Solar system expanding / upgrading?????

[Yobbo]

Hi, Im located in Brisbane QLD, I have been thinking about expanding my 1.6kw solar system I have on my roof, I have had it for a few years and I currently have a .50c FIT, I have read on the QLD government website I would loose my current .50c FIT if I exceed a 1.6kw system. My question is how would they know if I expanded my system to say a 3kw or a 5kw? I understand I would need to purchase a new inverter and additional panels and have a professional install them.

Cheers Yobbo

[gordonwh40]

First clue would be the large rise in fit as you are contemplating doubling or even over tripling the size of your current system.

[Mods]

Try this. Phone up your electricity provider, and after being on hold for 20 minutes, typing in your account number, and giving them every bit of information possible including the cats name, you will finally get through to a person 9who may or not be in Australia). Ask them about your account. Specifically your feed in tariff (fit). They should reply with .50c - then ask them what size system you have on your roof.
You'll be amazed to find out that they have no idea. The people who look after how many panels you have, and the electricity provider don't talk to each other
I bumped mine up a month or so ago from 2.2kw to 3.7kw ( my figures in the other thread were slightly out) but as I use more than I am producing I don't have much of a FIT anyway (locked in at .44c). I still have room to add another 1kw to the system - which I'll do before next summer.
Worse comes to worse and they somehow find out and I go back to .8c then I reckon I'll still be better off as I'm using more than I am producing (I refuse to turn off the beer fridges !)

Cheers.

[watchdog]

Like most things you only get into trouble if you get caught and as Mods has stated , the chances of that may be slim. But here's a thought. Increase the size to the max allowable for the FIT. Then put in a second system big enough to supply you daytime load (which shouldn't be too high). The result is that you get the max FIT possible , use no power at peak rates & all the power you do use is at off-peak. I'll leave the fine tuning of this scheme to you.

[mutanti]

I have a Battery setup which runs TVs & Lights around the House, Any Excess Power I now feed back into the Grid with A Micro Inverter.
Sometims batteries are fully charged by 10 Am from Previous Night of TV etc...
Been Monitoring the changes and seems to be paying itself of Slowly.
I also Have a 1 KW system feeding back into the Grid...
I got my solar when Gov first made incentives to get it - A 2 KW system back then was going to cost me almost $8000 Extra
Attached the Spreadsheet I made..