Solar Panels

[lovestotravel]

Can’t you get 10c?

A few specific plans have 11c feed-in but that's offset by the extra 5-10c per kKW for usage charges.

The best way to make money is to use all the power you need/can during the day, washing/heating/dryer/dishwasher etc and feed the leftover into a battery.

Assuming your system/battery etc last over about 3 years anything after that is profit

Of course with elec prices going up in Victoria again and again day time usage and a battery solution is your best bet

 

[Pushka]

Interesting, it cost us $30,000 for 6.2Kw in South Australia in 2011 but it just cost me $15,000 for 19.25Kw today.

Cost us $5000 in July in country SA for 6.2 kw.

Post automatically merged: Oct 31, 2022

A few specific plans have 11c feed-in but that's offset by the extra 5-10c per kKW for usage charges.

The best way to make money is to use all the power you need/can during the day, washing/heating/dryer/dishwasher etc and feed the leftover into a battery.

Assuming your system/battery etc last over about 3 years anything after that is profit

Of course with elec prices going up in Victoria again and again day time usage and a battery solution is your best bet

Which is a total switch of how to use power pre solar.

 

[Rnwillia]

Cost us $5000 in July in country SA for 6.2 kw.

Post automatically merged: Oct 31, 2022

Which is a total switch of how to use power pre solar.

Thank the climate activists for that! And the crazy Victorian government is forcing the early closure of Loy Yang! Victorian’s will pay dearly for that. Let’s hope that the wind keeps blowing and the sun shines bright in the future, albeit we are in for one of the coldest Summers for many years this year.

 

[Pushka]

Thank the climate activists for that! And the crazy Victorian government is forcing the early closure of Loy Yang! Victorian’s will pay dearly for that. Let’s hope that the wind keeps blowing and the sun shines bright in the future, albeit we are in for one of the coldest Summers for many years this year.

Don’t get me started on that . Too fast too soon unfortunately.

 

[leadman]

Agree, the conversion to electric, whether it be car or house, is far too fast. Working in the mining/metals industry, people are going to be in for a big shock as there is just not enough of the metals "out of the ground" to do these massive conversions. The amount of copper alone needed is phenomenal!
But on the other hand, I see the scars of the old industry; standing on the back steps, I can see the massive ash dams built in what was a pristine valley. Then the coal mines and open cuts that were never revegetated. More "keep out" signs than at a prison. And let's not forget the asbestos exposed to the elements, which they have just decided needs covering up after sixty years.

Wandering a bit off-topic, but it's a Monday.........

 

[TheRealTMA]

Don’t get me started on that . Too fast too soon unfortunately.

Off topic: "Thread: Each week I’m running a simulation of Australia’s main electricity grid using rescaled generation data to show that it can get very close to 100% renewable electricity with just 5 hrs of storage."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1585097556501368832

 

[GarrettM]

Would be keen to know who you choose and how you go. We're maybe 9 months behind you.

I'll update when I can. Happy to keep and send on info later as well should you need it.

 

[JessicaTam]

Bringing this thread back on topic ... [hint! ]

I am about to move into a house with a 4-5kW system so will be looking to add a few kW and maybe a battery at the same time.

Has anyone got a recommendation for an installer in West Gippsland?

 

[eastwest101]

A few specific plans have 11c feed-in but that's offset by the extra 5-10c per kKW for usage charges.

The best way to make money is to use all the power you need/can during the day, washing/heating/dryer/dishwasher etc and feed the leftover into a battery.

Assuming your system/battery etc last over about 3 years anything after that is profit

Of course with elec prices going up in Victoria again and again day time usage and a battery solution is your best bet

"The best only way to make money is to use all the power you need/can during the day, washing/heating/dryer/dishwasher etc and feed the leftover into a battery.

Assuming your system/battery etc last over about 3 years anything after that is profit"

Fixed that for you. I see what you mean though.

In other words - locking yourself at home and incurring the capital cost of converting your home into a standalone power station and battery complex, and then externalizing the cost onto other electricity consumers/users, and hoping that your batteries & inverter last longer than 5-7 years. So far battery technology has meant that batteries were becoming cheaper, but as we hit the battery metal crunch its easy to see the price of batteries becoming more expensive in the future, along with the issue of solar panel degradation and compatibility issues with inverters having to be replaced.

 

[lovestotravel]

Which is a total switch of how to use power pre solar.

Yes I have the routine down pat, but it's hard getting the +1 onboard with less heating/cooling at night and doing all the washing during the day etc

 

[Pushka]

Yes I have the routine down pat, but it's hard getting the +1 onboard with less heating/cooling at night and doing all the washing during the day etc

We tend to cool down or warm up the place during the day and usually switch off around 10 if extremely hot/cold or earlier if milder. Washing always done in daytime. This place, when we finally get a summer, gets really hot as it's considered northern country SA. Near Port Pirie which is super hot.

 

[Quickstatus]

Our 6.6 kw solar system

One way to think about solar production is the concept of peak solar hours.

Basically how many hours of 100% production can my solar panels produce each day.

Depends on location (latitude)

In South Australia in summer expect 8 hrs and in winter 4 hrs (approximately)

So in summer your 6.6 kW system will give you the equivalent of 8 hrs of electricity production at 100% capacity.

The 100% capacity will in turn depend on your actual panels, orientation, angle of panels off horizontal, temperature of panels

 

[Quickstatus]

My gas instant Hot water died.

So I replaced it with an old school Rheem 400L single element storage water heater

Plus
A CatchPower power diverter which senses when there is solar power export to the grid and diverts it to the electric HWS. It has to ability to sense when the HWS needs a boost using off peak electricity.

I set the HWS to the highest possible temp and then got the plumber to install a temperature reduction valve so that the water appearing at tue tap is safe. That way the solar panels can heat the water to the highest possible temp and is still safe at the tap

After I installed the HWS, I discovered that Rheem has a 315L with a triple element for 3 phase electricity, but that would need a 3 phase power diverter which are tricky and requires some DIY.

 

[lovestotravel]

My plumber is trying to get me to install a heat pump hot water system, I'm sceptical of the lower pressure and lower water temps and slower heating it will provide.

Anyone have experiences with these ?

Currently have a 15 year old 390L gas storage tank hot water which we love but it's about to die

 

[Quickstatus]

heat pump hot water system

I thought of a heat pump after my gas HWS died

But as I have lots of excess solar it was actually better with my system than a heat pump.

If you have lots of excess solar maybe consider my system. Consider the HWS as a form of battery.

 

[Pushka]

My plumber is trying to get me to install a heat pump hot water system, I'm sceptical of the lower pressure and lower water temps and slower heating it will provide.

Anyone have experiences with these ?

Currently have a 15 year old 390L gas storage tank hot water which we love but it's about to die

I had no idea that the pump hot water system reduced pressure etc.

 

[Quickstatus]

hot water system reduced pressure etc.

Likely misinformation as storage HWS whatever their hearing mechanism requires just mains water pressure. I don’t think it’s true

 

[GarrettM]

Just wondering about combining our likely solar spend with a QF points haul attempt. I assume, after looking at some T&Cs on one card, that such a purchase would comfortably fit under eligible spending criteria?

Not sure the wife is on board with this idea though. We abandoned our short-lived CC and points chasing a couple years ago to make life easier.

 

[TomVexille]

Just wondering about combining our likely solar spend with a QF points haul attempt. I assume, after looking at some T&Cs on one card, that such a purchase would comfortably fit under eligible spending criteria?

Not sure the wife is on board with this idea though. We abandoned our short-lived CC and points chasing a couple years ago to make life easier.

That's what I did.

 

[Flashback]

Just wondering about combining our likely solar spend with a QF points haul attempt. I assume, after looking at some T&Cs on one card, that such a purchase would comfortably fit under eligible spending criteria?

Not sure the wife is on board with this idea though. We abandoned our short-lived CC and points chasing a couple years ago to make life easier.

If it's marginal or no cost, then why not eh!