Browse Forums Eco Living Re: We have gone solar!!! 24Aug 15, 2010 1:38 pm Plans Done Feb 2010 Permit Done 23 April. Set out Done. Scrape and Excavations Done. Footings Done May 10th. Now, to find a brickie.Got one! Sub-floor bricks & Garage Done - 13th June Sub-floor installed 28 June (?) Re: We have gone solar!!! 26Aug 23, 2010 1:27 am If I was to win Lotto, I would build with a different builder, now to win lotto Re: We have gone solar!!! 28Sep 03, 2010 2:24 pm I made the oder with Origin Energy in June but still waiting. They called and said that I need to wait for another 2 months! They got my business mainly because of their 10% deposit and monthly payment. They started taking the monthly payments immediately and now they have 20%! Not happy Origin!! Re: We have gone solar!!! 29Oct 01, 2010 3:59 am Very crappy Devank. We are about to install a 5kW system on our new build. We wanted to have it in now but may have to wait to have it installed after we move in and sell this house (finances pending). We are in QLD so get paid 44c for what we put in and pay 18.8c (max, depending on Tariff) for what we take out. For us it will be about using power in a smart way while there is still such a difference in the prices. For the time being....we will aim to use minimal power in the day to maximise earnings. Once prices we pay go up, it will reverse. Either way, the aim is to not pay at all for power, and to earn from it for as long as possible. RF Build: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=34534 Flooring: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=39733 Chat: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=53303 Re: We have gone solar!!! 30Jan 12, 2011 10:04 am I'm surprised fredstar you never opted for bigger system, unless the costs were off putting. I'm about to sign a contract for a 2.22Kw 12 panel system with larger inverter that I can expand the system by up to half again. I live alone and am a light user of electricity but this system will cover my electricity bill and my excess feed-in credits will pay my gas bill, or alternatively give me a cheque every November. The system costs around $6K and will pay for itself in a little over 3 years. But be aware there are heaps of * firms around who will rob you blind and use cheaper components. For those interested, go to the Whirlpool website under 'home' but as I said in another post, be prepared for a long read as solar is covered extensively. Arfur Re: We have gone solar!!! 31Jan 12, 2011 11:13 am Link here for those who don;t know whirlpool http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/138?g=223 Re: We have gone solar!!! 32Jan 12, 2011 12:23 pm Uncle Arfur I'm surprised fredstar you never opted for bigger system, unless the costs were off putting. I'm about to sign a contract for a 2.22Kw 12 panel system with larger inverter that I can expand the system by up to half again. I live alone and am a light user of electricity but this system will cover my electricity bill and my excess feed-in credits will pay my gas bill, or alternatively give me a cheque every November. The system costs around $6K and will pay for itself in a little over 3 years. But be aware there are heaps of * firms around who will rob you blind and use cheaper components. For those interested, go to the Whirlpool website under 'home' but as I said in another post, be prepared for a long read as solar is covered extensively. Yep costs were off putting and origin only had the monthly payment plan on the 1.5kw system. Couldnt find any other company at the time that had the same payment plan that didnt also charge interest on the plan. Built The Huntley 290 with HomeXcellance / Cheviot Homes Re: We have gone solar!!! 33Jan 21, 2011 10:43 am Ive been researching solar installs for 3 weeks now and wonder why anyone would bother with a piddly little 1.5Kw system. Ive been told by several solar companies to "fit the biggest system you can afford and do it all in one hit". Many people are now realising when they try to increase the size of their system that their panels have been discontinued OR their inverter wont take more panels OR they cant find anyone who will bother installing additional panels because "there's nothing in it for them". Arfur Re: We have gone solar!!! 34Jan 21, 2011 10:47 am Uncle Arfur Ive been researching solar installs for 3 weeks now and wonder why anyone would bother with a piddly little 1.5Kw system. Because 1.5km was giving the max value for money when we had the rebates. Re: We have gone solar!!! 35Jan 21, 2011 11:04 am I was looking into Solar for my new place but was informed that the unit cost for their power went up with there provider. Because they only got a 1.5kw system the monthly bill really didnt change. After reading the good reveiws on here would I be incorrect in thinking its not worth it? Re: We have gone solar!!! 36Jan 21, 2011 1:07 pm I have solar and it was the best thing i ever did. You really need to do some proper calculations. In less than 18 months I have generated about 2500Kwatt hours. retail wise that is worth 500 to 1500 depending on how much i exported. Mine is only a small 1kw system i only paid around 500 for it. Re: We have gone solar!!! 37Jan 22, 2011 5:15 am Quote: You really need to do some proper calculations. Yes BStar, indeed you do. My electricity use is quite low compared to others, but what you have generated in 18 months with your tiny system is only about 60% of what I use in a year. Most couples with a couple of kids are opting for a 3.04Kw system or larger so it wipes out their electricity bill. Any excess credits are paid to you OR in some instances taken off your gas bill if it is with the same energy retailer I have an aversion to cheap Chinese crap that is flooding our market. The whole thing with solar is sorting out the retailers who offer lower quality components (made by, I'm told, up to 1100 manufacturers in China) to keep their price down to get more work -- but isn't that the same in any retail area. Look in Bunnings, its full of it. Claiming against a 25 year solar panel warranty entails trying to locate the importer should the manufacturer not have an office here OR packing the panels up and sending them back to where ever they were made in China to be tested. The costs in this would be prohibitive and see you simply throw your panels away and start afresh. There is a huge variation of prices of solar systems ranging from the ridiculously cheap to the outrageously expensive and the whole 'game' is finding a happy medium Arfur Re: We have gone solar!!! 38Jan 22, 2011 8:55 am Uncle Arfur I have an aversion to cheap Chinese crap that is flooding our market. The whole thing with solar is sorting out the retailers who offer lower quality components (made by, I'm told, up to 1100 manufacturers in China) to keep their price down to get more work -- but isn't that the same in any retail area. Look in Bunnings, its full of it. Claiming against a 25 year solar panel warranty entails trying to locate the importer should the manufacturer not have an office here OR packing the panels up and sending them back to where ever they were made in China to be tested. The costs in this would be prohibitive and see you simply throw your panels away and start afresh. There is a huge variation of prices of solar systems ranging from the ridiculously cheap to the outrageously expensive and the whole 'game' is finding a happy medium I agree, but even companies like Sharp are now manufacturing all their Solar inverters AND panels in China, so it's not all crap. ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 Re: We have gone solar!!! 39Jan 22, 2011 10:24 am The Sharp you favour is that the renown (for all the wrong reasons) Aero-Sharp? Arfur Re: We have gone solar!!! 40Jan 22, 2011 10:30 am No, Aero-Sharp is a sub-brand of Shangai Electrical Technologies, a very, very large Chinese firm who have been around for a very long time. Yes, there inverters have some issues, but frankly I have far more actual complaints about the Sharp inverter. You have to remember that most people don't head to the internet to sing the praises of something that is working okay. They also don't search the internet to defend products they don't really understand. They generally on rush to complain etc so internet sites like whirlpool are somewhat skewed for data. Sharp are a japanese company with a very very good reputation and make LOTS of things, TVs, steros, fridges, air conditioners etc etc You know - Sharp Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ ~W~ Building our forever home - Lilium Estate Clyde - Land due May 2019 Built our first home - Pakenham - 2011 I looked into it a few years ago and my conclusion was to just build a carport that will support panels and get a system installed separately. The company I looked at had… 1 6475 6 11528 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39451 |