The SunStak Solar Design Ethos
Overview
SunStak utilises proven hardware to deliver exceptional performance, safety, and longevity. Our systems are tailored to both specific regions and individual circumstances to ensure they meet your energy demands now and into the future.
Having a combination of orientations allows you to spread out your solar generation across different parts of the day.
The ideal layout will often include multiple panel orientations to provide power when you need it. However, it will depend on your available roof space, shading and system size.
Energy when you need it
The rate you pay your electricity retailer is often 3-4 times more than the value of any exported power from excess solar production. It is therefore crucial to self-consume the power you generate through smart system design, behavioural changes, and battery storage. Ideally, we want to maximise system generation and self-consumption.
You can see in the below graphs the impact that orientation has on when your system generates power.
Flexibility
Our hardware selection enables us to install panels in any combination of directions to make the most of your available roof space and provide power to your home when you need it.
This greatly increases the potential system size and your ability to maximise self-consumption and therefore total savings.
A standard string inverter is generally limited to only two orientations, reducing the flexibility, potential system size and the ability to match orientation with consumption.
Optimisers
All SunStak systems are installed with optimisers underneath every panel which manage the voltage at the panel level and allow the inverter to operate at its peak efficiency conditions.
Optimisers allow each panel to operate at it’s highest level of efficiency regardless of shading, soiling, cloud cover, panel failure, orientation or pitch. That means more power from your system.
Managing voltage is an intense process for inverters and is the main reason they fail. Delegating that function to the optimisers results in much lower wear and tear for both the inverter and the optimisers, allowing the whole system to last far longer.
Monitoring
All SunStak systems come with the ability to monitor the system performance at the panel level, not just the total output of the system.
This means we can ensure your system is performing as expected.
If a fault or performance issue is identified SunStak will be automatically notified, allowing us to rectify the issue promptly and reduce system downtime.
Tilts
The tilt of your solar panels will impact both their overall performance, relative performance across the year, ongoing maintenance, system size and cost.
A steeper tilt angle will increase winter production and reduce summer production, due to the low sun angle in winter.
Adding about 13-15 degrees inclination to the panel normalises the summer and winter production. If you have relatively higher consumption in winter, which is often the case in colder climates, you may benefit from tilt frames. Panels will perform optimally when the sun hits them at a 90-degree angle (perpendicular).
Optimal tilt angle
The Optimal tilt angle for maximum production is the value of the latitude. It is generally between 20-35 degrees. This tilt angle will optimise total production, but not necessarily self-consumption since the goal is to consume as much of the power we generate as possible.
Maintenance
For a panel to be classified as self-cleaning, a solar panel should be tilted to at least 10 degrees. This means you are less likely to see a build-up of dust and dirt over time and therefore less maintenance.
Tilt frames are most commonly used on completely flat or south-sloping rooftops where you will achieve the biggest relative improvement in performance, or where limiting ongoing maintenance is a priority.
Since you will need to leave adequate space between tilted rows, to avoid panels shading each other, you may be required to reduce the total system size when using tilt frames. In some cases, you will be better off increasing the total system size instead of opting for tilt frames.
Battery Storage
Battery storage captures excess solar generation throughout the day to supply overnight and during times of high energy demand.
Your solar system should be designed to produce in excess of your 24-hour usage to achieve 100% offset of electricity consumption.
The total size and orientation of your solar system will impact both the capacity of storage you may need, and the utilisation of that storage capacity.
For example, a West facing array will produce later into the afternoon, delaying the discharge of your battery until the evening, potentially reducing the size of the battery required.
Even if you are not installing battery storage right now, you should consider the impact of your system size and layout.