Really good advice, especially #6. Instead of worrying about perfect technical placement of panels, resulting in an ugly house and an unenthusiastic spouse, put the damn things in the best location for living with for 20+ years. I've put mine on the back of the southern and western roofs, such that you cannot see them at all on the property. But I could put in lots, 33 large panels, and these panels were crazy cheap (overstock from massive utility project), so any efficiency loss is almost meaningless.
Well done! Bloody good advice that’s easy to understand and it’s from an Aussie! Thanks so much, I can’t wait to forward this to a friend who needs it. Thanks mate.
The thing that got me is I have a 8.5kw system in Australia, QLD. My sun hours are great but my max output is about 6.8kwh on average in the summer. So in the summer I produce about 45-50kw/h. In the winter I get 28-40kwh, the angle of the sun makes a big difference. From Feb to April in the rainy season not so good some days 2-18kwh. So I'm lucky my climate is not so cold, but if it was and you have a large aircon as I have a 6kw system it would be lucky to supply half the power for that unit. We also have payback schemes for electricity exported at 11c, but with voltage rise this can decrease in output back to the grid dictated by the AS standards,. So you have to know the ins and outs its not a perfect system and mother nature dictates the output. At the start the solar company I got was so painful when I had problems and found out they wired the string wrongly and took them 6 months to get them out after a lot of BS. I got an extra 10kw in the summer after the string change. Installers themselves don't know it all, be very careful. Also if you work all day solar is not for you. It's about using what you make to get the full benefit. The system is great in the summer months and its average in winter but all in all do see great savings. In a perfect world I should have got 10KW but the cost exceeded my budget.
I got a 5,250 watt panel system, it actually makes 4.99Kw in full sun, Bundaberg QLD, so I am wondering why you aren't making more than 6.8Kw in peak sun, maybe some issue you are unaware of? I make 28Kw/h per day in summer.
For Darwin, Au. it is good idea to put solar panels on 4 sides of roof. For Hobart, Au. 3 sides on roof, north is the number 1 and both east west is good. In USA, we do the solar mostly onto south side of roof.
I've only seen the graph for Britain, you need 5 times as much solar in winter than summer and that's only comparing month on monthly averages which is misleading. When we compare rainfall averages we have over 100 years of data, so the averages are reasonably reliable, not so with solar. If you go off the grid, in this context, in the six or seven hours of meaningful light you have to have enough generation to run your house AND charge enough batteries to run everything for 17hrs of night. Imagine if they try to do that with London...impossible! Back to putting solar panels on your roof here. I'm considering off-grid, if you stay on-grid you're getting others to subsidise you, in other words, you're creating a system that if everyone does the same it no longer works. Let's look at the worse case scenario because it will occour, it's the winter solstice and we've had 3 days of overcast conditions, how many solar panels and batteries will you need to run your house on the third night. Ten times as many panels as on a bright summer day, three times as many batteries, or many more. You can't even guess, because you can't find the information, it's as if no-one wants to talk about it! It's my opinion that we don't have the technology to go solar in any environment winning meaningful sense.
Telemarketing companies and solar company's are only advertising companies, when you call and ask them, who does the real work, and backs the warranty's on all the solar product's, you will find its the installer with factory backing
I like this video "you aren't idiots, you just aren't educated on the subject, you don't have to be... just ask the right questions and please use common sense... wwhile you're at it, go for a second opinion and she'll be right! Basically like any other purchasing decision, you aren't a jack of all trades foreman that is an architect engineer in his downtime, so you probably won't know how to build a house... if you are then in 6 months time the technological leaps would leave you behind in at least one of your fields... still best to get a second opinion if you're unsure on how to build your house
Thanks mate, very baffled by the solar thing. Paying around $250 pm for electricity is getting a bit much. I tried the 3 quotes thing off a facebook ad a few weeks back, haven't heard anything yet.
Troy - I searched your name in our quote database and there's only one entry from someone with the same name as you who submitted two days ago, who lives in QLD. If this is you - you should be in contact with the installers by now. If this wasn't you - please let me know.
Yeah I signed up with 3 quotes through your website after I posted that comment. I have been contacted. The facebook ad I was referring to wasn't yours at all. It did mention 3 quotes and I did have someone call to confirm my details but it didn't progress from there. Thanks for responding.
Using the power when its available, and the feed in tariff are the only way to go too, not batteries as they are too expensive, these systems are more intended for systems that have no grid connection, and must store the energy. May be one day batteries will improve and cost will drop many times before its viable.
Why are you Only speaking of Grid Tie systems - Are private or portable solar systems illegal there? You can build really nice DIY solar generators these days, or buy something like GridEraser. If your not troubled by zoning, air conditioning heating, refrigeration, hot running water, waste disposal systems, cooking and lighting and more can all be done with No electricity to lessen your load you'll only need to charge your cell phones and your internet.
Wonder if someone can help, not sure if I'm being taken for a ride. Had solar installed the other day (North Qld) by a very reputable company. At the end of the day, it was producing power. Apparently though, I have 2 phases coming into the house & tariff 33 won't work with solar or I can't have tariff 33 (?) & he said there's wires going from the power box to the junction box, under the house going back & forth 3 times, or something like that. I'm not sure if I'm describing this correctly as it was all double-dutch to me at the time. Anyhow, the upshot is, he says he has to get rid of 2 phase & change it back to one & re-run the wiring from the meter box to the junction box. All up, cost is $500.00. Does this sound correct or is he just up-selling to make more money? I know it's maybe difficult to tell from my explanation but any advice might help. I'll pay the extra $500.00 if need be, just a bit of a shock on top of the 5K it cost me to have it installed
Hi Steve, At the end of the day if an electrician has recommended a modification that makes your home safer - I can't tell you not to do it! Also I couldn't comment without seeing the house. Having said that - last time I checked you absolutely could have Tariff 33 and solar - so I don't think that advice was correct. Whether you should get rid of T33 depends on lots of factors - so I won't advise you on that here.
I noticed when one panel is in shadow the whole system turns off, this reduces generation annoyingly, they seem to be connected in series. If you had panels to the east, north and west in the evening would the dull eastern panels restrict overall output. I have a small system (1.75kW) installed to the north, I have considered adding western panels, would they be in series or parallel with my existing set up. If in parallel would the capacity of the additional panels have to match the original set up?
Bob Jackson Sounds like you have a string inverter and this is normal behaviour. Micro inverters (more expensive overall than string inverters) get around this issue as each panel has it's own inverter. So if there is shade on one or more panels, it doesn't affect the others. Unless you can get rid of the source of the shade you'll have to live with it.
I spent $1000 getting a tree trimmed but it grew again, basically I have too many trees. I assume to install micro inverters would require a major system rehash. At least that approach may allow a few additional western panels.
Depends where you stay, if you are in WA Micro inverters are the last thing I would invest in, they cook under the panels and can fail after 2 to 3 years, Solaredge inverter and optimisers are simply the best
Anyone install solar from hello solar. 6.6 kw jinko panel. Kehua inverter output 2 kv. 4000$ is it good. Deal? Which size of the inverter should I get ?
ahh... I think I'll just wait for him to answer even if he is better at SEO and ad words. Your reply doesn't make any sense and the tariffs don't either. (though it's been a while since I looked) There are no 18c/KwHr accept MAYBE tariff 33.
Never put panels on your roof. Water condenses from the panels and causes moisture problems. It also makes replacing the roof difficult and more expensive. Never use batteries unless you have too. They are ridiculously expensive and don't last long. With the amount of energy contained in a battery bank I would never put them in a house. I returned home several times to find one cell failed and was seriously overheating.
I had two houses solar installed, after 8 years no problem so far, I paid cheapest possible on the legit market. i have seen my friend spent tripple my price. he also had no problem. but at that cost.
solar quotes.....mistake number 7 talk to an electrical installation company not a solar company or solar quotes, electricians are around a lot longer for the minimal warranty issues we have to day, and you do away with the middle man .
It is a matter of perspective. If you are only doing it to get money then it is a wast of time, but if you are doing it to make a shift from fossil fuel to renewable to help reduce pollution then your investment is in the ecological systems instead of economics
Don’t buy solopower its a complete waste of money. Stay on the grid if possible. Ive recently paid $4600 for solapower off Solahart PYL LTD in Australia and my bill went up, its a scam most the companies are owned by the ROTHSCHILD family. Save your money if you can possibly can and go on holidays with the money instead.
i dont have solor and get extra 6 persent off my costi get 34 persent discount all up but you have to ask they will not offer it my bill av is 300 a quarter
