Boosting CF with Solar Power from IPs

[Ergophobia]

I was just wondering if anyone had considered this?

If you have solar panels installed on your investment properties, is it possible to get paid for the power they produce rather than it comming off the tennants bill?

say you had 10 IPs with 2.5kW solar units on them youd be generating 2.5x10x12 = 3000 kWh per day @ say 20c/kwh = $60/day or 22k/year

 

[Propertunity]

Read this thread: http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71281
Then this one: http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73195

....and the many others already posted on the subject.

 

[Ergophobia]

Thanks, I searched for "Solar" but nothing jumped out

 

[Ergophobia]

ok so after further reading the grid buys power at a cheaper rate than it sells it.

In WA currently people get 7c/kWh and you can get a 1.5kW system for $1290. So 1.5kW x 12h x 365d x 7c = $459.90 / year or a yeild of 35%. Looks good to me.

So all id need to do is get it installed on a separate meter and set up another electricity account that only generates power while the tennant is on their own account that consumes power.

 

[nww]

I did have an idea to collect a heap of old car batteries hook them up
to a solar panel then set up some spot lights over my solar grid system panels
to generate more power at night but the inverter seems to be programed to
cutout during night times.
So Im now looking into extracting free power from my phoneline.

 

[wobbycarly]

ok so after further reading the grid buys power at a cheaper rate than it sells it.

In WA currently people get 7c/kWh and you can get a 1.5kW system for $1290. So 1.5kW x 12h x 365d x 7c = $459.90 / year or a yeild of 35%. Looks good to me.

So all id need to do is get it installed on a separate meter and set up another electricity account that only generates power while the tennant is on their own account that consumes power.

Will you get the 1.5kW for 12 hours every day? I know solar panels will still generate when it's cloudy, but I wouldn't expect it to be at peak.

 

[Ergophobia]

short answer is no.


I spoke to our power systems guy at work who is pretty passionate about renewable energy at a domestic level and he pointed out these interesting facts:

There are a number of factors that affect the efficiency. The main ones being the angle (should be the same as your latitude so about 30degrees here) orientation ( I have a good north facing roof) and temperature (the efficiency drops off when they get hot so that you actually get better efficiency in autumn and spring than the middle of summer.) he said if I have good exposure, to base it on 75% averaged out over the year. So my yeild drops to about 26%... still good.

In WA we have a nett tarrif, meaning that the cost of power is calculated at the time you use it. So mornings and evenings when I use most of my power and draw from the grid ill pay 20c and during the day when im generating power ill get paid for the excess at 7c. In NSW they have a gross tarrif meaning that the total usage is balanced with the total power generated to calculate the bill or credit.

I wish id come up with this plan when people were getting 45c per kWh and locked it in for ten years

 

[BMan]

worst thing is you woulds still have to pay a supply charge per day even if you werent using it and just generating
what a few people i know do is keep the electricity in there name and charge the tenant a higher rent
that way you get the money generated in your bank and get higher yield from rent

 

[Aaron Sice]

I did have an idea to collect a heap of old car batteries hook them up
to a solar panel then set up some spot lights over my solar grid system panels
to generate more power at night but the inverter seems to be programed to
cutout during night times.
So Im now looking into extracting free power from my phoneline.

car batteries wont work - they're not deep cell.

you need navy salvage ex-submarine batteries, or you can buy deep-cell batteries brand new for about $1200 a piece.

phone line is only a few volts, you can (but dont) put the line on the end of your tongue and get the 9V battery tingle.

 

[wylie]

phone line is only a few volts, you can (but dont) put the line on the end of your tongue and get the 9V battery tingle.

You DO know that a few people are going to do this at the first opportunity, don't you . They will be male people .

 

[The Y-man]

So my yeild drops to about 26%... still good.

But wait..... when you take depreciation and maintenance repair into account.... what is your real return?

The Y-man

 

[The Y-man]

You DO know that a few people are going to do this at the first opportunity, don't you . They will be male people .

wao waili hao dith you no i wath goin to twai it?

The Y-man

 

[BMan]

phone line is only a few volts, you can (but dont) put the line on the end of your tongue and get the 9V battery tingle.

i wonder if you could run an inverter off it to create some decent free power
although at the size of the wires i wouldnt like it running constantly

I did have an idea to collect a heap of old car batteries hook them up
to a solar panel then set up some spot lights over my solar grid system panels
to generate more power at night but the inverter seems to be programed to
cutout during night times.
So Im now looking into extracting free power from my phoneline.

also why not add those panels into system? you would gain alot more from doing that

 

[zepth]

From what I understand of the legislation in most states you have to actually be living in the property to claim the feed in tariff making this not really viable.

Even if you keep the bill in your name if you are found out for living elsewhere you could get in some serious trouble and be required to pay your tariff back since the states are offering the tariffs as an incentive to people to bring down power use in their ppor.

At best you can hope to get a higher rental rate in the same way other luxuries such as aircon, dishwasher etc attract a higher rent but I would not count on it being enough to justify the cost of installing

 

[DaveM]

What about if you put solar panels on your house and granny flat?

 

[Ergophobia]

What about if you put solar panels on your house and granny flat?

Doesn't matter where you put them, as long as they get good exposure

 

[evand]

facing north. Or thereabouts.

Doesn't matter where you put them, as long as they get good exposure

 

[evand]

Phone line is 50v dc and when ringing the ring current is 220v ac.

car batteries wont work - they're not deep cell.

you need navy salvage ex-submarine batteries, or you can buy deep-cell batteries brand new for about $1200 a piece.

phone line is only a few volts, you can (but dont) put the line on the end of your tongue and get the 9V battery tingle.

 

[Pa1nter]

I am just in the process of putting 4kw on my PPOR for $8900,(Signed last week)

If you use a finance scheme,that price expands by around 4k so best to pay cash.

It is best facing north at an angle of 27% here in Brisbane.

You can have them flat and only loose around 5% efficiency,

Facing east is another direction that is acceptable with a loss of around 7% so just adding another panel is easy.

I am fitting them on my 12 x 6 metre shed so no fire issues,no water leaks.

Forgot to mention,Queensland is paying .44 cents buyback for solar power.
If you choose the right electricity provider they will pay another .6 cents,Yes that's right ,50 cents

 

[Ergophobia]

You mean 50c right... Not 0.5c???