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Thread: 5kw solar panel setup recommendations

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    Junior Member roma's Avatar
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    Default 5kw solar panel setup recommendations

    Hi next week I'm going to get some quotes for 5 kw solar system to be installed.
    Any recommendations what to look for or what is the good quality system, deals, installers in western side of Melbourne.
    Is a good time to have them installed now?



Look Here ->
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    Quote Originally Posted by revalove89 View Post
    Thanks for share this post.
    piss off, spamming bastard

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    Quote Originally Posted by roma View Post
    Hi next week I'm going to get some quotes for 5 kw solar system to be installed.
    Any recommendations what to look for or what is the good quality system, deals, installers in western side of Melbourne.
    Is a good time to have them installed now?

    Roma, re your post report, Weirdo is referring it to a deleted spammers post, not at you.

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    lol

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    hehehe I would have thought the Reply with quote would have made that obvious
    sorry for the misunderstanding roma, like admin pointed out this wasn't directed at you

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    It's best to just report spammers, not reply to them or quote their posts (which usually makes more work for mods cleaning up threads).

    Like roma, I'm in the market for a 5kw system for Melbourne, too.

    From what I've read, monocrystalline panels have the highest efficiency and are a bit physically smaller than polycrystalline panels.

    From those with more knowledge and experience, are there any manufacturers of panels and inverters that are superior to the rest and are there any that would be best avoided?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    It's best to just report spammers, not reply to them or quote their posts (which usually makes more work for mods cleaning up threads).
    Your not wrong there.

    Like roma, I'm in the market for a 5kw system for Melbourne, too.
    Me as well.

    I dont know a great deal, but SMA inverters have a good reputation.

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    I would be looking for companies who have been in the business longer than 2 weeks, dont promise a packet of Iced Vo-Vo's and a bottle of Mineral water with every install and have actually check able references, not 'Miss Footrot of Outer Nowhere' who attests her solar instal has given her a 40DD face lift.
    Hopefully by now many of the 'Just off the boat' panels and inverters along with the slick salesmen have left the market place but as usual, Caveat Emptor still applies.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    double post
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Unfortunately I can't show any of you where the great deals are all I can do is offer the result of my experience.
    I know nothing of solar installations, thankfully I have a good mate who lives in WA who's partner is well versed with all things electrical so before I purchased I ran everything through her and essentially purchased on her recommendation and I'm so bloody glad I did.
    I purchased an upgradable 3Kw system through True Value Solar and these are my observations.
    From the second I gave True Value the deposit till I received my first power bill from my power provider every word True Value uttered was the truth.
    Having said that you have to be prepared top read all the documentation they send you
    but the documentation is very well laid out and easy to read, I can remember coming on to Austech and reading threads about solar power and thinking "Ohhh shit, that's an important point I'm sure I'm now stuffed" and I would ring True Value (always got a Skippy) and they would patiently point out where that question was answered in their documentation - after a while I didn't need to ring, I would just read.
    I have no idea if I got a good deal, I paid $4300 for 3Kw of panels with a 5Kw inverter - but I didn't lift a finger from day one.
    Everything was done to a schedule, that schedule had get out of jail clauses for both parties but everything was detailed and generally installed / checked / signed off on, ahead of schedule. Sometimes they only just made the date and on other occasions beat it by a country mile but my point is they communicated, I was never given the opportunity to sit and stew and wonder is this or that was going to eventuate.

    Based on the last two bills from my service provider (Red Energy) my 3Kw has reduced my power bill by a 1/3 (It used to average $600, it's now down to $400)

    Having said all the above I'm convinced it's the service providers that are stuffing it up.
    I work in a small 10 man office - everyone has solar panels of varying sizes
    I am the only person in the office with Red Energy
    I am the only person in the office with nothing to complain about
    (Just on that my order date was the 25th of August, True Value advised me on the 3rd of Sept that the Vic Govt reduced the buy in to .08cents and because of the True Value cool off period I may well miss out, they asked if I wanted to continue with the deal - I said OK. When it was all installed Red Energy contacted me and advised that although the feed in was 8Cents If I signed on a 2 year contract they would pay 25cents - I said OK)

    5 people are with Origin Energy and all 5 report ongoing and current issues
    4 people (service providers unknown, but not Red) have taken their cases to the relevant ombudsman

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do - I'm very happy with what I did.
    In hindsight I should have posted my Facebook status as: "I've blown the head gasket on my 1997 XR3i" rather than "I've just buggered a 14 year old escort".
    The police still haven't seen the funny side, my lap top's been confiscated and the wife has gone off to her mum's.

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    Thanks SB,

    These are the sorts of experiences I like to read.... factual, no sales hype.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    It's best to just report spammers, not reply to them or quote their posts (which usually makes more work for mods cleaning up threads).
    Really?
    Thanks for the tip.
    I always do report spammers when I come across them.
    I wouldn't have been offended either if admin had deleted my post along with the spammers'
    No big deal

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    I didnt delete it it was ssrattus. I would have just banned you as well rather than perform 2 seperate actions

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    Quote Originally Posted by Seymour Butts View Post

    5 people are with Origin Energy and all 5 report ongoing and current issues
    4 people (service providers unknown, but not Red) have taken their cases to the relevant ombudsman

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do - I'm very happy with what I did.
    The bloke behind me got solar about 18 months ago and I know he is with red energy. I have only spoken to him once, but he was also very happy.

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    I have 20 panels in Melbourne. Mine were originally from Clear Solar. Have been redone etc since.
    I am with Origin for my billing. A lot of real good reading re info etc etc on Whirlpool forums Green Tech here:

    Just go thru a few pages for a look...
    I using 2 x cms2000 invertors hooked up to pvoutput.org thru a Flukso


    Last edited by bazzle01; 17-06-13 at 11:57 AM.
    Have a nice day

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    Quote Originally Posted by Seymour Butts View Post

    3Kw of panels with a 5Kw inverter

    You should fully load your system up by having 5Kw or a little more of panels for your 5Kw inverter (if you can afford it and as long as it does not effect your feed in tariff.)

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    Quote Originally Posted by roma View Post
    Hi next week I'm going to get some quotes for 5 kw solar system to be installed.
    Any recommendations what to look for or what is the good quality system, deals, installers in western side of Melbourne.
    Is a good time to have them installed now?
    SMA inverters are one of the best used in the world. some times a little bit more expensive but worth it in the long run

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    Quote Originally Posted by bazzle01 View Post
    I have 20 panels in Melbourne. Mine were originally from Clear Solar. Have been redone etc since.
    What brand and type of panels were they?
    How long did they last?
    How did they fail/need to be replaced?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mtv View Post
    What brand and type of panels were they?
    How long did they last?
    How did they fail/need to be replaced?
    Not replaced, reconfigured.
    Originally 12 on one string (2x6) on 1st CMS2000. Then added a 2nd system 8 panels (1x8) on 2nd CMS2000.
    I re did to make 2 x 10 panels in series for each invertor to raise the efficiency (VPV higher)
    So 2 systems at about 1740w each. o/c ~ 440v
    Panels are Topray and SolarTech.

    Bazzle
    Have a nice day

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