What were the key reasons Greg decided to install solar power on his new home?

The installation of an 18-kilowatt solar system was a wise decision for the homeowners. They had a vision for the future and planned the system accordingly. The system was installed with a battery backup for emergency and evening use, and to prepare for the possibility of owning an electric vehicle in the future. The payback period is estimated at five to six years, after which they will have a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of energy.

The solar investment helps reduce monthly and quarterly electricity bills while reducing carbon emissions and improving the carbon footprint. The homeowners have a high energy usage due to water features and swimming pools, thus the solar installation was a great way to become more energy-efficient. The system specifications were tailored to cover all their energy needs, provide an overhead for exporting power back to the grid, and contribute to the environment. The homeowners are passionate about fighting climate change and believe that solar and alternative energy sources are the way of the future.

We've got an 18 kilowatt system. We planned the system not only of course for our own internal usage, but also with an eye to the future. We've recently installed a battery backup system, which is both for use during the evenings but also for emergency purposes. We also planned the system, such that in the future if we get in an electric vehicle, we're able to use it to charge the vehicle. We made the choice pretty much after we purchased the house. So we installed solar within six months of moving into this house. My calculation on the payback is probably around about five to six years, thereabouts. So we're very comfortable that this is a six year investment, we'll have our payback within that period of time. And then, out into the future we'll be able to continue to enjoy the benefits, whilst also helping the environment.

I think that solar is an investment. You have to take a five, six, seven year outlook, but for people that are planning to continue to live in their house for the next five to six years, it seems like a great investment to me. Helps the environment, reduces your monthly or your quarterly electricity bills. It gives you the peace of mind that you're helping contribute to the environment, and after your payback period then of course, it's just win-win. We have a house that has a fairly high energy usage swimming pools, and water features. So those run a lot during the day, they consume a lot of power. So we wanted to become more energy efficient to improve our carbon footprint. We're at a point now where we consume quite a lot of our own energy, and we export some back into the grid. So we're helping to reduce carbon emissions.