Solar Power

[F16]

When it comes to solar, NSW and the ACT are by far the best off states in terms of the buyback they recieve. They are regulated by the government to use a GROSS feed in tariff which in laymans terms means that every kwh they produce they are credited the full 60c/pkwh buyback.

ie. after a 90 day billing cycle

1000kwh usage @ 22cents pkwh = $220

100kwh SOLAR PFIT @ 60cents pkwh = $60

bill = $160

All the other states, SA, VIC, QLD, NT, WA use a NET feed in tariff model where only the excess you produce during 15/30 minute intervals throughout the day is fed into the grid. The solar you feed back into the grid is much less then on the gross feed in tariff as your solar production is used by household appliances FIRST (which means your essentially paying 1:1kwh), and only the excess is at the PFIT.

1000kwh usage @ 22cents pkwh

100kwh SOLAR PFIT @ 60cents pkwh

(usage)1000kwh - (solar used)90kwh = 910kwh @ 22cents pkwh = $200.2

solar excess = 10kwh @ 66 cents pkwh = $6.6

bill = $202

This of course is a rough example, because if you run NO appliances during the day on the net system, everything will be going back into the grid and you will be recieving the full PFIT. But in summer when you're running the fridge + tv + aircon, NOTHING will be fed back into the grid as excess, because you will be using it all, and as a result not get any PFIT, just 1:1pkwh.

[icer]

1000kwh usage @ 22cents pkwh = $220

100kwh SOLAR PFIT @ 60cents pkwh = $60

bill = $160

but who fits a 1kWh system? Using your example, to make money AND not pay elec bills, you fit a 4.x kWh system, and you earn $240 per month...well earn 20$.

[f-wolf]

Anger over electricity charges for solar-powered homes

October 6, 2010

WHEN Neil Rayner put solar panels on his roof, he did so under two assumptions: it would help clean up the planet and that his electricity bills would become noticeably cheaper.

He was wrong on the second count.

At : http://www.theage.com.au/environment/energy-smart/anger-over-electricity-charges-for-solarpowered-homes-20101005-1664p.html

Edited 08/10/10 06:04 PM by f-wolf

[F16]

1000kwh usage @ 22cents pkwh = $220

100kwh SOLAR PFIT @ 60cents pkwh = $60

bill = $160

but who fits a 1kWh system? Using your example, to make money AND not pay elec bills, you fit a 4.x kWh system, and you earn $240 per month...well earn 20$.

I was just giving a comparison between net and gross feed in systems and how they're calculated. A typical 2kw system will produce around 350-400kwh per 90 days, but on the net feed in tariff, not all of this will be given back to you at the full 60pkwh buy back rate, only the excess, which may only be around 40kwh. I know as I deal with customers billing complaints/issues all day long.

Also as per the previous post, your tariff rates will increase once solar is installed. Off the top of my head I think VIC's pkwh rate for non solar homes is around 22cpkwh, and once a solar system is installed you're placed on a new tariff which is around 30-32c/pkwh.

Edited 09/10/10 01:39 AM by F16

[icer]

so its best to install a 4+ kW system and nothing less if you want to make money back? or do higher / more panel systems have a higher tarrif again? bloody hell they dont make it easy for us to go green

[Kingers.]

*Beep* I honestly dont think that you'll ever see a cent from a power company even if you do use less power than the solar pwoduces and you feed back into the grid.

"Victorian legislation only requires that customers receive a credit on their bill, not a cash payment for their excess power."

To me that means they only have to show you a credit on your bill and dont actually have to hand you over any money. That is written on the true energy website

http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/dms/cec/resource-centre/Solar-PV-consumer-guide/Solar%20PV%20consumer%20guide.pdf

Not sure if you seen that but have a read through it. Should be able to answer most of your questions

[icer]

well I know vic is only credits but im thinkin of the broad future if I move to nsw/qld. get cash there (once a year or whenever they repay it if you are in the PLUS)

[FPV_R-spec]

got my first bill 2day we went from 39 unit to 22 unit a day.

work out we save approx 1 unit a hour to sunlight = 12unit

the other 5 unit we saved is less aircond used due to very

little cold weather this year.

[Guest newl]

What's the life on panels, don't they need replacing every 5-7 years or something?

Panels should be good for 20 years or so (barring any damage). Though, as others have mentioned, their efficiency degrades over time.

Perhaps you are thinking of the batteries. They typically need replacing every 9-10 years or so. They're probably the largest over all cost of a solar solution.

Last year, I was looking at an off grid solution for my property at a price of roughly $35k (after the then existing 50% federal government rebate). This did not include a backup auto switching generator (another $15-20k depending on requirements).

I believe the solutions most of you lot are discussing are not quite of this magnitude, e.g. provide no local energy storage and are solely grid connect setups.

For me, I was looking at a 7 year ROI on the system with the amount of energy used at the point in time last year I was looking at doing it. I was ready to go for it and found out that the government had cancelled the 50% rebate program.

Oh well, something to review again when we get to a build stage in a year or two.

[icer]

fpv, again what unit did u install? And how much is an average of your last 6 normal bills, and how much was this bill with solar?