Reply With QuoteCan you please equate the kilowatts into $ and cents. ie how much money are you saving with the panels, I know it'll be a guesstimate.
Can you see with all the gadgets how much you're using, how much you're feeding in etc?
You should manage 60 kW Admin. Best I've managed in nth Tassie was 27.5 kW in mid January this year from 3.75 kW of panels.
Can you please equate the kilowatts into $ and cents. ie how much money are you saving with the panels, I know it'll be a guesstimate.
Can you see with all the gadgets how much you're using, how much you're feeding in etc?
Yep, I think so too, but I cant see it happening until summer comes around again.Originally Posted by fred121
No, I cant equate much at the moment until my meter is reconfigured and I switch to a company that has TOU (Time Of Use) plans that suit me.
As it stands, I am paying a flat 27 cents a kw and not getting billed for power while its daytime.
When I move, I will be looking at paying about 12 cents a kw off peak (11-7) and paying less for peak as well as paying nothing during the day. Anything excess I generate I get paid 8 cents for. In general, I should come out with free power due to the size of the system.
Basically I am now using about 6-7 kws a day from the grid (basically when the sun goes down). Mostly off peak. If I was paying 12 cents that would be 7 x 12 = 84 cents.
Given that I am generating heaps of excess (though this will change over winter and increase over summer), an excess 10kw a day will earn me 80 cents. That will roughly cover my bill, but it will be a bit more as there will be a couple of peak hours. I think at worst I will generate maybe 15 a day, at best maybe 60 a day. You need to average it out over a year.
I was hoping this meter would have been dont this week just gone but it hasnt been. I am going to start making a bit of noise on Monday.
There is a copy of the electrical inspectors paper work in the meterbox, he said that they will take it when they do the meter. Its still there, also tariff 13 will be working on the meter which it isnt.
I am not keen on missing out on too much of the last of the sunshine before we head to winter.
Also, just curious as to what sort of readings people get on their inverters when the sun is shining. So far, when its a nice day its generally over 3000, the other day it went as high as something like 4200 which I am presuming is pretty much its max being a 4kw system ?
If the above is correct, exactly what weather condition dictates these numbers ? Both are currently sitting on around 3100 with sun out and its about 30 degrees. But a few days ago when it went over 4000 it wasnt as hot.
Each inverter currently has 226kw generated on it, so a total of 452kw produced. Based on that and how long they have been running, I am averaging about 32kw's a day.
I have my 3KW system running since January and on a sunny day back then used to sit around 2700 to 2750 KW in the middle of the day, now it’s 2500 to 2600. Apparently at some point it went over 3800 KW. I noticed it goes Higher on a partly cloudy day when the sun shines between the clouds, and I believe it’s the light that produce the electricity, if it’s too hot it only damages the panels.
Hi Tony
I think you mean watts, not KWatts. A 3Kw system is expected to peak somewhere around 300Watts or 3KWatts.
Note that output power does drop when the panels get hot ... so ideally then a nice cool clear sunny day.
Wouldnt that be 3000 watts ? 300 watts is very low.
I have been reading a thread on Whirlpool and performance does definately drop if it gets too hot.......I suppose I am really trying to work out is exactly what constitutes optimum performance conditions. I suppose once I have had it a while I should be able to work it out, no doubt it would differ in different parts of the country.
At the moment the inverter is showing 2550v, that equates to 2.55KW doesn't it?
Sorry my bad, I see the mistake, should be reading Watts and not KW.
Admin, your system on a nice clear summer day will probably peak at around 7.4 KW
Last edited by tony54; 10-03-14 at 03:59 PM.
Admin, had heard that if you place shade cloth over solar panels the performance can increase, i don't know if this is BS. I know this is purely academic but if say yesterday 33o with 25% shade cloth, would performance increase?
After receiving a bill for a grand, averaging 38.5KWh @ $0.254 per KWh am interested to hear your results
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
I would presume that is watts, not volts Tony ? As an example, there is no sun here and my inverters are kicking around the 750w mark. When the suns out and it gets to 3000w for example, that would be 3.0 kw. 750 watts would be 0.750 of a watt or three quarters of one.
Right again Admin, it is watts.
admin (10-03-14)
Cant say I have heard of that one mate. I have heard of people turning a hose on their panels on a stinking hot day and performance improving, simply by cooling the panel.
Nice bill there mate, it looks like one of mine from last year. What are you running ? A split system by any chance ?
Temperature of the panels does affect output but it is something you just live with. Admin best output on inverter I have registered is 4100 from a 3.75kw system over summer it is not unusual to see the inverter registering around the 3850 to 4000+ but only at 15 mins either side of midday. As you have alluded it is all about the 12 month average as a good full sun day in mid winter can be better than a cloudy summers day. Just a minimal amount of cloud at the wrong time of the day can really upset the output. Whatever the case the best option is to use the power during the day when it is being produced as this is the economical way to go. My attitude is that anything fed back into the grid is a bonus.
Cooling of panels can increase the out put 10-15%
Here below i have knocked out some figures to prove my point, eat your heart out Trash
There are a number of articles on Whirlpool about people putting recyclable water sprinklers on their systems to cool them on excessively hot days, others saying add a few panel
There is a fine line between "Hobby" and "Madness"
My power use for March last year was 748 kWh. So far this month I have used 204 kWh and should end up using about 250 kWh.
My meter still hasnt been done but the paperwork is definately in. Apparently they have 20 days to do it. Pain in the arse, but what do you do.
Meter totals
Inverter 1 461
Inverter 2 462
Total 923 kWh generated since turned on which I think (without scrolling back through the thread) was the 25th last month. So close to 1000 kWh's generated in a month.
allover (24-03-14)
Looking at getting a System for My other halfs House she just brought for her Mum to Move into ( And pay Rent )... Been doing a bit or Googling and have found so far to keep away from true value and Eurosolar.. We got a Quote from Eurosolar and it was by far the cheapest but all bad puplicity is enough to keep us away. is there a Web Site that tells us if the panels and Inverters are rated at. Panels from what I have found are Tier 1 / tier 2 / Tier 3 - keep away from.... etc.. Got Quotes coming from colasolar, Waiting on Quote from Solar Australia, Quote from Eurosolar - Going to keep away. Will see how this goes.,...
may be of some help to you.
mutanti (25-03-14)
Already done the Online 3 Quote thing. Waiting on the Colasolar quote tomorrow..
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