All things Solar (merged threads)

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

unfortunately mate it is a matter of getting what you paid for

the warranty may seem the same but output versus time is the killer here......most "reputable" systems will state something like 80% of original output guaranteed over 25 years

I strongly advise you to take a look at someone like EM solar.......they use better quality systems such as "REC" panels and SMA inverters

the price paid now may not be the highest of priorities in 10 - 15 years time

this system states the same. 25 years performance warranty. stipulates panels will be working to 80%.

it runs a cheaper growatt inverter. maybe not as good as sma but depending on who you talk to its about the same or better than samil. either way, it has 10yr warranty.

is a EM system really worth nearly double when these so called 'cheap' systems have the same sort of warranty?

sure, its made in china, when it comes to electronics, 99% are manufactured in china.

[poppa smurf]

well in the end, and what I keep on saying, the decision is yours.......do your sums and your homework and make an informed decision

I know a feller who lives about 2k away from me had a chinese setup on his place, no problems in the 2 years it has been there, however the company that sold and installed it has gone

maybe he will be lucky and it will do all the company stated

his system had a 25 year warranty but unfortunately there is no-one to honour the warranty

I'm not here to say system "A" is better than system "B" and I wont tell you to purchase system "A" over system "B" as I say it is your decision.......I have been involved in quite a few installs and have seen a few problems as well as a lot of very good systems

all I can comment on is what I have experienced and the "word of mouth" from others

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

I know a feller who lives about 2k away from me had a chinese setup on his place, no problems in the 2 years it has been there, however the company that sold and installed it has gone

i understand the skepticism surrounding stuff out of china, but they are owned by M+W Group, which i can't see going anywhere in the near future. they are massive, the world over.

thanks for your feedback. yes, the decision is mine in the end.

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by prydey

i understand the skepticism surrounding stuff out of china, but they are owned by M+W Group, which i can't see going anywhere in the near future. they are massive, the world over.

thanks for your feedback. yes, the decision is mine in the end.

my panels are an american co. panels still made in china though 30 years warrantee

[needfordspeed]

Originally Posted by prydey

joining this thread

i haven't yet made the jump to solar which is sort of why i started another thread, hoping some of the guys that have made the jump already could point me in the right direction regarding brands etc.

solar is something i want to do but procrastinating is something i have down to a fine art.

long story short, i rang a mob called 'true value solar' today, apparently australia's largest installer of soler energy, and was very pleasantly surprised by their pricing. yes, their products are manufactured in china but they are part of the M+W Group which is german. their inverter and panels have the same warranty as more expensive quotes i've got. (10yrs on inverter, 25 on panels) they quoted me $4894 for a 5kw inverter with 16 panels. this gives me some room to add more in the future if 16 panels isn't up to the task.

this seems extraordinarily cheap. is it a case of 'get what you pay for'? or is there some fine print i'm missing?

i didn't catch the brand names but i figured if the warranties were the same it was worth the risk.

seems like a good deal to me.

Pretty sure I saw that too, they have a 1.5KW output though I don't know if that will suit you.

We're currently looking at going solar as well, just need to find a good deal in Melbourne, need a larger system as the house is on the big side and there's 5 people living in it.

[poppa smurf]

the special currently showing on their website is for 8 panels @ 190 watt giving a total of 1.5 kw

the price for this system after entering your "code" is $1,794

assuming the same output (190 watt) from the system quoted to Prydey then 16 panels would give 3.040 @ $4,984......with a 5 KW inverter

if considering purchasing this system please notify ETSA before install that you will be applying for a PV SEG (photo voltaic small energy generator) number value of 5 kilowatt generative capability........ not the 3.040 as stated

this will allow you to upgrade at a later date and still keep your feed in tariff at it's current rate

failure to inform of the extra generative capability in consideration of the expected expansion at the time of install will disallow your future F.I.T. (feed in tariff) rate at a later upgrade and will conclude in ETSA taking away your FIT completely

this is already happening....ETSA are conducting random audits now comparing stated generation capability with actual generation........quite a few have been caught

remember also when upgrading you must use panels of the same wattage and preferably of the same brand

there may also be the opportunity to upgrade the original 190 watt panels to 250 watt.....thereby increasing output within the same area used.....sometimes with very little extra financial output

can however be costly so ask first

this appears to be a good price and probably worth taking the risk.......

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

this appears to be a good price and probably worth taking the risk.......

it does seem so, but the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is' are rarely far off the mark.

at the moment this seems to fall in to the second of those and possibly even the first.

if you google 'true value solar' most of the reviews don't make for pleasant reading. its not enough to totally put me off though as feedback is normally skewed to the negative given most people who don't have issues don't take the time to leave feedback. will look into it further before committing.

got an email today from EM (energy matters) offering a 3kw system (rec 250w panels, aurora inverta) for $6999. while its $2k dearer, the brands have a better reputation.

will get quotes off origin and agl too i think.

[usernametaken]

Prydey, I got the same system from Energy Matters.

My advice is to keep looking - energy matters have extremely poor after sales service (even when admitting fault)

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11372155

sorry, just realised you started that thread - oh well, hopefully t can be a warning to others thinking of using this company

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by prydey

it does seem so, but the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is' are rarely far off the mark.

at the moment this seems to fall in to the second of those and possibly even the first.

if you google 'true value solar' most of the reviews don't make for pleasant reading. its not enough to totally put me off though as feedback is normally skewed to the negative given most people who don't have issues don't take the time to leave feedback. will look into it further before committing.

got an email today from EM (energy matters) offering a 3kw system (rec 250w panels, aurora inverta) for $6999. while its $2k dearer, the brands have a better reputation.

will get quotes off origin and agl too i think.

if you go with a reputable dealer who has been around for a while and is likely to be around for the foreseeable future (and lets face it in todays climate who can guarantee that) then really thats all you can do

there are negative reviews and misinformation all over the web about anyone or anything we can imagine

the best we can do is to do our homework and weigh up the risks

hopefully there is a little help in here for you to make a start

I used EM solar and it was not real pleasant at the early stage as I was messed about something chronic but I saved around $6,000.00 over any other system that I could find......I figure that it was worth it.....you and others may not

[usernametaken]

i never questioned the product nor savings - just service, which, when buying something for 10 years plus, I value considerably

but as you say, each to their own

[poppa smurf]

yep! the service was deplorable.....no disputing that..

I could fill up a few pages with what they had me doing.....but my system is up and running and doing better than I could expect

if only ms Gillard and co would keep out of my back pocket by constantly upping the prices of everything I would be a happy camper

[prydey]

i must say, with me, its always nice to be treated right but it doesn't bother me if i'm not. the product is what is important and most of the people you deal with you won't see again.

[poppa smurf]

yep!....10 years down the track it wont matter what they were like.....so long as the system is still working as it should

[deesun]

Originally Posted by prydey

it does seem so, but the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is' are rarely far off the mark.

at the moment this seems to fall in to the second of those and possibly even the first.

if you google 'true value solar' most of the reviews don't make for pleasant reading. its not enough to totally put me off though as feedback is normally skewed to the negative given most people who don't have issues don't take the time to leave feedback. will look into it further before committing.

got an email today from EM (energy matters) offering a 3kw system (rec 250w panels, aurora inverta) for $6999. while its $2k dearer, the brands have a better reputation.

will get quotes off origin and agl too i think.

This is where I started. http://www.solarquotes.com.au/?gclid...FeuTpgodXXUA7g

[prydey]

yep, thats a very helpful site. helps explain a lot of the jargon and if i can understand it there's hope for everybody

having a whole range of emotions regarding the True Value Solar company but having read even more today it seems 99% of the negativity is from late 2010 through to mid/late 2011. apparently most of it related to the local installers who have since been sacked and since then they seem to be doing quite well reputation wise in SA. They also sponsor the Essendon FC so you would think a dodgy company would hardly make it on to one of the biggest AFL teams jumper.

everything seems to check out. spoke to my neighbour who also used them and he is more than happy with his setup. just need to sign on the dotted line, something a procrastinator like me has always struggled with

one question, is there much benefit/disadvantage between 190 and 250 panels? obviously you need less of 250 ones but is there a downside to 190?

[poppa smurf]

no .....apart from the output.......shouldn't be any difference

[sgt_doofey]

250w panels are bigger too so they'll take up about the same roof space, maybe more.
Did you try Adelaide Solar Safe or look in to them prydey?

[usernametaken]

An update to my grievance with Energy Matters.

I received an email from them today offering to pay the $270 for the new reconfiguration.

Although, it took a lot of pushing from my end, EM did come to the party with an offer that was amicable to both.

So, although the product is important, so to is service, and it seems that the issue has now been resolved.

Thank you Energy Matters.

[poppa smurf]

as stated in other thread......very pleased for you!

[XD 351 Ute]

My system clocked up 113.2 kW for the first week of operation, multiply by 44 cents and it earned $50 for its work.
So as a rough guide, my system will be paid for in 5 years.
I reckon the extra it will generate in the summer months should nearly cover my usage, so I'm happy with that.

Ed

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

My system clocked up 113.2 kW for the first week of operation, multiply by 44 cents and it earned $50 for its work.
So as a rough guide, my system will be paid for in 5 years.
I reckon the extra it will generate in the summer months should nearly cover my usage, so I'm happy with that.

Ed

Great result Ed.

We can expect more power generation, not only as the days get longer, but also hotter.

I am loving it BTW!

[prydey]

not sure how accurate the info i've been told is but apparently these things generate power with 'light' not 'heat'. adelaide, being the driest state (on the driest continent) is about on par with brisbane for potential power generation.

once this thing is up and running, i'll try to put the purchase price out of my head and just enjoy the benefit of reduced or hopefully, no power bills.

its like when you convert your car to lpg. not many think about the payback period after their car is converted. they just talk about the money saved at the pump. same with selling that old clunker dinosoar car and spending $20k to get a more economical one.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

My system clocked up 113.2 kW for the first week of operation, multiply by 44 cents and it earned $50 for its work.
So as a rough guide, my system will be paid for in 5 years.
I reckon the extra it will generate in the summer months should nearly cover my usage, so I'm happy with that.

Ed

5 years seems to be the payback time for a decent system

gotta be pleased with that amount of output.......as stated when summer rolls around it will skyrocket and your earnings will as well

Originally Posted by prydey

not sure how accurate the info i've been told is but apparently these things generate power with 'light' not 'heat'. adelaide, being the driest state (on the driest continent) is about on par with brisbane for potential power generation.

once this thing is up and running, i'll try to put the purchase price out of my head and just enjoy the benefit of reduced or hopefully, no power bills.

they are not fond of heat and production will actually drop off on days over about 33 - 34 (from memory) in bright light

this is why they must have the space underneath them to try and get some airflow

the panels actually do their best on a bright spring or autumnal day

as i said before in ten years time the price will be secondary as you enjoy the benefits

[paule11]

How do you find out what the best solar panels are there are so many that have I never heard off

[genebaby]

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

My system clocked up 113.2 kW for the first week of operation, multiply by 44 cents and it earned $50 for its work.
So as a rough guide, my system will be paid for in 5 years.
I reckon the extra it will generate in the summer months should nearly cover my usage, so I'm happy with that.

Ed

The way I see it is I've prepaid my electricity for the four or five years it will take to pay the system back, and after that it's all sweet.

Then, when systems are so much cheaper/better I'll add on or replace it all.

[prydey]

first step is to make sure the warranty is a performance based one. the most common warranty seems to be a 25 year period and still giving 80% generation in the 25th year. some will also give an actual percentage of drop off in each and every year of the 25 years under warranty.

some have 30 years, but if they don't have at least the 25 year performance warranty, i'd forget about them.

thats about the only help i can give. obviously i have gone with a chinese system so my recommendation may not be that credible

i just found out what brand the companies i looked at were installing and then googled/wikipedia'd those brands.

honestly, it did my head in.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by genebaby

The way I see it is I've prepaid my electricity for the four or five years it will take to pay the system back, and after that it's all sweet.

same. if my system performs to how it claims, and electricity prices stay similar, i have basically paid for the next 3-4 years up front.

the way i see it though, 6 months down the track, i'll have forgotten about the huge initial purchase cost and be enjoying free power (hopefully).

[poppa smurf]

yep! Prydey's on the money!......

do your homework and find the longest lasting panels with the best warranty and recommendation

a reasonable site is the whirlpool forum......I normally would not recommend other forums but this one is mainly information based by users of that equipment

one word of warning......I have just seen an advert for an energy retailer offering to offset or freeze the electricity tariff for 2 years

the way the power is increasing when the new rise comes in after that period it will be crippling

be careful

[ZH302c]

Might have to read this whole thread as im looking into getting solar soon, Has anyone painted the room with solar???

[paule11]

Originally Posted by ZH302c

Might have to read this whole thread as im looking into getting solar soon, Has anyone painted the room with solar???

Do you mean painted the roof with insulating paint?
If so yes