All things Solar (merged threads)

[poppa smurf]

we are stacking the batteries on steel shelving, reinforced with struts with rubber lining on the tray, doesn't actually take up that much room, probably 4' wide by 5' high by 2' deep.

placing the charging/inverters on the end of the racks, generator space is the big thing.

it's taking a while as we work through the problems and sourcing parts.

professional systems would take up less room but at a far greater cost.

[mik]

Sounds good, I did not even consider a genny, I suppose I should as a back up.

[Spinner77]

Are these vehicle batteries, Poppa? How many?

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by Spinner77

Are these vehicle batteries, Poppa? How many?

no mate we are using used AGM's that we purchased through Ebay, there is a feller who updates solar system batteries every few years and sells the used ones, just got to keep an eye out, we bought ours (should say his) for half the normal cost with no loss of capacity.

at the moment we have a bank of 20. recharging is a problem just now, heavy air-con use at night is creating headaches.

the generator has to kick in too early and run too long to take up the slack, then limited/incorrect angled sunlight for the panels during the day makes recharging the batt's a bit difficult,

I wont go into detail about the system as it would be picked apart by those with other agendas.

but even at this early stage the system is showing great potential.

the feller is starting to make his own bio fuel which will make the system even cheaper to run......that's an art in itself.

[mik]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

no mate we are using used AGM's that we purchased through Ebay, there is a feller who updates solar system batteries every few years and sells the used ones, just got to keep an eye out, we bought ours (should say his) for half the normal cost with no loss of capacity.

at the moment we have a bank of 20. recharging is a problem just now, heavy air-con use at night is creating headaches.

the generator has to kick in too early and run too long to take up the slack, then limited/incorrect angled sunlight for the panels during the day makes recharging the batt's a bit difficult,

I wont go into detail about the system as it would be picked apart by those with other agendas.

but even at this early stage the system is showing great potential.

the feller is starting to make his own bio fuel which will make the system even cheaper to run......that's an art in itself.

And he would be a clever bloke i reckon .

[comagutsa]

Originally Posted by comagutsa

WA electricity prices are going up again from 22.8c to over 25c per unit i see
they didnt say if the 8.4c they buy solar at will be going up but i would say no it wont :(

well i got my synergy letter explaining whats happening , cost of power is going up to 25.8c but wait the best news and quote 'great news for you solar the rebate is going up to 8.8c' WTF its going up a whole 0.4cents haha bloody joke

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by mik

And he would be a clever bloke i reckon .

absolute top couple, retired cocky.....to make bio fuel would be a walk in the park for him, I wouldn't know where to start.

[XR Craig]

Solar is well worth it just get a 4.0KWT inverter or higher and you won't pay for power.
I have two inverters of a total of 5KWT and 17pannels and have been in credit on the power bill for the last 4 bills now.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by XR Craig

Solar is well worth it just get a 4.0KWT inverter or higher and you won't pay for power.
I have two inverters of a total of 5KWT and 17pannels and have been in credit on the power bill for the last 4 bills now.

not quite how it works. for best results your inverter should be similar in watts to the combined output of the panels, but not less. they run more efficient that way. if the inverter is a lot bigger than what is required, it will still work fine, just not as efficient. the difference is probably negligible to the average joe anyways.

the size of the system is determined by the panels, not the inverter.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by XR Craig

Solar is well worth it just get a 4.0KWT inverter or higher and you won't pay for power.
I have two inverters of a total of 5KWT and 17pannels and have been in credit on the power bill for the last 4 bills now.

far more involved than that, a lot of figures have to be crunched before a decision be made on placement, size of system, size of panel, output, feed in tariff, cost per kw and usage.

a blanket statement such as "you will always be in credit" is false...... given that the output of your panels would be around 2 kilowatt at this time of year.

[comagutsa]

Originally Posted by XR Craig

Solar is well worth it just get a 4.0KWT inverter or higher and you won't pay for power.
I have two inverters of a total of 5KWT and 17pannels and have been in credit on the power bill for the last 4 bills now.

dont come to WA then haha you will still have a bill ..my 3kw system exports (approx) over 700units and i use about 500units and i still have a bill over $100 ..nothing like exporting more than you use and you still get big bills

yes overall my power bill have come down by over $100 but it will take nearly 10yrs to pay it off

[mik]

Originally Posted by comagutsa

dont come to WA then haha you will still have a bill ..my 3kw system exports (approx) over 700units and i use about 500units and i still have a bill over $100 ..nothing like exporting more than you use and you still get big bills

yes overall my power bill have come down by over $100 but it will take nearly 10yrs to pay it off

And that is just so BS, the thought that the power company is still billing you even though they get x amount of power for free is so wrong, it should work if you make enough power you pay no bill, it is only fair and proper.

[XR Craig]

Originally Posted by comagutsa

dont come to WA then haha you will still have a bill ..my 3kw system exports (approx) over 700units and i use about 500units and i still have a bill over $100 ..nothing like exporting more than you use and you still get big bills

yes overall my power bill have come down by over $100 but it will take nearly 10yrs to pay it off

10 years to pay off is a bit much.
I payed $1,200 for the first 3.0KWT system with 8 panels with rebate.
I then payed $2,500 for the second system 2.0KWT with 9 panels no rebate as have previously used my rebate.
After the first system I was still getting a bill for $250.00 and after bumping up the panels and adding my inverter to 5.0KWT total between them no more power bills.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by XR Craig

10 years to pay off is a bit much.
I payed $1,200 for the first 3.0KWT system with 8 panels with rebate.
I then payed $2,500 for the second system 2.0KWT with 9 panels no rebate as have previously used my rebate.
After the first system I was still getting a bill for $250.00 and after bumping up the panels and adding my inverter to 5.0KWT total between them no more power bills.

what size are the panels? 190w? 200w? 250w?

8 panels does not equal 3kw. you could probably just about run all 17 panels off the 3kw inverter.

either way, in your situation, it sounds like you don't use much power. i'm guessing you aren't married with kids.

there is no 'blanket statement' with solar. every individual will need to work out the sums for themselves as every situation will be different.

if its working well for you... nice one.

[XR Craig]

8 panels are 190 and the 9 panels are 200, yes I think you can run up to 16 panels off the 3KWT inverter
I like the two systems runing together so if I have a problem with one I will still save some money till I get that one fixed

[prydey]

so basically your 3kw inverter is twice as big as it needs to be.

[XR Craig]

Yea I guess I might add another five panels to the back off the house as this is the only room left. But they would get afternoon sun but they will face in a different direction to the other 8 panels that face to the morning sun.
Is that a problem with all on the same inverter

[prydey]

nope. i have 9 panels on west face and 11 on north face. just got to fit them where you can. north is best, then west.

[GASWAGON]

Is it true that solar panels wear out and need to be replaced after about ten years.... I heard this somewhere???

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Is it true that solar panels wear out and need to be replaced after about ten years.... I heard this somewhere???

I don't know about 'wearing out' but they will degrade over X years.

I think most quality / branded panels come with a guarantee (say 20-25 years) and that they should still produce around 85-90% of their capacity at this time.

Or words to that effect.. So, they will gradually produce less power as they near the end of their service life.

[GASWAGON]

Oh o.k...At least they don't wear out in ten years then. That's just not long enough.

[RJx307]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Oh o.k...At least they don't wear out in ten years then. That's just not long enough.

depends on which panels you go with brand wise...
as per previous post though the warranty does usually stipulate something around the mark of "up to 10% loss after 10 years, 15% after 20 years, etc".

[mik]

A couple of questions about solar panels, apologies if they have been mentioned before, the old peepers just are not up to going back through 70 pages.
i have been sussing out solar panels till my head is spinning, and the more i think about what is a fairly big investment, i think of other problems that may arise from stuff out of our control,
what i have noticed on many solar panel sites is ...... it seems most companies have a load rating on the actual panel, i suppose if a tree branch blew onto it or somebody fell on a panel this would be relevant,
i can see how it would be, melbourne had some strong winds a little while ago, a couple of days later i found a bit of someone's roof/corrugated iron in the driveway, i know it is unlikely , but if something like this with a sharp edge hit and penetrated a solar panel i`m guessing we would be calling the fire brigade???
Also i notice some panel makers have a hail rating for their panels(some don't), for example panel x a will withstand a one inch hail travelling at 23 metres per second !
what happens if a panel glass is smashed by hail and water gets into it, what can we expect and what are the ramifications for repair of the panel if possible? act of nature covered by insurance ???

[tex]

Hi everyone.
I'm building a new home, and until now have given no thought to solar.
In my current 20sq home which will be sold, this time of year our electricity bills are substantial, like $1400 - 1500 a qtr.
Underfloor heating in bathrooms, heat pump running 24/7, couple of small column heaters 1000lt tropical aquarium, three large heated towel racks, big deep freeze, clothes drier running nearly daily, plus all the normal household stuff.
The current house is thermally crap, the new house won't be, will be fully insulated, fully double glazed, but will have similar heating equipment.
How "big" a system should I be looking at?
If I need to provide more detail, kwhrs, daily consumption etc, I can find the last bill.
Paying way over 5 grand a year for electricity is not making me happy!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by tex

Hi everyone.
I'm building a new home, and until now have given no thought to solar.
In my current 20sq home which will be sold, this time of year our electricity bills are substantial, like $1400 - 1500 a qtr.
Underfloor heating in bathrooms, heat pump running 24/7, couple of small column heaters 1000lt tropical aquarium, three large heated towel racks, big deep freeze, clothes drier running nearly daily, plus all the normal household stuff.
The current house is thermally crap, the new house won't be, will be fully insulated, fully double glazed, but will have similar heating equipment.
How "big" a system should I be looking at?
If I need to provide more detail, kwhrs, daily consumption etc, I can find the last bill.
Paying way over 5 grand a year for electricity is not making me happy!

Hello Tex,

You really need to dramatically drop your consumption to be honest! Heating is the greatest cost and you have some 'wants' such as the under floor heating, the dryer, the heated towel racks etc.

As a comparo, I had a 30sq/5br house that I shared with 5 other people and the highest bill I ever got was a scrape over $1000 (4 yrs ago). (no dryer, no air-con, 2 fridges, washing machine used daily with only cold water, 1000w fan heater in each room for heating).

I now live in a smallish 2br unit and our bill is yet to crack the $200 mark (edit! last bill was $204.75 to be exact but lower prior to the price hikes). I'll try and find our consumption on a bill. Edit: Summer average is around 4kwh per day and winter is around 7kwh per day.

If your consumption is as high as you state, and you want to maintain this consumption going solar you may be looking at a system costing $50+ grand. (This is a wild guesstimate).

Have you considered a fireplace for heating?? Free fuel if you know where to look ;)

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by mik

A couple of questions about solar panels, apologies if they have been mentioned before, the old peepers just are not up to going back through 70 pages.
i have been sussing out solar panels till my head is spinning, and the more i think about what is a fairly big investment, i think of other problems that may arise from stuff out of our control,
what i have noticed on many solar panel sites is ...... it seems most companies have a load rating on the actual panel, i suppose if a tree branch blew onto it or somebody fell on a panel this would be relevant



the load rating or wind rating will be determined at time of install and will not be carried out until all ratings are met.




i can see how it would be, melbourne had some strong winds a little while ago, a couple of days later i found a bit of someone's roof/corrugated iron in the driveway, i know it is unlikely , but if something like this with a sharp edge hit and penetrated a solar panel i`m guessing we would be calling the fire brigade???




the panel is protected by a few circuits and if it has been penetrated and is likely to short it will kick these circuits out.




Also i notice some panel makers have a hail rating for their panels(some don't), for example panel x a will withstand a one inch hail travelling at 23 metres per second !
what happens if a panel glass is smashed by hail and water gets into it, what can we expect and what are the ramifications for repair of the panel if possible? act of nature covered by insurance ???

repair of panels due to storm damage will come under your insurance and is therefore covered.

most panels are designed to take the hit of the largest hail known to fall, and therefore would not be bothered, is it possible for a larger one to break them, of course it is, I've seen baseball size hail that came through house roofs.

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by tex

Hi everyone.
I'm building a new home, and until now have given no thought to solar.
In my current 20sq home which will be sold, this time of year our electricity bills are substantial, like $1400 - 1500 a qtr.
Underfloor heating in bathrooms, heat pump running 24/7, couple of small column heaters 1000lt tropical aquarium, three large heated towel racks, big deep freeze, clothes drier running nearly daily, plus all the normal household stuff.
The current house is thermally crap, the new house won't be, will be fully insulated, fully double glazed, but will have similar heating equipment.
How "big" a system should I be looking at?
If I need to provide more detail, kwhrs, daily consumption etc, I can find the last bill.
Paying way over 5 grand a year for electricity is not making me happy!

could be covered but I hope you have deep pockets, that amount of gear takes a lot of power.

reduction is key and if you are not willing to do that then you don't have much choice, you only have a limited amount of roof space and a limited amount of sunshine and FIT's.

we have a few folks with shacks who are perfectly happy with a few lights, fridge and telly, solar runs that perfectly but as your consumption increases then the power production requirement increases exponentially.

you could put a system in place that would cover half of the cost of power but then the "payback period" could be lengthy.

personally I don't think about the payback period.

[mik]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

repair of panels due to storm damage will come under your insurance and is therefore covered.

most panels are designed to take the hit of the largest hail known to fall, and therefore would not be bothered, is it possible for a larger one to break them, of course it is, I've seen baseball size hail that came through house roofs.

Thanks poppa.

[mik]

Probably a dumb idea, but just thinking out loud though in relation to tex's building a new house, I have often thought why could n't you replace some of the standard building materials of a house with solar panels,
in summer a couple of walls here cop a really good dose of sun for hours, even the roof I'm sure you would be able to work it so panels could be used instead of using heavy tiles, possibly even swapping them for bricks?
there would be some cost saving not having to use the normal building materials you would think?
In this day and age you would think greeny thinking would have us going down this path anyway, even if you have excess energy, you can never have too much energy.

[poppa smurf]

apparently the materials are available to completely replace roof tiles with solar tiles, i haven't seen them but they are there and could, theoretically, be sourced.

however the strife I have with council building approvals for solar as it stands could make it a nightmare.

I dont know the price you are paying Tex per kilowatt and therefore cant work out the amount you would need but the trouble is the units you are running run 24 hours per day.

solar would have to be backed up by something like generator/Batteries, heat sink, or steam/turbine, all plausible but expensive, far better to cut down.