated Licensed Installer. If You require a Standard Installation You will not need to pay any amounts to the Licensed Installer and Your Standard Installation will be at no additional charge.
If you have Non-Standard Requirements, or for example if You require items that are not included in the Standard Installation, depending on whether the item can be identified during the Professional Design Services and sourced by Q2 Solar or provided by the Installer, Q2 Solar will invoice you for any Extra Charges for these items prior to Installation.
If Non-Standard Requirements are identified during the Installation by the Licensed Installer, the Installer will discuss with you any Extra Charges and may invoice and accept payment from you directly. Q2 Solar will not invoice you for any Non-Standard Requirements that are discovered once the Installation has begun.
What is included in the Standard Items and Standard Installation? [TOP]
The Standard Items that are available at no additional charge where You take up the Bonus Installation Offer areas follows:
Q2 Solar will provide:
- The Professional Design Service which includes:
- A site assessment based on photographic information You provide or that is publicly available relating to Your Installation Site to confirm suitability for the System Installation and assist in identifying Non-Standard requirements
- A draft design of the System including the proposed placement of the solar panels on the roof of the Installation Site (the design will optimize the placement of the purchased panels on your roof and include one revision to incorporate your feedback)
- Supply of mounting kit
- Referral to a nominated Licensed Installer and booking assistance
- Assistance in applying for network connection with your electricity distributor
- Invoicing and Payment processing for any Extra Charges identified through the Professional Design Services and associated payments to the Licensed Installer, and Third Party vendors, or potentially Third Party licensed contractors
- Assistance with Your local electricity network distributor and retailer approval prior to Installation
The Licensed Installer will enter into an Installation Contract with You as required to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, and perform or provide:
- Installation Site Inspection (post-preliminary design work)
- Final System Design
- Supply and Installation of Standard Solar Kit items other than the mounting kit
- Installation of suitable mounting system
- Installation of the system according to Clean Energy Council guidelines and Australian Standards AS 4777, AS 5033 and AS 3000 Installation of System
- Testing and commissioning of the System
- Provision of certificate of electrical safety (or equivalent)
- Customer instruction on System operation
- Installation Services Warranty 6 years Structural Defects/2 Years other Defects
- Note: The Standard Installation scope includes the above installer services and applies to Installation
- Able to be completed on 1 day (ie 1 site visit only)
- On a single story building
- On standard roof materials of tile, tin, concrete or terracotta in a suitable unshaded location
- Without any splitting of the array (chimneys, whirlybirds or other roof structures may result in splitting of the array); and
- With all panels facing in the same orientation, same pitch angle, and on the same roof area
- At a location in wind region A.
System User Manual (Clean Energy Council Installation Documents)
- A short description of the function and operation of installed equipment
- A list of PV panels and Inverter supplied with serial numbers
- Solar Module Array Design (specifications and site plan)
- Electrical System Connection Diagram
- An Inverter System performance [energy output] estimate
- A copy of the shutdown procedure and any electrical safety warnings
- Maintenance procedures and timetable with safety warnings
- Manufacturers warranties and Licensed Installer’s workmanship warranties
When would Extra Charges apply and what are Non-Standard Requirements? [TOP]
Installations can also require items or approvals, that are not included in the Standard Items and Standard Installation scope and result in additional costs to You. These vary depending on the Installation Site. The Professional Design Service will assist in identifying any Non-Standard Requirements and the Extra Charges that will apply to these, however the accuracy of these will depend on the accuracy of information you provide.
Occasionally Non-Standard Requirements will only be identified upon Site Inspection by the Licensed Installer, in which case You will be informed of any Extra Charges that will apply as soon as they can be ascertained.
Examples of items that are not included in the Standard Installation Items and Standard Installation scope and may result in Extra Charges include:
- More than one revision to your design #
- Installations that require multiple site visits*
- Supply and installation of tilt frames (required where roof pitch is less than 10 degrees)*
- Supply of more than 20 metres of electrical cable*
- Any metering or connection to the electricity grid and lodgement of application for grid connection of the System with Your network provider*.
- Rectification of inadequate electrical supply or any other work that is required to bring the Installation Site up to the electrical standards required by law
- Supply installation or upgrade to switchboards, meter boards supply or installation of bi directional meters to record electricity output
- Installation on multi storey buildings (generally able to be performed on double story buildings except where there is a drop greater than 6m or where Installation is required close to the edge)*
- Installation on step roofs (pitch greater than 30 degrees)*
- Installation on Klip-Lok style roofs (Klip-lok is a Brand of corrugated steel roofing) #
- Rectifying any damage to Your roof that may occur in the normal course of installation except that the Licensed Installer will replace any tiles damaged in the normal course of installation with Your replacement tiles if You can provide replacement tiles on the Installation Date.
- Rewiring for dedicated controlled loads
- Any trenching or excavation work or equipment or special access equipment (if required) such as boom lifts, cherry pickers, cranes or scaffolding
- Installation at remote sites (such as islands detached from the mainland) or areas where a Licensed Installer is not available at Q2 Solar standard rates.
- Systems with panels that are shaded or in two or more different orientations will require upgrade to a more technically advanced inverter than the inverter included in the Auction or an additional inverter. #
- Installation in wind regions B, C, and D will require additional mounting components to comply with wind loading rules. # Examples of Cities in various wind regions include:
A: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth
B: Brisbane, Kununurra, Burketown, Collinsville
C: Broome, Darwin, Bundaberg
D: Croydon, Port Headland, Carnarvon
Please contact Q2 Solar at 1800 488 122 for more wind region information about other locations not listed above (this information can also be found in Australian Standards’ Windload Map (AS-1170)).
* These items may be able to be provided or performed by the Licensed Installer but at additional cost
# These items may be able to be sourced and arranged for You by Q2 Solar, but at additional cost.
Examples of Non-Standard Requirements that You would need to address or arrange, at Your own expense include the following.
- Ground Mount systems
- Stand-alone Systems: These Auctions include grid connected inverters and do not have the design capacity/capability required for off grid (aka stand-alone) systems.
- Installation on slate roofs, roofs containing asbestos or roofs that are structurally unsound or not large enough to accommodate the size and weight of the System and mounting frames. It is Your responsibility to ensure that the roof is safe and suitable for Installation.
- Work required to remove or address any safety or access issue at the Installation Site including investigating for suspected asbestos or asbestos removal
- Obtaining any approvals, consents or permits as may be required by local councils, planning authorities, body corporate (for strata buildings), property owner or other third party.
- Installation on heritage buildings
It is Your responsibility to determine whether any of the above apply to You and to address them. An installation will be unable to proceed if these requirements are not addressed in advance, also resulting in Extra Charges.
How much can I expect the Extra Charges to be? [TOP]
Examples of additional items that may be required and indicative costs that may apply are below. These cover some of the more common additional items required however the actual cost to You will be dependent on Your Installation Site and System.
What are Grid Connection Costs? [TOP]
You will need to pay for the Installed System to be connected to the grid (if applicable) and any work required to Your switchboard in order for the System to be connected to the grid.
This work might include electricity meter up-grading or the addition of extra electricity meters to Your switchboard to enable metering for gross or net feed-in tariffs as supplied by Your network provider.
These items are not included in the Standard Items and Standard Installation scope as they differ by property. They may be able to be performed by Your Licensed Installer or may require the services of a licensed third party, depending on Your State. If the Licensed Installer is unable to perform this work You will need to arrange a qualified person to complete this on your behalf.
Meter connection in all states (excluding NSW) is implemented by the respective energy providers. In NSW this must be done privately and at additional cost. If Your property is located in NSW Q2 Solar can refer you to a licensed contractor to complete the meter connection.
