Renewable energy products we supply
Component Selection Criteria for high long-term value :
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Rugged design built to last
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User-friendly
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Manufacturer after-sales support
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Locally made if available
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Long warranties
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Reputation
Battery Storage
Batteries are the most expensive component in a renewable energy system. To get the most value, batteries need to last as long as possible. Build quality, guaranteed cycle life, and price are the main qualities we look for to achieve long-term value.
We pick through much of the hype around new battery technologies and selcted the following options:
Lithium Ferro Phosphate
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Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LiFePo4) is safe in high temperatures, long lasting, and capable of deep discharges.
Saltwater Solar prefers to supply:
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Power Plus Energy for all off grid projects
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Sigenergy or Fronius and BYD for grid connected energy storage projects.
They also have the advantage of being compact, which makes for much cheaper transport and can be installed in cabinets and battery racks in places lead acid cannot fit.​
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Lead Acid
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Traditional lead acid - at least in the case of high-end cells, such as Sonnenschein's Premium Gel A600 series - remain good and robust choices for some sites. Particularly smaller systems in particularly harsh environments.
These 2 volt cells are rated to 4,700 cycles at 30 per cent depth of discharge (DOD). That is almost 13 years of daily discharges! More if they are not cycled daily, or not discharged as deeply. This has been proven in the field in the Territory, with Sonnenschein Gel battery banks lasting up to 15 years.​
Solar Modules
The solar panels are no longer the most expensive part of the system. It makes sense to install a larger capacity solar arrays than we did in the past.
Production quality has also improved a great deal. Many solar panels made today have warranties over 20 years. Time has shown that poor quality panels don't last any longer than we expected them to. Many of the cheap panels that went in over the last 10 years have already been replaced.
Quality is the main criteria to achieve long-term value.
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Made in Singapore to a very high quality and ethical standard
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No slave labour throughout the supply chain.
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Long product warranty up to 30 years
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Leading power performance
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Battery Inverters
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An Australian company that has been making electronic components in Melbourne since 1964.
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Their SP Pro series 2i is still manufactured in Melbourne
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Leads the world in battery interactive inverters, exporting to Germany and Asia
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Most reliable inverter, with a 10 year guarantee when installed with remote monitoring
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Dedicated, local service support. Any problems will be identified and fixed under warranty, which includes service costs.
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The extra cost, compared to other battery inverters, is well worth it. IE: much cheaper in the long run
AC-couped PV inverters
Used on all grid connected projects as well as off-grid
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Synchronise and feed directly into the main switchboard to run all loads
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On battery systems, can charge batteries via the battery inverter
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Highly efficient and rugged
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Made to a high standard in Austria
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10 year warranties
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available from 5 to 50 kW
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single phase and 3 phase