All things Solar (merged threads)

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Only just logged back onto AFF after a few months, interesting to see what people have said about solar.

Since the STC incentive has reduced and in Victoria the FiT is at capacity and will reduce literally any day now, there have been a few job cuts and looks like I'm next.

Oh well, guess that's what comes with the industry, second layoff in the same year..

Had a graph sent through to me mid July, stating who the top 10 largest PV installers were. Who I work for is in there (best not to say who because of obvious work dilemmas), but the second largest installer was Urban Group Energy, with about 5500kW installed. However, everyone was blown out of the water by True Value Solar, with a total 15,000kW total installed this fiscal year.

Interestingly enough, TVS has a clause in their contract that invalidates any warranty if the system is not serviced every two years, which is at a cost of a few hundred; which is a service which is not required and means ongoing costs for the system. It was a little disheartening that I see everyone here on AFF actually buying decent running gear like Conergy, SMA, and REC, only to find out that the majority of solar installations are based purely on the cheapest price, and there are thousands of systems out there now with invalid warranties.


What I can see happening now for the industry is bad. People are going to have issues with their systems that no longer carry a valid warranty, and there is going to be a big uproar about how crappy solar is because it doesn't last as long as what everyone states it would. This means that for the majority of companies will cop the brunt and lose out on business because of the larger and the cheaper guys, and people like me will be put out of work again :(


I may be relocating to gold coast in a little over a months time as well, because in northern NSW people are still buying solar with little or no FiT available, and still see the benefit in solar; which sounds like the right place for me.


It would also interest a lot of people to know that in the passt few months a number of German PV manufacturers have gone offshore to China or gone into administration, because they cannot compete with China. Notable manufacturers are Schott, which has now gone into administration and no longer available, and Bosch could not sustain it's German manufacturing plan and now Bosch is manufactured in China. I have been told anywhere from 30% to 40% of German manufacturers have disappeared off the radar now because they were too expensive.