Are solar pannels worth it?

[smile0784]

Hi all
We had an appointment with a solar panel company who said we can get a good deal on 4kw system with a 5kw inverter for $8300.
That brings in a average of 20 kwatts a day a day.
But our average use at present is only 12 kwatts. We choose a bigger unit for when we have the aircon installed and for when we do more washing as the family grows. So thats ok

Is it worth it?
And can some one explain how it all works?
Ive been told we sell power back at 6cents a kw
But then buy ot at 30cents
So if we use more then 6kw per hour do we get charged more?

I dont understand how that bit works?

Cheers ricki

[HyperX]

If i recall your basically producing your own electricity so if ur producing 20kw a day and only use 12kw then u can sell the excess off for money. In the case that you use more than you produce, then your paying for electricity just like you normally would.
in terms of is it worth it thing, lets assume that you do make 20kw and use only 12kw. your selling 8kw a day so thats 48cents.
In a year you make .48x365=$175.2. so in order for you to get the money worth, you need 47 years to make $8300.

It should be a lot less though since your not paying for electricity but even if you count that in probably need 30 years to get that money back and start making some positives

[ducky]

In a nutshell if you are buying at $0.30c and selling at $0.06 you need to produce 5 times more than what you are using to break even. This is assuming you are solidly producing during the day and only consuming energy at night for the sake of clean maths (and worst case scenario). If you change your ways and put washing machines, dishwashers, dryers etc on timers for the middle of the day where you are producing energy you could probably drop this quite a bit to the point where your 4kW system producing around 13kW/hr in winter and 20kW/hr in summer *might* cover your daily usage

Your current cost of 12kW/hr is $3.60 a day. $1300 a year. It most likely won't be completely covered by a 4kW system even if you change the way you consume energy. If it did you're looking at a 6-7 year payback.

However, those prices are quite high for a 4kW system. Price around and you should find 6kW systems for the same cash. That should cover your current usage comfortably.

I'd be looking to put the maximum on that you can afford and fit on the roof knowing all your expenses will be covered and the payback time is a lot less.

[smile0784]

If i recall your basically producing your own electricity so if ur producing 20kw a day and only use 12kw then u can sell the excess off for money. In the case that you use more than you produce, then your paying for electricity just like you normally would.
in terms of is it worth it thing, lets assume that you do make 20kw and use only 12kw. your selling 8kw a day so thats 42cents.
In a year you make .42x365=$153.3. so in order for you to get the money worth, you need 54 years to make $8300.

It should be a lot less though since your not paying for electricity but even if you count that in probably need 30 years to get that money back and start making some positives

so really i making a credit towards my bills of (about $400 a quater) so $1200 a year and then $153.3 so tatal savings of 1353 a year in electricity?


so does the power company work out how much we use per hour like 2 loads of washing, dish washer, welder etc all at some time and if we go over the hourly intake we pay 30cents kw or only if we go over the dly usage of 20kw?

[smile0784]

In a nutshell if you are buying at $0.30c and selling at $0.06 you need to produce 5 times more than what you are using to break even. This is assuming you are solidly producing during the day and only consuming energy at night for the sake of clean maths (and worst case scenario). If you change your ways and put washing machines, dishwashers, dryers etc on timers for the middle of the day where you are producing energy you could probably drop this quite a bit to the point where your 4kW system producing around 13kW/hr in winter and 20kW/hr in summer *might* cover your daily usage

Your current cost of 12kW/hr is $3.60 a day. $1300 a year. It most likely won't be completely covered by a 4kW system even if you change the way you consume energy. If it did you're looking at a 6-7 year payback.

However, those prices are quite high for a 4kW system. Price around and you should find 6kW systems for the same cash. That should cover your current usage comfortably.

I'd be looking to put the maximum on that you can afford and fit on the roof knowing all your expenses will be covered and the payback time is a lot less.

the company set it up so we pay $100 per fortnight over 3 years and 6 months so the idea of getting the pannels is so it covers our current bill of $400 plus the extra $100 per fortnight so we have to bring in $1000 a quater?

is that correct?

[smile0784]

my main goal is not to have my bill any higher then it is now with the instalments for solar so when we pay it off we our power will be about half in a few years?
so 400 a quarter + paying for solar system - minus solar usage and rebate = bill less then $400
then once solar system paid off in few years bill hopefully around $250

if that makes sense?

[HyperX]

my main goal is not to have my bill any higher then it is now with the instalments for solar so when we pay it off we our power will be about half in a few years?
so 400 a quarter + paying for solar system - minus solar usage and rebate = bill less then $400
then once solar system paid off in few years bill hopefully around $250

if that makes sense?

So by throwing away all the number bull the key points are

-you dont pay any electricity bills if your electricity production rate is higher than your consumption rate
-you can make some money out of the excess electricity you have produced
-If your consumption is higher than your production then you have to pay for the excess
-It will probably take a good 25-35 years before you break even

I think i covered the main points. I just hope that my information is correct and im not spreading lies. wouldnt wanna be held responsible for such a big purchase lol

[Wolly Bugger]

If i recall your basically producing your own electricity so if ur producing 20kw a day and only use 12kw then u can sell the excess off for money. In the case that you use more than you produce, then your paying for electricity just like you normally would.
in terms of is it worth it thing, lets assume that you do make 20kw and use only 12kw. your selling 8kw a day so thats 48cents.
In a year you make .48x365=$175.2. so in order for you to get the money worth, you need 47 years to make $8300.

It should be a lot less though since your not paying for electricity but even if you count that in probably need 30 years to get that money back and start making some positives

There was an article in the paper about how much people with solar panels are getting paid by the electrical retailers, and I think the price is about 8 cents per Kw, which they then sell at around 32 cents per Kw.

I believe the Andrews Labor government has allowed this to happen.

[Wolly Bugger]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment ... u7j7o.html


Yet, as of this January, 70,000 Victorian households with solar panels have had the rates they get paid for creating this energy slashed by 80 per cent or more, leaving them with bigger power bills even though they're creating their own clean energy.

I recently came across one angry solar panel owner who posted on Facebook about being charged $60 a month on her electricity bills, even though her household is producing on average double the energy that it consumes. She questioned whether there was any use in having invested in solar in the first place – and it's a very good question.

Victorians with rooftop solar are being ripped off. The state Labor government recently ended the Transitional Feed-in Tariff (TFiT) scheme and the Standard Feed-in Tariff scheme (SFiT). Over the past five years, these schemes had ensured solar owners were paid at least 25¢ per kilowatt hour for energy they fed back into the grid.

But since January 1, these households are now paid between 5 and 7¢ – even though electricity companies can on-sell that very same electricity for up to 29¢ per kilowatt hour. This means your power company can now pay you 5¢ for solar energy you produce, and then charge your neighbour 29¢ per kilowatt hour for using it, even though the electrons have only travelled next door.

[Luluberlu]

I have a 2.8 KW system on my roof, we only use average 5 kw a day but the system produce 10 average I was one of the last to sign for the contract where the state buy the solar to the grid 65 cents per KW.....I not only never pay a power bill but get money back ($ 1500 to $2000 a year ) and that until 2024.
In your case you should try to use the maximum power during the day when the sun is there because if you are away the day and use power only at night ( after work) you pay for your power 30 cents a KW even if they buy it from you during the day for 6 cents ....the power company can only laugh at the cheap price they get without themselves investing a dollar.
Also make sure that you have a peak/ off peak tariff
In a few years the battery system for homes will be cheaper, when it is the case it will be worth to connect them on your (my) system then you will be able to use the power you collect the day during the night....and if your system good enough even disconnect from the grid so no more connection fee that goes up every years, that's maybe a bit risky in Melbourne but for myself I think to move in QLD and there it 100% possible