Solar installed today

[kleinfranken]

So what is the answer....do you have a choice as to the fitting of a new meter? I had a 1.5 system installed last week and have the old rotary meter which runs backwards most of the day. I figure that a 1.5 system is not going to put much back into the grid, so I am content to just have the meter run in reverse and cut the bills down. They can keep their 66c/kwh and I will keep my old meter.

[SystemRat]

I have a co generation meter not a smart meter so I pay flat rate 20.99 cents per kw (was 18.9 until last week) for what I use and I get paid 68.00 cents feed in per kw for what i put back into the grid (surplus) some states pay gross WA is one where you get paid for everything you produce even if you use it.

Not sure if you can ask for one of these or they just give you a smart meter I guess it depends on where you are and perhaps when I had my meter fitted.

The feed in rate is where you make your money back on the system so without a new meter your only getting 1 for 1 roughly where as 68 cents is a lot better.

[Dishtrackted]

So what is the answer....do you have a choice as to the fitting of a new meter? I had a 1.5 system installed last week and have the old rotary meter which runs backwards most of the day. I figure that a 1.5 system is not going to put much back into the grid, so I am content to just have the meter run in reverse and cut the bills down. They can keep their 66c/kwh and I will keep my old meter.

I use 15 KW a day
Solar produces roughly 7.5 KW a day(on average in my area)
So If I get 44 cents for mine and buy theirs for 22 cents
Technically(in a perfect world) I should have no bill
Can only do that with a smart meter
other wise its just half price bill

It depends on use, rates, sun and time of use.
I wont know the real figures for a few bills.

[gordon_s1942]

I dont forecast election results because its never cut and dried no matter what the situation is but the pendulum is swinging to indicate that the Lib/Nats will have to campaign to loose the 26 March election.
The current Labor Govt have 'withdrawn' from selling off 'The Farm' (electricity) and the % increase P/A on our electricity charges BUT, have they ????
From what I understand we were to get no choice in having a new meter installed State wide of one type only whether you have Solar or not.
The attitude is you will get what your given, like it or lump it.
I dont have any faith in the current leader of the Lib/Nats either as he is a consumate politician who can talk underwater and changes the rhetoric depending on the direction the 'Winds' are blowing.

[SystemRat]

Here are examples of Smart and Cogeneration meters.

The smart meter can do time of use charging where as the cogeneration meter is single rate and just records the totals as far as i know not the time of use info.

Cogen



Smart

[SystemRat]

I dont forecast election results because its never cut and dried no matter what the situation is but the pendulum is swinging to indicate that the Lib/Nats will have to campaign to loose the 26 March election.
The current Labor Govt have 'withdrawn' from selling off 'The Farm' (electricity) and the % increase P/A on our electricity charges BUT, have they ????
From what I understand we were to get no choice in having a new meter installed State wide of one type only whether you have Solar or not.
The attitude is you will get what your given, like it or lump it.
I dont have any faith in the current leader of the Lib/Nats either as he is a consumate politician who can talk underwater and changes the rhetoric depending on the direction the 'Winds' are blowing.

I was not picking sides in that comment just suggesting both sides are venerable having to commit to a "me too" promise. If one side says we will drop time of use.

Then again if the ALP got back I suspect they would do the same as Gillard when she lied there would be no carbon tax prior to the last election.

Also the former minister here Peter Bachelor when pressed on the issue said consumers could remain on a single tariff but he never gave an indication of the cost of that tariff and to my knowledge never mentioned the time of use rates. The devil is in the detail.

Anyway I really don't dislike the people of NSW and hope this does not happen but I think it would be absolutely hilarious if the ALP was returned on Green preferences.

[skozzy]

There is no way any company can pay 60 cents a Unit then sell it for 20 cents, some one somewhere has to pay.
They have already made it a Taxable Income for Old Age Pensioners, so how long before they start sniffing at everyone else?

The 66c is paid by the huge power consuming companies as part of their agreement with the government to reduce green house gases. They either reduce production or install incredibly expensive systems for cleaning their waste or they buy the solar power from those who have installed solar system using the government rebate scheme.

I was also told NSW who were using a similar scheme where huge power consuming companies were buying power from the grid feed system was capped at some figure and cause they used it up already the high rebate there was cut big time. In QLD cause of the types of mining companies and other huge factories that are running they estimated 2028 and beyond will still allow QLD'ers to benifit from over 50cent per kW even past that 2028 date.

So when you hear people bitching that they are paying higher rates cause of solar you can inform them they are not, it's only the power hungry high power consuming factories paying for it. Then give them a lolly pop and send them on their way.

[ShaK]

System Rat, I have the meter you marked as Cogen - and it records time of use hours. There are two type of metering - Net and Gross. Gross metering which is used here in NSW, is where the supplier pays you for every KWH you generate via Solar, and goes as a credit in your bill. The meter records time of use hours - but they will only be used if you chose to go on a time of use plan with the provider. Otherwise they just add all 3x periods up, and charge normal rate. The new meters for solar are provided for free by the supplier (country energy here anyway), but you will need to pay for installation - that's where any charges come in. In my case I installed as 3KW system, I had signed up prior to Oct 27 2010, so will get 60-68c/KWH (depends on energy retailer) for every solar KWH I generate. My system will pay for iteslf in 3-4years. If your system was installed after 27th Oct and you had no supplier purchase agreement prior to 27th Oct, you now only get 20c KWH. Once NSW reaches 300MW of installs - no bonus tarriff, so Net metering would be best then - where you are just offsetting what you use during the day.

[SystemRat]

In Victoria it's net so i just get paid for what I pump to the grid not the total production. Thus I try not to use stuff during the day to allow more to pump out than I use.

Kind of hard as I work from home and the PC draws 270 watts.

[Guiseppe]

.. Kind of hard as I work from home and the PC draws 270 watts.

Laptop, mouse, keyboard and LCD screen?

[anyone]

Kind of hard as I work from home and the PC draws 270 watts.

not a lot and the panels will cover that, try to keep usage down during the day so you get input to the grid and it will equal out, i use the aircon all night to keep the missus quiet and last 2 bills = 0 with a 1.1Kw/h sys

[kleinfranken]

I haven't had my install inspected yet but I noticed that the electrician left some paperwork and also some type of locking device in the meter box.What is the lock for? Do they put it on and stop you from using your solar until the meter is changed? If so, how is that legal? it's like the road traffic authority putting a clamp on your car to prevent you from using their roads.........

[porkop]

Mine had that but it was only there till the inspector inspected. all done now, solar working, no new meter yet.