All things Solar (merged threads)

[danmc]

Originally Posted by Wah

I subcontract and install these in W.A.
I put a 5kw on my parents house, 22 panels, sunny boy inverter, conergy rail, cable and ****.. Cost me 7000 in parts, minus 3600 rebate =$3400 5kw installed..

Awesome! Did they get in before the 30th and get the 40 cents or whatever the amount is?

I'm hoping the panels get cheap enough for me to just whack heaps up and have the inverter pumping 5kw sun up to sun down.

[Wah]

It's only 7c feed in tariff here.
They are cutting the rebate after the end of this month.
Not too worried about the feed in tariff as the whole idea of the solar was just to cut their power bill down.

[genebaby]

But the higher the tariff, the more the bill gets cut down, and then you can use the rest to pay your other utilities.

In the future the systems will be cheap enough to put a system on your roof that easily covers your usage, all year round. A decent tariff makes a smaller system perform like a bigger system in terms of $$$ return, and once paid off makes more $$$ every day, to reduce the bills.

Decent tariffs are going the way of the dodo though, so wait for improvements in the technology and a big drop in costs.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I keep seeing ads on TV that prices are going to double, is some government subsidy ending?

Is it worth paying extra for a bigger system like 5KW+ for example?

Are energy prices going to go up that much to justify spending thousands on solar panels?

who knows where energy prices are going to end up, big business owns the generating side and all they are after is profit at all costs

Originally Posted by MNM96

Two months since install, my 5kw system has tick over 1250kw produced thus far.

Really looking forward to the summer to see what sort of output we can achieve in a day.

I would expect about 30 kilowatts per day on average.....not bad!

Originally Posted by danmc

Not sure what the go will be where you guys are, but in hindsight I wonder if I should have bought a 5kw inverter, applied for a 5kw system and then just bought say 1kw of panels. The way it works in WA, its based on the inverter so I would qualify for the rebate and be able to add panels after the rebate ends to get the actual panel input up to 5kw.

The raw prices per panel and inverter here seemed to drop right after the rebate as, at the end when everyone wants their system the installers etc ramped prices up to suit demand, so I might have saved a few bucks on panels and the install would have been a bit easier/quicker. Not sure if the idea works in reality though.

done a fair bit of thinking about this and with the benefit of hindsight I wish I had done exactly this

Originally Posted by Wah

I subcontract and install these in W.A.
I put a 5kw on my parents house, 22 panels, sunny boy inverter, conergy rail, cable and ****.. Cost me 7000 in parts, minus 3600 rebate =$3400 5kw installed..

shows how much profit was in these things then.......I paid roughly $13,500 for a 3.5 kw........leaves a lot of room for discounts as the subsidies and FITs drop

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by genebaby

But the higher the tariff, the more the bill gets cut down, and then you can use the rest to pay your other utilities.

In the future the systems will be cheap enough to put a system on your roof that easily covers your usage, all year round. A decent tariff makes a smaller system perform like a bigger system in terms of $$$ return, and once paid off makes more $$$ every day, to reduce the bills.

Decent tariffs are going the way of the dodo though, so wait for improvements in the technology and a big drop in costs.

this is precisely correct.....I'm running 3.5kw generating little to bugger all at the moment broke even yesterday for the first time in yonks

however I have $500 credit (give or take), up until yesterday I've been going down around $2 per day

this credit gives me 250 days of little to no production

cant wait for summer to get back up again

[buggerlugs]

I think after rebates my 5kw system was about 15k all up. But we had 3kw fitted first then added the other 2kw a bit later. After seeing the price off that 5kw done at trade price I'm going outside to kick the cat in the guts.........

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

I think after rebates my 5kw system was about 15k all up. But we had 3kw fitted first then added the other 2kw a bit later. After seeing the price off that 5kw done at trade price I'm going outside to kick the cat in the guts.........

Bwah ha ha!!......my thoughts exactly

I didn't laugh when I looked at this http://www.energymatters.com.au/spec...pecial.phpthen .....particularly the 4.91kw

I nearly cried, over $3,000 cheaper than I paid and a couple of kilowatts bigger

but I would have lost the FIT which is worth a lot more

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I keep seeing ads on TV that prices are going to double, is some government subsidy ending?

Is it worth paying extra for a bigger system like 5KW+ for example?

Are energy prices going to go up that much to justify spending thousands on solar panels?

my 4kw system was $7000 after rebates on the roof average bill before coming price rises $390 at 15kwh per day average so lets say $2000 per year for power before solar after all the coming increases now i should with feed in credits and the 5% discount agl gave me for what i buy back i should have no power bill this means the $2000 i now dont spend on power pays for the solar system wich means its free to buy (or you could look at it as paying for itself in 3 years)and i wont have any more bills

[buggerlugs]

I've never got a bargain in my life.........other than the missus..........

[comagutsa]

Originally Posted by Wah

I subcontract and install these in W.A.
I put a 5kw on my parents house, 22 panels, sunny boy inverter, conergy rail, cable and ****.. Cost me 7000 in parts, minus 3600 rebate =$3400 5kw installed..

where were you when i was looking for solar

[buggerlugs]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/money/...-1226411614679
Loving my solar...............

[poppa smurf]

S.A. is looking at similar, our bill would have jumped from $150 per month to $177 .or $531 per quarter....fortunately solar has shielded us from that

......it has been said that these increases (way above the CPI) will become an annual event

our council rates are about to jump $200 per year (recycling), water has skyrocketed to the stage where we don't water the gardens or lawns anymore

cant afford fuel anymore so the sunday drive is out

dont mention the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle in good order

not sure where all these increases are going to stop.....folks are already starting to default on payments to various debtors

got a bit beyond a joke I feel

not too sure of the future but it is pretty obvious that it is not good

[Noddy]

I have a quote for a 3.2kw system, et panels and a trans energy 4kw inverter for
$7800.

Or a 3kw with same inverter for $7500.

What's peoples thoughts on these systems? Good value? Equipment??

[poppa smurf]

price seems okay.....as for the hardware manufacturers I'm not sure

ask about the warranty period......25 years seems to be standard

either one would be okay.....are you looking at expansion later on

[Noddy]

Well not really, they have just given me the option to go with a larger inverter just I case I decide I want more panels. The equipment is all out of china although he will quote on German gear if I want. He has been installing the et/transenergy stuff for a few years.

I'm not sure weather to go ahead now and install a system or wait for a few years to see if solar systems reduce dramatically in cost.

I'm in QLD so I need to have my application go in before the 9th of next month to still get the 44c fit.

[poppa smurf]

if it was me I would ask about the german systems......they will last a lot longer and produce more over their lifespan

I would also grab the Tariff while it is there........you will lose the benefit of cheaper systems by going without the FIT

basically if the FIT reduces from 0.44c to say 0.20c you will have to produce twice as much power (requiring twice the number of panels) to cover your usage

may be false saving

[Wah]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

I think after rebates my 5kw system was about 15k all up. But we had 3kw fitted first then added the other 2kw a bit later. After seeing the price off that 5kw done at trade price I'm going outside to kick the cat in the guts.........

Hahaha

[Noddy]

After the 9th of July the fit drops to 8c/kwh. The state gov said every one with current systems and people who lodge an application prior to the 9th will keep the 44cent fit but they are reviewing it in 2013 to "make it fair for everyone".

I think we may have a 44 fit for another year or two before its cut back to 8c or so. The power supply have suggested they will offer another 8c ontop of that.

So imo there is no way that the fit will be 44c untill 2028.

[poppa smurf]

yeah! but who decides what is "fair" for everyone

at the moment the whole system is so far from fair it is not funny

[Noddy]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

yeah! but who decides what is "fair" for everyone

at the moment the whole system is so far from fair it is not funny

Reading between the lines tells me Cambell Newman thinks pulling it back to 8c across the board will be fair. This will happen than we all think.

He did make clear that at the moment it costs everyone $54per/an to support the current scheme and that only a 1/4 of households can afford to buy into solar. Making it "unfair" on the rest of households.

[poppa smurf]

okay..... so we get 0.08c per kilowatt making solar totally useless for all intents and purposes

meanwhile the retailers sell our "green energy" at an enormously inflated rate

yep! that's fair

[rancidpunx]

Just put in an application for the 44c F.I.T in qld with Energy Matters for a 5KW system. Hopefully Energex will be all sweet. I have not even moved into the house yet but managed to get the power bill into my name early. Fingers crossed. As far as I can see and what I have been told anyone getting the 44c tariff is sweet until 2028.

[poppa smurf]

I was led to believe that my F.I.T. was to remain in place until at least 2028 but I cant find anything in writing

however this government (pushed by multinational companies) could and will knock it over if and when it suits them

good luck with the system......did you get one of their "super specials"..........

when I bought an extra panel off EM Solar I paid just a tad over $700

I can now buy that same panel for $450.......I have a "hole" on my roof that I could get another panel on.....I wonder if the powers that be would notice an extra 250 watts getting poured into the grid from my array

it would only take about 225 days to pay for itself

[Noddy]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

Just put in an application for the 44c F.I.T in qld with Energy Matters for a 5KW system. Hopefully Energex will be all sweet. I have not even moved into the house yet but managed to get the power bill into my name early. Fingers crossed. As far as I can see and what I have been told anyone getting the 44c tariff is sweet until 2028.

Congratulations Jamie, hope all goes well with the install. I hope to have something sorted by the middle of next week. Fingers crossed the 44c fit sticks around for a while but statements coming from George st of late give me the impression the fit will be reduced substantially at the next review which is the middle of next year. Frankly the ruduction of the fit from July 10 to 8cents floored me. It's really going to send a lot of the smaller businesses to the wall.

[rancidpunx]

Cheers guys, it was something we were always going to do in our new house but after hearing the news on the tariff change I just jumped on it. Literally did everything today. We dont get the keys until the middle of next month but fortunately the house is vacant (mortgagee sale) so I could just take over the electricity account from the real estate agent. Apparently that will be enough. Im also nervous that the tariff will be canned shortly as it will take a while to break even. There is nothing written in stone anywhere but the wording seems to support existing guys on the scheme. The review next year appears to only apply to the new 8c tariff.

Noddy, I would get on it ASAP. Apparently when the same thing happened in Vic and NSW? the government gave the changes announcement and gave a date for it to come into effect. They ended up introducing the changes early due to the flood of applications. Im not sure how much of the spiel from EM today was all sales talk but apparently they expect the same to happen up here as they are very busy.
Im not sure I got a good deal but just had to do something and they were the most interested. A client of mine gave them a good talk up yesterday as well and his system looked the business. Time will tell I suppose, industry leading warranty apparently lol

[poppa smurf]

nah! all good with EM mate........mine was dealt with by them.....overworked office folks were their biggest problem

if you have the REC panels then you wont have a drama

I reckon you're right, the new tariff will only affect new customers (hopefully)

[lotus]

Originally Posted by Noddy

I have a quote for a 3.2kw system, et panels and a trans energy 4kw inverter for
$7800.

Or a 3kw with same inverter for $7500.

What's peoples thoughts on these systems? Good value? Equipment??

One of the best things I've done. Got a system that will pay for it's self in 5/6 yrs. My bills were around $630 in winter and $920 in summer. Have had the system on since July last year and have not paid 1c since. In fact I have a credit of around $1100.
I have a 6.2 system consisting of 22 Suntech 280w panels and a Aurora inverter. Cost a bit to put it on but if I didn't the power companies would have ended up with the cost and most probably much more!!

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by Noddy

After the 9th of July the fit drops to 8c/kwh. The state gov said every one with current systems and people who lodge an application prior to the 9th will keep the 44cent fit but they are reviewing it in 2013 to "make it fair for everyone".

I think we may have a 44 fit for another year or two before its cut back to 8c or so. The power supply have suggested they will offer another 8c ontop of that.

So imo there is no way that the fit will be 44c untill 2028.

I have a contract. I didn't ask for an "until 2018" deal, that's what I got. I think people will fight a cut from that deal.

I would cut Ergon off before I give them power at .08c a kw.

[davenl5l]

just got my first bill after solar install 15 days of solar power used 1/2kwh per day more than last year 1 1/2 kwh per day mor than last bill this bill was $54 cheaper let the good times roll

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by Noddy

I have a quote for a 3.2kw system, et panels and a trans energy 4kw inverter for
$7800.

Or a 3kw with same inverter for $7500.

What's peoples thoughts on these systems? Good value? Equipment??

my system from eurosolar was $7000 consists of 16x250kw ameri solar panels 30 year warrantee 5kw jfy inverter system is 4kw installed on time and producing good outputs for a cold wet sa winter