Who's got a Solar Power System installed?

[grant j]

My Boss just did a quote for a 100kw system (400 - 500 panels) on a factory roof

[prowling panther]

Guess who is going to be working his ar$e for the next upteen years to pay for it.

[Interceptor]

Had my 5 kW install done this morning.
Previously wasn't too fussed about solar, but then the Qld government dropped the 44 cent FIT to 8 cents triggering a massive surge of applications (to keep eligibility for the 44 cents until 2028).

Now just have to wait for Energex to install a new meter and the system can go live.

[Agile]

How is your system performing? have noticed that the hotter the panels get the less efficient they are. 3.5 kw system is putting out about 3.1 kw max on any given day since start of year. Inverter tells me that the max our system has ever produced was 3.68kw which is 168 watt over what it's rated to do.

Any other feedback would be good

[Dog_ger]

My solar system is in fault.

Relay test : Fail.

Solar company will get to me within 2 weeks and possibly replace my inverter....?

Unleash....

2 weeks isn't that bad over a life time.....

[dedja]

I think I warned you about Unleash ...

[Psyber]

How is your system performing? have noticed that the hotter the panels get the less efficient they are. 3.5 kw system is putting out about 3.1 kw max on any given day since start of year. Inverter tells me that the max our system has ever produced was 3.68kw which is 168 watt over what it's rated to do.

Any other feedback would be good

Yes they perform better if they are on a sloped frame not far above the ground where it is cooler.
And in that situation you avoid the issue of corroding your roof with electrolytic effects.

An Engineering and research display at Wayville showgrounds last year had graphs showing significant gains up for viewing.
However, the councils tend to object to it as it requires you to clear out any trees that may shade the panels...

[dedja]

I've found November and early December are the best months for max solar output as you get long fine days but the temp isn't too hot.

Expect to lose around 20% efficiency on a hot day.

Most panels are rated at around 25 degrees.

[Agile]

I've found November and early December are the best months for max solar output as you get long fine days but the temp isn't too hot.

Expect to lose around 20% efficiency on a hot day.

Most panels are rated at around 25 degrees.

Thanks for that. Our panels are on racks on a near flat zincaluminum roof facing true north. And yes, its pretty well exactly 20% reduction in output. I wish I had been told this more clearly at the time of purchase, I probably would have put another kw up there.
Oh well.

[gadj1976]

Right, so I've finally got myself organised for a quote.

I've got a holiday house where I want to put the unit and then get enough credit to pay some or most of my bill at my residence.

I got quoted for a 5kw system which would credit me 500 per quarter on my bill at home and cover my holiday house in full.

The quotes came back at 9450 for a China (panel)/Spainsh (inverter) combo or 10750 for a Canadian (panel)/German (inverter) combination.

Thoughts?

[Alaska]

Looking at the prices used in Ads in the Weekend papers for a 5KW system they seem high.
Have you seen those Ads and tested those companies?

[gadj1976]

Looking at the prices used in Ads in the Weekend papers for a 5KW system they seem high.
Have you seen those Ads and tested those companies?

I did Alaska, I rang eximer and did some research. That 6499 is for a non SMA/Sunny Boy inverter, but the one provided at that cost (Solar-Power) has a 10 year warranty. Adding the SMA/Sunny Boy inverter adds another 1300 to the ticket price.

EnergySA have a system there for 7780, so the price seems very similar.

[amber_fluid]

Can anyone confirm this calculation for solar power savings:

System size in kW x 4.2 = daily output
daily output x 365 = annual output
annual output x 25 cents per kW/hour = savings per year
Price of system / savings per year = return on investment

If I was to purchase a 5kw system...this would equate to almost $2,000 a year in savings?

Question: anyone know what the 4.2 represents and is this calculation correct?

[dedja]

Not exactly ...

The 4.2 figure is about right (depends on where you are, what panels and inverter you have and how your panels are orientated but for Adelaide its close enough), and it will give the average power generated per day over the year.

It's an approximation for the average number of hours per day you will generate peak solar power ... in Winter, you generate far less and in Spring and early Summer you generate the most. This is dependent on such factors I've listed above.

So for a 5kW system, you can expect an average of about 20kWh per day. On a very cloudy and dull day you may well get SFA, but on a perfect 25 degree day in November with no clouds you'll get above 30kWh.

In terms of savings, this is where it gets tricky. This is dependent on when and the amount of power consumed during the day when the panel are generating power.

You will only be paid a Feed In Tariff (FIT) for the times during the day when your solar power generation exceeds your power consumption ... the electricity meter will work this out instantaneously and report power exported (ie solar power generated exceeding power consumed at any instant) and power imported (power consumed exceeding solar power generated at any instant).

Confused yet?

If you have 5kW panels and it's a good day, you'll be generating anything above 4.0-4.5kWh ant any instant in the peak period of the day. If during this time your consumption is 2kWh, then you will be exporting up to 2.5kWh at any instant. This is good.

But let's say it's a hot day and you turn the air conditioner on, your consumption may jump to 6kWh at any instant, so during these periods you will be importing up to 1.5kWh ... this is bad.

So the trick is to consume as little power as possible whilst your panels are generating power, and to keep the consumption below solar generation at any given instant. Now this is impossible to do all the time, but you can change your habits to assist.

So your actual saving will be = (power exported * FIT rate) + (solar power generated - power exported) * electricity consumption rate

Clear as mud?

Here's my solar outpout on PVOutput http://pvoutput.org/intraday.jsp?id=2177&sid=1622

The red line is power consumed during the day whilst the green line is power generated. When the cumulative difference between the two is positive on any given day, you're making money.

Also notice the curve in power generated... less in the morning, peak in the middle of the day and less in the afternoon ... this is obviously due to the trajectory and angle of the sun during the day in relation to the orientation of your panels.

Dunno if any of this helps but there you go ...

[amber_fluid]

Cheers Dedja.

That all makes perfect sense......simple mathematics really!!
Why can't the solar companies just explain it that way and show the graph you did?
There is nothing hidden/left off on that graph is there?
I reckon the solar comapnies would sell alot more if they just explained it the way you did.

[redwhiteandblueblooded]

received this quarters bill today, $233.22 in credit....good head start for next quarter.

[dedja]

well done ... mine was $368 in credit

[grant j]

Unleash Solar = busted

[dedja]

Yep, have ceased trading ... unfortunately no surprise, probably fortunate that they lasted so long.

Unfortunately I think you've done your dough Dog_ger.

My solar system is in fault.

Relay test : Fail.

Solar company will get to me within 2 weeks and possibly replace my inverter....?

Unleash....

2 weeks isn't that bad over a life time.....

I think I warned you about Unleash ...

[dedja]

For those that lost money to this mob you'll be glad to know it went to a good cause ...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 6619277629

FAILED solar installer Unleash Solar transferred $250,000 to its American counterpart only five days before its collapse, a report into the company says.

The company also paid for "significant wedding and honeymoon expenses" for the sister of director Dion Perdikoyiannis, a house deposit of $201,477 for a Hawthorn house owned by Mr Perdikoyiannis's sister-in-law, and school fees for the children of the director's brother, general manager Spiro Perdikoyiannis, the administrator's report says.

The report details a loan of $1.1 million owed by Mr Perdikoyiannis and another owed by his company, Unleash Solar USA, of $2.3 million, which paid for corporate boxes, personal expenses and "significant travel, accommodation, entertainment and personal expenditure within the US, principally Las Vegas".

Administrator Austin Taylor, of Meertens Chartered Accountants, also said he had uncovered monthly payments for five luxury cars that were used by family members, including a Ferrari, three BMWs and a Range Rover Evoque. Payments of almost $10,000 a month were being made for the cars from mid-2012, which the company was beginning to stumble in the market.