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Thread: Gross feed in tarrif with solar power

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    Default Gross feed in tarrif with solar power

    I don't know where else this thread belongs so this one will have to do... maybe its worth suggesting a new topic area for this since its probably going to be discussed more and more.... anyway onto my info and questions....
    We went along to a seminar a few weeks ago with NuEnergy and ended up paying a deposit on the day to get an extra $150 off the bill. We didn't really know a lot about it at the time but seemed good at the time. A friends brother ran the seminar (sales pitch), and we'd been told a little before hand. Anyway since signing up I've been researching a lot, come up with lots of questions.... but so far still can't find a flaw in the whole deal. The electricity company have to pay us 60 cents minimum per kWh for all the power that we generate from our roof.... The only risk being that for whatever reason, our system doesn't produce enough power to get our money back, then we won't be happy... but the figures look good. So now we play the waiting game, supposed to be about 60 to 90 days before they will install it, then we need to get a Level 2 electrician to install a gross feed in meter to connect our solar panel system to the electricity grid. An assessor came to our house on the weekend just to confirm the little extras we have to pay and to confirm the location is ok... The thing that worries me is that apparently Energy Australia don't have any of the meters available yet... so thats why I'm here. What have others heard about this? Is this true? So even after we have the system installed, we might not be able to get it connected due to Energy Australia delays.... Anyway to me its seems foolish that everyone doesn't take the government up on this offer, considering we're getting over $10K worth of solar panels and inverters, and we're only paying $3k. Is there a catch that anyone knows about? One thing that I haven't been able to find out, is if we decide to sell our house and move, can we take our solar panel system with us? It has been mentioned that it could increase the value of the house when we sell, but if I can't get the same deal at my new house then I'd want to take it with me. Just not sure about the whole "REC's" thing.... if that means that the renewable energy has to stay where it was installed and can't be moved.

    A bit of technical info..... anyone used the Aerosharp inverter? Apparently you can connect it to a computer, but I was just wondering if the inverter stores data or does the computer have to be connected continuously to get all the extra data.... I saw some screen captures of the software and it seems you can get all kinds of info out of it. Anyway I'll leave it at that for now... looking forward to hearing peoples comments good, bad or ugly.



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    Unfortunately you've been conned into paying more for your power matey.

    You think you are doing the good green thing by paying your 3000 bucks and feeding your 1 kilowatt onto the grid eh?


    Here are the real facts for you....

    (a) Your 1 kw system would be lucky to make 250 watts on most days of the year, and almost never making 1000 watts.

    (b) You will never get the 60c /kw that they are promising you because you will never feed onto the grid, unless you can use less than 250 watts an hour during the day...(hope you dont have a fridge or kids or a TV on standby etc)
    Any power you make will feed your internal use first, before feeding the grid.

    (c) You were being charged 17c a Kw hour peak and now you are paying 26c a Kw for your "new" contract....So your bill will go up cause you will never generate more than the 50% increase in peak power you've just been conned into signing up for.....GET IT?


    Yes I know you are paying 9c after 11pm and before 7 am but your hot water was on off peak rates anyway.


    So I am sorry to say you have been conned like thousands of others.
    The solar panel scam is no better than the roof insulation scam.

    You need more than 4 kw of panels for it to work in your favour, ask Joey

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    Scam? The local school paid something like $45 for the last quarter electricity bill. The principal would love to fill the whole school roof with panels!

    Leroy
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    Sorry ScooterRat I think your info is a bit out dated.... Since January 1st this year, all electricity generated is fed straight to the grid. None is going to my house. I am getting a 1.5kWh system, which they claim will generate a minimum average of 6kWh per day.... Other companies are claiming 7kWh. I'm not holding them to that because it will depend on surrounding factors etc....
    As far as off peak goes, I don't have an off peak meter and I already got gas connected to do the hot water. That was one thing that worries me though. The guy from NuEnergy said that they may try to put a Smart meter in my box as well (to replace the current one) which means they would have more power over what they charge us at different times of the day and they could do it all remotly.... he suggested to discourage a smart meter if I can so that I continue to pay the normal rate... ie I'm paying 15.9cents per kWh at the moment... Everything I generate is paid back to me at 60cents per kWh..... My quarterly bill is only around $200-$225 at the moment, so if it really does go by their averages, then I will be getting paid maybe about $100 a fornight by my electricity company..... and cause I'm with AGL, they are actually paying 68 cents even better Still haven't seen a downside to it all

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    If its such a great deal , why are you posting questions ? If your quarterly bill is only $200 , why would you bother to go and blow $3k ?

    There is already plenty of recent discussion on this topic if you do a search.

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    If it was only net payback then yeah, not really worth doing... would take a few more years to make my money back if at all. But with this system, I "should" make my money back within 2-3 years then everything will be profit... thats the ideal situation anyway... My main point of this thread was to ask other about Energy Australia's slow supply of the gross feed in meters

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    They ( Energy Australia ) had " dont take no for an answer " Indian doorknockers in my area last week. In general , if it looks like its a fantastic deal , it wont be.

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    i have tried to read what you have written but got a little confused

    NOW

    a few things that come into play that you have definitely not been told by the sounds of it

    in your last post ypu made mention that you could earn roughly $100 per fortnight.

    This could or could not be the case depending on what state you live in as each state has a method of connection these being either GROSS OR NET

    To explain those

    Gross: is where everything your system makes is fed back directly to the grid

    Net : is where everything your system makes is fed into the home then if its not being used it is pumped back into the grid so if your daily usage is say 13kwh and you are making 6kwh then nothing what so ever is being fed back and as such earns you nothing.

    Now as i mentioned it is dependent on what state you live in

    so if you live in nsw or act then their method is gross

    if you live anywhere else it is net.

    you also mentioned you were paying 15.9cents at the moment from agl, i have looked around and did not find anything as good so i would take it you are on some special deal and i would bet my nuts on it when you hook up the solar and go on a new contract it will change in a big way for you.

    you are also basing your output from the units at the highest level and unless you live up north dont count those chickens.



    60 cents = vic agl = + 8 NET FEED
    44 cents = qld agl = + 8 NET FEED
    44 cents = south aus agl = + 8 NET FEED

    now you mentioned your supplier is agl then your system would be a net feed and as such would put back sweet fk all.

    Last edited by fandtm666; 01-03-10 at 03:09 PM.
    dont say linux if i wanted it id install it

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    Gross vs. net feed in tariff



    A net feed in tariff, also known as export metering, pays the PV system owner only for surplus energy they produce; whereas a gross feed in tariff pays for each kilowatt hour produced by a grid connected system. It's a very important difference.
    dont say linux if i wanted it id install it

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    there are currently no meters available in nsw (havent been made yet)
    dont know about other states
    many people may miss out as only 50mw is allowed total
    fun times ahead

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    Thanks for your comments 'diavalo13666', if I said fortnight above, I meant per quarter.
    Energy Australia is my electricity supplier, AGL is electricity provider/reseller. I get gas from them as well, so that might be why I get this price.
    The gross meter is the one I'm after and yes I'm aware that energy Australia don't have them yet... that is one of my main concerns, they are the ones who have gotta give my electrician a meter....I'm in NSW, and 60 cents in the minimum, but apparently Origin is paying about 66cents, AGL 68 cents.... every little cent helps

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    Don't you just love it when a friend and/or relative invites you to some sort of information session on something that will save you heaps or make you heaps?

    Reminds me a lot of what I call the "Rip off your friends partys".

    I hope it works for you, but I am skeptical of something that has to be sold in this way.

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    you also mentioned you were paying 15.9cents at the moment from agl, i have looked around and did not find anything as good so i would take it you are on some special deal and i would bet my nuts on it when you hook up the solar and go on a new contract it will change in a big way for you.
    I'm with origin & pay 15.6c ex gst for the first 1750kWh, then its 23.13c/KWh after that(quarterly)....you'll find they are all there abouts, otherwise everyone would be flocking to the one retailer.

    So diavalo13666...you are saying that when the energy supplier knows your on solar your price will skyrocket but your neighbour thats with the same supplier( & no solar) will be charged a different rate?? I think there is a thing called regulation within suppliers.....& these increases have to be passed by the govt 1st. They can't charge whateva they want!
    PrecisionMods

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    Quote Originally Posted by mickc View Post
    there are currently no meters available in nsw (havent been made yet)
    dont know about other states
    many people may miss out as only 50mw is allowed total
    fun times ahead
    Wrong My sparky got 50 of them last thur
    he came around but guess what no panels installed yet
    still waiting

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    i have a 1.05kw system from nu-energy.

    Runs great.. current smart meter is reading 1800kw down & 300kw up. Generates about 6Kw per day in summer.

    Over summer it has nearly halved my bill..

    All i run all day is a fridge and a laptop.

    and my array faces west.. not even north.. though not going to be so good now the weather is changing here in VIC.

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    oh and i got my system for $150 installed before the rebates changed.

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    when did ya get it fitted
    and how long between order and fitting
    i ordered and paid 250 deposit in nov still waiting

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    I wont pretend I have the vaugest clue about these offered systems but I keep falling back onto the question of 'WHY'.
    WHY would any company try to save YOU money when the whole idea of a Business is to MAKE money?
    I for the life of me cannot see any company buying energy off you and paying you MORE than what they charge you to supply energy ??
    So far I havent seen any real figures of an installation running over 12 months in all climates and conditions suppling as close as possible a REAL house and comparing costs involved.
    As an analagy, it reminds me of buying something off Ebay cheaper than generaly sold but by the time you pay P & H, it works out dearer.
    I did one of those 'Energy Saver' calculators for a Plan and on AVERAGE I could save about $35 a YEAR.
    About 60 cents a week on condition I did not vary my consumption such as having a light on longer than before.
    It took 2 seconds to work out if I turned off something I could do without, I could save that 60 cents at least and not be tied to a bloody 99 year plan.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    I'm with you Gordon but my guess is that its to do with the RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) you sign over to them when you do the deal. The articles I'm reading in Renew etc. are saying not to sign them over...

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    martymoose i signed up i think august last year.. maybe a bit earlier.. was before the big changes to the rebate. was installed in October though didnt get the smartmeter till December.

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