All things Solar (merged threads)

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by SB076

I currently have a 2.1Kw system (had it for a for years and I get the $0.60 per KW feed in tarriff, but I was thinking about adding another system (its seems cheaper to add another system rather than upgrade my current system)

I have noticed the costs of going solar are dropping (no doubt with current interest levels the price will be stable but come next year I suspect the cost of solar to drop further - as demand reduces) If I was to get another system but feed through the same meter will I still get the feed in rates?

depends on where you are.....in South australia you are required to submit a "generative capability" form upon first request to become a small power generator to ETSA

I.E. if you originally applied for a 3 kilowatt system then that is all you are allowed to generate.....I would phone ETSA and find out how much you originally applied for and ask what the penalty would be (if any) if you expanded that system

[homegrown]

Sorry edited a couple of times, not making sense here.
Thought you could only get that deal on your initial system. Will post up tomorrow.

[poppa smurf]

if, when you first applied for a PVSEG number (photovoltaic small energy generator), you overstated your capacity

I.E. applied for a 5 kilowatt but only installed a 3 kilowatt, then you could, at a future date, install more panels up to the 5 kilowatt that was initially applied for without penalty and keeping all of your FIT

expansion of an existing system beyond the initial application is a dark area and frowned upon by power companys and suppliers

I dont know the outcome of this but I have heard of folks getting their FIT cut down to nil

only way to be sure is to ring your energy generator and see what your initial application number was (have your PVSEG number at hand) then ring your energy supplier and see what they have to say

dont do anything until you have ALL information, it may cost more than it is worth in penalties

[SB076]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

if, when you first applied for a PVSEG number (photovoltaic small energy generator), you overstated your capacity

I.E. applied for a 5 kilowatt but only installed a 3 kilowatt, then you could, at a future date, install more panels up to the 5 kilowatt that was initially applied for without penalty and keeping all of your FIT

expansion of an existing system beyond the initial application is a dark area and frowned upon by power companys and suppliers

I dont know the outcome of this but I have heard of folks getting their FIT cut down to nil

only way to be sure is to ring your energy generator and see what your initial application number was (have your PVSEG number at hand) then ring your energy supplier and see what they have to say

dont do anything until you have ALL information, it may cost more than it is worth in penalties

Thanks might be best to invest in LED lighting (as I have a lot of halogens in my house and have been advised they use a large % of my power)

[xisled]

Originally Posted by SB076

Thanks might be best to invest in LED lighting (as I have a lot of halogens in my house and have been advised they use a large % of my power)

Lighting your home is around 20 percent of your bill. So if you get LED lights you will only be making a difference to the 20 percent of the bill.

Example your bill is $200 per quater, $40 of that is your lights in the home. You change your lighting and it reduces the amount of power you use for your lights by 10 percent. That means it will save you $20 a quater.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by SB076

Thanks might be best to invest in LED lighting (as I have a lot of halogens in my house and have been advised they use a large % of my power)

I did much the same with lighting but went for those curly fluro ones.....supposedly last 20 years, never even go 2 years out of them and at $20 a pop I wasn't impressed

I've got LED lights all over the place now but to be honest I really don't think they make that much of a difference to the bill as xilsed stated maybe 20% of your bill

personally I think less but I cant back that up

the things that I found do make a definite difference is all the stuff on "standby"

little blinky lights that chew up power while we sleep......

the second fridge, the big freezer, air cons set below 23 degs, pool pumps, spa baths all make a huge difference as well

I reckon it is up to us as to how much "luxury" we put aside in order to gain a low power bill

I'm very comfy with all my little lights, lets me see where I'm going when on my nightly piddle patrol

second fridge, well I couldn't kick all that beer out now could I, mum wont let me drink it all at once so it has to have a place to live

then I like to be cool so I cant turn that off

anyway I'm rambling again......just get your power down to where it doesn't get the bill to the "bloody hell look at the size of that" stage and enjoy the comforts we have worked so long and hard for

[supershifty]

A few years ago my local council (Brisbane City) had an offering of up to 15 fluoro bulbs to replace the existing incandescant bulbs, a energy efficient shower head, (shower head only available for electric hot water) and a cordless remote monitoring power meter for a cost of $50. The $50 was reimbursable by mailing your receipt to the Brisbane City Council with a claim form within 6 months of having them supplied. I didn't worry about getting the $50 back off the council. I'm not that tight and was happy with the deal.

The bulbs supplied were cheap and nasty. 4 of them didn't work on initial fitting, and 3 have failed in the time since. So much for 20k hours! The remote meter I found handy for a short while to gather what appliances used what - until the wireless link kept having to be reset - rather painful process by the way. The meter soon got binned.

I believe the local council had very good intentions by encouraging consumers to save energy and money. That said, IMO: Energy retailers make their money by selling the consumer power, the less power the consumer uses, the less the retailer makes. All good for carbon emissions, not good for the energy retailer. So there's a good reason to up the prices.

Cheers!

[poppa smurf]

yeah! I remember that rollout thing, they wanted to take our old light globes away......it was just after we spent a lot of money updating to Philips fluro ones

the ones they were offering were who flung dung super cheap ones.....we were never offered the energy meter whatsit

just on another note I seen a couple of ads from home builders offering free solar to purchasers of new homes....good idea I reckon, keep the energy bill down a bit for the youngsters....but I guess the cost of the system is built into the bill for the new house anyway

[xisled]

Originally Posted by supershifty

A few years ago my local council (Brisbane City) had an offering of up to 15 fluoro bulbs to replace the existing incandescant bulbs, a energy efficient shower head, (shower head only available for electric hot water) and a cordless remote monitoring power meter for a cost of $50. The $50 was reimbursable by mailing your receipt to the Brisbane City Council with a claim form within 6 months of having them supplied. I didn't worry about getting the $50 back off the council. I'm not that tight and was happy with the deal.

The bulbs supplied were cheap and nasty. 4 of them didn't work on initial fitting, and 3 have failed in the time since. So much for 20k hours! The remote meter I found handy for a short while to gather what appliances used what - until the wireless link kept having to be reset - rather painful process by the way. The meter soon got binned.

I believe the local council had very good intentions by encouraging consumers to save energy and money. That said, IMO: Energy retailers make their money by selling the consumer power, the less power the consumer uses, the less the retailer makes. All good for carbon emissions, not good for the energy retailer. So there's a good reason to up the prices.

Cheers!

In Victoria most of the retailers are involved in this type of thing.

The retailer I used to work for, sent a letter to the 200000 Victorian customers asking if they wanted to take advantage of energy saving light bulbs and a energy saving powerboard.

Bascially it was an external company that had the number and the customer would call and book a time for a tech (who was not qualified in anything) to come to your home and change the light bulbs and give you this powerboard.

IMO these services are just a waste the Gov co pay's the company for each house they change over. The bubls and the board you get are cheap and nasty stuff. Also some do the shower head and all the people I know, who have ahd it changed over the shower head leaks.

This is one of the companies. They do Melbourne and Adeliade

http://www.livegreen.com.au

[Yellow_Festiva]

Glad this thread is alive and well.

After several months of looking for a house we have finally put a holding deposit on a patch of dirt.

Has anyone here got a system that, in theory (with battery backup) would allow them to be totally 'off the grid'?

I will be looking at house designs once full deposit has been paid, and would love to have a system that is totally self sufficient. I understand that there is a large up-front cost involved with this, and then there is the issue of storage your surplus power, back-up plans etc.

I'm up for the challenge. Has anyone done this or similar in NSW, are there sites one can direct me to for help / advice?

Cheers,

Jason

[poppa smurf]

there are plenty of places that can install a "stand alone" system but there are a few things to remember before entering into this......you must do your sums

you will need an adequate supply 24/7 which means not only batteries but a generator for the times of dense cloud and high use.....will your council allow this

you will need a dedicated shed for the batteries and generator......does your council have specific guidelines concerning this

before you approach any installer please see your council first

[Yellow_Festiva]

Yeah had a chat already with the town planner, he seems like a good bloke and was most helpful. Discussion was about type / size of house rather than solar etc.

I have 1400sqm to play with, so I already intend to erect the largest shed / barn I can, something say 10.5x15 metres perhaps, spearate to the house for garaging / storage of my current and future toys. Will probably use that for most of the solar equipment etc.

Myself and my wife are ultra low consumers of power already, the last 1/4 averaged 3.8kwh per day (8.3kwh 'same period last year') which is odd as nothing has really changed?

The good thing is that we have a blank canvas to work with, so the house will be designed to be as efficient as possible.

So I'm thinking of getting a low-mid range system to start with, and over spec the inverter / regulator to allow for upgrades to batteries / panels down the track when demand increases. Of course, all with council approval!

If the solicitor can't find any reason to not go ahead with the purchase I will be doing a lot of research / planning over the holidays

Cheers,

Jason

[supershifty]

I'll be watching your energy plans and ideas with interest Jason - as will others on this thread.

Most of us have grid interactive solar. I did consider a stand alone system, but the costs were way out of my budget.

Share away mate!

Cheers!

Edit: there's no grammar nazi's on this thread! LOL.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Yeah had a chat already with the town planner, he seems like a good bloke and was most helpful. Discussion was about type / size of house rather than solar etc.

I have 1400sqm to play with, so I already intend to erect the largest shed / barn I can, something say 10.5x15 metres perhaps, spearate to the house for garaging / storage of my current and future toys. Will probably use that for most of the solar equipment etc.

Myself and my wife are ultra low consumers of power already, the last 1/4 averaged 3.8kwh per day (8.3kwh 'same period last year') which is odd as nothing has really changed?

The good thing is that we have a blank canvas to work with, so the house will be designed to be as efficient as possible.

So I'm thinking of getting a low-mid range system to start with, and over spec the inverter / regulator to allow for upgrades to batteries / panels down the track when demand increases. Of course, all with council approval!

If the solicitor can't find any reason to not go ahead with the purchase I will be doing a lot of research / planning over the holidays

Cheers,

Jason

sounds like your council is one of the rare ones...a lot wont let you go "stand alone", mainly because of ignorance or because of noise/safety issues.......they dont understand the technology and are very loathe to pass things they know nothing about.......it would help greatly if you kept them "in the loop" and reassure them with paperwork showing the safety side of things

it would only take one neighbour to complain to have the generator shut down, particularly if it started at night, regardless of how quiet it is

the space needed to install all batteries, inverter and generator would be roughly 100 sq feet, 10' x 10', the exhaust from the genny must be to the outside, batteries will be either AGM deep cycle or another form of "dry cell" so they wont be a problem

this area could easily be found at one end of the shed, preferably away from the house so as to limit noise

but it sounds like you've done a fair bit of thinking about it, I've only been involved in a few stand alone's but if I can be of any help give me a yell.....grab all the info you can and get pre approval from council IN WRITING before signing on any system

[pursuit57]

Jason - check this site out ( company that also supplies sm/lge kits near Coffs H. ), you prob won't go with them but its a start with what's out there. http://www.bellingensolar.com.au/cms...e.html#system6

I'm retired Energy & Sustainability Manager - will see if I can access all my tech info etc from old workplace, if I can will PM you for your email.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

yeah! I remember that rollout thing, they wanted to take our old light globes away......it was just after we spent a lot of money updating to Philips fluro ones

the ones they were offering were who flung dung super cheap ones.....we were never offered the energy meter whatsit

just on another note I seen a couple of ads from home builders offering free solar to purchasers of new homes....good idea I reckon, keep the energy bill down a bit for the youngsters....but I guess the cost of the system is built into the bill for the new house anyway

all new homes should come with at least 4kw of solar & rainwater for the loo!

[poppa smurf]

yep! I'm a great believer in rain water tanks......good idea about all new homes having both.....cant see guvco running with it though

[pursuit57]

Jason, if u don't mind me asking....are you going into a "rural" area of such and/or what council will you be battling with on this ?

[Yellow_Festiva]

No worries. Suburban area, Bankstown council in Sydney.

Cheers mate.

[rancidpunx]

Todays the day, just waiting now for the installers to show up.

[2011G6E]

We've just bought a house down at Gracemere where we'll only be living on the odd weekends off and occasionally when the kids come up to visit.
We'll be looking into solar as it will make sense for a house that maybe has a freezer running and some security lights but bugger all else for weeks at a time.

[rancidpunx]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

Todays the day, just waiting now for the installers to show up.

They didn't get it all done today and need another 3hrs or so tomorrow. So far so good and got the inverter all done in my laundry as I wanted.

[davenl5l]

jeez mine only took 3 hrs all up on a 2 story house

[Noddy]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

They didn't get it all done today and need another 3hrs or so tomorrow. So far so good and got the inverter all done in my laundry as I wanted.

That's great to hear your happy with things so far. Are you happy with the way they are mounting it to your Gal roof? The only thing that sucks now is the wait for energex.

[Noddy]

Gents I'm having an issue with the monitoring of my pv system.

I'm using the Aurora Monitor software which I have linked to www.pvoutput.org site and in theory is functioning fine.

The issue I have is the software is stable when I have the laptop on battery power but as soon as I plug in the laptop charger the software drops its link to the inverter. Unplug the charger and it instantly starts downloading data again.

I tried this with two laptops and had the same result.

Any ideas?

[mik]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Glad this thread is alive and well.

After several months of looking for a house we have finally put a holding deposit on a patch of dirt.

Has anyone here got a system that, in theory (with battery backup) would allow them to be totally 'off the grid'?

I will be looking at house designs once full deposit has been paid, and would love to have a system that is totally self sufficient. I understand that there is a large up-front cost involved with this, and then there is the issue of storage your surplus power, back-up plans etc.

I'm up for the challenge. Has anyone done this or similar in NSW, are there sites one can direct me to for help / advice?



Cheers,

Jason

been thinking about this myself, probably as far as it will get for the time being, but i remember seeing an off grid system many years ago in heathcote(rural vic), the system in those days was obviously pretty low tech by todays standards, it cost 5k, so 25+ years ago it was a fair investment, most of the house was 12 volts, for storage they had lead acid battery`s and compromises where needed, ie no using the dryer/washer and a power tool at the same time, it did the job though,
with today`s batteries and tech stuff, i`m thinking these days there would be no need for any comprises needed, will be interested to see what you come up with.

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

We've just bought a house down at Gracemere where we'll only be living on the odd weekends off and occasionally when the kids come up to visit.
We'll be looking into solar as it will make sense for a house that maybe has a freezer running and some security lights but bugger all else for weeks at a time.

I dunno whether you're getting the TV ads for True Value solar up your way. Currently they're offering a 1.5kW system for $1495 - would be an ideal sized unit for your place at Gracemere.

Cheers!

[flappist]

Originally Posted by supershifty

I dunno whether you're getting the TV ads for True Value solar up your way. Currently they're offering a 1.5kW system for $1495 - would be an ideal sized unit for your place at Gracemere.

Cheers!

You mean this mob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ5qVwQL848

[rancidpunx]

All done it appears just have to wait for Energex to do their thing although I believe I already have the smart metre thing. Really happy with Energy Matters, the boys that did the install were great.





The gap left in the middle on the bottom row will allow for my future plans of a gable roof covering an outdoor entertainment area.

[nstg8a]

Sort of on topic, this was the last of 5 loads of panels we dispatched today, along with 5 loads yesterday. All bar this load are going interstate.

Apparently we have another forty containers on the water at the moment.