Home solar panels

moamajohn · Guru

Home solar panels

Explorer · Guru

Westy Hi, Unfortunately it is a little complicated, just a bit. You need to establish A Your normal electricity useage. B The projected electricity generated by Your new system. ( You would need to get a proposal from that solar guy.) C Input credits for Your area.The solar guy will have estimated generating figures for Your area.

When You have a guestimate of how much power Your system will generate as opposed to what You would normally use should start to give You a bit of an idea. Small changes as to how You use electricty will make a lot of difference.

As the power Your system generates attracts an input credit the more You send back to the grid the better, so use as little as possible when the sun is shining.

I do my laundry & other higher use appliances that is convenient,after the sun if off my panels. With a 3kw system have not paid ANY electricity bill but have had a bit over $2000. returned to me in 5 years.

Mike.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

We installed a 5kw system 2 years ago. We use an average of 25kw per day and the solar contributes about half of this, the excess is fed back into the grid. Normal cost per day for us would be about $9, but this is halved with solar. The feed in tariff is only about 8c. Our system cost us $7800 plus $680 for a new meter. At a saving of about $1500 per year it will take us about 6 years to pay for it as well as feeling better out the green emissions. Ours was a bit dearer as we opted for better quality cells and a better inverter.

macka17 · Guru

Hi.
we got a 4.2 kw system. Plus 30 tube "evacuated tube" hot water system.
Around 7/8 yrs ago.
Combined cost to us was near $16k, but they a LOT cheaper now with basically cheap mfg Chines panels
(not all but most).
I notice they going down to 15 yr wty nowadays.

My Solar are split. 1.2kw on Latronics Inverter, which has a "thingy" in there that lets me charge battery's to run pool pumps for free. As well as feed the grid when they full.

T'other 3 kw feeds house. Will run Aircond and house on normal daily usage, on a sunny day
plus put a trickle into grid.

We also get an average of $670 cash back per quarter, (for 3 of them.

one quarter we have to pay a bit towards) after running house and services.

It dropped from $970 per at beginning.
Showing how much the electricity has risen over that time.

2 people, 1 cat' 2 storey Central QLD.

Evac tubes HWS has had electric element turned on for around 35/37 days over the 8 yrs it been in.
Apart from that, all the free hot you want ALL day virtually.
It just keeps pouring hot water into tank even overnight.
Not just the one serve like electric ones do.

GO on Solar forums and look.

BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING.....

There are a lot of rubbish systems, Panel, Inverters out there.
You WILL regret if you go on price....

Pay the bit extra and you'll come away happy for a lot of yrs.
My German panels have 20yr wty. Inverter 15 yr wty.

We like you. Me 75 on 17th June. Madam 70 in Sep't.
We ain't going anywhere but a vase on shelf.

Get a solar sparky to estimate what you'll need in panel area to cover your full usage during daytime.
With a little left over.

-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 31st of May 2016 06:53:34 PM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

You can have more KW in solar than inverter . We have 6KW. But single phase 5 kW inverter which is max solar per phase in NSW . Ours was $7000 . Including SMART meter . Our 1/4 bills went from $800 - $1200 down to $400 - $500 . We use most our high load through the day. Pool, washing machine, hot water. Heater on timer which seems to have lowered our usage by another $100. The LED lights and LED TV at night hardly uses power . We even cook earlier or have our main meal at lunch time now we have retired . Yes its worth it but you have to change a few things like timers or using high load appliances early in day . Especially hot water ..we have and use a Spa too . I worked in the elect supply industry . Yes use it while sun shines .. Don't worry about the 6c buy back .. They sell it to your neighbour for 27c. Use it or lose it .

Desert Dweller · Senior Member

We've lived in the same house for over 40 years. Our Son had a solar system installed on his recently built house & said that we should do the same. We couldn't be bothered mainly because it's going to take a long time to recoup the initial outlay of many thousands of dollars & at 66 years of age are we going to live long enough to recoup it at all. It's OK for him, he's on just turned 30 years of age so probably has another 40-50 years to recover the cost & save in the long run.
Also, because we spend half of every year away traveling our home electricity & all other utilities bills are small already particularly with an aged pension discount. Basically it would be a waste of money unless we live to 100.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

Desert Dweller wrote:
We've lived in the same house for over 40 years. Our Son had a solar system installed on his recently built house & said that we should do the same. We couldn't be bothered mainly because it's going to take a long time to recoup the initial outlay of many thousands of dollars & at 66 years of age are we going to live long enough to recoup it at all. It's OK for him, he's on just turned 30 years of age so probably has another 40-50 years to recover the cost & save in the long run.
Also, because we spend half of every year away traveling our home electricity & all other utilities bills are small already particularly with an aged pension discount. Basically it would be a waste of money unless we live to 100.

As I said before it will only take 6 years to pay for a system. While you are away the system will still generate electricity that it is then fed back into the grid. Even at a low feedin tariff, this sill amounts to .08*21*200=$336 back to you while you are away for 200 days. Add this to a saving of .33*12.5*165=$680 while you are home plus your feedin tariff while home of .08*12.5*165=$165. This gives a savings each year of $1181. At a rate of $7000 for a 5kw system it is paid for in under 6 years and if it (and you) last another 14 years it means you are in front by $16534.

These figure are based on my usage and electricity costs:

33c per KW

8c per kw feedin tariff

daily usage of 25 kw metered

daily production of 21 kw.

These figures are our averages for the last 19 months.

moamajohn · Guru

Thank you folks you have all been informative and honest .This is exactly what we wanted to read and now ponder on it .Cheers

Woody n Sue · Guru

We put a 5 kW system in about 6-7 years ago cost us about $16,000 but we are getting $.66 per kW put back into the grid, haven't payed a power bill since we get a credit every month it has payed for itself now used to get a power bill $400 - $600 per quarter last month got a credit for $78.64 month before $199.05 ( ad to that that we would have previously been paying $4-600 each quarter ) more sunshine haven't knowingly changed anything in our usage since before solar have been thinking I should put a sun tracker on it I'd get even more $ back from it best move we made back then I know you bearly get payed for the power you put back in now so it all about using what you make so you buy less each month for the power company perhaps these days it's better to look at putting in a battery bank with it so you don't buy any power only put some back in when batteries are full but don't know about the costs of a battery setup.
When electricity gets so dear that we start to get a bill again it will have payed us enough that it would have payed for a battery setup so I will just get some and go it alone and maybe let the existing system continue to put power back onto the grid until they stop paying me. $0.66 a kW .
Just our experience
Woody

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Just do it.
It is the right thing to do to help this planet that we are thrashing to death.

Cheers,
Peter

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Being a self funded retiree. We wanted to reduce our expenses . This was one major reduction.. We rent our house out to family while away . Pays our fuel while noMADi g ..

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Being a self funded retiree. We wanted to reduce our expenses . This was one major reduction.. We rent our house out to family while away . Pays our fuel while noMADing ..

macka17 · Guru

Charge your family?

I get one of my 9 Grandaughter to come round and live in ours for the 2 or 3 months we Overseas.

What you were saying above about oversize panels to Inv is true too.
The techs I've spoken to over the yrs say depending on the part of country you live in. Around 7kw of panels.
is prime number.
It tops inverter up to it's 5kw max, on less than full sunny days and just puts excess into either the ether
or a battery bank you can set up depending on Inverter bought. On full sun days.

Either way you get more into your system to use or sell. Within the 5kw limit which Inv controls.

Hey, we had a spa but with pool we had one built in and run pool heaters to keep it at 32deg all yr.
Great for missus Arthritis. Costs around $900 per yr, above household electrical usage.
So we still pocket around $600ish per annum.

And that young fella earlier talking about not living till Whenever.

DOn't count on it. I've been clinically dead once. 75 on 17th june.
Mum died at 98 and most of my ancestors live to other side of the century.
Missus 70 in Sept. all her ancestors for 4 generations didn't make it much past 62.

You never know mate.

Origin Tomorrer......................................... Go the Maroons.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Like all the solar devices they all depend on how much sun they get if your mounting isn't exactly right the efficiency is c compromised and there's only a very short period when they produce at full capacity and like all things there output fails over time .. If your running off your system then producing your own seems a good deal but feeding the grid at a tariff return of less than 10 cent per KW and buying it back at 33 per KW seems to be fuzzy logic . A saving of a $200 per year all seems to much bother for me . The biggest electrical cost for any household is cooking hot water that no one ever seem to use all of it and just keeps recooking .. Teach the kids to turn out lights when they leave the room and turn off the LED TV when not watching it and dress appropriately for the conditions and your yearly savings will be about the same without a $7000.00 outlay and put it towards a holiday in the sun . LOL

macka17 · Guru

Wombat.

Depends on how you do it.

Ours, original sect, was up there around 9 yrs ago now (maybe more?) plus solar water.

Orig cost near $16k, Well paid off. (Can't remember figures.)
But we run a 2 story house. fully. with an 8x4 pool plus spa and heaters 32deg all yr.
and they a lot cheaper nowadays.

We Got $900plus PA. returns at beginning. with around $850 taken out of that when we ran pool heaters all winter.

Nowaday.. still runs whole house. (With as much hot water as you want. Not just one tankful
It reheats all day)

and we get $640 this yr. (Electricity rises)
Will cost us around $250-300 actual cash added to, if we use pool heaters all time.

That includes running air cond in summer at 20/21 deg and rev cycle heater on it at 24/25deg all winter.
It's on now. will be till around end of July early Aug.

W don't skimp. and up to 2'30 to 4am most nights. I don't sleep much (broken neck)

Ours is/was worth every cent. and at todays price even more so..

Nowadays you just assess your complete daily usage. Adjust timetable to do everything during daylight hrs.
When poss. Harder to do if you work.

Then order solar to suit that plus a little more to suit.

As Kiwi says though. More panels that Inv gives you more efficiency.

Look at an Inv that does Battery's too for the future.
Mate bought a 5kw that does. and is slowly adding battery's.
One a yr. has 5 now. (He's gone 24v)
Another few yrs. Off Grid more panels and awayyyy.

Hewy54 · Senior Member

Wombat 280 wrote:
Like all the solar devices they all depend on how much sun they get if your mounting isn't exactly right the efficiency is c compromised and there's only a very short period when they produce at full capacity and like all things there output fails over time .. If your running off your system then producing your own seems a good deal but feeding the grid at a tariff return of less than 10 cent per KW and buying it back at 33 per KW seems to be fuzzy logic . A saving of a $200 per year all seems to much bother for me . The biggest electrical cost for any household is cooking hot water that no one ever seem to use all of it and just keeps recooking .. Teach the kids to turn out lights when they leave the room and turn off the LED TV when not watching it and dress appropriately for the conditions and your yearly savings will be about the same without a $7000.00 outlay and put it towards a holiday in the sun . LOL

Do you read any previous posts? I outlined clearly that the savings are about $1181 per year. That much saving is worth the bother to me.

-- Edited by Hewy54 on Saturday 4th of June 2016 07:50:37 PM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Yep I'm saving an easy $500 a quarter and we don't skimp or live like a refugee to do it .

LLD · Senior Member

I've crunched all the numbers. A 4-5kW would do me. Been looking at this every other year for over 15 years now and get cold feet. As I get older, the payback actually gets shorter. Vaguely remember my first number crunching was a 25 year payback. My biggest issue is getting a reliable installer. Panels and inverters seem to have sorted themselves out in that I think only the better quality products have survived. Six years ago there were at least 10 solar local panel installers, most being franchised, but with a local installer. Now I can only find one. All the franchised installers have 1300 or 1800 numbers and add travel dollars if they travel - which is not always noted in original quote.

A neighbour had panels installed a few years ago. The installer faced them South on a roof that sloped downwards towards the north. Had to go to a lot of trouble to get the angles right. All us other neighbours were in disbelief until the panels were all turned around after the owner himself spotted what had happened.

Badly burnt (pun intended) 6 years ago by my then current energy company who was also selling solar. What the slimy salesman told me on the phone was very different to what was on the contract that was mailed to me. Luckily everything is recorded (for training purposes - yeah!) so I was able to prove that the salesman was lying thru his teeth. Eventually got my deposit back but not before it all turned ugly and the Ombudsman got involved.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Doesn't take a scholar to work out facing nor nor /west is the best direction . I have solar from when sun shine through the window . I try to use things like washing machine , pool pump, dish washer about 10 o'clock . A/C on . So water heater has all day to recover . About $100 goes into grid . But really I would rather be using it !! Power is only going to increase. I wouldn't pay until panels where fitted properly ! Never ever pay the full amount !! Why the negativity ? Yea be careful who you get ? The local elect authority have solar agents also .. At extra cost in most cases .

Wombat 280 · Guru

Given the stated saving the owners must live about a km from the sun 24/7 and the panels are on a travel mech to match the sun's track with the earths rotation . Even with the most optimistic scientific predictions 50% efficiency is a good call ( Source DATA CSIRO Solar Division )

Now Open for discussion

Hewy54 · Senior Member

Wombat 280 wrote:
Given the stated saving the owners must live about a km from the sun 24/7 and the panels are on a travel mech to match the sun's track with the earths rotation . Even with the most optimistic scientific predictions 50% efficiency is a good call ( Source DATA CSIRO Solar Division )

Now Open for discussion

Not really sure of the point of your post. I have simply given my actual figures for the last 19 months.

macka17 · Guru

Depends where you live.
Kiwi and I live in best part of Aust. and sun shines 11 months of yr.
Winter? is about 7 weeks long on a bad one.

We get a LOT of sun. and mobile panel systems for working man a waste of money.
Fixed at right inclination for position on planet and Angle to North/West is most efficient.
Proven.
I'd say we get over 50% at times.

Cloak · Guru

Home batteries are just starting to hit the market.
In a few years we will be able to be off grid.
I don't see the point in setting up solar without batteries I mean selling at 8c and buying it back at 25c isn't a great investment return.
It's possible to recharge your EV from this setup too, but essential to have decent batteries.
One more thing I'm extremely disappointed with the slow or no progress with fuel cells... just another vaporware made up by sharks.

Apparently in some parts of USA and Canada it's illegal to go off grid, they are running scared, unable to change with the times.

Sorry I've drifted off subject again...... Going to take a nap.

hako · Guru

Cloak wrote:
SNIP
Apparently in some parts of USA and Canada it's illegal to go off grid, they are running scared, unable to change with the times.

SNIP

It's the same with domestic water supply - you MUST pay a standing water charge for water supply if the service goes past your house whether you are connected or not. Currently $600 p.a. in Toowoomba.

Regards

aussie_paul · Guru

Back in 1984 we wanted to build on land that was excess to our Motel needs. We had leased the motel. I wanted to use rainwater tanks. The water authority/councils would not let us unless we paid $15k to have water connected as we were the first along our road!! No water connection no building approval!! They would not allow us to use water from our own roof into our own tanks!!

Fortunately, when we were running the motel ourselves, a small adjoining allotment with services came up for auction and I bought it. I told the solicitor to combine the titles and he recommended not to so I took his advice. Now it got interesting, I re arranged the 2 titles so that the small allotment had a narrow strip joining where we wanted to build. A cost of $1500. biggrin

Council had no option but to approve our house!! Don't you just love a win over the authorities?? I sure did!!! biggrin

These days that same lot of authorities requires me to have a tank if I build. disbelief

Aussie Paul. smile

p.s. Sorry a little off topic.

dogbox · Guru

Cloak wrote:

Home batteries are just starting to hit the market.

In a few years we will be able to be off grid.

I don't see the point in setting up solar without batteries I mean selling at 8c and buying it back at 25c isn't a great investment return.

It's possible to recharge your EV from this setup too, but essential to have decent batteries.

One more thing I'm extremely disappointed with the slow or no progress with fuel cells... just another vaporware made up by sharks.

Apparently in some parts of USA and Canada it's illegal to go off grid, they are running scared, unable to change with the times.

Sorry I've drifted off subject again...... Going to take a nap.

my understanding is you use the power you produce so you don,t buy it at 25c an any excess is sold to them at 8c

aussie_paul · Guru

dogbox wrote:

my understanding is you use the power you produce so you don,t buy it at 25c an any excess is sold to them at 8c

Absolutely Use as much electricity as you can during sunlight hours.

Aussie Paul. smile

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.