Is solar power the best way to go?

[wylie]

I installed solar in July, my last bill reduced by half and really interested in seeing the next bill.

I work from home, pool cleaner, dishwasher, washing machine now run in daytime. The the excess we do not use is sold back to the grid only 16 bucks last quarter!

System will pay for itself in under three years.

I also installed in June this year. First bill was $285 less than it would have been without solar. I paid $166. My bill for the same time the year before was $560.

We run our pool, dishwasher and washing machine at night. Mostly I did this anyway (except the pool).

If the government stops paying us the tariff we signed on for (which would not surprise me - non-core promises etc) then we will not repay the cost in ten years as estimated, but will still save money on power as time goes by.

 

[Trippy]

If the government stops paying us the tariff we signed on for (which would not surprise me - non-core promises etc) then we will not repay the cost in ten years as estimated, but will still save money on power as time goes by.

What is the life span of the system? If the system is not repaid in ten years and it needs money spent on it or needs replacing then I wonder where you would be financially? Ten years seems like a long time to maybe break even at the end? Like you say, the government can change any aspect of the scheme at any time to your detriment

 

[wylie]

What is the life span of the system? If the system is not repaid in ten years and it needs money spent on it or needs replacing then I wonder where you would be financially? Ten years seems like a long time to maybe break even at the end? Like you say, the government can change any aspect of the scheme at any time to your detriment

Well... apparently we are guaranteed that tariff for 20 or more years (cannot recall) but I don't trust the government to honour that. The system itself has a 20 year guarantee from memory. We paid a bit more for a German system and a German inverter. Hopefully it will tick along for at least 20 years. It should pay for itself in ten, but even if it doesn't, and even if the tariff is reduced to zero, at least we will generate power from the roof and that will save us paying for it from the grid.

 

[Deena]

I love my solar panels too. I installed when it was so dam expensive, after all my research and diligance the damn company has gone out of business, so here's hopeing nothing goes wrong with the system.

I am fortunate being on the old system that I get paid 48 cents for each unit I generate which I do not use.

I am pretty high on my power useage, I always knew my panels would only supplement my use. I have the air con on to keep me cold and hot. This current power bill, I am so happy. I actually have not used the air con at all, hence I got a good pay back and a huge reduction in my bill. I have also being using the washing and dishwasher at night.

I have solar hot water and my gas bill is always tiny.

 

[wylie]

I just received our second electricity account since having solar installed. This one is a credit amount. Our solar contribution for the three months is $696.50 credit. We are being more careful, though were always pretty careful anyway, and turning on the air-con if we need it, like always.

I'm gobsmacked .

I cannot imagine we will make savings like this each bill, and the first account was something like $280 contributed by solar, so I'm just hoping it is not some kind of mistake.

If it is correct, then we will pay this system off way sooner than ten years.

 

[Anh]

Hi Wylie, I don't think it is a mistake, as I have been keeping track of my solar and found that in summer, where the sun rise ealier and stay longer, more electricity the solar generates comparing to the winter months.

Mine with 4kw generates about $420 this last quarter jul-oct. It was less the quarter before.

 

[kathryn d]

I just received our second electricity account since having solar installed. This one is a credit amount. Our solar contribution for the three months is $696.50 credit. We are being more careful, though were always pretty careful anyway, and turning on the air-con if we need it, like always.

I'm gobsmacked .

I cannot imagine we will make savings like this each bill, and the first account was something like $280 contributed by solar, so I'm just hoping it is not some kind of mistake.

If it is correct, then we will pay this system off way sooner than ten years.

That is great Wylie.
Will they give you a cheque for $696.50 if you request it?

 

[BMan]

the way power is going solar would of been a good choice if you got a goof tariff with it.
my bill has been going up

anyone else power bills go skyrocketing when they got a smart meter?

heres my qtrly power bills
now i have use more power but on the last 2 heres the difference
$113.92
$139.57
$191.39
$202.94 (smart meter installed around here)
$306.38
$290.93
$324.02
$351.89
$367.49 88 days billed 835 peak 719 offpeak
$408.92 91 days billed 834 peak 636 offpeak

 

[Richard Feynman]

Just popping in here to unsheathe some of the rapid, stunning progress occurring with solar technology... if anyone cares to read up on what's around the corner:

http://phys.org/tags/solar+cells/

 

[wylie]

That is great Wylie.
Will they give you a cheque for $696.50 if you request it?

The $686 is the credit we get but it is put towards our electricity use. The bill total is something like $295 credit. I don't know what happens now, whether we get a cheque if we ask for it. I would't think so and assume we just go along and they put the credit towards our next bill. If we never use more than we provide via our panels I don't know what happens.

Will update when I find out.

 

[Anh]

Hi Wylie,

I rang the power company and provided them with our bank details. They direct credit the credit amount within a few days. However they said i would need to ring them every time there is a credit.

Thanks

Anne

 

[wylie]

Thanks Anne. I'll do that. Cheers.

 

[Jen_PFR]

I'm currently trying to convince the other half to seriously consider putting solar panels on two of our investment properties. As they're fully furnished, they'd save us $ on the electricity bills, plus we could depreciate the cost.

 

[urban cowboy]

No. In qld you sell at 44c and buy at half that rate. So the opposite of what you say is true.

only if you signed up for a grid connect system before July 9 2012. if you signed up after that date you are entitled to 8c/kw.

you then get the retailer contribution on top of that - currently another 8c if ur with AGL and 6c with Origin. there are some bill aggregators who pay the same or slightly more but i'd be very careful there.

A good 5kw system in Brisbane should generate roughly $500 per quarter on the new numbers and around $1000 per quarter on the 44c.

SO, the original comment is applicable to Qld if you're not on the 44c F.I.T. - the more of the power you migrate to daytime use, the more you save.

Solar is pretty simple generally - ignore the dollar figure on the bill, as long as your system generates about 20% more than the Kw usage on an annual basis you should not have a power bill...

 

[Dazz]

Solar is pretty simple generally - ignore the dollar figure...

Taken out of context and quoted for truth.

 

[jim1964]

anyone else power bills go skyrocketing when they got a smartmeter

Cannot answer this,but the docs i have seen and things i have read they are bad news.

 

[urban cowboy]

Taken out of context and quoted for truth.

lol, why am I not surprised.

but a proper system will still have an ROI of over 13% in the first year. not too many other asset classes go near it.

 

[nww]

Solar does seem to be making a difference.??

I notice at one of the power station forum meeting notes
Vales was gearing up for the hottest day on record recently but only
managed a peak of 13000 megawatts where as the record was 14000
a few years earlier , notes put this down to solar systems.

So one would presume the power stations are down on loads overall.
Or could this be because of the downturn in economy so lower commercial use
and higher electricity forcing more to turn off the light switch.

Anyway happy with my last bill of $14.95 .

 

[Dazz]

Anyway happy with my last bill of $14.95 .

Yep, keep concentrating on the minor game of opex.

If you ignore the major game of capex, all is well and good in the world of solar power.

 

[HiEquity]

For the last few years electricity demand in Australia has reduced. Both peak and overall. The industry puts it down to (mostly) higher prices for the overall 24hr per day stuff and the use of solar to reduce the peak load during the day for air-conditioning. First time this has happened in anyone's living memory.