Who amongst us have gone solar

I did a number of years ago
Bills prior were consistently $670 + a quarter
We don't get a summer bill, at all, ever
Autumn/spring tend to be $110 to $120
Winter can be as much as $230
(depending on how often we turn on the solar hot water system)

Am considering batteries next....

5kw Tindo micro inverters system over several roof area's, chose this as due to future time of use metering it gives us morning production, with lots of afternoon production (when we are actually home )

A big to the coal fired producers

Pic is north top of screen, Sydney

 

Interesting review of now, and the near future on ABC's Catalyst

Catalyst: Battery powered homes - ABC TV Science

 

@Stoffo, I couldn't select any of the options as I have solar, batteries AND connected to grid.

Let me know if/when you have added this option and I will select it.

 

Bought roof top solar with the gfc stimulus green loans along with water tanks and insulation. The paperwork didn't get done properly and we didn't get the extra money for solar back to the grid. Solar dropped in price soon after. Considering more solar and batteries in the medium term.

 

I added a 1.5 kw rooftop system a few years ago and now only pay for a couple of bills a year thanks to the Premium Feed in Tarriff.

I think this will last for another 10 or 15 years, then I'll move to batteries.

 

To add a PMs point of view into the ring, I've found properties with solar have good demand from tenants. If it brings the electricity bills down then its easier on their budget.

Probably get a decent rate of depreciation on them as well, @Depreciator ?

 

I'm building a house with a 20kw system. Being over 5kw we won't get any feed in credits but we still get the STC credits on the system. The feed in credit is something terrible now so there is no point. On the plus side systems are now WAY cheaper than when the 40-60c feed in agreements were around so even without the feed in credits we are about the same off.

It's 80 panels or something ridiculous and we will put them on north, west and eastern parts of the roof.
The main impetus for us is to reduce bills not get feed in credits so we have gone with a large system.
Eventually we'll go battery but waiting for those to go down in price and technology.

 

Living in apartment at the moment, so no solar.
Will be considering it for the next house - I'd like to add battery (we want sleeky Tesla) but think that it needs several more generation for it to become a decent piece of technology.

 

I'm looking into it right now. Expensive up here (10k) for a 4.5 kw system. However should pay for itself in 5 years.

Is it worth doing on a 30year old tin roof? Or am I better off doing the roof first then putting in the solar panels?

 

I was watching the cricket last night and didn't have time to write a long post. I thought I would provide more details this morning.

We have two solar arrays:

1. In August 2012, we installed a 4.5kW system with 18 x 250w panels. This array is connected to the grid and we get 50 cents for every kW exported (until 2028). With operational experience, we have been able to increase the number of panel to 28 x 250w to maximise the amount of power we can export. Why wouldn't we when we buy grid power for 23 cents per kW.

2. In October 2014, we installed a second array of 6 x 250w panel and a battery set. This array is not connected to the grid but the smart invertor is so we can fully charge the batteries if need be. With operational experience, we have been able to increase the number of panel to 9 x 250w to maximise the amount of battery charge we get 'for free' from solar.

Main reasons we went batteries:

1. Power reliability. We live on acreage less than 15 kms from the Brisbane CBD. It is a low density area (not a lot of power consumers) and there is no major infrastructure requiring power near us such as a hospital, shopping centre, ... Hence, when we lose power (and we do a few times a year due to storms and high winds), we are one of the last to get re-connected. Initially, we were going to connect a diesel/petrol generator to the house but, in the end, we decided to go batteries.

2. Without batteries and no power, nothing works (the 'poor' people of SA can vouch for this). No fridges, no fans, no lights, no computer, no TV, no electric gate, no electric garage doors, no effluent plant, no security system, no security cameras, ...

3. With batteries, all of these things work.

4. Not only that but the batteries act like a giant UPS so all of your electrical equipment is protected from power surges and brownouts.

Main reasons we are still connected to the grid:

1. To get the 50 cents per exported kW until 2028.

2. To maximise the life of batteries, they should be taken to 100% state of charge on a regular basis. Our smart invertor is programmed to do this on Sundays at 8pm.

3. If a storm is approaching, I can manually charge the batteries up to 100% in case the grid goes down. This will then give us maximum time to run the house off the batteries until grid power is restored.

4. Our house has central air-conditioning which requires 3-phase power. We do not run the air-con off the batteries; we need the grid.

So, solar and batteries was a power reliability decision for us, not a money making scheme. Having said that, we did serious investigations and analysis into how we could get the best return/payback on our investment. We now have over two years experience with batteries.

For the first year, our power consumption (excluding the pool) was 27kW/day, our refund from Origin was $1,000 and our total savings was $3,480.

For the second year, our power consumption (excluding the pool) was 29kW/day, our refund from Origin was $1,445 and our total savings was $3,845.

Our savings have already paid for our initial installation. It will probably be close to another six years before we recoup our total investment. So, it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

By the time we lose the 50 cents per kW feed-in rate in 2028, I would, at a guess, say we will be about $24,000 ahead but this all depends on the cost of grid power, the production decline in the panels, whether the batteries will need replacing, whether the invertors will need replacing ...

 

I wanted to add more panels to my existing installation too. But in Victoria, adding more panels would void my existing premium feed in Tarriff ( of over 60 cents a kWh) and I would have to sign up for a new Tarriff at the much lower rate.

 

Yes, 5kW on my PPOR and 1.5kW on an IP.
If you invest and don't have solar (even though you could), you're doing something wrong. Were else do you get a secure return of 25% pa?

Also, there's a print screen button and Windows 7 (and onwards, I believe) has a Snipping Tool. You should try it, I have it pinned to my toolbar, it's brilliant. Just press the windows button and start typing "snip" and it will pop up.

 

This is my neighbour's new business venture... shameless plug.. think it will make her millions hope so

World-first trial lets WA residents sell their own excess solar power

Extract below

The technology behind virtual currency 'bitcoin' has enabled Perth to launch a world-first trial to let people with solar panels sell their excess electricity to each other, not back to the grid.

Jemma Green, Research Fellow at Curtin University's Sustainability Policy Institute, is chairwoman of start-up Power Ledger, whose eight-week 'virtual' trial underway at National Lifestyle Villages in Busselton.

 

We have a 3kw system and a PFIT of 66c - it took us 5 years to pay it off. Now free energy plus we get paid.

We only get the PFIT if the account stays in our name. If the solar is income producing - can the interest on the house be claimed? As an alternative to having tenants can you have an empty house with solar panels which produce income and claim the interest (on 70k) and depreciation on the house - as opposed to renting your PPOR under the 6 year rule? Perhaps an accountant question?

 

Sounds like a great idea

 

PPOR and all IP's have solar.

PPOR is on big feed in tarrif around 60c from memory, so bills are only small if not in credit. Allows us to use big power consumers like aircon and clothes dryer without having to fret about power bills.

IP's have solar because I believe as @D.T. stated it adds to tenant appeal. Systems are also Depreciable.

 

The front of my home faces north but that face isn't allowed to have solar panels because of its heritage listing

We would consider putting solar panels on the garage (which is behind the main house) but that roof is shaded most of the time.

Could put solar panels on the freestanding home IPs but haven't yet. I love the look of the solar panels that look like tiles...

 

What's the cost of the 1.5Kw unit?

 

It is my understanding that solar panels should last at least 25 years.

If your roof is in good shape and has at least 25 years left in it, I would install the panels on the existing roof.

If the existing roof has seen better days, I would replace the roof first then install the panels. You don't want to install the panels and then find that your existing roof fails. If this happens,you will need to get an electrician and solar installer to come out and disconnect/make safe the array then have the array uninstalled, a roofer to remove the existing roof and then have it replaced and then have the electrician and solar installer to return to site to re-install the existing panels and re-commission them. Seems to me you are wasting money.

 

I thought it was that way in Queensland as well. Then I found out that, as long as you don't change the capacity of your invertor(s), then your grid feed-in contract is OK. Once you change the capacity of your invertor(s), your grid feed-in contract is voided.

This all came to light a couple of years ago but, from memory, what the power companies do is multiply your invertor(s) capacity by the long term average peak sun hours/day for your area to work out the maximum grid feed-in amount.

For our 4.5kW system, the maximum grid feed-in amount per day is 4.5 x 6.5 = 29.25.

With our initial setup, we were only exporting up to 13kW per day as some of the solar power generated by our first array was being consumed by us.

Now with batteries and 10 more panels on our first array, we are now exporting up to 29kW per day (only once in two years have we exceeded this and that was 30 kW). So, we have hit the maximum grid feed-in threshold for our contract.

So we are now exporting up to 16kW per day more. At 50 cents per kW, this equates to $8 per day or $2,920 per year. If this is maintained over the 14 years of the contract since we installed the batteries and the extra 10 panels, we are talking about $41,000 extra tax-free income.

I stress this is the case in Queensland. @Joynz, if I were you, I would be checking this out with your solar power consultant/engineer.