Introduction:
The most common question we get when consulting customers on solar systems is:
“How can I tell if my house is Single Phase or Three phase?”
There are quite a number of factors that go into your solar installation and depending on how many phases you have, it will dictate how large of a solar system you are allowed to install. Luckily, it’s easy to tell by reading below!
Table of contents:
- Introduction
- Step 1: Meter type
- Step 2
- Digital meter
- Analogue meter
- Maximum solar sizes per phase
- Conclusion
Step 1: Meter type
Digital or Anlogue?
Step 2:
Okay so now you know what type of meter you have, we still need todo a little more digging to see if it’s single or three phase. Follow below with your meter type
If meter is Digital:
If your meter is digital, meaning that it has digital screen and not a spinning dial, you can use our image and methods below to find how many phases you have.
Method 1:
You may see an indication of writing on your meter that says ‘1P’ or ‘3P’
Method 2:
You can check the maximum volts written on your meter. If the highest number of volts on your meter is 230v-240v then you are Single Phase. If the highest volts is 400v-415v then you are Three Phase.
Method 3:
How many fuses are attached to your meter box? 1 fuse = Single Phase. 3 fuses = Three Phase.
If meter is Analogue:
It’s a lot easier to tell with an analogue meter because it’s physical, you can literally count how many phases, see below.
Method 1:
How many spinning meters do you have? 1 spinning dial = Single Phase. 3 spinning dials = Three Phase.
Maximum solar sizes per phase
There are restrictions as to how many panels (total kW size) you are allowed to install depending on your phase.
Single Phase
Single phase properties are very typical and standard in the more suburban houses that are closer to the city.
Maximum: 15kW
Three Phase
These bigger properties are typically more rural and/or commercial properties.
Maximum: 30kW+
Take a look at our solar systems
See all of our packages for both single and three phase here!
Conclusion
How many phases you have on your property directly dictates the ultimate and maximum size of your solar system. It is possible to upgrade from a single phase to a three phase but it is expensive and needs Power and Water’s approval, we only recommend this for properties who absolutely need the extra power.
If you are unsure about any of these steps, feel free to contact us and book in an in-house consultation where our representative will answer all your questions and take you through all our solar packages. Happy saving!
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