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    Default Solar Power Questions

    I am toying with the idea of installing solar panels. I live in the Riverina. I have seen the following:

    1. 19 X 190W Daqo Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-3.6 OUTD inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation
    $8,999.00

    1(a) As a matter of interest I also found this in another forum posting dated 3/4/2012 (for Tasmania though) from the same company:
    13 X 245W REC Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-3.0 OUTD inverter
    Bonus wireless monitor – $500 value
    Genuine SunLock mounting system – Australian made!
    All safety labels required by Australian Standards (AS4777)
    Installation by our CEC accredited installers
    Cabling, conduit, DC & AC circuit breakers and enclosures
    Certificate of Electrical Safety
    10 year installation workmanship warranty
    Solar panel performance warranty of 25 years
    Manufacturer inverter warranty
    For $6,749.00

    i.e. $2,250 cheaper for effectively the same output

    2. 20 X 245W REC Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-5000 inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation
    $10,499.00

    3. The same company is offering a 1.52KW system "from just $1,499". Whether or not it is this one I am not sure without contacting them!
    8 x Daqo 190W Solar Panels
    + SMA SB1600/SB1700 Inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation

    The last account we received is for mid-Feb to mid-May (92 days). We used 602KWh @ $0.26228/KWh - off peak over and above this of course.

    Before committing myself I have been doing a bit of research and came across this site:



    Comments please about any/all of the above.
    Last edited by Guiseppe; 02-06-12 at 07:00 PM. Reason: Added "about any/all of the above



Look Here ->
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    A friend is seriously thinking about installing Solar and one question he thought to ask was how what resistance did the panels have to hail damage.
    Now at best we have had the odd hail storm of perhaps a few minutes once or twice a year and the size was the ordinary green pea size.
    However we have experienced hail over Golf ball size which has made quite a mess.
    One year though a hail storm damaged a large number of roofs covered by a pressed Galvanised sheeting coated with a coloured pebble.
    These roofs had only been done a few months before and nearly all had to be replaced such was the damage.
    The Rep my friend asked how his product was hail rated suggested that a more expensive panel and German made possibly would be better so that suggested to us both the cheaper may not be a good option.
    My friend said he also checked his house insurance regarding the loading and use of panels on the roof.
    No doubt you can insure for Hail damage but that isnt generating power smashed on the roof is it.
    It was hail and frosts that delayed the use of Solar HWS here for a number of years.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guiseppe View Post
    I am toying with the idea of installing solar panels. I live in the Riverina. I have seen the following:

    1. 19 X 190W Daqo Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-3.6 OUTD inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation
    $8,999.00

    1(a) As a matter of interest I also found this in another forum posting dated 3/4/2012 (for Tasmania though) from the same company:
    13 X 245W REC Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-3.0 OUTD inverter
    Bonus wireless monitor – $500 value
    Genuine SunLock mounting system – Australian made!
    All safety labels required by Australian Standards (AS4777)
    Installation by our CEC accredited installers
    Cabling, conduit, DC & AC circuit breakers and enclosures
    Certificate of Electrical Safety
    10 year installation workmanship warranty
    Solar panel performance warranty of 25 years
    Manufacturer inverter warranty
    For $6,749.00

    i.e. $2,250 cheaper for effectively the same output

    2. 20 X 245W REC Solar Panels
    + Aurora PVI-5000 inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation
    $10,499.00

    3. The same company is offering a 1.52KW system "from just $1,499". Whether or not it is this one I am not sure without contacting them!
    8 x Daqo 190W Solar Panels
    + SMA SB1600/SB1700 Inverter
    SunLock mounting system
    Professional installation

    The last account we received is for mid-Feb to mid-May (92 days). We used 602KWh @ $0.26228/KWh - off peak over and above this of course.

    Before committing myself I have been doing a bit of research and came across this site:



    Comments please about any/all of the above.
    Firstly stay away from junk like Daqo panels , stick with the REC they are high class panels.
    The Aurora PVI inverters are also good quality , but the SMA's listed are the old type , While SMA are the best inverters it's only worth looking at the HF or TL series.

    The second system is good value and will give you about 12Kwh per day averaged over the year , this is nearly twice your daily needs so will allow you to switch some of your off peak usage to on peak times.
    If you wanted to just cover your daytime use the 1.5kw system will come very close to covering it producing 6Kwh of you average 6.5Kwh current usage.

    The first system on your list is too expensive and crap panels so give that a miss.

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    Guiseppe (03-06-12)

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    Further information to aid discussion and hence my decision.

    There are only the two of us in the house. Cooking is by gas, heating by wood and cooling in summer by evaporative air conditioner. We do have a LG split unit - the less said about it the better! It is not used at all.

    Power usage is therefore:

    refrigerator x 2 (the second one will not be used as soon as it is practical to turn it off)
    TV sometimes during the mornings, most week days late afternoon for an hour and then "peak viewing" time. Ad hoc at other times if I decide to go feed hunting/whatever.
    computer when I feel the need and a small fan heater to keep me warm
    clothes washing during the day, say three loads/week.

    Joey,

    You refer to the second system. Is that my 1(a) or 2 system? If it is 1(a) then I am not sure that it would be still available at that price.

    I suspect the 1.52KW system uses the Daqo panels though!

    Any comments about the content on the web site in my first post?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guiseppe View Post
    Joey,

    You refer to the second system. Is that my 1(a) or 2 system? If it is 1(a) then I am not sure that it would be still available at that price.

    I suspect the 1.52KW system uses the Daqo panels though!

    Any comments about the content on the web site in my first post?
    I was referring to system 1(a) that is good value and should still be available for that price or less but definitely not more , prices are not going up.

    As the website points out you really only need to cover your daytime needs which by your figures is 6.5kwh per day , you can bank on making 4kwh per 1Kw of installed panels averaged over the year , so the 1.52 Kw System should cancel out your daytime usage.
    System 3 would be ideal if you could get it with REC panels and Aurora inverter or SMA TL or HF series inverter. , if you paid up to $2000 that would be still be reasonable pricing for that size ( of course these prices are less REC's )

    System 1a is great value for money and will give you more scope to move or consume more during production times , also use your split system without worrying about extra cost , But I am more pointing out here that this is a good value for money system not necessarily what you need
    I think the 1.52Kw system makes good sense , I agree with what the guys is saying about inverters only lasting 5 years , I would be surprised if some of the rubbish out there lasts anywhere near that long that is why I am recommended SMA or Aurora , inverters that have very long histories of lasting and staying reliable.

    There are are going to be countless forums and threads all over the internet over the next few years with people complaining about dead systems , there are quite a few already but people still think cheap is ok, maybe it would be if the suppliers of this cheap rubbish were still around to provide backup service but most are already long gone.
    Trust me it is a false economy to buy cheap solar equipment , whatever you do don't listen to any claims made by people that sell systems, they will all claim that what they are selling is the best !

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    Quote Originally Posted by Joey View Post
    ... so the 1.52 Kw System should cancel out your daytime usage.
    System 3 would be ideal if you could get it with REC panels and Aurora inverter or SMA TL or HF series inverter. , if you paid up to $2000 that would be still be reasonable pricing for that size ( of course these prices are less REC's )
    ...
    Given that we cannot really change our energy use habits I can only guess that installing this system would have some benefit if:

    (a) we could get a FIT shown here:

    i.e. 6 or 8 cents/KWH

    (b) it would hedge against future price increases.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guiseppe View Post
    Given that we cannot really change our energy use habits I can only guess that installing this system would have some benefit if:

    (a) we could get a FIT shown here:

    i.e. 6 or 8 cents/KWH

    (b) it would hedge against future price increases.
    While some feed in tariff is good , if you are using the energy you are making you are also not paying the going rate $0.26228/KWh or what ever it becomes.
    The feed in tariff only becomes important when you are making a lot more than you are using which with a 1.52kw system is going to be almost nothing at all anyway.
    Insurance against future price rises which are definitely going to happen is a good thing.

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    Rang the company about the 1.52KW system. You will note in my original post that it was "from just $1,499". I was asked my postcode and was told the system would be $2,999. No real need to say that I told him to shove it.

    He also said the rebate varied depending on location. I thought there was a standard rebate of $2,700 on a system of that size and it varied depending on the size of the system above 1.5KW.

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