All things Solar (merged threads)

[snap0964]

In NSW IPART increased the feed in tariff range for 2017/18 to 11.9 - 15c/kwh, effective from 1 Jul 17. Big change from 5.5 - 7.2c/kwh for 2016/17.

This is meant to offset electricity price increases. Obviously check with your provider to see what they're passing on to the consumer.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by ute83

You're easily pleased.

yes still getting ripped off but as a pensioner it means back to a small or no bill which means more money for my coupe

[LG17]

Originally Posted by snap0964

In NSW IPART increased the feed in tariff range for 2017/18 to 11.9 - 15c/kwh, effective from 1 Jul 17. Big change from 5.5 - 7.2c/kwh for 2016/17.

This is meant to offset electricity price increases. Obviously check with your provider to see what they're passing on to the consumer.

Most of regional Qld has no choice for providers.
There's only one so the FIT is mandated.

[snap0964]

Yeah, not sure why IPART specify a range - most providers only offer the minimum price in that range to comply.

[Mercury Bullet]

Bloody hell.

A kangaroo has hit my solar one inverter and ripped out the connectors where the panel supply comes in.

Inverter is currently dead. Importer ABB says $802 for repair yet they didn't even ask what the problem was. Only interested in selling me a new one. Is the entire industry corrupt?

Not happy Jan.

Should I switch off the breakers up at the panels.?
Breakers and a.c. supply at the inverter are off.

[LeadFoot81]

Can anyone recommend installers in Vic? (looking at a system with battery)

These guys seem okay:

https://www.skyenergysystems.com.au/solarbatteries

But want to get a few quotes.

Cheers,

[snap0964]

https://www.dcpowerco.com.au/
Seen these guys on TV over the last few days, put $50 in for 100 shares, I figure I could do worse (investing in Ripple cryptocurrency).

Since I can't see the various governments turning the power bill situation around soon, at least this is the closest we may get back to a public owned power company (who remembers those ?).
My solar panels make my power provider around 30c/kwh, I get back 11c/kwh - wow, what a great deal !!

Any comments/advice, etc ?

[LG17]

I've seen those ads too.
Apart from the general dubiousness about some of these companies, I wonder if they will be citycentric.
Where I live in the bush, we only have access to one retailer so I also wonder how they would be able to help me.
My system is limited by them to 4.8kw, even though it's capable of more.
They pay me 10.102c (set by the government) for my solar credits and my 3 monthly bill is usually between $140 - $150.

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by LG17

Just found out that apparently we have just gone up to 10.102c here in regional Qld.

I'll have to be careful to not splurge out with the newfound wealth!

What a bunch of stingy pricks QLD are. In the NT we get 1:1 which is 25.4c and that is equal to the peak purchase rate.

[AlanD]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

For those of you in the know, can you please tell me about one thing I'm interested in with respect to a battery-backed home solar system?

With just a roof-top solar system, anti-islanding requirements automatically isolates the inverter from the main switchboard in the event that power from the grid is lost. This is required to ensure the grid supply line is dead when isolations at either end of the supply line are activated so that workers are not at risk. In effect, this means that, when there is a power outage on the grid, your solar system is useless to you.

How is this managed if I were to add a battery back-up? I assume that there is an automatic switch of some type installed to allow the solar system to still function, ie supply the house, during a grid power outage.

And, if this can be done with a battery back-up, why can't it be done with a roof-top system without battery storage?

All of the above assumes the house is fed from two supplies; the roof-top solar and the grid.

I think I must be missing something.

Hello PB,

Sorry about the long timescale regarding an answer.

I see that there has been no answer thus far, so perhaps I can help.

Your are quite correct in that an embeddeded generator must "obey" the anti-islanding requirements when the local distribution system (read local mains network) shuts down for whatever reason. The safety requirements are the primary reason, but it also protects the embedded generator as well. Trying to provide power to all of your neighbours could well cause a catastrophic fault condition on your local generator to your financial cost.

There are two ways (I believe) to ensure that the islanding requirements are met when there is a battery storage system in place and the mains system shuts down:
1. The battery backup system must also have anti islanding properties. This means that in the event of a power outage the house will be without power for the duration of the outage, or
2. There is equipment associated with the switchboard that isolates the property from the distribution system. This may be incorporated in the battery cabinet. In this event the solar Photo Voltaic system on the roof will continue to supply power into the property so long as the battery system is able to supply power within a quite "tight" specification. This involves both voltage levels and waveform frequency requirements. Where there is no solar power the battery system would operate on its stored energy capacity for so long as it lasts.

Now on the investigations that I have done, there is very little technical information available on the web, provided by the suppliers. This means some quite close questioning of supplier representatives about the matter. In my experience such details are outside of the representative's knowledge base.

As a side matter I remain to be convinced that Battery systems are at a cost level such that the guarantee period offered is sufficiently long to ensure that a battery storage system will endue for long enough to repay the purchaser for its cost.

Where the property is remote from a mains supply to make the connection costs prohibitive, my comments are not necessarily valid. In this case a more detailed analysis should be done.

Regards

[wodahs]

ok a question if I may and if any one knows here and as its seeming the spot to drop it
I'm currently running a aero sharp x01-030 unit and the nom cd power is 3500w to max 3750
yes I know all bout aero sharp's too but hey its still working so ill keep using it till it doesn't
and I'm on a good feed in tariff @47c/kw which I believe I keep even if I add more panels as it was a 3.5Kw set up but with half the panels but I loose if I go a bigger inverter and drops to 7c/kw
so an I to believe I can run up to 19 195w panels ?
and I currently am running 8 sf160-24-1m195 panels on this in the pv1 socket
pmax 195w
voc 45.0v
isc 5.85a
vmp 36v
imp 5.42a
I have 10 sf125x125-72-m(l) panels
pmax 195w
voc 45.4v
isc 5.64a
vmp 36.9v
imp 5.29a
can I run these with the rest on the system above thru the pv2 socket using all 10 ?

[kermey]

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

Bloody hell.

A kangaroo has hit my solar one inverter and ripped out the connectors where the panel supply comes in.

Inverter is currently dead. Importer ABB says $802 for repair yet they didn't even ask what the problem was. Only interested in selling me a new one. Is the entire industry corrupt?

Not happy Jan.

Should I switch off the breakers up at the panels.?
Breakers and a.c. supply at the inverter are off.

Where abouts in WA are you mate?
I would be happy to come and test it for you.

[LeadFoot81]

Does anyone on the forums have a SOLAX battery?

I'm confused with the information the app is giving me, as my battery level pipped 100% today (6.5kWh battery) but it's saying the 'daily yield' is 2.0 kWh.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

Does anyone on the forums have a SOLAX battery?

I'm confused with the information the app is giving me, as my battery level pipped 100% today (6.5kWh battery) but it's saying the 'daily yield' is 2.0 kWh.

I'm thinking yield is referring to kWh used (at time of checking) rather than what's been banked overall for the day?

[ebzery]

Originally Posted by wodahs

ok a question if I may and if any one knows here and as its seeming the spot to drop it
I'm currently running a aero sharp x01-030 unit and the nom cd power is 3500w to max 3750
yes I know all bout aero sharp's too but hey its still working so ill keep using it till it doesn't
and I'm on a good feed in tariff @47c/kw which I believe I keep even if I add more panels as it was a 3.5Kw set up but with half the panels but I loose if I go a bigger inverter and drops to 7c/kw
so an I to believe I can run up to 19 195w panels ?
and I currently am running 8 sf160-24-1m195 panels on this in the pv1 socket
pmax 195w
voc 45.0v
isc 5.85a
vmp 36v
imp 5.42a
I have 10 sf125x125-72-m(l) panels
pmax 195w
voc 45.4v
isc 5.64a
vmp 36.9v
imp 5.29a
can I run these with the rest on the system above thru the pv2 socket using all 10 ?

i think you need to keep the solar panels balanced{maybe}so 9 and 9 and keep the peak watts under rated max voltage and amps
is allso a problem whats the max rated voltage for your inverter although the panels might be rated at 40v that's at 25c the colder the panels get the higher the voltage they put out

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by ebzery

i think you need to keep the solar panels balanced{maybe}so 9 and 9 and keep the peak watts under rated max voltage and amps
is allso a problem whats the max rated voltage for your inverter although the panels might be rated at 40v that's at 25c the colder the panels get the higher the voltage they put out

ran 8+8 been running 2 weeks now am happy
the 8+8 is more as you said to keep under the inverters max volt situation

but am curious now as to like you others saying if one string is 8 then the other should be 8 to keep the two strings at similar voltages (or as mentioned same voltages) but some have stated point this string in this direction and that one in another , well that would put them making different voltages at different times
so if I was keeping in my max voltages I still don't see why I couldn't have run different amounts of panels per strings
not that im going to change what I have
and thanks for the reply

[EgoFG]

I am wondering if there is a simple device that can switch on a household item when my net feed in system is exporting to the Grid.


For example, if I am exporting over 350w, I want my Drinks fridge to come on - say for a minimum of an hour, then switch off, maybe it should stay off for a minimum of 15 minutes.

[ebzery]

Originally Posted by wodahs

ran 8+8 been running 2 weeks now am happy
the 8+8 is more as you said to keep under the inverters max volt situation

but am curious now as to like you others saying if one string is 8 then the other should be 8 to keep the two strings at similar voltages (or as mentioned same voltages) but some have stated point this string in this direction and that one in another , well that would put them making different voltages at different times
so if I was keeping in my max voltages I still don't see why I couldn't have run different amounts of panels per strings
not that im going to change what I have
and thanks for the reply

agreed unless the inverter has 2 or more separate inverter circuits the amps will only be as high as the lowest bank unless they have anti freed back protection.
running panels in east west you can have more panels and longer feed in time but lower peak watts.
4 kw panels on 3 kw inverter max input around 3kw hopefully

[ebxr8240]

Experts . I have 5Kw already . 3phase house . 3phase A/C unit . Want to increase solar . They tell me they’ll fit 5Kw 3 phase with 10kw solar . Which doesn’t seem right to me ? If it’s 5Kw per phase ? That’s fine . But it’s total .The single ph inverter I have now is 5Kw . So don’t see the point in fitting 5Kw even if it’s 3 phase . Have enough roof space for 36 or so panels. Not sure to fit another single phase inverter ? Or are they cheap scatting ? On inverter . The old original inverter is working fine . The company is out of business.

[BPXR6T]

Word of warning. My folks have had a standalone solar system using flooded lead acid batteries for about 10yrs now. Decent sized system all professionally installed and properly vented. My father has been monitoring and maintaining it for a decade. I was over there the other afternoon and he went out to the battery room to check the batteries like he has 1000x before. We heard a big BOOM. Two batteries let go in his face. We think the static from his clothes triggered a hydrogen explosion. He got drenched in battery acid, a few cuts and burns, and hearing loss but is otherwise okay. He'll need new glasses as they got destroyed. He had his own personal mini chernobyl.

[ebzery]

yes sparks and hydrogen is very explosive really needs to be in well vented area away from flames and ignition points i had 2 blow as well? next to each other cheap charge controller .
had a coffee watched tv and had all the lights on today thanks to solar all run off a 2500w inverter 5000w max.
free power got to love it (except for the batterys)

[happy1]

Hi,
I had 24 panels and a 5kw single phase inverter installed yesterday.
I figured doing this while the rebate scheme is still as high as it is.

I read many reviews of 'top 10 installers' in Perth, and selected one of the closest ones to my area.

Two young guys turned up an hour later than agreed, and rushed on with the install job. The guy on the roof ran around up there, placing brackets about every 15 seconds, (without concern if the brackets were straight or not) The guys bounced around on my BlueScope Zincalume Custom Orb roof sheeting without paying attention to where the beams were.

They smashed one of the panels when taking it out of their van, and had to run back to their workshop for another panel, but got the system completed and running after 4 hours. I asked if they were doing another install that day, but they confirmed 'No, that's all for today'.

I could see visual dents and creases to some of my roof sheeting before I signed the completion form, so I made a note on their install form that roof had been damaged during the install.

I called the company and explained I wasn't satisfied with having my roof damaged, and some manager or supervisor was rather dismissive on the phone, claiming it was unavoidable to make some dents in tin roofs, and that dents will go away over time. I disagreed with that, and ended the conversation, saying I will think about it and get back to him.
I held back $500 when paying the invoice, and sent some photos of dents to the to the phone of the guy that had called me back.
Within minutes I got a long text message reply explaining that he had installed systems for 8 years, and that damages to tin-roofs are 'self-healing' when the sun shines on them. (heat will remove the damages)...

This morning I called BlueScope tech support, and they confirmed that the '
Custom Orb' sheeting should not be walked on other than near the supports where the screws are. They further confirm that dents will of course not go away by themselves, and that the only real way of repairing creases and dents is to replace with new sheets, which by the way will 'stand out' from the other sheets for years, or never look exactly the same due to age difference.

After the Bluescope steel support chat, I copied the silly and pushy text message from the solar company into an email, and explaining in the email what I had been told by Bluescope steel, and asking what the solar company will do as a remedy?

The day before when I spoke to the guy he was not making apologies, but suggested he could send someone to push out the dents from below, from my roof space. That will of course not fix it properly.

It is a shame that solar companies operate like this. I selected one from the 'Top 10 list' that I found on a website. If this doesn't have a very pleasant outcome, I intend to leave product reviews to reflect my true experiences.

Cheers,

[davenl5l]

Hi sorry you had such a bad experiance my system eas installed in 4 hrs as well on a 2 story house and not a dent in sight. Obviously the young blokes were off to the pub because my installers went to a second install after lunch

[Pepscobra]

Am thinking of installing a new 3-4Kw solar system on a small rental cottage. Am getting good quotes for around $3K.
But now thinking I might hold back until storage batteries are more common place.
Realistically, how close are we to this?
Whats a battery worth these days?

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

Am thinking of installing a new 3-4Kw solar system on a small rental cottage. Am getting good quotes for around $3K.
But now thinking I might hold back until storage batteries are more common place.
Realistically, how close are we to this?
Whats a battery worth these days?

well interesting part of the read is the cottage is a rental ! are you the renter or rentee ?
im under the understanding that they (western power/synergy) wont approve it unless your the owner or have their consent and wont enter in to a tariff setup with you unless as well your the owner

cant tell you much bout solar power batteries , but I believe the price is still up around the 10 to 15k mark for one
I have a 3Kw system
was installed with only half the panels when new back in (I think) 2011
so a few months ago I managed to pic up a system like mine that was being uninstalled to make way for a larger system and used the panels (as they were the same as mine) to finish my system
so if your interested I have a 3kw inverter here

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by wodahs

well interesting part of the read is the cottage is a rental ! are you the renter or rentee ?
im under the understanding that they (western power/synergy) wont approve it unless your the owner or have their consent and wont enter in to a tariff setup with you unless as well your the owner

We're renting and the owner has just put a 5kw setup on here (NSW), no problems with the installers or Origin Energy

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

We're renting and the owner has just put a 5kw setup on here (NSW), no problems with the installers or Origin Energy

not saying it cant be done on a rental
just hard to do here in the west when you don't own the house even tho you may be the primary on the power bill

[Pepscobra]

Sorry, should have been clear; I am the owner of the rental property.

[BPXR6T]

For anyone out in Western Vic I can highly recommend VV Electrical and Solar. The quality of the install is outstanding. I was really really difficult about what I wanted too and they put up with me and delivered. How it looked on the house was very important to me. I was blown away with the job they've done. Wasn't a 4hr install either. 2 blokes took a full day. 8am-6pm. For the first few months I had issues with the inverter going to sleep. They stuck with it and solved the issue with a software update and it has been perfect since. 5KW system for $6500. At the moment in mid spring I am getting 30-31kWh a day.

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by happy1

Hi,
I had 24 panels and a 5kw single phase inverter installed yesterday.
I figured doing this while the rebate scheme is still as high as it is.

I read many reviews of 'top 10 installers' in Perth, and selected one of the closest ones to my area.

Two young guys turned up an hour later than agreed, and rushed on with the install job. The guy on the roof ran around up there, placing brackets about every 15 seconds, (without concern if the brackets were straight or not) The guys bounced around on my BlueScope Zincalume Custom Orb roof sheeting without paying attention to where the beams were.

They smashed one of the panels when taking it out of their van, and had to run back to their workshop for another panel, but got the system completed and running after 4 hours. I asked if they were doing another install that day, but they confirmed 'No, that's all for today'.

I could see visual dents and creases to some of my roof sheeting before I signed the completion form, so I made a note on their install form that roof had been damaged during the install.

I called the company and explained I wasn't satisfied with having my roof damaged, and some manager or supervisor was rather dismissive on the phone, claiming it was unavoidable to make some dents in tin roofs, and that dents will go away over time. I disagreed with that, and ended the conversation, saying I will think about it and get back to him.
I held back $500 when paying the invoice, and sent some photos of dents to the to the phone of the guy that had called me back.
Within minutes I got a long text message reply explaining that he had installed systems for 8 years, and that damages to tin-roofs are 'self-healing' when the sun shines on them. (heat will remove the damages)...

This morning I called BlueScope tech support, and they confirmed that the '
Custom Orb' sheeting should not be walked on other than near the supports where the screws are. They further confirm that dents will of course not go away by themselves, and that the only real way of repairing creases and dents is to replace with new sheets, which by the way will 'stand out' from the other sheets for years, or never look exactly the same due to age difference.

After the Bluescope steel support chat, I copied the silly and pushy text message from the solar company into an email, and explaining in the email what I had been told by Bluescope steel, and asking what the solar company will do as a remedy?

The day before when I spoke to the guy he was not making apologies, but suggested he could send someone to push out the dents from below, from my roof space. That will of course not fix it properly.

It is a shame that solar companies operate like this. I selected one from the 'Top 10 list' that I found on a website. If this doesn't have a very pleasant outcome, I intend to leave product reviews to reflect my true experiences.

Cheers,

That's unfortunate, I have the same roof and my installers didn't leave a single dent. I guess there's installers and then there's "installers".