Thread: Home solar power questions

Do you have 2 meters where both can be ticking over at the same time while sending to the grid and using power?

I believe so, but I'm at work now and can't check.

The installer fitted what Fronius call a 'smart meter'. The readout is positive watts when drawing from the grid, and negative when feeding into the grid. Interesting to watch while the solar radiation varies.
Terry

Hi,
We have a single meter, it is digital and scrolling through the menu gives the readout on the different tarrifs. We only have two, general tariff in and export tarrif. Hot water tariff is not allowed if the cylinder can be heated by other means.
The bill is crazy, it shows the export as power used but is charged in negative values.
I much preferred the analog meter running backwards.
Cheers

Our pre-solar meter was electronic that didn't run backwards for the 6 months it took to get the smart meter installed so not nearly as beneficial as a mechanical meter running backwards but at least it didn't keep running forwards during exporting, which we were warned that some do.

Solar power is amazing, you have some many advantages with them installed. At first, it might cost a fair bit, but it's worth it. the most significant attraction to solar power is that once the capital cost of installation is paid off the energy is free. This means the only real question is whether the payback period on the capital investment is better than the returns you would get from investing the same money in other ways. I can definitely say after I installed my panels from Solar Panels and Solar Panel Kits - SolarHub.energy my bills were not as scary as before. Installing a solar power system on your home means you can lock in a price of energy for at least the 25-year life of the solar panels. You know how much energy the solar panels will produce so that once you get an accurate price quote you know exactly how much each kilowatt-hour of energy will cost you over the next 25 years.

Originally Posted by BradC

You might need to clarify that because what you say isn't, and has never been "common". In fact, without a completely separate import and export metering setup (ie two completely separate meters joined only at the grid side) it's quite impossible.

If you generate more than you are using, then you are exporting and get the subsidized 40c rate for the surplus. If you use more than you generate then you are importing and pay (I dunno what you pay. Here it's 26c) rate for the shortfall.

If it worked the way you said it did, then you'd be getting a credit of 14c for every unit you consumed while you were generating even if it was even (you generate 5kw and consume 5kw). I don't think so Tim.

Actually, in some places OS that's exactly what happens - you get paid for what you produce, not what you export. There were proposals for that system to operate in Australia but the governments didn't like it.

Originally Posted by rover-56

Rooftop solar makes financial sense at the moment long term, the issue of power with the grid down would have been icing on the cake but the cost of a grid connected battery system is not financially attractive - even with the various government rebates intended to make solar look competitive with coal power.
I can see that lineman safety is a very important issue.
As for the HW boost from solar sources we will have to see what happens after installation, maybe I can get some wiring or programming changed.
I heat water in the winter from a kitchen wood stove, so don't pay for power then. using the boost control would avoid the installation of a dedicated solar water heater on the roof in parallel with the stove heat exchanger. All very interesting.

Thank you for the replies everyone.
Terry

5kW solar system now installed. Wow there are a few people with their hands out trying to cash in....
SPAusnet reprogrammed the meter on 16 August to accommodate feed in.
Still waiting for that to take effect. 3 weeks and counting... They are going to charge me $450 for that, supposedly a special visit by a skilled technician.
Was done by regular meter reader (manually read) on his normal rounds, took 5 minutes.
Red energy immediately increased my peak tariff from 28c/kWh to 43c/kWh.

AND I noticed that when I am generating 3.5kW and feeding 3kW into the grid, the meter code7 (hot water) is incrementing upwards when I switch on boost. So I will be charged for my own power. HW element is 2.8kW.
Ausnet say "oh no sir that is not possible"

Gah!!

Terry