Pleased with my recent solar installation (15 x 265w panels). Today at noon it was "8 degrees / feels like 5" yet my house solar panels were running at just below 80% efficiency.
Dougwe said
07:51 PM Jul 8, 2017
Sounds good Rusty. It's the way to go for sure.
Aus-Kiwi said
09:05 PM Jul 8, 2017
What do you have for water heater ? Ours is still elect . I'd guess 3/4 if our power bill is water heating . Not sure to go solar HWS or add extra panels, fit timer or photo electric cell via contractor which turns heater off when sun goes down ?
ShortNorth said
10:31 PM Jul 8, 2017
We put on a 5kw solar system mid last year. Before solar, our hot water was a 315lit off-peak with a 3.6kw element. I considered a dedicated solar hot water, but after talking to the consultant, we determined the best outcome, for us (two people only) was to reduce the element to 2.4kw and run it off the solar from 10AM to 4PM via a time switch. That's over 14kwh of free power going into the hot water. As well as the hot water we run our 2HP pool pump during the day in solar hours only, and try to use as much free power during the day as we can.
After just over a year of use, we have never run out of hot water, and have proved the settings work for us. I've put the readings into a spreadsheet each month (on the 1st). We are averaging a saving of $100 every month off our previous mains power bill. 60% of our daily use comes from solar, the 40% remainder is for nighttime usage, i.e cooking evening meal, refrigerator, lights, TV, etc. - we run the dishwasher in solar hours only, as well as the washing machine.
In spite of our total usage, we still manage to export 60% of our solar production back to the grid - but we only get 10c back for each kwh we export.
The biggest problem is the bxxxxy daily Access charge of $1.50 - that's $550 a year we are paying out to the supplier just to have the cable connected to our switchboard without even consuming a single watt - what a total rip-off.
In a few years when the price drops to realistic levels, I'm seriously considering a battery system, go fully self-contained and get the mains cut off totally - then the B...'s wont get another cent out of me.
PeterD said
10:04 AM Jul 9, 2017
ShortNorth wrote:
In a few years when the price drops to realistic levels, I'm seriously considering a battery system, go fully self-contained and get the mains cut off totally - then the B...'s wont get another cent out of me.
I have an instant gas HWS, gas heating and cooking (but electric oven). However I do note that all the new houses built is a new street opposite us have the newer type tube solar HWS.
Purchased an air-fryer a few months ago. That reduces power considerably. It's really a compact 2 serve, 1600w, fan-forced oven. Not any quicker but no need for a 15min warm up heating up a large area that one doesn't really need. Even works with our 2kW van generator.
Looking at the Power Walls but I'm thinking even if the cost does come down I still may not be around long enough to get the return, just my kids when they sell off my house when I move upstairs (or downstairs). Watching the SA / Elon Musk project intently.
Victoria's feed-back rates was legislated at 11.3c on July 1. Better than the 6.5c I was getting.
Being retired, we use all our major appliances during the day and the big payback when we are travelling. Also, spending on my house reduced my capital and increased my pension. PV panels have a short payback in my situation.
I'm also thinking my wife's next vehicle maybe a full EV. Been reading up on the BMW i3 and the Tesla 3. Out of my dollar range now and want over 350 km range. The i3 with the 650cc motorbike engine generator makes sense to me while battery is still limited.
Vince said
11:16 AM Jul 9, 2017
About to have a 1.5Kw system put on the house. We had the same at our previous place (Just moved to new place)
There is just the 2 of us and hot water and cooking is with gas same as other place.
We saved around 60% off the power bill and hopefully achieve the same in the new abode.
Cheers
Vince
Aus-Kiwi said
11:42 AM Jul 9, 2017
Better off having HWS "ON" when the solar panels are at their peek . Then maybe top up if required through off peak ? Early A.M . If you run out of hot water in early morning ? Taking FULL advantage of solar .
hako said
12:56 PM Jul 9, 2017
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Better off having HWS "ON" when the solar panels are at their peek . Then maybe top up if required through off peak ? Early A.M . If you run out of hot water in early morning ? Taking FULL advantage of solar .
I was told that in QLD you cannot have anything switched on off peak supply but possibly that's wrong.
I like the idea of your setup A-K.
Regards
Aus-Kiwi said
02:40 PM Jul 9, 2017
Yea could be right ! Now we've retired. We used shower / hot water etc around 10 am . So we have all day to heat the HWS . Mainly have solar to compensate for air conditioning . Here we are allowed 5KW per phase . Lucky I have 3 phase for welders and air conditioning . Wouldn't mind up grading to 8KW and fitting 3 phase inverter ? The inverter is the costly part !! Other than having a house to fit them on !! Going off grid ? Another type ( more expensive ) inverter is required as std type use mains to keep the A/C frequency !! Ahh !!
macka17 said
03:59 PM Jul 9, 2017
4.2kw solar on roof.
PLUS a 30 tube. "Evacuuated tubes" HWS
Power runs home. Pool Pumps and Aircond during day if sun out
(IF.. In QLD Ha Ha.)
over 10 yrs. I've had water heater sw on. on HWS maybe 30 days.
when family visiting, or coupla cloudy winter days is all.
Total install $16ish k.
Ran house. pool etc for all that time. Incl Air cond.
Hot water 24\7 empty tank as often as you like. Night and day.
Cash Returns have dropped from over $950 a yr to $570 this yr
.(Price increases). Returns are 41?c per kw till 2028..
Total Systems paid for themselves in around 8 yrs. yrs.
Am setting up panel\battery system to suit pool next.
I'm biased. Having used Solar since the '70's.
But anybody in a home. small business or mobile.
has rocks in their heads if the DON'T have some level of solar
om their roofs.
Even with NO returns.
Having enuff to run home in sunshine time will help a lot.
and when these battery systems develop more.
Total supply, within sensible figures WILL be doable.
I wish I lived near a flowing creek.
Free electricity forever with a waterwheel and generator\s.
They DO work.
Had one in UK in '60's.
RustyD said
04:41 PM Jul 9, 2017
Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison & John Burroughs all had water wheels.
Actually I reckon (and lots of others) what you should do is pump water up in a tank with wind (when it blows) and solar power (during the day) and then run it back out thru a water wheel (kinetic energy) during the day to a ground level tank. The battery being water high up (potential energy). Same that is done in the Snowy power scheme that has been touted as being a lot more feasible when the coal runs out (or the greens stop us from mining the stuff).
Bagmaker said
05:41 PM Jul 9, 2017
Too many losses RustyD............
Battery would be cheaper unless its all laid out easily in front of you
Aus-Kiwi said
07:51 PM Jul 9, 2017
TV and lights use bugger all power . Parents had an air pump that pumped warm air in cealing to maintain warmth .
RustyD said
07:52 PM Jul 9, 2017
Bagmaker wrote:
Too many losses RustyD............ Battery would be cheaper unless its all laid out easily in front of you
I know it's a tad inefficient and it would probably need a few batteries in any case.
In the 1970s, I tried to make a wind generator by cutting a 12 gallon in 1/2 vertically and welding it back in an S-Shape and then have it drive a car alternator to power a car battery. The device featured in just about every "Self-sustainable-hippie" DIY magazine at the time. A school near me recently installed a bank of much larger commercially available ones. And they do not care what direction the wind is coming from.
I often wonder if houses will ultimately have 2 circuits thru them: 240v AC and 12v DC given the proliferation of 12v devices. No transformers heating up and using unnecessary power. Know a guy who has two banks of solar panels. One goes back to the grid, the other charges a bank of 12v batteries. He has a 12v circuit thru his house that is powered from the batteries for all the 12v appliances and a (diesel?) generator for his large appliances (fridge etc.). What he needs to do now is make his own diesel.
Aus-Kiwi said
08:11 PM Jul 9, 2017
The way Elect is going .. Even running a generater in peak ? Will possibly save . Houses up Napean river have been doing this for years . Solar and battary packs for light & TV ..
RustyD said
08:13 PM Jul 9, 2017
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
TV and lights use bugger all power . Parents had an air pump that pumped warm air in cealing to maintain warmth .
As long as lights are flouro or LED. I replaced 7 x 150w filament globes in my living area in last house with 7 x 18w flouro globes. That was in early 1980s when the globes first came out. Big difference.
In current house just replaced all those stupid halogen downlight globes (11 of them) with various LEDs. Also a big difference and now I can actually see.
TVs are not bad but use more than you think mainly because of how long they are running. The plasma TVs use heaps, more than the old CRTs. Just feel the heat coming out of them. Some people I had lunch with today were saying how much heat their plasma TV pumped out. I just have smaller LED/LCD that are essentially 12v. I reckon the transformer gets hotter than the screen.
What was the air pump? Pump warm air into ceiling? Hot air rises and goes there anyway. Ceiling fans can run both ways to circulate the hot air back down in winter or circulate upwards in summer.
macka17 said
12:04 AM Jul 10, 2017
Rusty.
A lot of homes run both now. Most, through the grid Inverter.
ONE of mine does Grid, T'other goes a mix of grid or\and battery. when set to loads.
A lot of mates (I'm sorting mine now.) Have Panels on roof to max limit through grid. With a separate set of panels, through separate Inverter\Reg. to own battery system. Or pool pump systems. NONaffiliated to Main grid System at all.
You'd be surprised how quickly you can recoup the outlay. even without the grants. If you set it right. And the prices you paying for systems nowadays. well.....
Plus. when you change the existing 17w globes for 3 or 5w LED's.
Lovely WHITE\not yellow light and virtually zilch consumption.
Magic.
GOOD ones are down to $23 ea now on net.
Our firstlot in Kitchen cost me near $100 each,
X 3. for 3 w.
-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 10th of July 2017 12:08:02 AM
RustyD said
10:22 AM Jul 10, 2017
The WHITE LED has been considered such an important invention that in 2014 the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to 3 scientists for inventing the blue LED and hence the white LED (mixing with red & green).
Neutral white is a yellowish. Stay away if you want "white".
It ain't.
There are around 7 differing levels of white.
With Yellow,Blue,Purple, Green tinges.
Go to a LED light forum and check tinges out.
BEFORE deciding on what shade to get.
"Candlepower forum" is a good one for reference.
Cupie said
10:40 PM Jul 12, 2017
Unfortunately, my solar is only 1.5KVA but with a 44c/KWh feed in. My Son has 5KVA.
With my set up the best strategy is to use as little power as possible during the day enjoying the feed in price.
HWS on the lower off peak tariff, but when it carks it I will look at a heat pump or an on demand gas system run off 8Kg bottles filled with auto gas.
I think that batteries are a bit off the page for me considering my age and the payback time scale. In any case we will probably change homes before we get ahead cost wise.
Aus-Kiwi said
12:34 AM Jul 14, 2017
RustyD wrote:
Aus-Kiwi wrote:
TV and lights use bugger all power . Parents had an air pump that pumped warm air in cealing to maintain warmth .
As long as lights are flouro or LED. I replaced 7 x 150w filament globes in my living area in last house with 7 x 18w flouro globes. That was in early 1980s when the globes first came out. Big difference.
In current house just replaced all those stupid halogen downlight globes (11 of them) with various LEDs. Also a big difference and now I can actually see.
TVs are not bad but use more than you think mainly because of how long they are running. The plasma TVs use heaps, more than the old CRTs. Just feel the heat coming out of them. Some people I had lunch with today were saying how much heat their plasma TV pumped out. I just have smaller LED/LCD that are essentially 12v. I reckon the transformer gets hotter than the screen.
What was the air pump? Pump warm air into ceiling? Hot air rises and goes there anyway. Ceiling fans can run both ways to circulate the hot air back down in winter or circulate upwards in summer.
Was in NZ .. Would work well here especially away from coast where Day temps are over 20* and down around 6* over night ..The pump was basically an extractor fan or fans .. It was computer controlled that when temps inside got to cold setting before roof temps dropped it would turn on and pump warm air trapped in roof .. usually between 11pm to 2am .. If your awake ? You can really feel the warmth .. Keeps house free of condensation too.. The top section of roof had extra tinfoil type insulation under rafters .. In hot conditions it can work the other way . I had Mercury vapour lights in house years ago . One or two light the whole house up.. Used in factories and street lights..
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Friday 14th of July 2017 12:36:14 AM
RustyD said
01:56 PM Jul 14, 2017
Aus-Kiwi.
Learn new things every day. Thanks for that reply about the heat pump.
Cruising Cruze said
08:13 PM Jul 14, 2017
@ Rusty
The numbers this time of year looks pretty good
How long will it take to earn that outlay back ???
Regards John
Cruising Cruze said
08:18 PM Jul 14, 2017
I was wandering as we have all ready the panels 3KW
1Q. Who has an battery pack installed at there house
2Q How big is the unit
3Q How much was the total price to install
Any info would be appreciated
Regards John
Aus-Kiwi said
11:00 PM Jul 14, 2017
Thought of battery ? But most our heavy load is through the day . With 12c feed in now . Near bouble is was before. I hope to save ..May usage is about $320 to $480 . With $58 feed in on 6c . Doesn't sound like I'm saving much? But you have to realise the pool pump, washing machine, stove, AC and HWS is used through the day . Including my fabricating, welding etc . I'm guessing I'm saving $700 a quarter ? As my power bill was $1200 . Per KW the price has gone up since fitting solar .
Pleased with my recent solar installation (15 x 265w panels). Today at noon it was "8 degrees / feels like 5" yet my house solar panels were running at just below 80% efficiency.
We put on a 5kw solar system mid last year. Before solar, our hot water was a 315lit off-peak with a 3.6kw element. I considered a dedicated solar hot water, but after talking to the consultant, we determined the best outcome, for us (two people only) was to reduce the element to 2.4kw and run it off the solar from 10AM to 4PM via a time switch. That's over 14kwh of free power going into the hot water. As well as the hot water we run our 2HP pool pump during the day in solar hours only, and try to use as much free power during the day as we can.
After just over a year of use, we have never run out of hot water, and have proved the settings work for us. I've put the readings into a spreadsheet each month (on the 1st). We are averaging a saving of $100 every month off our previous mains power bill. 60% of our daily use comes from solar, the 40% remainder is for nighttime usage, i.e cooking evening meal, refrigerator, lights, TV, etc. - we run the dishwasher in solar hours only, as well as the washing machine.
In spite of our total usage, we still manage to export 60% of our solar production back to the grid - but we only get 10c back for each kwh we export.
The biggest problem is the bxxxxy daily Access charge of $1.50 - that's $550 a year we are paying out to the supplier just to have the cable connected to our switchboard without even consuming a single watt - what a total rip-off.
In a few years when the price drops to realistic levels, I'm seriously considering a battery system, go fully self-contained and get the mains cut off totally - then the B...'s wont get another cent out of me.
Rather than going fully self contained, consider this type of thing. Read through their links.
Purchased an air-fryer a few months ago. That reduces power considerably. It's really a compact 2 serve, 1600w, fan-forced oven. Not any quicker but no need for a 15min warm up heating up a large area that one doesn't really need. Even works with our 2kW van generator.
Looking at the Power Walls but I'm thinking even if the cost does come down I still may not be around long enough to get the return, just my kids when they sell off my house when I move upstairs (or downstairs). Watching the SA / Elon Musk project intently.
Victoria's feed-back rates was legislated at 11.3c on July 1. Better than the 6.5c I was getting.
Being retired, we use all our major appliances during the day and the big payback when we are travelling. Also, spending on my house reduced my capital and increased my pension. PV panels have a short payback in my situation.
I'm also thinking my wife's next vehicle maybe a full EV. Been reading up on the BMW i3 and the Tesla 3. Out of my dollar range now and want over 350 km range. The i3 with the 650cc motorbike engine generator makes sense to me while battery is still limited.
There is just the 2 of us and hot water and cooking is with gas same as other place.
We saved around 60% off the power bill and hopefully achieve the same in the new abode.
Cheers
Vince
I was told that in QLD you cannot have anything switched on off peak supply but possibly that's wrong.
I like the idea of your setup A-K.
Regards
PLUS a 30 tube. "Evacuuated tubes" HWS
Power runs home. Pool Pumps and Aircond during day if sun out
(IF.. In QLD Ha Ha.)
over 10 yrs. I've had water heater sw on. on HWS maybe 30 days.
when family visiting, or coupla cloudy winter days is all.
Total install $16ish k.
Ran house. pool etc for all that time. Incl Air cond.
Hot water 24\7 empty tank as often as you like. Night and day.
Cash Returns have dropped from over $950 a yr to $570 this yr
.(Price increases). Returns are 41?c per kw till 2028..
Total Systems paid for themselves in around 8 yrs. yrs.
Am setting up panel\battery system to suit pool next.
I'm biased. Having used Solar since the '70's.
But anybody in a home. small business or mobile.
has rocks in their heads if the DON'T have some level of solar
om their roofs.
Even with NO returns.
Having enuff to run home in sunshine time will help a lot.
and when these battery systems develop more.
Total supply, within sensible figures WILL be doable.
I wish I lived near a flowing creek.
Free electricity forever with a waterwheel and generator\s.
They DO work.
Had one in UK in '60's.
Actually I reckon (and lots of others) what you should do is pump water up in a tank with wind (when it blows) and solar power (during the day) and then run it back out thru a water wheel (kinetic energy) during the day to a ground level tank. The battery being water high up (potential energy). Same that is done in the Snowy power scheme that has been touted as being a lot more feasible when the coal runs out (or the greens stop us from mining the stuff).
Battery would be cheaper unless its all laid out easily in front of you
I know it's a tad inefficient and it would probably need a few batteries in any case.
In the 1970s, I tried to make a wind generator by cutting a 12 gallon in 1/2 vertically and welding it back in an S-Shape and then have it drive a car alternator to power a car battery. The device featured in just about every "Self-sustainable-hippie" DIY magazine at the time. A school near me recently installed a bank of much larger commercially available ones. And they do not care what direction the wind is coming from.
I often wonder if houses will ultimately have 2 circuits thru them: 240v AC and 12v DC given the proliferation of 12v devices. No transformers heating up and using unnecessary power. Know a guy who has two banks of solar panels. One goes back to the grid, the other charges a bank of 12v batteries. He has a 12v circuit thru his house that is powered from the batteries for all the 12v appliances and a (diesel?) generator for his large appliances (fridge etc.). What he needs to do now is make his own diesel.
As long as lights are flouro or LED. I replaced 7 x 150w filament globes in my living area in last house with 7 x 18w flouro globes. That was in early 1980s when the globes first came out. Big difference.
In current house just replaced all those stupid halogen downlight globes (11 of them) with various LEDs. Also a big difference and now I can actually see.
TVs are not bad but use more than you think mainly because of how long they are running. The plasma TVs use heaps, more than the old CRTs. Just feel the heat coming out of them. Some people I had lunch with today were saying how much heat their plasma TV pumped out. I just have smaller LED/LCD that are essentially 12v. I reckon the transformer gets hotter than the screen.
What was the air pump? Pump warm air into ceiling? Hot air rises and goes there anyway. Ceiling fans can run both ways to circulate the hot air back down in winter or circulate upwards in summer.
Rusty.
A lot of homes run both now. Most, through the grid Inverter.
ONE of mine does Grid, T'other goes a mix of grid or\and battery.
when set to loads.
A lot of mates (I'm sorting mine now.) Have Panels on roof to max limit
through grid.
With a separate set of panels, through separate Inverter\Reg.
to own battery system. Or pool pump systems.
NONaffiliated to Main grid System at all.
You'd be surprised how quickly you can recoup the outlay. even without the grants.
If you set it right.
And the prices you paying for systems nowadays.
well.....
Plus. when you change the existing 17w globes for 3 or 5w LED's.
Lovely WHITE\not yellow light and virtually zilch consumption.
Magic.
GOOD ones are down to $23 ea now on net.
Our firstlot in Kitchen cost me near $100 each,
X 3. for 3 w.
-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 10th of July 2017 12:08:02 AM
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29518521
Then you come into the "shades" of white.
Neutral white is a yellowish. Stay away if you want "white".
It ain't.
There are around 7 differing levels of white.
With Yellow,Blue,Purple, Green tinges.
Go to a LED light forum and check tinges out.
BEFORE deciding on what shade to get.
"Candlepower forum" is a good one for reference.
Unfortunately, my solar is only 1.5KVA but with a 44c/KWh feed in. My Son has 5KVA.
With my set up the best strategy is to use as little power as possible during the day enjoying the feed in price.
HWS on the lower off peak tariff, but when it carks it I will look at a heat pump or an on demand gas system run off 8Kg bottles filled with auto gas.
I think that batteries are a bit off the page for me considering my age and the payback time scale. In any case we will probably change homes before we get ahead cost wise.
Was in NZ .. Would work well here especially away from coast where Day temps are over 20* and down around 6* over night ..The pump was basically an extractor fan or fans .. It was computer controlled that when temps inside got to cold setting before roof temps dropped it would turn on and pump warm air trapped in roof .. usually between 11pm to 2am .. If your awake ? You can really feel the warmth .. Keeps house free of condensation too.. The top section of roof had extra tinfoil type insulation under rafters .. In hot conditions it can work the other way . I had Mercury vapour lights in house years ago . One or two light the whole house up.. Used in factories and street lights..
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Friday 14th of July 2017 12:36:14 AM
Learn new things every day. Thanks for that reply about the heat pump.
The numbers this time of year looks pretty good
How long will it take to earn that outlay back ???
Regards John
1Q. Who has an battery pack installed at there house
2Q How big is the unit
3Q How much was the total price to install
Any info would be appreciated
Regards John