Who amongst us have gone solar

Has anyone had a Body Corporate install solar panels yet ?

Or had any experience with companies that install with no initial up front cost, with the system paying itself off over the first 5 years ?

Am looking at having 100-200 panels put on an apartment building
(To help offset the nearly $4k a month common area power use)

 

How on earth are you spending over $100 a day on electricity for the common area?
That suggests two things to me:
You're on the wrong electricity tariff.
Something isn't right. Either the Meter is faulty, someone is stealing electricity to grow pot, you've got a heated pool and cool the air that it's in, etc.

While solar will undoubtedly help, my first post of call for a daily energy consumption of 400kWh would be to investigate why it's so high. That's over 40 times the consumption of my house.

 

We bought an apartment on the Gold Coast, settled in April 2016. The BC installed solar panels later that year.

There are 25 apartments and ours is the only one being rented. We plan to move into ours by this time next year.

I can’t remember the details of the installation (could look it up) but it was aimed at reducing the power bill for the common area (underground car park, etc). From memory, the BC received an income from these panels last year (should double check to make sure).

It is a pretty switched on BC and owner group with engineers, accountants, business owners, etc at the BC meetings.

 

how much will that cost, and how will it be funded? Are there limitations to how much the BC can export if the power isn't being used?

Maybe some other energy saving measures (sensors, timers, LED lighting) could be implemented as well?

 

It should cost anywhere between $20k and $100k (after the STC rebate), depending on what equipment is used and whether they're going with 100 or 200 panels (assuming 285W panels)
Yes, if you go above 30kW, you'll have to put in relay grid protection and either way you'll have to submit an approval form to the network provider to become an embedded generator.

 

Our actual cost = nothing (as the panels would be installed as part of a 5 year agreement that pays off the initial cost and installer margins).

Yes, export is an issue, and as such we are considering an embedded network, where the "complex" buys all the power and is distributed to each of the 77 units (via sub meters)
This would mean that during the day all the 4 fire stairs, 2 underground carpark lights and the hot water circulation pumps would use the solar, as would each apartment's fridge/AC/other, with the balance going in to the grid.

It is a new building (claiming to be ECO, yet no solar )

We have looked at removing every second fluro tube and or sensors in the garage area's, but the cost to do this or change over would negate any savings for many years

It would be great to also install battery/energy storage (but that is a discussion for a later date, if we can get a consensus on solar in the first place )

 

I came across this article while waiting for my appointment. Taking it at face value I do wonder if it'll get to the stage where if a house does not have solar it will be devalued should it come on the market. All very interesting.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/bu...ian-homes-now-have-solar-20181203-p50jtn.html

 

Got a quote today to put the office on solar.

We have a flat roof, no shading.

We are an office of 5, computers on all day, heating/cooling and everything off by 6-7pm so figured solar might work well.

Current average usage according to last bill is 33kw per day.

Got quoted $6800 installed for a 6.5kw system, average generation 35kw per day (up to 70 on a good summer day, down to make 20 in the winter).

If we install it through the business it's an instant write off too, so effective cost more like $4760.

Installer says current government rebate on this size system would be $2250 but does anyone know if businesses are also eligible for that or is that only for private installs?

Even if it covered 3/4 of our bill pay back would be around 2 years I think. Seems like a good proposition to me, free electricity from year 3 on.

 

I would look at 10kw or 15kw min.....business hrs is perfect time to use the output.

 

We live in QLD and have 6 x 250W panels, with a 1.6kW inverter.

I'm looking into getting more panels to try to reduce our bills further, but the provider I spoke to said they can't add more panels to the same inverter, and they are trying to get us to buy a whole new inverter and panels. Is this likely to be true, or are they just trying to upsell us?

We paid about $950 in electricity bills in 2018, and we purchased the house (PPoR) at the end of 2017 with the system already in place. I'd be reluctant to get the whole system replaced.

 

You could add more panels possibly, but your inverter will not put out more than it's rating, it will clip any excess.

So, they are telling you the right things.

But you can have multiple inverters, I had 3 at one place.

 

I agree, the inverter will only take up to it's rating.

Wow that would require some programming trickery. Did they ever clash affecting the system?

 

No drama at all, panels were in 3 banks, N, E & W

 

It will "take" more, but output is limited to it's rating.

All systems prob should be over driven as is only a small window in best summer days where output will be at max.

System should not have say 10kw inverter with 2kw of panels.

 

Hey Guys,

Can i ask some advice?

We have a 45 deg pitched roof with concrete tiles which is fine in winter, but in summer...whoaa...massive radiator. Would installing solar panels on the west side.( our house faces due west, help offset some of the radiator effect?

 

Interesting. I assume it'll be a 5 kW inverter which is overclocked. I understand they can produce maybe 40 kWh to 44 kWh in mid-Summer not 80 kWh per day. Mind you that's Canberra and it could be different in your location.

No guarantees of the accuracy of this calculator but it may be helpful as a guide.

Solar Choice Solar Power System Payback Calculator - Solar Choice

 

It would lower the heat load, but insulation is what you need & it prob looks like you have not many options with that type of roof as it appears is not just empty roof space, but that is what the answer would be.

or

grow a bunch of tall trees that will shade whole roof

 

I have Solar and a Battery but am not "completely off grid", sometimes we use the entire battery and sometimes due to cloud coverage there simply isn't enough generated to fill the battery.

 

What size battery is it.

 

What sized battery and how big is the solar array?