Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Jan 11, 2011 8:31 pm I'm considering getting solar power installed. There has been the odd thread discussing it before but it is this website that educated me somewhat about the ins and outs of heading down that path. It is presented in plain language and even suggests some questions to ask potential installers. Has anyone else seen visted that website and gone though the process of organising the 3 quotes? I've received 2 replies so far and the further I look into it, the more tempted I am. I'm only looking at a 1.5kw system, which I can get installed for around $4k out of pocket. To me there is no attraction to go for a larger system; we are almost empty-nesters and our usage is not that high anyway, so ROI should still occur not too far down the track. Point of discussion: Has anyone who has considered installing a solar system also considered the potential increase in value of your home due to a solar system being installed? Geoff - Decophile. Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 2Jan 11, 2011 9:31 pm at the moment we've been told that most home buyers don't see it as a value added thing. Might be different where you are but certainly not to the value of what you will spend. This might just be with larger than the 1.5 kw systems. We are looking at a 3kw system with a 4 kw inverter. We accept that it wont; increase the value of the property by the amount it will cost to install. Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 3Jan 11, 2011 9:54 pm Have you looked at origin Eager? Seems like a good deal? http://www.originenergy.com.au/2100/Solar-electricity I got some quotes, some from the site you mentioned, and spent some time researching til I became overwhelmed and thought Id just wait til the end of the build and see if we have money first as Im thinking a 2.5kw system Custom European Cabinets - Melbourne Kitchen Specialist PM for business details as website currently being updated! Our Crazy Owner Builder Journey! Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 4Jan 12, 2011 8:20 am There be as many opinions as buyers... As a purchaser of an established home, there were so many other variables in purchasing an established home...layout/style of house, aesthetics, quality of garden and water tanks to maintain them, evidence of maintenance, internal upgrades, location to services, location in general, what work I'd have to do to making it my own, that it wouldn't factor into my "checklist". Two identical houses which tick all the boxes (a highly unlikely scenario) with the only difference being a solar set up then maybe...but $4k is within that "haggle zone" where you would never know if it tipped it in your favor. I'd also be looking at how old the set up is and what maintenance I'd be up for in the near term. Horses for courses...but I wouldn't pay premium for the house for the panels...not that altruistic If I was looking at solar for myself I'd be looking at the ROI within period of occupancy and for "doing my bit" rather than resale...and I'm not convinced yet on the economics. mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 5Jan 12, 2011 9:37 am I'm about to sign a contract for a 2.22Kw system that will on average over the year pay for my electricity bill and also most of my gas, by having both services with one provider who will use my feed-in credits, or alternatively send me a cheque every November. The system will cost around $6K and will pay for itself in a little over 3 years. With the world wide popularity of solar and current federal government rebates (RECs) and State govt feed-in rates around 44c/Kwh (unless you are in NSW) its plain to see why. If you want any info on solar systems >> because its an industry full of liars/shonks -- go to the Whirlpool website and scroll down to 'home', but be prepared for a long read as the folk there, including electrical installers, relate their experiences, whats a fair price, and whom to avoid. Arfur Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 6Jan 12, 2011 5:23 pm Thanks for your replies guys. Bam, that sounds Origin deal sounds ok but it looks like you have to sign up to their finance? No thanks. I'm the opposite to you with the amount of info I have learnt; to me it is not overwhelming. Learning stuff like what to expect with the inverter (for example one with a transformer might be noisy) or the way the panels are constructed and what to look for will only simplify the choices I may make. That's not to say though that I might yet chicken out! We are with Tru Energy by the way and they also offer a system, but I haven't properly checked it out yet. Coincidentally we got our electricity bill today and we used 2020kw/h for the quarter so I don't expect to often export to the grid with a 1.5kw system if at all (but if I did I would get 66c per kw/h instead of paying around a third of that), but the comparitively small out of pocket expense compared to a larger system would be the overriding factor for me. t_d_l, it is the 'doing my bit' factor that is definitely an attraction at the moment. I'm not spooked by the predictions of massive increases in electricity prices but having said that to me it does make economic sense to install a system before we get a 'smart meter' foisted on us, assuming they still continue with that program. A system that produces most of its power at roughly the same time as the dearest time of day to buy electricity off the grid (and be metered accordingly) makes sense to me! Thanks for the whirlpool tip, Uncle Arfur, I'll check it out later. Another reason I'm thinking of getting a system installed soon is that the gov't rebates will be scaled back mid-year, apparently. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Tempted to go down the solar path 7Jan 12, 2011 6:55 pm Eager if you can get interest free finance why not? When I started the solar search I cringed at anything Chinese, but after reading-around Ive found that some Chinese stuff is quite good. Its just the shonks who push a cheap system using cheap junk. With a reported 1100 manufacturers in China some must be junk, although there are standards they have to attain. Some Inverters with transformers do hum, and some cheaper ones are really noisy -- you get what you pay for. So if it does hum, what about your A/C, that makes a lot more noise?? I think this quote summed it up for me-- "The percentage of panel efficiency lost over 25years does not add up to the cost difference of German/US panels" A 1.5Kw system will generate approx 2339Kwh/yr for a cost around $2990 A 1.9Kw system will generate approx 2924Kwh/yr for $4490 Check out the approx prices at --http://www.solarwholesalers.com.au/price-list.php -- I have no connection with this company and its prices are only a rough guide Govt rebates are to be scaled back at the end of June to x4 time RECs, which will increase your cost, bearing in mind they only pay RECs at x5 for the first 1.5Kw and it reduces drastically after that. The Federal govt wouldn't like anyone saving anything out of this now would it?? >>> retch State govt's feed-in rate varies and can be altered virtually overnight. In NSW they have reduced it from 60c to 20c/Kwh assuring they will get rightly bounced out of office Good luck Eager but DO your homework mate Arfur Hello everyone, After some suggestions and ideas about how to put a concrete path around the drop edge beam area on our new build. We are required to have a concrete path… 0 12872 Thank you so much for your response. I have drawn a pedestrian gate in - for curb appeal, let's see how much costs come in at. I think you're right - if we decide to… 2 6529 Hi all Following the recent heavy rainfall in Sydney, I am keen on redirecting water away from the house's base as much as… 0 6785 |