topic Re: Going Solar - advice please in Community Spirit

Going Solar - advice please

***super_nova*** — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 22:27:42 GMT

We are just about to start some extension, which means I will have nice north facing roof suitable for solar panels.

Over the past few months we emailed several companies in Melbourne, and had not single answer. Finally, yesterday we got one from EURO SOLAR, who with the first very basic quote (we are not sure exactly what we want) sent their banking details for deposit - bit too desperate for my liking.

Anybody in Melbourne has solar installed? Can you recommend the company you dealt with?

Re: Going Solar - advice please

mugssy65 — Fri, 12 Sep 2014 23:52:16 GMT

To be perfectly honest I wouldn't do it! I have ten panels and it will be YEARS before it actually pays for itself and the ACC came out yesterday and said that they are going to be clamping down on the industry for the claims they make!
Yes if you had your panels installed when the buy back was 20c per unit you will be saving but now it's 8c and less there is very little. I save about $9 per bill!

Re: Going Solar - advice please

freddie*rooster — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 00:26:11 GMT

I agree with Mugzy my son has recently looked into it done the math and decided the cash is better off staying in his offset account.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

mugssy65 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 00:32:07 GMT

Have to add though solar hot water systems are fantastic here in WA.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

freddie*rooster — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 00:34:08 GMT

He has the solar HW Mugzy.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

mugssy65 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 00:35:22 GMT

Knew I likes the boy! Lol

Re: Going Solar - advice please

daydream**believer — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 01:07:20 GMT

my inlaws have solar panels. They dont pay an electricity bill anymore

Re: Going Solar - advice please

mugssy65 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 02:41:46 GMT

Are they on the 20c a unit buy back? If they are then they have probably had their unit about 7+ years the guaranteed 20c per unit ends at ten years then they will drop to the same rate as the rest of us.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

smilmertennis — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 02:53:57 GMT

@***super_nova*** wrote:
We are just about to start some extension, which means I will have nice north facing roof suitable for solar panels.
Over the past few months we emailed several companies in Melbourne, and had not single answer. Finally, yesterday we got one from EURO SOLAR, who with the first very basic quote (we are not sure exactly what we want) sent their banking details for deposit - bit too desperate for my liking.

Anybody in Melbourne has solar installed? Can you recommend the company you dealt with?

Have you tried these websites?

http://www.solarchoice dot net dot au/blog/best-solar-pv-power-deals-melbourne-vic/

https://www.solarmarket dot com dot au/victoria/melbourne

Also I would stay away from modern as they are expensive and pushy, and Mark Group as they are OTT expensive and rude and abusive.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

daydream**believer — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 03:15:27 GMT

@mugssy65 wrote:
Are they on the 20c a unit buy back? If they are then they have probably had their unit about 7+ years the guaranteed 20c per unit ends at ten years then they will drop to the same rate as the rest of us.

Yeh, theyve had theirs for at least 7 years.

No idea of any other info as we dont talk to them anymore

Re: Going Solar - advice please

***super_nova*** — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 03:35:24 GMT

I am not looking into solar to make money, it is more not to be totally dependant on the power companies. It would be nice if on sunny (or sunny enough) days my computer, fridge and whatever else would run on the solar. My daughter likes to use my place as a beach house, and when they are here they like to run the air-conditioning, and as on hot days we tend do get blackouts because that is when everybody else is using too much power, it would be great if we did not have to worry about that.

I was hoping we can get the system for about $10 000.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

mugssy65 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 03:50:10 GMT

I'm not talking about making money, the units they buy back contribute to what you are supposed to save, it's a little different over here in WA because our power stations are owned by the state government, we can't shop around for better deals and now the government is talking about putting a tariff on those of us who have solar units! They have already done it on those with bore's!

Re: Going Solar - advice please

the_hawk* — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 07:13:17 GMT

@***super_nova*** wrote:
I am not looking into solar to make money, it is more not to be totally dependant on the power companies. It would be nice if on sunny (or sunny enough) days my computer, fridge and whatever else would run on the solar. My daughter likes to use my place as a beach house, and when they are here they like to run the air-conditioning, and as on hot days we tend do get blackouts because that is when everybody else is using too much power, it would be great if we did not have to worry about that.
I was hoping we can get the system for about $10 000.

It doesnt work like that, the inverter requires mains power to sync and no mains = no solar power

Re: Going Solar - advice please

crystal**flake — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:00:35 GMT

@***super_nova*** wrote:
We are just about to start some extension, which means I will have nice north facing roof suitable for solar panels.
Over the past few months we emailed several companies in Melbourne, and had not single answer. Finally, yesterday we got one from EURO SOLAR, who with the first very basic quote (we are not sure exactly what we want) sent their banking details for deposit - bit too desperate for my liking.

Anybody in Melbourne has solar installed? Can you recommend the company you dealt with?

I dont think its worth it now, we did it years ago now and we gett 66c, I think its about 30 now isn't it?

Re: Going Solar - advice please

crystal**flake — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:09:41 GMT

I would love more panels but it would break my contract and it just wouldn't be worth it.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

***super_nova*** — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 11:57:27 GMT

@the_hawk* wrote:

It doesnt work like that, the inverter requires mains power to sync and no mains = no solar power

Not even if you get some batteries? My ex has his whole house solar; no mains at all. I cannot ask him; I do not want him to know what we are doing, he might want to come and stay when he is Melbourne if he knows I have more space. 🙂

Re: Going Solar - advice please

jimmy*part4 — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:04:10 GMT

Wow, 2 informative threads in one day. I see why people come here!

I've been thinking about getting solar too. There are companies here that will put it in for free and then take part of savings over x amount of years (plus they get the government rebate, etc).

I can't help but think of the irony...Super Nova asking about solar power.

Re: Going Solar - advice please

imastawka — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:24:56 GMT

Supa, do you have a tiled roof?

I had problems with broken tiles a while ago

and quite a few roofers asked me if I had solar

panels. They said they wouldn't fix my roof if I

had solar panels installed

Re: Going Solar - advice please

blondie.inc — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:37:18 GMT

Supa....it doesnt work like that.

Sunny days do not store solar power for you to use. The solar power that is generated from your panels on the roof is sent back to the electricity grid and are worth so many cents per kilothingy.That amount that you have generated is converted t dollars that reduce your electricity bill. You dont have a whole lot of sun generated power stored for cloudy days or for when there is blackouts

Re: Going Solar - advice please

i-need-a-martini — Sat, 13 Sep 2014 14:01:00 GMT

Yes you can do it supanova.

Instead of connecting to the grid, you install an off the grid system. They do it in remote areas all the time. A friend of mine generates her own power in a bush hut she built 10 years ago.

I am not 100% sure how it all works but I understand her panels charge up batteries and this provdes the power she needs to convert to 240v electricity. Her power is completely self sufficient.

I am sure there must be companies out there that can help you with this. Or there must be environmentalist blogs out there that you can ask questions to.