Reply With Quoteol' boy (13-02-14)
I wondered why you were asking about the inverters last night when the picture was thereOriginally Posted by oceanboy
Obviously you posted when I was editing my pics.
When my quotes went over 6kw systems were quoted with twin inverters so I am presuming its due to size. With the 2 inverters it is running 2 independent strings of 16 panels....basically 2 systems each with 4.4 kw inverter and 4kw panels.
No, I was on a ladder......looking at the tree I have to trim
ol' boy (13-02-14)
They finished up just before 9 this morning. Very happy with the job done.
I cant really take much more of a photo of the panels than what I did yesterday as my house on that side is close to the neighbours and I cant get it all in. You can barely see a panel from the road.
I now have to wait for an inspection from the electrical inspector to sign off on the job and also have to wait for my supplier, United Energy, to reconfigure my smart meter for 2 way traffic.
ol' boy (13-02-14)
It was around 3 - 4 Months After panels got Installed that they finally put in the Smart meter for me, I was told not to turn it on as I wold be charged for any power I produce
( Only a 1 KW System back in 2010 ) ( was later told old meter would spin backwards and Minus of the Numbers )
Once the Smart meter went in it was still a Few weeks before I cracked the Sh!ts and rang them asking why had it not been inspected and Unlocked ( Meter box Switch Was Locked Out )
The Guy That fitted the Smart meter said a Guy should be there that Afternoon to inspect and remove Wire Lock on Switch.
A Powercor truck cam and removed the lock straight away when I had rang ( 02-06-2010 ), so It was possibly never inspected unless he came without my Knowing...
Back then I was Quoted to Upgrade to a 2KW System $7868
I would have thought that at least one of the installers needed to be a licensed electrician ? Apparently not from what I am reading. Mine is/was so I didn't have to wait for some other bloke to come over and inspect his work. I suppose the bigger companies would just have 1 electrician, and the rest are just grunts. The one bloke just goes from job to job to sign off on the work. Wouldbe cheaper that way in a bigger company I suppose.
Cheers.
When I was a kid, I used to have an imaginary friend. I thought he went everywhere with me. I could talk to him and he could hear me, and he could grant me wishes and stuff too. But then I grew up, and stopped going to church.
No Mods, different inspector
Not only does there need to be a Licensed Electrical Mechanic on site.
The business must also have a Registered Electrical Contractor.
Two totally separate licences, both of which are needed to submit any paper work.
You also need in addition to the above, an independent Licenced Electrical Inspector to check your work and fill out his section of the same paper work....
On top of that... Both the REC and LEI must lodge it with the Chief Electrical Inspector before any Truck Appointment happen.
The above being your Certificate of Electrical Safety, which has 6 copies.... To be handed to all involved.
The whole process is a pain in the ass. And some what costly, but, its how its been in Vic for over 15 years now.
Last edited by ol' boy; 13-02-14 at 10:30 AM.
If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!
Oh, must be a Vic thing then ? I didn't have anybody inspect mine. Only thing I had was a phone call from some bird just 'confirming' the amount of panels etc..
I had my meter changed over before the panels went up, so they didn't check anything then either. On a side note, we dont have the smart meters here in SA (yet), so all of my bills are 'estimated'. makes it a bit hard to keep track of things.
When I was a kid, I used to have an imaginary friend. I thought he went everywhere with me. I could talk to him and he could hear me, and he could grant me wishes and stuff too. But then I grew up, and stopped going to church.
It might just be the angle on the photo but you might want to watch that you don't get shading from that spout/chimney on the closest panels.And yes I know I have to trim that tree
Even a little bit on won panel has a big effect on the string output.
For all electrical work there has to be one supervising the cable install and doing the connection.
Putting in the solar frames and mounting the actual panels not necessary be a sparky.
Last edited by Privatteer; 14-02-14 at 08:48 PM.
Just thought I'd throw my two cents worth in. Put a 3.75 kW grid feed system in about 18 moths ago. I'm in Tassie and we have a 1 to 1 tariff system ie 28 cents a kWh into the grid and from the grid. This locked in for 5 years for any system install that the paperwork was submitted before 30 October 2013. Any other new install is paying 28 cents to buy and I think around 10 cents to feed in. The upshot is as others have mentioned if you can use most of your power during daylight hours you are in front. You need to be able to produce a surplus here to cover standing charges which are over $100 a quarter. I also went for a solar tube hot water system as this is the best value for money way to knock a big amount of your bill. After 18 months currently have a credit around $400. Only two people in house usage around 12 to 15 kWh a day and don't make a big thing of conserving power so worthwhile as before install was getting bill around $2000 a year and climbing. Cost of water heater and system was around $8500 so will in theory cover costs in around 5 years and after that should be free.
Do they still build things today to last more than 5 years? LOL
Yeh that's the hole in the theory
Ok, had the chief electrical inspector in today and he has approved the installation. He checked all the meter box wiring, checked and tested the inverters, and got on the roof and inspected the roof installation.
My system is now on and running, but my meter needs to be reconfigured. So at least I have free power during the day (turns aircon on)
He also said lucky you got it now (8kw) as they are putting a 5kw cap on in the next couple of months (cant remember what month he said).
ol' boy (26-02-14)
I was looking forward to seeing what I could generate for a full day...wake up today and the sky is full of cloud, its raining and there wasnt even any light until 7.30am.
I managed to generate about 20kw yesterday from 2pm until dark. It got cloudy late afternoon.
ol' boy (26-02-14)
Christ, why on earth would they put a 5Kw cap on Solar Systems?!?!
Surely the idea is to take the pressure off "Environmentally Unfriendly" ways to generate power.
So was that "Cap"... A Rebate Cap or an actually system size Cap?
Probably both I think. The bigger the system the bigger the rebate. There was a $5000 rebate on my system @8kw, so presumably lower on a 5kw.
Yes, but the Cap doesnt stop you from building a System larger then 5Kw does it?
Time will tell as to what he is referring to exactly. It could either be the subsidy on the system over 5kw or the removal of the feed in tariff for systems over 5kw. I should have asked him more.
There are plenty of rumours (and little facts) about at the moment in regards to the federal government cutting subsidies on solar but nothing I can find relates to what he said.
ol' boy (26-02-14)
FMD!
I just got my power bill and my average daily consumption is 9Kw...................
I drop dead if I got yours.
Yeah, its a cracker isnt itFMD!
I just got my power bill and my average daily consumption is 9Kw...................
I drop dead if I got yours.
the cap is in place for the system size
Apparently here in QLD it used to be bigger a few years back but when too many people started getting in on it, the QLD government reduced the allowable size
I know a local guy here put a 30 KW system in about 5 years ago as an investment, he even had to pay about $11000 to Energex for a new pole with upgraded transformer at the front of his rural property
Yeah, i remember a quite a few people 4 and 5 years ago installing 25Kw systems. Had nothing to do with any Rebate, they just wanted a big system.
The cost was HUGE!
Even here where i live, people have put a large system on their holiday home, which completely covers the power bill of the holiday house and pays half the power bill of their home back in Melb.
With Feed In Tariffs dieing, i can see that wasn't a great choice for these people.
I'm surprised a company hasn't popped up that buys your unwanted excess solar power for 12cents, so it can on-sell it for 25cents. How they would be able to meter this i have no idea.... But if your Retailer is only going to give you 8cents, then charge you 30cents for the same Kilowatt of power, its almost something the ACCC should be looking into!
To think... here all these people are producing energy and saving brown coal, and you are being robbed.
There should be one central place that counts all the units (kilowatts) of Electricity you make and deducts them from your accounts, so it can also be deducted off other houses you have.
Anyway, we all know that is never going to happen.....
Back on topic now
Last edited by ol' boy; 26-02-14 at 05:36 PM.
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