NSW Solar Bonus Scheme ends on 31 December 2016, what to do next?

[Hairs]

Hi guys,
We've been reading as much info as possible about where to go next after the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme ends on 31 December 2016.
I would like to hear honest opinions about the below system, pros/cons please, if you have this system, please leave comment.
We have a 3.5kw system(35 panels), we also have solar hot water, only in times of cloudy weather, a couple of days of no sun do we have to rely on grid power to backup for the hot water service, we do produce more than what we have needed.
It's time to switch to something that will benefit us further down the down track.
We have looked at this system, BYD Mini
 http://www.getoffthegrid.net.au/
We have 5 adults, 3 of which are two teenage girls & a teenage boy, we are contemplating the 7 KWH battery installed for $11.400.
Why this system, we have a 4 bedroom home, ceiling is insulated, we have Air/Con & Solar Hot Water.
Here is their fact sheet,
http://www.getoffthegrid.net.au/templates/gotg_template/images/BYD-Mini-ES-Brochure-WLV.pdf

Appreciate any advice, good bad or other wise, I'm here to learn.
 

[Johnnos3003]

Are you trying to save money or are you a greenie?

Have you spoken to someone from the place in your link?

Have they asked for a copy of your electricity bill for the last year?

Have they provided you with an assessment and payback period documentation?

 

[tombie]

An approximation of 10 years life and an averaged cost of $300 a quarter for the unit.

Depending on your location your charge capacity will be down..

Do your due diligence or you may be very disappointed.


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[tombie]

I seriously doubt you produce more than consumed. More likely you're currently paid a higher Tarif during the day than you're paying each night..

3.5kw system will throw approximately 3kwh into the grid on a great day, if facing the prime direction and inclination angle.

An average family of 5 will consume 10+ kWh a day.

We are in a high solar region and perfectly aligned, 2 adult shift workers and 5kw system on maximum $0.52c/kWh Tarif.

Our consumption is 8 kWh per day average...
No electric hot water, very well insulated house...


Simply if you're fitting a 7kwh battery and generating less than 3kwh a day there is a deficit and you'll be buying from the grid every day.


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[kizza1]

Not sure about only producing 3kwh out of a 3.5kw system I have a 3.2kw system and produce around 13-15kwh on good days. Maybe your referring to bad days

I would have thought that 3.5kw would be too small for 5 adults. I would look at running another 1.5kw of panels if you can fit them.

All you can do is crunch the numbers on your usage and go from there.

[jwb]

He maybe quoting the exported amount!

cheers

[tombie]

That works out - 2.8 kWh for 5.4hours would give you that output...

On a poor day output will be down 3-3.5 kwh depending on location..




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[Hairs]

Hi Tombie,
Gross feed in meter, On good days we produce 21kw per day(This is what the led readout on the inverter reads, dividing monthly by days), 0.60cents currently being paid. The paperwork from the supplier confirms whats we produce per quarter, $800 last quarter.
We use on average 10kw per day, so you are spot on there 
The system has well & truly paid for it's self and we have coin to use to upgrade/change.
 

[Hairs]

I would look at running another 1.5kw of panels if you can fit them.

All you can do is crunch the numbers on your usage and go from there.

That is possible, we have plenty of roof area facing due north, so it's possible to add more.

[tombie]

Should work out ok for you then..

Check upgrade path / replacement of batteries, that's what will bite as their capacity diminishes...


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[Hairs]

Yeah,
Batteries, that is the bite.
In the above links, they say they have a 10 year warranty, what every that is worth 

Edit,
It also means changing habits, when and how we use what we produce, this will be for what ever system we choose to go with.
Hope to find a storage system that can suit our needs.

[vern]

I think tombie means putting 3.5kwh back into the grid, you may produce 13.5kwh and use 10kwh.

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[Hoyks]

I'm getting around 20kWh/day off our 3.5kW system on a good day, but it can easily be around 8-10 on a overcast day in winter, or even summer. A classic example was Friday 12.4kWh, yesterday 20.2kWh, Christmas day 11.4kWh (my inverter has an app ).

We use a around 20kwh/day with instant gas hot water, but are tank water, so running a pump for that, running air con, electric fences, condenser type clothes drier ... and a daughter that insists on using the 4 x 200W heat lamps in the bathroom just for applying makeup .

On average we import a net of 10-10.5 kWh/day which costs us the princely sum of $3.80.

The bill comes in a tad over $110/month and I don't like it when I get the quarterly bill, but if I wanted to drop off the grid I'd have to up the number of panels (3kW was all Energex would fit, so don't tell them I have 3.5kW) and spend a bucket load on storage batteries. I have a generator I could hook up for boosting the output in crap weather, but the petrol would cost around 4 times what drawing the power from the grid would cost.

Don't get me wrong, I really don't like the supply charges. I looked at my mums bill and 'infrastructure charges' were 2/3rds of her power bill, she only has a 2kW system and struggles to use all that it produces. Its just that at $1400/year for us the payback would be a long way off, around 7-8 years. They only have a 10 year guarantee and at the rate that solar companies have been going tits up, you could be left holding the can.
With the current supply I don't have to do any maintenance, I don't have to juggle things if the weather is crap and if it is 11pm, 28 degrees and 99% humidity, I can turn on the air con and sleep soundly.

Of course, if I won lotto, SCREW YOU ENERGEX

[tombie]

Try living in SA. When the powers on its bloody expensive...

I generate 25-30 kwh a day normally and we still get bills twice a year as incoming costs are so high they eat the outgoings... we use to make $2500 a year in our pocket now it's about $400 even on $0.52 export..

We will still get supply charges if we go off-grid so need to factor that in.

We even have a generator input now as network reliability is questionable.


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[Hairs]

We will still get supply charges if we go off-grid so need to factor that in.

I have been told that too if we went a stand alone system, how do they charge you for service chargers, yet your not connected?

[Fizzie]

On good days we produce 21kw per day
We use on average 10kw per day,

Jon, when you use 10k per day, how much of that is day & night?

The specs for that system say only 6kwh usable, but if you use less than 6k overnight it should be OK.

A few more panels up top to push up to 4 - 5k would be handy 

[Hairs]

Jon, when you use 10k per day, how much of that is day & night?

The specs for that system say only 6kwh usable, but if you use less than 6k overnight it should be OK.

A few more panels up top to push up to 4 - 5k would be handy 

Hi Fizzie,
Yeah, Good question mate.
I'll having a guess, I know we shouldn't guess, but I'd say about 7kw'ish of a night at the moment. This would increase in the winter months.
This is why I was thinking the 7kw battery system could work for us.

We are also looking at as the kids leave the nest, our energy usage will drop.
But then if we do one day decide to sell, it would be marketable to a family, 4 bedroom home.

 

[edz]

I have been told that too if we went a stand alone system, how do they charge you for service charges, yet your not connected?

Thinking its because they still  have the poles and lines in place going past your property, From memory its  a different story if you were a distance away  from a power supply .
Same as some country  council's charge  for garbage collection in their rates but only provides a tip dump point a few k's away out of town, and only  open one day a week .. 

[Hairs]

G'day edz,
We are residential, we have sewer and we get charged a 1.5 connection fee in our rates.
We have argued that we have only one toilet and one connection to the mains.
We are told it is because we have 2 acres in residential zoned area.
I'm surprised they don't sting us for 8 connection fees, because that is how many blocks we can subdivide it into 

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Hairs, don't even think about it, or some bright bugga n the Council will.
As for Service charges, you just have to have the supply going past.
They some how figure it's your problem, they own it but they want everyone else to pay for it.

[tombie]

Shared asset cost is the reason.

If everyone contributes a little to the network then is cheaper.

Imagine being the only person wanting sewer or power in your area.. your supply charge would be $thousands in that instance.

Same as national highways - paid for by all tax payers. Not just drivers.


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[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Tombie, I'm not trying to start a blue OK.

Here in Vic. Country areas. people hang off getting power connected until the bloke furthest away pays for the intervening structure.
Then they dive in.  That's been going on for years.  Since before it was privatized.

Sometimes, when you have really good neighbours, they get together and share the cost.  That doesn't happen very often.

[Hairs]

Yep,
Seen it here as well,
People hang off sub dividing their acres(could be 4 or 5 landholders along a dirt road), then the fella up the end of the road wants to build a house on a 10 acre lot, he has to pay for a Transformer before he can build, then BAMMMM, all the others sub divide.

Anyway,
The Minister for War & Finances and myself will have to sit down and decide what system we will be the most cost effective over a ten year plan.

 

[Paddler Ed]

No affiliation, but these guys had some interesting options that I had a chat with a work mate about who is looking at putting in an off grid build on a bare block.

http://www.aussiebatteries.com.au/off-grid-solar/power-systems/

The other one I'd look at is the Rainbow Power Company:
http://www.rpc.com.au/solar-systems/off-grid-solar-power.html

Hope that helps,
Ed

[Johnnos3003]

We use on average 10kw per day

If you only use 10KW (Total. this what you purchase from your retailer) per day on average for a year that's dam good mate. You must not need to rely on much electric heating or cooling?

With such a low usage I would suggest you look into only adding more solar

With out all the information I can only speculate but if your new solar tariff is about 1/3 of what you pay per Kw then you should be able to add more solar with a better pay back period probably less than half the initial outlay cost of the battery system you linked to in your first post while reducing your bill to connection costs only.

If you need any help running the numbers or want someone to check over your numbers more than happy too help.

as far as I m concerned there are too many companies pushing there products bending the numbers to favor said products