All things Solar (merged threads)

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by XD 351 Ute

Well I for one will seriously look at going off-grid if they keep up with trying to tax the solar user.
If they still try to bill us then we should all group together and fight them in court.

Ed

I only caught the end of a conversation on Leon Byners talkback radio that was taking place about solar and how we are being ripped off.

apparently there is, was, going to be a class action regarding the legalities of power companies and governments to alter "contracts" entered into in "good faith" and the returns that were promised governed us to solar purchase which later disappeared.

I didn't hear all of it but I am hoping the powers that be in the legal system are looking into this.

[LG17]

Ergon apparently are still setting up my new account (since 17 Oct), not that they're slow but until it's done I can't get an exact quotation, only an estimate. They reckon it should be done by Wed or Thur 6/7 Nov.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

listening to leon byner (an Adelaide talkback radio host) this morning.......he had a couple of expert folks on who were stating that if home storage of power, I.E. solar/battery bank/feed to grid, were to be used then the F.I.T. would be nullified.

apparently they are concerned about profit spiralling downwards and eventually losing the appeal of a "golden goose".

even if we go off grid we will still be billed for the network, even though we would not be using it, well that sounds fair?????

I have not got any "hard" evidence of this as yet but I will be looking into it further.

Depends if you had a meter installed at the property. If you had a meter, you would pay the supply charge.

If it is anything like the water in Melbourne, if you do not have a meter but the pipes run out the front of your house, they charge you around $600 a year for fee called ready to connect.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by ThornyBob

G'day,



why would you shout FACTUAL, I have no need or cause to embellish anything...

There is a crowd at the local shopping centre, still there, "Green Engineering". As they are still trading, despite all the comments on line, I can only deduce that whatever they are doing is all legit.

So, being seduced by all the usual booth advertising, last days, looming deadline, and all that stuff we decided to enquire. Armed with a recent account we requested what was required to cover the bill - object of the exercise, effectively nullify the account.

On December 15 we agreed to the recommended outfit, 4kW setup at $6700, said to be discounted from $7700, Chinese Munsterland panels & SMA inverter. It was "last days" alright, the new year ticked over and the same outfit was then on offer for $6200.

It was all installed in great haste over the 29th & 30th December, switched on, and power was being generated and seen to be recorded on our "smart meter". Ripper, fair sort of investment but would result in greatly reduced power bills, will be some left over to put off the gas bill in the good weather according to the salesman.

Job finished and we find that the installing guys are supposed to pick up the balance of the agreed price, on the day, they have no card facilities and like we always have six grand lying about the place. They are just as embarrassed about the problem as we are, wait 'till they send a bill we are advised. We had to chase an "account" from GE and eventually pay them by daily instalments as a bank transfers, no cards there either, a damn shambles.

So, then it's on to our supplier, where we find that the compliance date is a moveable feast. No, not the date of install/operation but the date that Powercor deem appropriate to wander out and look at the install, this happened on the 28th March last, three months after the installation. Resulting in an FIT of 8cents and no hope of "covering the bill".

To cap this lot off we also got a bill from Origin for $281.16, in August mind you, to cover the Powercor bloke that lifted the lid on the meter box for 30 seconds months earlier.....

I find it difficult to believe that Green Energy would not be aware of the chain of events.

Yes, we were ripped off through our own ignorance.

cheers,
Bob

You got done pretty hard by the solar company. I work for a retailer and we were told and all installers were told, that to guarantee the meter to be installed or reprogrammed for the TFIT buy back. The paperwork had to be submitted by the 30th September 2012. Any homes that had paperwork submitted after the 30th September may not get the meter installed. Powercor took 3 months because by September there were thousands of requests for solar meter installs. I myself submitted around 500 between end of September and January.

[xisled]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

I shout factual because all statements are liable to be seen by persons whom may or may not take offence and instigate legal action.

the card debacle is an obvious mistake and should have been corrected quickly, we did ours through direct debit that night after signing the bottom line........

the F.I.T. should have been applied for and granted at the time of install and commencement of generation, not the time of inspection.

mine was applied for and granted a good two months before install took place.

this i would be following up as a matter of recourse.

In Victoria the cut off for the TFIT (25 cents) program was 31st December after this date, if you had not had your meter setup for solar you would not get the TFIT. The current system SFIT (8 cents) you get if you had your meter installed after the 31st of December. Nothing can be as the Victorian Government closed the tariff. In Victoria it does not matter when the system is installed, it goes by the date the distributor comes out and inspects or installs the solar meter.

Victoria does not work like the SA system does. It is very different.

[poppa smurf]

in south australia it is taken from the time you apply for and receive your PVSEG number, as I stated in my case I had my number and approval a couple months before install.

cut off date, at that time was september something, my install took place in november.

[LG17]

Well finally got the quotes I've been waiting on now I just have to go through them and try to work out what's going to be best for me.
The max we are allowed by Ergon is 4.6kw.

• 5kw Solar Edge System – producing around 25-27kws per day on a good solar day

· 1 x 4.6kw Solar Edge Inverter (Israeli Technology and 12 year warranty)
· http://www.solaredge.com/groups/movies
· http://www.solaredge.com/
· 20 x 250w REC Panels (Norwegian technology and 25 year production warranty)
· Railing and cables
· Installation
RRP $16,379.00
Less - $3,399.00 (103 STC’s @ $33)
TOTAL $12,980.00 CASH $11,470.00

• 5kw Solar Edge System – producing around 25-27kws per day on a good solar day

· 1 x 4.6kw Solar Edge Inverter (Israeli Technology and 12 year warranty)
· 20 x 250w Hanover Panels (German technology and 25 year production warranty)
· Railing and cables
· Installation
RRP $15,139.00
Less - $3,399.00 (103 STC’s @ $33)
TOTAL $11,740.00 CASH $10,370.00

• 5kw Aurora System – producing around 20 - 22kws per day on a good solar day

· 1 x 5kw Aurora Inverter (Italian Technology and 5 year warranty)
· 20 x 250w REC Panels (Norwegian technology and 25 year production warranty)
· Railing and cables
· Installation
RRP $14,059.00
Less - $3,399.00 (103 STC’s @ $33)
TOTAL $10,660.00 CASH $9,400.00

• 5kw Aurora System – producing around 20kws per day on a good solar day

· 1 x 5kw Aurora Inverter (Italian Technology and 5 year warranty)
· 20 x 250w Hanover Panels (German technology and 25 year production warranty)
· Railing and cables
· Installation
RRP $12,839.00
Less - $3,399.00 (103 STC’s @ $33)
TOTAL $9,440.00 CASH $8,310.00


A Wifi adaptor for the Solar Edge (if you would like it) is an additional $150.
The Inverter will be placed next to the sub board on the house and the panels on the north facing roof.
The panels are approximately 1m x 1.66m long

[Blue Ice]

All signed up today, hopefully it's all installed and up and running sometime in the next week or two.

[rog xc]

Originally Posted by Blue Ice

All signed up today, hopefully it's all installed and up and running sometime in the next week or two.

Is it still worth it? just bought our first home, thinking that a solar system would be good. Not looking to make money, just want to try to cut out power bills.

[Blue Ice]

Originally Posted by rog xc

Is it still worth it? just bought our first home, thinking that a solar system would be good. Not looking to make money, just want to try to cut out power bills.

That's something you'll need to weigh up for yourself; for my situation I thought it was worth investing in; not to run up a profit but more to try and reduce the power bills as much as possible. Anything other than that is a bonus.

A point I'd like to make is that if you figure out that it's worth doing, then do it, if you don't and um and ah about it you'll talk yourself out of doing it; I had originally planned having solar installed 2 years ago but I talked myself out as it being too expensive/complex and not worth it when it probably was a better deal back then with all the extra feed in and subsidiaries.

Just my 2 cents.

[poppa smurf]

Excellent approach to a solar install blue ice........

[rancidpunx]

Just got another account for power, 11 months after the system went live. $1200 credit for the win.

[buggerlugs]

Ok, mine not so good. 12 months ago we were in credit about $1100.00 . It's gone down hill since then. This bill for the first time since we have had solar we have to pay $102.06. The billing period was from the 15/08 till 13/11. Weather has been dry, fine and hot. The solar bonus import tariff on the 15/08 was 7390. On the 15/11 it was 7653 and the rate is $0.44 cents Not happy Jan We have a 5kw system . Does this sound correct ?

Just spoke to the guy who fitted it 2-3 years ago, he said those figures are terrible and that they have had problems with the invertors and had to replace quite a few. Coming up on Thursday to check it out..........

[prydey]

not sure if i'm reading it right, but are you saying in 3 months you only exported 260 odd kwh to the grid?

it doesn't sound right without knowing all the details. have you had a small family move in without your knowledge

have you been running any appliances more than normal? if you've had decent weather, a 5kw system should be able to cope with what most couples would throw at it, esp with the 0.44c FIT.

[rancidpunx]

Thats sounds like in 3 months your have exported 263kwh at a cost of $115. You have either been eating up just about every drop of generated power or your power company has not been billing you correctly. In 3 months you have only exported around 2kwh a day (a quick 90 day figure). Go have a look at your meter box and see what the exported figure is there. If its close to 7653. What does the inverter stats also tell you?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Just spoke to the guy who fitted it 2-3 years ago, he said those figures are terrible and that they have had problems with the invertors and had to replace quite a few. Coming up on Thursday to check it out..........

hopefully for your sake that is the problem. makes sense. mind sharing what brand inverter?

[buggerlugs]

I'm scared of the dark, but for you Prydey, I'll run down to the bottom shed and have a look..................be right back..............

[rancidpunx]

Yeah that sucks, wonder what the answer would be asking for compensation on lost production?

[buggerlugs]

Bloody cane toads bigger than the cat this year, Sunteams, that's all it says, in a big orange box. No digital display showing ( the sparky said there wouldn't be) ...............

[prydey]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Bloody cane toads bigger than the cat this year, ........

I got in trouble with the wife a couple of years back when I showed my daughter how to hit them with a shovel

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Bloody cane toads bigger than the cat this year, Sunteams, that's all it says, in a big orange box. No digital display showing ( the sparky said there wouldn't be) ...............

The digital display turns off after a set amount of time of non production, then reawakens upon production the next day, you could have woke it up by tapping on the perspex.

That amount of export is not correct, you definitely have a malfunction there somewhere.

golf clubs are the best on cane toads, I suggest a wood driver!

[LG17]

This is the one I've gone with - I don't have any trees that will shade parts of the roof so I decided I didn't need the solar edge system. Now just gotta hope it works 'cause my head hurts from all the thinking

Alcohol and a lighter is the best combo for toads - just make sure all the doors are closed first!

• 5kw Aurora System – producing around 20 - 22kws per day on a good solar day

· 1 x 5kw Aurora Inverter (Italian Technology and 5 year warranty)
· 20 x 250w REC Panels (Norwegian technology and 25 year production warranty)
· Railing and cables
· Installation
RRP $14,059.00
Less - $3,399.00 (103 STC’s @ $33)
TOTAL $10,660.00 CASH $9,400.00

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by prydey

I got in trouble with the wife a couple of years back when I showed my daughter how to hit them with a shovel

toadem tennis anyone ?

[Blue Ice]

Good news, the install is booked for next Wednesday, it should be up by the end of the day and then its all up to SPAusnet to switch the meter over to bidirectional.

[buggerlugs]

Got onto supplier this morn, looks like February this year it started going downhill. Sparky coming tomorrow ( hopefully). Digital display still working but I wouldn't have a clue as to what it all means. Probly should have started taking notice last Feb me thinks.............

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Got onto supplier this morn, looks like February this year it started going downhill. Sparky coming tomorrow ( hopefully). Digital display still working but I wouldn't have a clue as to what it all means. Probly should have started taking notice last Feb me thinks.............

Pays to take daily readings of your production, usage and export for at least 12 months, just to get some idea of what is going on.

that way you will pick any "peculiarities" straight away.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

Pays to take daily readings of your production, usage and export for at least 12 months, just to get some idea of what is going on.

that way you will pick any "peculiarities" straight away.

i was like a kid with a new toy when my system first went on, taking readings twice daily for weeks. kept it up for a few months but then the novelty started to wear off

i do still check the output at least once or twice a week, and recently i had a couple of days well about 24kw/h (3.8kw system, split between north and west roof) so its still going ok it seems.

hopefully this weather decides what it wants to do soon. like living in melbourne, 4 seasons in a day. 37 one day, raining and 20 the next...

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

Sunteams, that's all it says, in a big orange box.

Hate to say it, but there's your problem right there....
There's a reason KLNE skipped the country, to avoid warranty claims.

KLNE manufacture Sunteams inverters.
KLNE stands for - KingLong New Energy Co

If being swapped out, go for a proven brand, such as the German SMA Sunnyboy. (even if it costs you extra)

Retire that Sunteams to boat anchor duties, where it should've gone in the first place.

[poppa smurf]

I agree, insist on a QUALITY upgrade.

this will only happen again if you accept the lesser.......I would be willing to pay a bit for the upgrade minus the cost of the replacement.

[buggerlugs]

Well..............................It wasn't the Invertor. On the top row of the panels the fuse had blown. Didn't even know they had fuses , so we were only getting credits for the bottom row since February. Will have to start taking a bit of notice of the meter from now on..........