All things Solar (merged threads)

[Mowdit]

Here's anothere good one for you.

Reviewing/monitoring my 5kw set up yesterday, sunny and 30 deg in sydney.

Discovered that my off peak water heater is wired and metered direct from mains supply.

So if i turn it on to "top up) during a sunny day i am not using my solar generated power, but am paying 25c a kw whilst exporting for 6c

[CJR09]

Originally Posted by Mowdit

Here's anothere good one for you.

Reviewing/monitoring my 5kw set up yesterday, sunny and 30 deg in sydney.

Discovered that my off peak water heater is wired and metered direct from mains supply.

So if i turn it on to "top up) during a sunny day i am not using my solar generated power, but am paying 25c a kw whilst exporting for 6c

That really sucks - you would think someone might have pointed this out to you upon install? surely this is just as simple as changing the feed supply circuit to the same as what the solar is feeding through?

[Mowdit]

Originally Posted by CJR09

That really sucks - you would think someone might have pointed this out to you upon install?

Seems it's the whole "cake & eat it too" attitude

Unfortunately the line to the off peak meter comes out of one of the main fuses, the ones with "the tamper proof lock ties"
(like that ever stopped someone "jacking" power to crop out a house )

Will be asking a "registered electrician" shortly if it is possible to legally change it so that it uses solar power as well as grid power

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Received this publication in the mail yesterday.

I understand the reason for it and how to go about it, but why is it I am only hearing about this requirement now, after two years of ownership and operation? Surely this should be something that all new owners are advised when the solar is connected (ie meter installed) by Ausnet Services?

How many on here actually do this and keep a record of it?

[Blue Ice]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

Received this publication in the mail yesterday.

I understand the reason for it and how to go about it, but why is it I am only hearing about this requirement now, after two years of ownership and operation? Surely this should be something that all new owners are advised when the solar is connected (ie meter installed) by Ausnet Services?

How many on here actually do this and keep a record of it?

Same thing turned up here yesterday as well. 3 years of having solar and this is the first time I've been asked to do it.

[peaterj]

Originally Posted by Blue Ice

Same thing turned up here yesterday as well. 3 years of having solar and this is the first time I've been asked to do it.

Had solar for 5 years now and never heard anything about this anti islanding so far.

On a side note my 4yr old inverter died a few weeks ago , had it replaced with a Fronius Galvo 2.0. , i put in a claim through my house insurance and luckily they paid out ...saved me 2k.

[xisled]

In Victoria a solar installer needs to complete solar paperwork to have the meter installed by the retailer.

About 2 years or so ago, Ausnet services decided that they wanted to be different to all the other 4 distrubtors and instead of installers completing a photovoltaic solar generator connection form they wanted a completely different form to be completed. This new form had the anti island testing info on it.

So the reason you probably didn't know about it was due to the new requirements only coming in, in the last couple years and after your system was installed.

My guess if you are not in Victoria or not on the Ausnet services area you will not recieve nothing about the anti island test.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by peaterj

Had solar for 5 years now and never heard anything about this anti islanding so far.

On a side note my 4yr old inverter died a few weeks ago , had it replaced with a Fronius Galvo 2.0. , i put in a claim through my house insurance and luckily they paid out ...saved me 2k.

My 4 year old inverter died 6 months ago and due to a family illness i didn't pick up on it .I've been waiting 4 weeks for a warranty repair so far I've lost about $1,000 in credit needless to say I'm not happy !!

[Mercury Bullet]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

Received this publication in the mail yesterday.

I understand the reason for it and how to go about it, but why is it I am only hearing about this requirement now, after two years of ownership and operation? Surely this should be something that all new owners are advised when the solar is connected (ie meter installed) by Ausnet Services?

How many on here actually do this and keep a record of it?

Wow, that smacks of incompetence.

Don't they test these things when they install them?

I would throw the pamphlet in the rubbish and keep no records.
You paid thousands of dollars for someone to install the unit for you and ensure it's safety.

Seems to me the company is trying to cover it's **** in case someone gets injured. That's their problem...not yours.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Wow, that smacks of incompetence.

Don't they test these things when they install them?

I would throw the pamphlet in the rubbish and keep no records.
You paid thousands of dollars for someone to install the unit for you and ensure it's safety.

Seems to me the company is trying to cover it's **** in case someone gets injured. That's their problem...not yours.

Ausnet services thr company who have sent the pamphlet have nothing to do with the installation of he solar system.

Ausnet services are the distubtor of the area and it may be possible if records are not kept they may disconnect the electricity from the street. (Highly unlikely)

Ausnet services are similar to synergy or horizon power in WA. (They own all the infrastructure in the area).

[Iggle Piggle]

So is this the best place to ask who is the current hotness in terms of supplying/fitting solar and also retailer?

Looking at buying an established 4 bedroom house in Adelaide that currently has no solar (built 2003). It's got natural gas instant hot water, central heating, cooktop and oven - everything else is electric.

What's the go, or is there a decent comparison site I should visit?

[Mowdit]

Google is your friend
Spend some time reading and make lots of notes to do comparisons
Lots of us have gone to micro inverters now

Maybe Poppa Smurf will pop up with some advice, as he is from SA

[BENT_8]

Poppa hasnt been around since the big storm and blackout last month, i think he's still waiting for the grid to come back online way up there....

[Rs31markie]

Hi, finally decided on a system and going to get a 6kw system with micro inverters, hopefully being fitted in the next few weeks.

[LG17]

The new updated Powerwall could turn out to be interesting. Apparently it also has a built-in Inverter now.

[xtremerus]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Wow, that smacks of incompetence.

Don't they test these things when they install them?

I would throw the pamphlet in the rubbish and keep no records.
You paid thousands of dollars for someone to install the unit for you and ensure it's safety.

Seems to me the company is trying to cover it's **** in case someone gets injured. That's their problem...not yours.

So you have no problem with wires down in your yard after a storm that could be live from your solar unit that should have disconnected after a main outage.
Or the wires could be down a block away and SES are trying to clean up and the wire is live because you are feeding back to the break.
Yeah right.

[Mercury Bullet]

Yeah I have a huge problem with it.

As the others pointed out on the last page.
Different state - different provider - different procedures.

Here it's tested by the installers and then again by Western Power when they installed the smart meter.

[Mowdit]

Nice presentation
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/4398364.htm

[hawke]

We have just upgraded our system, a 3.3kW panels with their own inverters. Since they have been installed, several electrical items have failed in our house. A controller for the fridge, and a capacitor for a roof fan.

My question is, is the quality of power produced by solar panels and inverters satisfactory. For example is the voltage, frequency and shape of the sine wave comparable to mains power?

[Mercury Bullet]

Surely the inverters have to be approved by the power provider if they are getting connected to the grid?

[Pepscobra]

Originally Posted by hawke

We have just upgraded our system, a 3.3kW panels with their own inverters. Since they have been installed, several electrical items have failed in our house. A controller for the fridge, and a capacitor for a roof fan.

My question is, is the quality of power produced by solar panels and inverters satisfactory. For example is the voltage, frequency and shape of the sine wave comparable to mains power?

What inverter has been installed?
Its the inverters job to convert the solar power to 240V.
If you've got a Fronius, Bosch, etc, then shouldn't be an issue.

[hawke]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

What inverter has been installed?
Its the inverters job to convert the solar power to 240V.
If you've got a Fronius, Bosch, etc, then shouldn't be an issue.

There are 11 inverters and they are Enphase s270. What I have trouble in understanding, is how 11 different supplies can provide power all at the same phase, and exactly the same voltage. I would have thought that the combined output would be degraded in phase quality. Perhaps I am overthinking this. It's been a long time since I studied Electrical Engineering.

When the sun comes out later, I might put my oscilloscope to work.

[CJR09]

they will all put out the same within 10% depending on shading - they all provide the same phase regardless

[xr8cam]

With all new estates & suburbs being built in all major cities, make legislation that panels have to go on every roof and each suburb has its own grid. Whilst everybody is at work during the day, the grid can power up for when all the aircon, stoves & tvs go on when everybodys home at night.

[Gee-dog]

You know the grid can't store power don't you? The power that's generated while everyone is at work can't then be used to run their aircon when they get home. To do that they would need to install their own storage system - ie batteries.

[xr8cam]

Originally Posted by Gee-dog

You know the grid can't store power don't you? The power that's generated while everyone is at work can't then be used to run their aircon when they get home. To do that they would need to install their own storage system - ie batteries.

Thats what i am suggesting. Suburbs that generate enough through the day to run the night time peak supply. The government will never force the building industry to build decent energy saving homes so they will continue to build hot boxes filled with aircons. Something needs to give at some point.

[Fed]

I think solar energy is a giant con.

[xr8cam]

Originally Posted by Fed

I think solar energy is a giant con.

So you would rather pay thousands of dollars to overseas countries that own our power stations? That's the only con.

[ute83]

New solar installations are only good these days if you are home during the day using the power you make or have a storage system.

[b0son]

Given Li ion batteries have a disconcerting tendency to go 'bang', is it really that good an idea to push power storage using a technology that hasnt had all the kinks ironed out of yet?