Alt-tech in Welshpool | Solar energy services

Alt-tech

Locality: Welshpool

Phone: +61 8 6186 4420

Address: 234 Planet Street 6106 Welshpool, WA, Australia

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• Home improvement
• Electronics shop
• Website
• Solar energy services

25.01.2022 Due to WA entering lock down until Tuesday 27/4/21, we will be closed over the weekend. We are aware our customers live off grid and can have emergency situations, if you find yourself without power and needing parts, you can contact Donald on 0401 128 005 and he will magic fairy a solution for you. As of the time of writing, we will be re-opening on Tuesday the 27th of April from 8.30am. Be Safe!

24.01.2022 *language warning* - just in case some of you are "sensitive" - this is polarising but if fits with who we are as a business...

23.01.2022 Thanks all for doing your part through the lock-down and your patience as we scale back up and get back to everyone (emergency situations take precedence) ..... The first time this happened we went to a skeleton crew and kept the doors open - (as to our customers who are truly off grid, we are just as essential as a Western Power Linesman) until about halfway through the week when the police were knocking on doors and demanding that people close their business, at which poin...t we closed and went to the recent model of posting a mobile number and having a staff member on call who drove into the store to sort out customers in emergency situations. This last weekend we did the same, and to be honest the amount of time driving back and forward, we are much better off running a skeleton staff. Either way, we have to keep our lights on, so you can keep yours on!! (and your fridge cold) So.. next time this happens (and you know it will - they have a taste of power!! pun intended)... we are going to move back to a skeleton staff model and I will argue my case, for your case. Cheers all - and a big thanks to the crew who answered the multiple situations that arose and kept everyone's lights on. You (our customers) rock and we appreciate you all! The Alt-Tech Crew

22.01.2022 Small businesses have been an essential part of every growing community globally, help to keep the local economy healthy and really listen to their customers firsthand to give exceptional and customised customer service. A HUGE shout out to all other local businesses, especially here in W.A. for this celebration. We support local and operate local! Here at Alt-Tech, as a small family style business, these are the things we strive for. To grow within our community and help ea...ch person with the best we can. With our knowledge in off-grid, we can help you to realise your next big project or desire to live a more sustainable lifestyle. From backyard enthusiast to local farmer, there is no project too BIG or small. Come up the hill and have a chat with the friendly team at Alt-Tech this Saturday, the view is just as amazing as our service. 8:30AM to 5:30PM at 104B Gavour Rd,Wattle Grove (off Crystal Brook road).

18.01.2022 FB is screwing around with our business hours settings.. First we were stuck on Perm Closed - After an hours of messing around we have finally got it to at least say Perm open - we are open 830-5pm Monday to Friday and 8-4pm on Saturdays *** Drop in and say hi (we have a real coffee machine)** 234 Planet St Welshpool

15.01.2022 As per our previous promise, we are still available for your emergency off grid power needs. The store is still open, just running on a skeleton crew. Please give them a little breathing room, if they don't answer the phone immediately, try them again, we are here to help.

14.01.2022 A big thankyou to the customer who nominated us for the best in business awards today. We are short staffed and will not have the time to follow this through with an application but we love that you think we should be there. Our customers are amazing and the team loves these little gestures of appreciation.

13.01.2022 This may seem common knowledge for some, but for others this is an excellent breakdown of Volts, Amps & Watts :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvuHsu8S6v8&t=17s

07.01.2022 For those who have questions and seek answers... This link is direct to the wa.gov page which explores what benefits are available to those who seek to offset their usage with an on-grid (grid tied) system. One issue facing the rebate at the moment is the rates for the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS). With the issue being the peak times (3pm and 9pm) which is the higher rates. This forces the consumer to look into larger more efficient arrays that are capable of pro...ducing large amounts for more duration of the day, and also battery systems that allow stored energy to flow out during the evening. This system narrows the benefits of solar on-grid systems to those that use the bulk of their appliances during the morning until 3pm. For most though, this system may not benefit the user. What can be done? Why even bother with solar? A few helpful hints to on-grid owners and those looking to take on this type of system: - Set timers for devices where possible to be used or complete their cycles before 3pm, taking advantage of the power your house is making to offset the costs. - Talk with your local approved solar professional about battery solutions that can feed the grid during the peak times of 3pm and 9pm, maximizing your gain. - Heavily weigh your installation to west facing solar arrays. This will give you the best chance to collect solar later in the day, and hopefully make a better impact to the peak time buy back. What can Alt-Tech do to help? We focus heavily on used solar panels and batteries, with new stock of batteries, inverters, charge controllers and inter-connects. We can quote on: - Setups to run pool setups to be completely off-grid. - Off-grid outdoor entertainment area systems - Powering the shed or workshop completely off-grid - Run your split system air-con during the day off-grid - Complete house off-grid setups. Used solar panels and batteries don't benefit from government rebates, however the rebate only applies to new and approved solar panels per watt in approved installations. If grid tied systems are your aim, seek new. Used solar panels and batteries are more relevant to those who are seeking to offset individual carbon footprint, own temporary accommodation (holiday homes and air B&B etc), are unable to connect to the grid, or want to reduce their bills by taking larger appliances off-grid. If you want to know more about this or how Alt-Tech can help you, send through a message, call or email. I'll get back to you as soon as i can. Keep an eye out on this page for more informative articles and information. Just as a teaser, there are some exciting new things coming soon. https://www.wa.gov.au//energy-policy-wa/household-renewabl

07.01.2022 Another awesome set up heading out to a very happy customer Thinking of what your off grid solutions might be? Shoot us a message, we're here to help

07.01.2022 We were all very excited to see a video from a very satisfied customer emerge on YouTube. For Rockpile Homestead, the vision of going off-grid is becoming a reality with part 1 of their solar power video linked below. This video contains some good info if you're stuck for ideas on your next off-grid install. Like and subscribe to their channel to show your support for them and to get notified when part 2 comes around. There are a few other very helpful videos there and will... definitely be more to come. I hope you're all as anxious as we are for the next installment of the series. Here's a link: https://www.facebook.com/rockpilehomestead/ This is the first time we all have the chance to see our sales manager Donald in a video before! If you have a build that needs something similar to the Rockpile Homestead, give Donald a call on 0401 128 005 or email [email protected] and he can assist you turn dreams to reality.

04.01.2022 Over the last few months we have welcomed Jamie Terrell and Luke Brandon to the team, we will post a little more about them soon.. In the mean time we are STILL growing and are looking for the next superstar (Full time position - Welshpool store). If you would love to join the Alt-Tech crew (or know the right person) email through a resume and covering letter about why this would be your dream job.... Hr @ Alt-tech. .com.au Keeping Off-Grid Australia charged Donald (sales Manager)

03.01.2022 A bit about our grading system: As you may be aware, we sell used solar panels and batteries. Why's that you may ask? Because every year the amount of discarded panels and batteries grow as more people install newer systems. For most uses, these used items are still in great condition with a good performance life ahead. Here is a brief description of how our grading system works. This is our way of allowing customers to choose our products based on condition, use cases and b...udget. Although we do endeavour to see everything get a second life, sadly some things don't make the grade and get recycled. All Used panels and batteries are vigorously tested and are then separated into 4 categories, Yellow, Green, Blue and Red. These categories depict the health of the item and so changes the cost. Yellow - (A Grade) Testing to the highest tolerances and giving output close to that of the product specifications. These items will give you a long life ahead and represent the best of our used inventory. Green - (B Grade) These items show either minor cosmetic signs, or test less than desired during the various tests. These items give you outstanding value for money. Blue - (C Grade) Testing as working however with diminished capacity, higher age, or more severe cosmetic issues. You save the most money here depending on your use, while not ready to be discarded these items are fantastic for cheap LED lighting, camera systems or budget conscious projects. Red - (F Grade) Sadly some things are beyond repair. These items will not be sold to customers unless specifically asked for. These items are stored until recycled.

02.01.2022 With summer fast approaching, the heat is on to get the solar setups ready for the holiday season. We have been busy getting back to everyone as fast as possible, so busy in fact that we have decided to hire additional staff to assure we give the best possible service, allowing the time needed to properly spec your next project. Keep an eye on this page to see the new faces that will be working hard to bring your next solar project to the light.

02.01.2022 Know your battery - Flooded Batteries: The most common type of battery, found in cars most regularly. These are great for rapid discharge but don't like being discharged too much. They need maintaining with regular charging and often distilled water to top up each cell. If your battery is bulging at the ends or sides, replace immediately as the housing can crack and damage engine bays. Worst case scenario is a more violent eruption typically when charging a bulging cell at hi...gh current. If your car battery is not performing as well as it used to, there are some methods of getting them back to life for instance using INOX battery conditioner. SLA (Sealed Lead Acid): Often found in 4x4's and boats, these operate in much the same way as a standard flooded battery, with the manufacturer making sure the battery wet compartments are sealed. Making for a maintenance free battery that often serves well for engine starting and light deep cycle uses. AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat): Used in the greatest variety of devices such as high performance vehicles, boats, solar installations, UPS backup batteries, phone towers and telephone exchanges etc.. These have a good efficiency at discharge and recharge cycles. Note, there are a few different build styles for these batteries and each style has different characteristics making them more purpose build for the purpose. For instance "standby" batteries are used more in UPS solutions, due to their thin plate design they do well at short bursts of output but not constant charge and discharge cycles. GEL (Gel Cell): Similar to AGM batteries in build however replaces the liquid near the cells with a more gel like electrolytic. The main advantage to this is a longer service life and the ability to run optimally while in hotter environments. These are exceptional at maintaining charge and discharge cycles and can be discharged lower than AGM or wet cell batteries. LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate): These have rapidly become the battery of choice for camping and off-grid enthusiasts as their now larger build size has allowed for larger applications. This is not a new battery tech however, but the introduction of larger single cells has meant that 200AH + batteries are becoming available in a single and familiar package size. While this tech is getting better, these batteries can be temperamental when it comes to hotter environments but their shortcoming list is very small. Most decent manufacturers build in a very capable BMS (battery management system) that allows not just for exceptional balancing of the individual cells but also features like over volt/under volt protection and thermal cut-off. Here's just a brief rundown of the tech used in large scale batteries.