A Case Study: 30kW Solar System On Stucco Housing Co-op
1KOMMA5° had the privilege of installing a world-renowned 30kW solar system for Stucco Housing Co-op in Newtown, Sydney. This system was specifically designed to meet their energy needs by maximising solar energy production during the day and incorporating battery backup to store excess power for nighttime use.
Let's discuss the details of the Stucco Housing Co-op’s 30kW solar installation. We’ll explore the significant cost savings achieved, the investment required, and the key features that helped optimise the system’s performance. This case study provides valuable insights into the benefits of investing in a 30kW system for your business.
Key Takeaways:
Significant Cost Savings
A 30kW solar system can save you up to $12,000 per year depending on energy usage and rates. Businesses that consume most of their power during the day can maximise these savings.
Investment and Pricing
A high-quality 30kW solar system starts from $36,000. Premium options with better efficiency and longevity typically costs more.
Optimising Roof Space
Using high-efficiency panels allows businesses to install fewer panels while maintaining the same energy output. Instead of 75 lower-wattage panels, only 67 high-efficiency panels are needed. Efficient panels like 1KOMMA5° make it easier to fit the system in limited roof space.
Smart Panel Placement
Strategic panel placement helps optimise solar generation throughout the day. This setup ensures businesses can use more of their solar power when they need it most, especially during expensive peak-hour periods.
30kW Solar System Price
A good quality 30kW solar power system starts from $30,000 and goes up to around $60,000 for a top-of-the-range system with high-efficiency panels. The 30kW 1KOMMA5° System at Stucco features Enphase Microinverters featuring panel-level output (see below), and premium Trina Honey modules.
It is important to note that with solar panels, you generally get what you pay for, and most of our customers choose high-efficiency panels from manufacturers such as Trina Solar or 1KOMMA5°.
It is possible to find cheaper 30kW solar systems for under $30,000. However, this will typically require buying low to mid-range panels manufactured in China, often without any after-sales support.
For a 30kW solar system it is important to maximise reliability, output and of course longevity, and so spending a little more upfront can save you a lot of money over the life of the system. 1KOMMA5° service full-replacement warranties and our systems include full technical support. This gives our customers the peace of mind that if something goes wrong they will be looked after.
As a rough guide, a 30kW system can save you up to around $12,000 a year on your power bills depending on your price of electricity. For commercial systems, the power bill can be a little more complex than a residential bill, so we recommend talking with our commercial solar team for more detailed information about the potential benefit of a solar system. A number of charges on the bill are still calculated by kWh, despite not being included in your total usage, and so we can help reduce these fees as well as your reliance on the grid.
Of course, to save $3,000 on a quarterly bill you are going to need to use a lot of power during the daytime – as much as 150 kWh during the daytime over summer. If you are able to get the most out of your 30kW system, you could get a return on your investment in less than 5 years, depending on how much you pay for power.
The Output of a 30kW Solar System
According to the Clean Energy Council guidelines, a 30kW solar system in Sydney facing north will produce an average of 120 kWh a day, outputting more power in summer and less in winter.
We have found that this guideline is a conservative estimate and that by using the top brands you can get more out of our system, for example, our Enphase systems give our customers on average 110% of expected output. On an average in summer, a 30kW system will give our customers around 150 kWh of power, and on a sunny day it can even get up over 200 kWh as shown in the image below. Because this can be too much power for many households, we often recommend considering battery storage so that any excess solar power can then be used during the evening.
A 30kW Solar System – The Key Numbers
| 30kW Solar System | |
|---|---|
| Number of Panels | From 67 x 450W panels to 75 x 400W panels |
| Output | 120kWh a day average (see below) |
| Potential Savings | $2500 - $3000 a bill depending on your cost of power |
| Average Payback Period | 4 to 7 years |
| Cost | Starts from $36,000 |
| Suited to | Medium-sized businesses using on average around 120kWh a day during the daytime (or over 24 hours with battery storage) |
How Much Can a 30kW System Save Me?
The potential savings of a 30kW solar system depend on how much solar power you are able to use at the time of generation. You will typically save around 20 to 30 cents a kWh (depending on how much you pay for your power), and depending on your retailer, you will be paid around 5-12 cents a kWh for the power you send back to the grid. A 30kW solar system can save you up to around $2,500 to $3,000 per quarterly bill, and we recommend you contact the 1KOMMA5° Commercial Solar Team for more information, as commercial power bills can be a little more complex than a simple price per kWh.
More information on how solar power reduces your power bill is available here: How Solar Power Reduces Your Power Bill
How Many Solar Panels in a 30kW Solar System?
The larger the system, the more important it is to buy quality panels, ensuring maximise reliability, increased output in all weather conditions, and the longevity of your system.
The other consideration is roof space. By installing high-efficiency panels, we can use 67 x 450W panels instead of the standard 75 x 400W panels, which can significantly increase output if you are limited by roof space.
30kW Solar System with a Split Array
1KOMMA5° is the largest and most experienced installer of systems featuring panel-level output in NSW, and our system design team are experts at putting together a professional solar array that will maximise solar output in all conditions.
The solar system at Stucco Housing Coop was designed & installed across 2 different orientations which helps to spread the output of solar power across the day. A common panel layout is to have some panels facing north, and the others west to spread the output into the afternoon, making it easier to use more of the solar power as it is generated.
Having panels west is also advantageous if you are on time of use billing, where businesses typically pay up to around 50c per kWh between 2 pm and 8 pm on weekdays for power.
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