Home Solar & Subsidized Feed In Tariff Qld

[grafy82]

That's why I'm not getting solar panels until they work out how to get them operating during the night time !!      Seriously..that's when my power usage is !

My power bill is approx $1300 per year, and I just couldn't see a return on 10 to 20 K even with the old 44c .....unless I was 100% offsetting my power bills. And then it was still a 8yr plus return .

Gronk, I'm no good at maths, but we installed a 5kw system for $10500 and we have the 44c feed in tarrif. Our bills were approximately $2500 a year. We now have no bill ($2500 saved) and we receive and annual cheque for approximately $1300 on top. So that's $3800 a year paying off a $10500 loan. It was actually cheaper for us to pay the loan off than keep paying our electricity bill. With your quoted power usage, you would have been even better off.

[GBC]

Our numbers are similar. 3.5 kW system was just over $11.5k installed. All top shelf gear (it was always going to be a long term game). Paid itself off out of what we didn't spend on power (zero out of pocket) in 4 years flat and maintains status quo even after the price hikes.

Sponging off the neighbours - yeah right. I understand the premise of the argument, but the blame lays squarely at the labor government's feet, not at those of use who got off our arses and borrowed money as an each way bet against ineptitude and an unregulated power market. The maths was stupidly easy but it appears some still haven't worked out how it works.

[muzza01]

Sponging off the neighbours - yeah right. I understand the premise of the argument, but the blame lays squarely at the labor government's feet, not at those of use who got off our arses and borrowed money as an each way bet against ineptitude and an unregulated power market. The maths was stupidly easy but it appears some still haven't worked out how it works.

I am with you GBC. The maths was stupidly easy but I constantly get questioned by sceptical friends (and some on the forum) who try and prove to me that it was a waste of money or that I am praying off the people who didn't get it.

Most arguments are sorted when I produce an electricity bill but I don't normally carry them around with me.

[muzza01]

i had a look in the filing cabinet but couldn't find our original solar paperwork to see what we paid and what date it was installed.  I think it was around $8k or just under and I think we had had the system over four years now.

I originally paid for a 2.5KW system with 3kw inverter. The installers were supposed to install 10 X 250 watt panels but for whatever reason they installed 11 panels (I only paid for 10) so I guess we have a 2.75 kW system.

Our .44 cent feed finishes in July 2028. 

When the system was first installed it was great watching my analog meter going backwards during the day.  It took the Electricy company about a month to come out and install the smart meter which meant we couldn't watch the meter going backwards anymore.

My last electricity bill was $94.

[dlncooke]

We run a 5 kw system with 24 panels. split over 2 strings, works great for us.
We use Click Energy 10cents p/kWh (Qld) is not to bad.
It's the daily connection fee that keeps going up weather or not your on 10 or 44 cents.

I would have like the 44 cents. but typical Gov always ripping people off.


Cheers
Dave

[oldmate]

https://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/powerwall

[Fizzie]

https://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/powerwall

From what I've been reading - not yet!

As it's still brand new (first residential unit in Oz only got installed this week), it's still a very expensive exercise.

Best guess is that savings you will make on buying power will take about 13 years to pay for the unit, which is only guaranteed for 10... 

If you want to do batteries, most people are saying hold off for another couple of years, as big changes to battery pricing & technology are expected "soon" 

[Symon]

https://www.teslamotors.com/en_AU/powerwall

Pro tip - never buy 1st generation technology.

[Hairs]

From what I've been reading - not yet!

As it's still brand new (first residential unit in Oz only got installed this week), it's still a very expensive exercise.

Best guess is that savings you will make on buying power will take about 13 years to pay for the unit, which is only guaranteed for 10... 

If you want to do batteries, most people are saying hold off for another couple of years, as big changes to battery pricing & technology are expected "soon" 

Yeah, I was reading about these the other day & you're right, they have only just hit our shores.
Might pay to hang off for a couple of years and see.
We are about to loose our 66c in July, and I've been wondering how to make the most out of the 19kw's per day(This is a top end figure on a clear day). There is nobody at home through the day. I don't feel comfortable setting timers on the washing machine/dry, the A/C has it's own timer so setting to cool down trough the day is fine I guess. Just about to pull the pool out(the liner is shagged) so there is a draw on power. We have solar hot water, but we have two mid teenage girls that take long showers(Time to install a coin operated timer I think )
Hmmm.
Got a lot to think about 

Also agree with Simon.

 

[gronk]

Gronk, I'm no good at maths, but we installed a 5kw system for $10500 and we have the 44c feed in tarrif. Our bills were approximately $2500 a year. We now have no bill ($2500 saved) and we receive and annual cheque for approximately $1300 on top. So that's $3800 a year paying off a $10500 loan. It was actually cheaper for us to pay the loan off than keep paying our electricity bill. With your quoted power usage, you would have been even better off.

4 yrs ago, we were unsure of the lifespan of our present house , like if we intended to stay for another 10 yrs.?

At 44c, it sure makes sense, but you can't get that anymore. We baulked and missed the boat, and work options means we can't do anything about it anymore. My power usage has gone up to $390/quarter, so will have to get back to being smart with the smart meter !!

[Snapman007]

Good luck with the coin shower Jon.😬


We have a 6.0kW system using the lower end of the top tier panels with an Sma inverter installed on $1000 worth of tilt frames for a total of $8400 with a $0.50 fit in July 13. We signed up at the end of the buy in. The same system one year earlier through Origin was around $18k.
2014 we generated $3597. 2015 was $3452. We are about at the break even point afte 2.5 years. I now have to ring Origin to get an invoice sent out.🙊

GBC said the math was easy, no it wasn't. I crunched the numbers for over 12 months and could not work out how a government I didn't vote for wants to give me $80k over 25 years for an initial outlay of $8.4k. 🤗
It not bludging off the neighbours, it was probably the best investment opportunity offered by a government of all time. Everyone had equal opportunity to get on board and I bet none of us that did have sour grapes. I didn't take up the Ruddy cash handout as I thought that was just wrong but I'm not dirty at ones that did, just myself.

Anyway, way happy I took the solar up but it would be good if we get daylight savings up here for the extra hour of sun.😬

Love your work Ruddy.👍👍🏾

[Snapman007]

Yeh as gronk said, there was no point if you plan on moving in a few years. Definetly a long term investment.

[Wagon Man]

We are about to loose our 66c in July,

Hairs who is paying 66cents per kwh

[Hairs]

Hairs who is paying 66cents per kwh

When we first installed our system with a Gross Feed in tariff meter the Country Energy(Now Essential Energy) paid us a cheque every quarter 66c per kw worth that our system put back into the grid.
The system has paid for it's self, but when the 66c finishes, I think it will be 6c kw, not sure they are very cagey about it all atm, saying it may change again when the time comes.
So, we will have a system that will feed into the grid, nobody at home through day light hours to take advantage of the power it produces. Of an evening and night use power from the grid and have to pay for that.
So the winners here are the power companies, all these generation systems pumping power into the grid, getting paid stuff all and then charge to use the power of a night.
Now, to harness the power our system produces through the day so we do not need to use the grid.


 

[Jackdawg]

My power bill is about 1200 a quarter, as soon as battery technology gets there it is bye bye power companies, I'm going off the grid.

[oldmate]

So the winners here are the power companies, all these generation systems pumping power into the grid, getting paid stuff all and then charge to use the power of a night.
Now, to harness the power our system produces through the day so we do not need to use the grid.

Yep, like I mentioned in another thread, head down to Lithgow and have a look around town. It's like a ghost town, with one power station closing and mines that fed it slowing down. Why? A few reasons, one being water supply, but another being, solar on roofs, including all the people that used to work there.

[gronk]

Why? A few reasons, one being water supply, but another being, solar on roofs, including all the people that used to work there.

As you said , a few reasons.....water supply wasn't one of them, but the power station was at the end of it's serviceable life, a decline in major industry Australia wide and of course the solar panels making a small impact.

Lithgow was 1st built as a mining town, so the cycle continues.....downhill ! 

[oldmate]

Yeah. I don't know too much about lithgow just took a guess

[prodigyrf]

My power bill is about 1200 a quarter, as soon as battery technology gets there it is bye bye power companies, I'm going off the grid.

Don't hold your breath-
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/06/tesla-powerwall-crunching-the-numbers-for-australia/

Apart from pumping water uphill, and storing energy in the form of calories the total history of mankind's ability to store energy is rather pitiful and the technical/economic hurdles facing electrochemical storage shouldn't fill us with optimism. After all we're still using essentially the same lead acid battery in our cars and campers, Henry was plonking in the Model T.

[prodigyrf]

"...the first Australian models expected to land in March 2016. We're also chasing Australian pricing, but expect it to be around the $200k mark."
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/tesla-officially-details-the-model-x-suv/news-story/8edd68dd8dc93df8b1dab27dcfafff2f
I was toying with chopping in the Zook on one but I'm not sure if it's AWD or not so I'll probably hang off for the reviews and feedback from Swaggers 

[gronk]

Storage of electricity has always been a problem...on a large scale !

No country on earth stores electricity on a large scale, but a couple of European countries are "sort of" doing it....using windmills to pump water back up hill during the day ( when there is wind ) to run the hydro system at night .

[tryagain]

GBC said the math was easy, no it wasn't. I crunched the numbers for over 12 months and could not work out how a government I didn't vote for wants to give me $80k over 25 years for an initial outlay of $8.4k. 🤗
It not bludging off the neighbours, it was probably the best investment opportunity offered by a government of all time. Everyone had equal opportunity to get on board and I bet none of us that did have sour grapes. I didn't take up the Ruddy cash handout as I thought that was just wrong but I'm not dirty at ones that did, just myself.

Anyway, way happy I took the solar up but it would be good if we get daylight savings up here for the extra hour of sun.😬

Love your work Ruddy.👍👍🏾

Except it isn't the Government chipping in the $80k out of general revenue, it is the non solar users (your neighbors) paying for it through increased electricity prices. It was a terrible piece of governance as it is effectively a poor tax, only those who can afford a house can take part so no there wasn't an equal opportunity for all, and this was introduced by a Party that claims to take care of the little guy.

You might not like the term sponging but I cant see any way that it can honestly be looked at other than participants being able to gain a significant financial advantage at the expense of those not so well off.

On Daylight savings, I would love it if it didn't mean that the curtains will fade more and the cows stopped milking, wonder how the cows south of the boarder survive.

 

[Snapman007]

Did you take the cash handout?

[xcvator]

3 years ago I pulled out our power bills for the previous 5 years and did the sums, the rebate at that time was 22 cents with a contract for 5 years. To eliminate our power bill we would have had to outlay over $6000. The break even time was going to be about 7 years, IF the fit stayed at 22c, but the fit is now 6c. Did we go ahead with it, no, with hind site, no I wouldn't. If the fit was still at 44c yes I would.

And any body that believes the use of solar power is the reason the energy companies have increased the tariffs,  send me your address please I've got this big bridge in Sydney  I need to sell 

[tryagain]

Did you take the cash handout?

Pretty sure I did and don't really have any qualms about it. I don't follow why you would have issues taking that but not the FIT. I am not passing judgment on anyone who took part in the 44c FIT, if I were in a position to take part in it I may have but I wouldn't be kidding myself about its fairness.