Thread: Solar power 3kw system

Originally Posted by TheEntertainer

Hi all,
Just got a quote for $7000 for a 10 panel system, 2.5kw system, fully installed.
Is this a good price, what should i be looking out for to get the best deal? Living in west ryde, sydney.
Cheers

Don't base your solar purchase solely on price, it is an extremely bad mistake

Do some research, work out the products you wish to use and then hunt for price

For example I can purchase Tier 3 Mono panels for .60c/W wholesale, these things are rubbish, chuck in a JFY inverter and you've got a bargain!.....till it fails

Also, don't take advice most people with a general opinion, they are generally wrong

Read here http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/143 for good info

Many people will happily spend good money on motor vehicles, then become tight and shop to price only on solar, then whinge when there system does not perform, fails and they have to pay for repairs etc, when realistically its a 25+year purchase, you should be buying quality

We bought the Origin 1.5 system with a 15 year guarantee and used their finance to pay it off over a year. Its halved our power bill.
Keep in mind that altering your power usage can have a big effect on your bill. For example, if you do washing and dishwashing at night rather than in the daytime its quite a big saving plus your solar generation during the day goes back into the grid for the credit, rather than being used in the house.
Also, apparently solar panels work most efficiently at about 25 degrees, so if its hotter than that it can be an idea to hose down the panels during the day to cool them so they work better.

Originally Posted by rovercare

Your distributor is legally obliged to provide you with 230V+10%, so its a matter of getting them to change tapping points in tranny's, can be a bit painful exercise though

I understand that - I work with the supply authorities most days. They are having issues in some estates where too many solar systems are pushing the local voltage up too high - it causes the PV systems to limit their output. They have - in a lot of cases tapped the trannies right down so at night the voltage is bordering on being too low, but they still have high voltage issues during the day.

Putting an auto tapping trannie in is too cost prohibitive, so the problem remains...

Originally Posted by Redback

We have the 3kw system, ours has 12 panels though(2 rows 2 arrays) unless you have the rebate of 60c don't bother, you will need 5kw as a minimum to see any real savings in your power bill.

You'll need a good north facing roof area with no obstructions for the panels.

Baz.

Like Baz's advice, its completely incorrect

Its a very different world out there now with minimal feed in tariff's

Putting a 5kw system on can see a very bad return of investment, as it will pump plenty out to the grid, for 8c/kwhr when you need to be consuming what is produced as much as possible

You need to look at your lifestyle and energy consumption, panel placement is no longer North as a rule, East/west splits are very common and good for lengthening your solar production with some sacrifice to total yield (i.e. midday peak) sometimes it pays to load up the eastern roof, retiree's that like to be up at sparrow's fart, spend the morning doing there indoor domestic chores, then the afternoon out in the garden etc

I've loaded up western roof's for those whom are slow risers and tend to be out and about in the morning/midday time

It was easy in good feed in tarriff days, size as large as possible and for bulk yield, now you need some thought into sizing/placement for the best outcome for the customer, its also up to the customer to "manage" there consumption as best as possible, I try to enable this by fitting wattson energy monitors, they give you a real time display of what's happening

Originally Posted by bacicat

I understand that - I work with the supply authorities most days. They are having issues in some estates where too many solar systems are pushing the local voltage up too high - it causes the PV systems to limit their output. They have - in a lot of cases tapped the trannies right down so at night the voltage is bordering on being too low, but they still have high voltage issues during the day.

Putting an auto tapping trannie in is too cost prohibitive, so the problem remains...

22KV feeders out to Mallacoota and Kerang I think are the worst effected

I agree with what you are saying and completely understand (i spent a long time with powercor,), but the reality is they have an obligation

Also it causes the inverters to drop the grid relay on overvoltage, none of them "limit" output that I have seen

EDIT: might be Charlton not Kerang, can't remember

Originally Posted by rovercare

22KV feeders out to Mallacoota and Kerang I think are the worst effected

I agree with what you are saying and completely understand (i spent a long time with powercor,), but the reality is they have an obligation

Also it causes the inverters to drop the grid relay on overvoltage, none of them "limit" output that I have seen

EDIT: might be Charlton not Kerang, can't remember

Don't talk to me about the Charlton Zone Sub - It gives me nightmares...

Far too many stressful days and nights spent there... It could be the one you mean, it is on a crumby radial line and has a lot of dramas regulating its voltage at times when heavily loaded. They have almost finished the last section of new 66 up to it which they were supposed to cut over in May, but they just put it back to September.

When the neighbour had his fitted as the installers were walking away from the box it exploded. Turns out we're seeing up to 275v at the points. Explains why I've been frying power supplies left and right.

Whooohooo thanks for all the replies, any one know a trustable installer in sydney, west ryde, call it smack bang in the middle.

The guy that was worked out that we would be paying around $5 more per week that what we do now. That includes the payment on the panels. So after 30months we own the panels
And start getting $$ back if we dont over use electr.

Questions:
Best panels:
Best inverter:
Size of inverter:

Cheers