Solar Electricity

[FAY]

How good is this?
Is there always enough power so that you have NO electricity bills???
Or are there catches???

Prices??

 

[pyrodarknessanny]

i think its just to "offset" your power bill, as far as i know there is no perpetural energy schems/devices avalible. (althou that would be awesome to have unlimitat usage)

but no solar is mainly to offset your main bill, or so ive heard

 

[Kristy_07]

I know people that get money back from their solar set-ups. The initial cost is quite expensive, though. I'll be aiming to have a large solar system for our place in the next 3 years.

 

[Flaviruthless]

The initial cost is a lot (for lots of people this is prohibitory). However, you are able to send surplus power back into the electrical grid, so in that way it off sets your bill. As far as I am aware, the main problem with solar is the storage of the power so that it can then be used later (I could be wrong). Also, there are some issues with its efficiency, with most solar panels only using approximately 22% of the light that they receive in order to generate electricity. This being said, they will still function on an overcast day and they will still generate lots of electricity (it's just when compared to the initial output of energy by the sun they aren't as efficient as they could potentially be - I believe this is being looked at presently though).

 

[Snowman]

I think the best way to do it is have two meters and supply your whole pannel back to the grid. You can do it with one, but it seems a better option where the buy back is high.

 

[Snowman]

you are correct Rahni. They aren't always very efficient and this time of year they aren't very efficient at all in some areas. Unless you're putting back into the grid the cost of batteries would desolve any savings you make and end up costing you more. Also if you are being enviromentally friendly, the batteries which have a reasonable short life span are not that friendly...

 

[gruba10]

Hey, I actually install solar systems for a crust. And like ppl r saying, the initial cost is a fair bit but ppl that really do want it don't seem to care all too much from what I've experienced. You have to consider long time rather than short with the idea of solar.
And a big thing is YOU GET WHAT U PAY FOR! I'm installing systems that average around 6-7K for a 1.5kw system which is more than enough for an average house and you should be infront within a few yrs of the install. Mind u u can get a 1kw syst for 3000 but like I said u get wat u pay for. I just did a 2.6kw syst today and he was pulling it's full wattage on a good sunny winter day becoz that's when it's at it's most efficient.
So yes I'd say there totally worth it

 

[gruba10]

EXAMPLE: A 1.5kW system produces 2100kWh in one year.
Export: 1/3 of 2100 (700kWh x 66 cents = $462)
Import Saved: 2/3 of 2100. If it costs 25 cents to buy electricity then (1400kWh x 25 cents = $350)
Total saving: $812

hope that makes sense to you

 

[Kristy_07]

Thanks, gruba. There's 812 good reasons to go ahead with my solar plan

 

[gruba10]

Thanks, gruba. There's 812 good reasons to go ahead with my solar plan

happy to help, thats a rough estimate but yeah for an average 1.5KW system they generally make about that per year so i just use that as an example for customers n stuff also...
Put it this way, if solar systems were crap, i wouldnt have the rest of the year booked out for jobs already

 

[cracksinthepitch]

interesting however in vic we dont get 24 hours of sunlight 365 days a year. i have a 2kw system and most systems panels are only 80 to 90% efficient, on a nice sunny 28 oC day i get 1850 watts generating the hotter it gets the less efficient they get, today mild 16oC day im getting 540 watts at last look. There is sooooo much spin in regards to these systems. Great if you're in qld were the buy back tariff is large but pretty average down here in Vic where its low. Will take me 15 years at least to pay mine off.

 

[gruba10]

hmm. if your generating 540watts on a 2kw system in the sun of a winter day thats deffinatly not right :S as you said the hotter the panels the less efficient, thats why on a sunny day in the winter the panels are at there most efficient. mind you you are dead right about the panels very rarely being able to peek at there supposed wattage in vic.
But it also comes down to the brand of everything aswell. you can pay a cheap price for cheap panels and inverter and you will get cheap results, one of the companies i install for only use top gear and you can totally notice the difference.
a 2.6 system i installed about 10 or so days ago, i saw the customer today and he informed me he had 2 days straight an output of 2400 on hes inverter, so it all depends on the area, time of day, place of panels, length of cables, sunlight..... you have to consider all those factors to produce the systems FULL capacity. some houses benefit ALOT more than others.

 

[Tikanderoga]

There was a simliar thread here in the forum linking to this page:
click me

and I have to admit, I've been thinking about installing solar panels as well.

 

[slim6y]

There was an ABC Catalyst show about a house in Sydney (but be warned, he was a very well of doctor) that fully converted his house to solar and was able to actually sell back to the grid.

You can download this episode from Catalyst for free.... I'll have a look to see if I can find it.

(you have the ability of magical time)

I just looked on the Catalyst site - I think its from 2008 and they've taken those down now - I do have the video on my school lappy - so I can upload it to a upload site if you're interested.

Cheers

 

[Stevo2]

LOL - $815 per year is great, but dont forget to factor in the set up cost of $5000+

Also, if you do choose to go ahead - steer clear of Clear Solar. I'm booked with them for a 2KW system; their customer service is atrocious and I have NO idea when they're actually going to install the system. That's after I've already paid a $1250 deposit....

 

[Stevo2]

interesting however in vic we dont get 24 hours of sunlight 365 days a year. i have a 2kw system and most systems panels are only 80 to 90% efficient, on a nice sunny 28 oC day i get 1850 watts generating the hotter it gets the less efficient they get, today mild 16oC day im getting 540 watts at last look. There is sooooo much spin in regards to these systems. Great if you're in qld were the buy back tariff is large but pretty average down here in Vic where its low. Will take me 15 years at least to pay mine off.

The average over a year is 5-7 hours of collection per day. That gives 5-7kw/pday for a 1kw system, 7.5-10.5kw/pday for a 1.5kw system and 10-14kw/pday for a 2kw system average - though you do then need to deduct some for the loss due to inefficiency.

Actually, most panels are now 90%+ efficient. Even the first example you gave gives an efficiency of 92.5%...

 

[gruba10]

yeah as said, the initial cost is a bit hefty straight up. but the reason people are getting them are purely for long term benefits, and it will benefit some straight away if they actually have the cash to pay it upfront easily LOL.
as for the Clear Solar remark, i dont know where you are located but funnily enough one of the companies i install for is clear solar lol, i can understand your frustration, trust me im the one that cops it because im the one that turns up and meets the customers :S, but after explaining the reason behind the delays and after the installation they are much better and are very happy with the system.
There are delays with anyone you end up choosing, mainly the factor of the delays in equiptment from overseas because of high demand throughout all the companies, aswell as the fact of booking up WAY too many jobs to what the installers can acctually handle sometimes. This week i am even having to have a week off (which is great!) but is purely the fact of no equiptment, and thats the whole 5 companies i install for. just a heads up before dishing out too much blame for the wrong reasons.

 

[Stevo2]

yeah as said, the initial cost is a bit hefty straight up. but the reason people are getting them are purely for long term benefits, and it will benefit some straight away if they actually have the cash to pay it upfront easily LOL.
as for the Clear Solar remark, i dont know where you are located but funnily enough one of the companies i install for is clear solar lol, i can understand your frustration, trust me im the one that cops it because im the one that turns up and meets the customers :S, but after explaining the reason behind the delays and after the installation they are much better and are very happy with the system.
There are delays with anyone you end up choosing, mainly the factor of the delays in equiptment from overseas because of high demand throughout all the companies, aswell as the fact of booking up WAY too many jobs to what the installers can acctually handle sometimes. This week i am even having to have a week off (which is great!) but is purely the fact of no equiptment, and thats the whole 5 companies i install for. just a heads up before dishing out too much blame for the wrong reasons.

I appreciate the insight . It's not hard to keep me happy as a customer though - a simple reply to an email is usually all it takes, rather than ignoring me. I'm in Townsville and Clear Solar is trying to branch out up here from their Brisbane office. I know who their sub-contractor is and am tempted to contact them direct just to see if they know anything about my installation.

 

[gruba10]

I appreciate the insight . It's not hard to keep me happy as a customer though - a simple reply to an email is usually all it takes, rather than ignoring me. I'm in Townsville and Clear Solar is trying to branch out up here from their Brisbane office. I know who their sub-contractor is and am tempted to contact them direct just to see if they know anything about my installation.

i was actually going to mention that, what i usually do now is hand out our electrical cards aswell for the customers to call me direct, rather than having to rely on the solar company, because lets be honest, when it comes to anything other than sales they dont want to know about it lol.
good luck anyways, its totally worth it in the long run. after every install i am learning more and more about the whole solar craze!

 

[Stevo2]

Dont get me wrong - I cant wait for my 2.15kw Hyundai system (10 x 215w panels) to be installed; it's just that I keep having the niggling feeling that I'm being scammed.