Over the last 20 years I have become increasingly concerned about the impact of fossil fuels on climate change. Initially our family took small steps in reducing our use of fossil fuels but this was accelerated in 2017 when we moved from a very inefficient 1920s property to a smaller and much newer property with features such as double glazing, solar hot water, insulation and other positive environmental features. This resulted in us consuming less gas and electricity plus getting the associated financial benefits.

Due to our new property having a very small footprint, being on a sloping site facing south, and a tiled roof with complex ridge lines, I felt it would not be suitable for solar panels. Also, the most suitable roof space was occupied by panels for the gas boosted solar hot water system.  However, in 2024 the panels for our solar hot water system developed problems and had to be disconnected, essentially leaving us with a gas-only hot water system.

This was the catalyst for exploring other hot water options and we decided to install an electric heat pump, rather than install a replacement gas hot water system, so we could reduce our gas consumption and environmental impact. The anticipated cost savings were also appealing. Given this decision would result in the hot water panels being removed from the roof and free up space for solar panels we decided to investigate the feasibility of installing a solar system. I was aware of Solar Savers, [a Council-supported program which helps Whitehorse residents and businesses to install solar, batteries and other energy efficient appliances] and sought their advice.

Our interaction with Solar Savers commenced with a review of all the information on its website. It was good to see that they had set of approved appliances (panels, inverters, heat pumps, etc) to be installed by pre-vetted installers. This was very helpful for gathering enough information to comfortably take the next step. My interaction with Solar Savers was very positive and I would encourage others to make use of this service.    

Solar Savers referred me on to an approved installer. As a result of a preliminary discussion with the installer we learnt that we didn’t need to be limited by the roof-space on our house, instead it would be possible to also install solar panels on our flat garage roof. So we sought a quote for the installation of a heat pump and solar system that would generate sufficient hot water and daytime power, not just based on the size of our current 2-person household, but the average needs of a three bedroom home, so that future residents of the property can benefit from what we installed. The system we installed can also be linked up to a battery if we, or future owners, wish to do so in the future.

Once we decided to proceed with the installation the rest of the process was straightforward and mostly completed by the installer. Our applications for state government rebates were very straightforward and we received approval from Solar Victoria very quickly. The various steps in the installation and commissioning process occurred within the timelines previously advised by the installer.

Our system was installed in late November 2024. Over summer we found that the daytime use of air conditioning (the major source of electricity consumption in summer) was nearly always powered by free solar electricity. As a result, our consumption of electricity from the grid has been reduced dramatically.

1) Do plenty of research first so you understand how solar systems and heat pumps work. Information from government websites such as Solar Victoria and SEC Victoria were also helpful in gaining the knowledge to comfortably decide what sort of system we would install.

2) Discuss the pros and cons of the available panels, inverters, heat pumps, batteries, etc with suppliers/installers to help decide the type of system that will best suit your needs. Installers generally offer a limited range of solar panels, inverters, batteries, heat pumps so your selection of installer will be influenced by the products you prefer. The Solar Savers website lists the products it has approved, and we were happy to select from this list.

3) Think about the practices your household can adopt to maximise the use of the electricity generated by your solar system, so you maximise the benefits to your household. For example, use the delayed start function on your washing machine or dishwasher to make use of free solar energy generated in the middle of the day.  Having solar power also allows you to turn on the air conditioning earlier on hot days without incurring any additional cost.