All things Solar (merged threads)

[poppa smurf]

Matty, if you can afford it, I would consider going the 3 phase route.......the savings over the long term with the larger system will be enormous.

the cost savings in solar systems now, compared to when I purchased would easily cover the conversion to 3 phase.

but in the end the decision is yours but do get all figures in order to make a fully qualified, thought out decision.

let us know what you decide.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Basically, at the end of the day my only real choice is to drop 5 panels off my system.
3 phase probably isn't viable at this stage.
Unless SP Ausnet come to the party and fall into line with all the other distributors here in Vic and allow 10kw per phase.

Shame as my original system would probably knock my bill off completely.

Sp-Ausnet are the worst Network. They always lose the paperwork I send through to them.

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Bl00dy SP Ausnet!!!!
Signed up a couple of weeks ago for a 6.25kw system for my place.
My installer rang me yesterday to tell me that they have knocked me back for a system of this size and the most they will allow is 5kw.

I have the roof space available and I have plenty of neighbours to take any excess I produce so as to not create an inbalance in the system but they still refused....

A knowledgeable installer should know ahead of time, what the distributors will, and will not allow,
and advise the customer of any potential pitfalls before they sign.

I'm installing a 10kw (read 9.2kw) system in Seville in a few weeks.
Went though the same process. Just need to know how to play the game.

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by Matty4

The design of the system is fine.
I sent an email to their customer service asking some questions, and this is their response.



So with that I'd like to know how anyone would get approval for any system over 5kw without going to 2 or 3 phase to the house.

Try nominal/continuous vs peak ratings, and/or investigate a hybrid solar system which limits it's feed in to 5kw/phase.

Many yarra valley rural properties have a single phase peak supply, but a two phase off peak supply.
Double check yours.
SP-Ausnet sometimes have the wrong info on hand.

And many properties are on SWER supply lines too, which further limit the customer to 3.5kw/phase in SP-Ausnet land, when installing a conventional non-hybrid solar system.

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Think I've managed to get my system diagram sorted.

hmmm......... my pre-approval diagrams are generally a bit more detailed then that too.

What brand/model of DC isolator are they using?
What model of Jinko solar panels are they proposing to install?
Why are the rooftop isolators missing from the diagram?
What diameter DC cable is being used?
What's the diameter of the proposed AC cable?


Did you consider using SMA Sunny boy inverters?

[Matty4]

Sparky Dave, you have a PM

[Rastus]

A quick run down on my 3rd bill since the smart meter went in.

Mid Feb to Mid May. (94 days) The Bill arrived within 1 week of the remote meter read. Numbers aren't as good as my last bill of course, which is quoted below for comparison, but credit wasn't eaten into at least.

Average power usage 3.83 kWh/Day on peak, 5.48 kWh/Day off peak = 9.31 kWh/day total.
Average sold back to grid: 9.07 kWh/day.
Bill is $51.98 in credit, bringing total credit to $330.23.
I'm not touching the credit until I've done at least a year to see where I'm at. These next 3 months to Mid August will be crap for sure, Ballarat winter will see to that!
I haven't been liking the cloudy arvo's here of late, seeing my system is NW orientated...knocks the averages down. Suppose I can't complain, last spring had better sun in the afternoons than the mornings from memory.
June 21 will see my system tick over the 1 year mark, will be good to see what the tally is there.

Originally Posted by Rastus

OK, got my second quarterly bill yesterday, Mid Nov to Mid Feb.(93 days)
So, bill comes 2 months after billing period finishes! Who's guessing I'm in credit! (Red Energy)
This one's a bit better than the last one.
Average power usage 2.92 kWh/Day on peak, 4.39kWh/Day off peak = 7.31kWh/day all up.
Average sold back to grid: 15.47kWh/day.
Bill comes in at $278 in credit. Awesome!
This is even with the 10th of Jan price rise of approx 25%...what a rip!
Be interesting how the next 2 bills re during the poor months, and if they eat away all the credit....time will tell.

[rancidpunx]

I have not had a correct power bill since solar went in. Energy Australia just cant get the bill right. Problem is they seem to still be calculating the bills off of a mistake on a bill in December.

[poppa smurf]

yep! the suppliers are good at that!

as simple as it may seem they continue to try and make it complex.

[buggerlugs]

We have had rain, rain and more rain since xmas here. And it's bucketing down outside as I type. Our latest bill showed that we had miserable weather as for the first time since we have had solar we were not in total credit. $120 came off our stored credit...............

[xisled]

Originally Posted by Rastus

A quick run down on my 3rd bill since the smart meter went in.

Mid Feb to Mid May. (94 days) The Bill arrived within 1 week of the remote meter read. Numbers aren't as good as my last bill of course, which is quoted below for comparison, but credit wasn't eaten into at least.

Average power usage 3.83 kWh/Day on peak, 5.48 kWh/Day off peak = 9.31 kWh/day total.
Average sold back to grid: 9.07 kWh/day.
Bill is $51.98 in credit, bringing total credit to $330.23.
I'm not touching the credit until I've done at least a year to see where I'm at. These next 3 months to Mid August will be crap for sure, Ballarat winter will see to that!
I haven't been liking the cloudy arvo's here of late, seeing my system is NW orientated...knocks the averages down. Suppose I can't complain, last spring had better sun in the afternoons than the mornings from memory.
June 21 will see my system tick over the 1 year mark, will be good to see what the tally is there.

You might want to check the expiry date of your solar credits. They are only valid for 12 months. Also your retailer can see on what day you produced solar credits. Ring your retailer and confirm.

So by waiting the 2 cycles through winter, you may be just wasting the refund.

[Rastus]

Originally Posted by xisled

You might want to check the expiry date of your solar credits. They are only valid for 12 months. Also your retailer can see on what day you produced solar credits. Ring your retailer and confirm.

So by waiting the 2 cycles through winter, you may be just wasting the refund.

I'll look into it xisled, thanks.
Mind you, I wasn't in credit until I got the previous bill, so I should still have until November to claim if that was the case.
Cheers,

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by xisled

You might want to check the expiry date of your solar credits. They are only valid for 12 months. Also your retailer can see on what day you produced solar credits. Ring your retailer and confirm.

So by waiting the 2 cycles through winter, you may be just wasting the refund.

I wasn't aware of an expiry on the credits, shall ask next time.

I dunno if this is just a QLD thing: I'm with AGL, and had 12 months worth of credits up. I rang them and asked about getting my credit back. They said they could mail a cheque or direct deposit into my account - I opted for the latter and it was in my bank 3 days later. They also said I could get the credits quarterly after my statement was issued.

All this happened within 5 minutes of picking up the phone - true story!

Cheers!

[poppa smurf]

all depends on where you are, different states, different regulations.

pays to check before signing on the dotted line!

[deesun]

Originally Posted by supershifty

I wasn't aware of an expiry on the credits, shall ask next time.

I dunno if this is just a QLD thing: I'm with AGL, and had 12 months worth of credits up. I rang them and asked about getting my credit back. They said they could mail a cheque or direct deposit into my account - I opted for the latter and it was in my bank 3 days later. They also said I could get the credits quarterly after my statement was issued.

All this happened within 5 minutes of picking up the phone - true story!

Cheers!

I'm with AGL too, good to deal with over the phone, no Paki/Philipino/Indian. I dont know there is something about ringing up and getting your energy company to send your cheque out. lol

[Bundy]

What's with the Qld govco slugging those with solar installed now, some type of sun tax?

Thieving pricts, bring it on, discriminated against us and all I can say is class action lawsuit!!

[poppa smurf]

actually without meaning to take the thread to a new direction it was mentioned by a legal eagle on Leon Byners talkback radio just the other day that a class action could be justified given the guvment promised the earth then sold us down river.

[buggerlugs]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226655448771
Mr Newman wants to get us, one way or another..........

[prydey]

i wonder if newman would bother taking the time to read the articles and especially the responses to the articles??

he's not happy that early adapters get a 44c FIT, but is more than happy that current adapters only get 8c FIT??? typical, they like the money all going one way!!

those who signed up early, as mentioned in the responses, are hardly sitting on a money making machine. many of them payed $1000's more for their systems than what they are currently selling for. that cost didn't get subsidised by govt or non solar customers like they are trying to make out. it got paid for out of their own pocket!! why should solar customers now be made to feel like they are causing the pain on the non solar.

solar customers are already on a higher rate than non solar as well. no mention of that in the article.

i can see this getting ugly. cost of electricity in australia is getting beyond the joke.

[rancidpunx]

Its almost like Newman and Co want those without solar to turn on those of us with to justify their own agenda. Its just a ploy to recoup some money and they dont care that we have paid upfront a large sum of money. Not happy.

[XD 351 Ute]

At the time of my installation purchase, I paid for the equivalent of 20 years worth of electricity based on my usage.
It will be interesting to see if I get the value back over that time.
Judging by Mr Newman and his comments, somehow I doubt it....

Ed

[rancidpunx]

They think its "Ridiculous" that we are getting 44c. In some ways I can see their point as I only pay 23c to buy from the Grid. But that was the deal and when spending 10k on panels and working out a pay off time that 44c featured heavily.

[poppa smurf]

.23c per kilowatt is for "dirty coal energy" we sell "green energy"......so it is priced at a premium.

how the power lines work out which is which is beyond me! but I guess the ridiculous amount we are paying for "upgrades to the system" ensures that they can do this very competently.

the .44c tariff payment was an incentive to go solar by our lady in power in order to reduce the number of coal generators needed to reduce the load causing blackouts, then shock horror, we did, the blackouts stopped.

we now have an abundance of power at peak times.....YAY!

of course the Chinese millionaire who makes enormous profits out of our essential services didn't like it and lobbied our lady of grace and she buckled and cursed us all for the bludgers that we obviously are!

we are now to be punished in some states, having put out 10's of thousands of dollars under a false promise we are to be left with nothing.

certainly not fair humphrey bear!!

[davenl5l]

if the 1,000,000+ of us who have solar all turn it off next summer they will soon stop robbing us

[buggerlugs]

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...harge/1893487/

[Bundy]

I went solar, for a few reasons, environmental, power bill saving, increase the resale of the house, knew that I wanted to put in aircon and a hoist later on.

I now believe the resale of my house may well be looked on unfavourable since I've had solar installed and people will see this as an extra bill to pay ??

That will look even worse when you take into consideration that any new owners don't get the 44c that I originally signed up for, that contract ends with the transfer of title and they can only get the 8c.

[poppa smurf]

I dont see solar as a negative when selling the house, just the opposite, what you are failing to take into account is the reduction in the usage of power which is taken up by the panels.

mine is only a 3.5 kilowatt but it reduces my account by around 6 kilowatts per day without taking into account the feed in.

not a huge amount but a reduction nonetheless. any reduction is a positive.

solar is a large selling point and is advertised by agents alongside the best selling points of the house.

have a word with a real estate agent, they love to yak, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

[buggerlugs]

Hey Poppa, We are looking at building a shed on our bush block as a weekender. There is no power close by. How would you hook up some solar panels and batteries and how much would you need for " A weekender" ?

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Hey Poppa, We are looking at building a shed on our bush block as a weekender. There is no power close by. How would you hook up some solar panels and batteries and how much would you need for " A weekender" ?

ah! another way to put it is "how long is a piece of string?".

questions that must be asked before any suggestions could be made would look like this

(1) do you want a fridge to run off your Batts via inverter....if so how much power does it require in a 24 hour period

(2) how may lights @ what wattage and time frame.

(3) air con / heating

I know a feller who does very well in a fishing shack on a 1.5 kw system feeding into a small bank of Batts......years ago we ran full stations off free light systems

it is the total wattage consumed in a 24 hour period that you would look to replace in the solar time plus a safe margin

every appliance has a usage tag, tally up the ones you want and that will give you a rough figure to start with

once you have your rough consumption figures I could give you a rough system size

[Matty4]

Having my 5kw system installed as I type this.
Will also make enquiries with SP Ausnet as to the costs involved in going to 3 phase at my place for future upgrades.