Solar Panel, Power & Battery Discussion

[Brissy1]

The plan chanage was very easy to make on-line as I was not changing supplier. I check at least every few months...

Great idea, I'll have to check that with agl in Brisbane. It likely will make a significant difference in Brisbane where I use a LOT of ac in summer. Also good technique for holiday homes.

 

[rogerkambah]

messed up my last post..
Fit is 50c this year , not sure where I got 26c from..
We are installing a generator input on the switchboard so we can live a half normal existence when a big cyclone wipes out the mains supply.
I will get about 32 amps which will run one air con and most of the other stuff with a bit of switching stuff about.
It's a lot of messing about and I guess I have now guaranteed no power outages here for the foreseeable future.

Sorry, but I'm a bit lost here. Are you installing a plug in gen set, after first isolating the mains, or is this an input for you solar panels, following isolation from mains?

 

[tgh]

Install is a mains /generator isolating switch (make/break) and a 32 amp plug inlet.
Genset plug ins with a 32 amp lead.
Solar stays upstream with the mains as the Inverter senses the status of the mains.
The isolating changoever switch is downstream of the solar and mains and connects genset and the load

 

[Quickstatus]

Energy Australia reducing FiT to 9.5c/kWh from 1/1/21

 

[RB]

Energy Australia reducing FiT to 9.5c/kWh from 1/1/21

Managed to get another 12 months of 21c FiT with Origin- we are in Essential Energy network area

 

[Quickstatus]

Essential Energy network area

Ausgrid for us

 

[Buzzard]

I've just had 3 quotes for solar.
All 3 quote for the same thing except the panels. The 3 brands being offered are Trina, Canadian Solar and LG.
The quotes are within about $500 of each other.
Any opinions about the actual panels?
I can quote model numbers if interested.

 

[RAM]

I've just had 3 quotes for solar.
All 3 quote for the same thing except the panels. The 3 brands being offered are Trina, Canadian Solar and LG.
The quotes are within about $500 of each other.
Any opinions about the actual panels?
I can quote model numbers if interested.

Ideally you want the fewest panels (aka highest watts per panel of similar dimensions).

One aspect worthwhile specifying (& finding out exactly what higher rating/gauge wiring they propose to use) - the wire. The thicker the wiring, the lower the resistence = lower power loss (can be up to a few % at worst). Equally the fewer panels = less run of wiring = less power losses.

When we did ours in 2013 I got double the diameter wiring (cost $15 extra!) & also checked the path they proposed to run it to ensure least distance. Cut around 5m off the run.

Overall result, now 7+ years on we're still generating more than we should according to the site specific calculators available & also according to the panel manufacturer. Our avg annual daily is now around 2% what was projected for when first installed.

The more you try to optimise each component of installation then the better the outcome received. After all whats an extra $15 for 2-3% extra generation - for example.

Also - is your inverter going to be shaded - partially or fully while still having good space (airflow) on 5 sides? Every little bit adds up.

Need to do your own due diligence on the panels - check the Australia testing facility results for example. Hopefully those panels have been installed there.

 

[Daver6]

I've just had 3 quotes for solar.
All 3 quote for the same thing except the panels. The 3 brands being offered are Trina, Canadian Solar and LG.
The quotes are within about $500 of each other.
Any opinions about the actual panels?
I can quote model numbers if interested.

I don't have anything really intelligent to add other than my panels are Canadian Solar and on 4 years old not had issues with them.

 

[RB]

I've just had 3 quotes for solar.
All 3 quote for the same thing except the panels. The 3 brands being offered are Trina, Canadian Solar and LG.
The quotes are within about $500 of each other.
Any opinions about the actual panels?
I can quote model numbers if interested.

I can only speak from our experience with the LG panels-have just gone past the 2 yrs and very happy. Mrs RB was very keen on the black Neon 2 panels as they can be seen from the street and I must admit they do blend away well. Maybe it is worth having a look at the PVOutput site- not flawless but can give you a bit of an insight into what other systems in your area are producing

 

[Flying mermaid]

We put in LG Neon2 in 2017 and they are still going well. We had 2 Solar edge inverters and they have both failed and been replaced for free under warranty. A problem with boards which have now been fixed.

 

[love_the_life]

We put in LG Neon2 in 2017 and they are still going well. We had 2 Solar edge inverters and they have both failed and been replaced for free under warranty. A problem with boards which have now been fixed.

From memory you have a fair number of panels I think?

 

[Flying mermaid]

From memory you have a fair number of panels I think?

Yes we did - 40, which is why we needed two inverters. We are east to west so basically 20 on each side.

 

[Quickstatus]

I’ve got Trina for one system and LG for another system.

Main thing is to avoid door knockers and go with a LOCAL established solar installer.

 

[Buzzard]

I’ve got Trina for one system and LG for another system.

Main thing is to avoid door knockers and go with a LOCAL established solar installer.

I have chosen what I believe to be 2 very reputable companies plus the RAA road service organisation. I never speak to the cold call peeps or the cheap advertisers.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes we did - 40, which is why we needed two inverters. We are east to west so basically 20 on each side.

When I did mine I did ask whether 2 inverters would be better, I was advised one would be better.

Most inverters are able to do 2 strings with different orientation. Some can have 2 strings with total 4 substrings.

 

[Flying mermaid]

When I did mine I did ask whether 2 inverters would be better, I was advised one would be better.

Most inverters are able to do 2 strings with different orientation. Some can have 2 strings with total 4 substrings.

I think the rationale was that we could only export 5kw per hour on a phase but they could put one inverter per phase (hope I have got the technical stuff right as I didn’t pay that much attention and Mr FM was handling it) and so we could double how much we exported. It probably isn’t an issue except when we go away and there hadn’t been any of that lately. It was good when we lost the inverters, as each time we only lost half the generation.

 

[NM]

I've just had 3 quotes for solar.
All 3 quote for the same thing except the panels. The 3 brands being offered are Trina, Canadian Solar and LG.
The quotes are within about $500 of each other.
Any opinions about the actual panels?
I can quote model numbers if interested.

Of those, I would be going for LG. While others may have caught up recently, LG was for a long time the vendor with the second longest panel warranty (not performance warranty) in the country, after SunPower. LG now match the 25 years product warranty of SunPower. If LG offered 25 year warranty when I was buying, I would have bought LG.

 

[jb747]

Energy Australia is sure leading the push towards making your FiT free to themselves. Even if I can’t find a better deal, I intend giving them the flick, as I see no point in rewarding bad behaviour.

 

[cove]

Over in Perth we received a bill for sub $300 for one of our 4,000 square metre office warehouses. So summer in Perth with office air conditioning on works out very well. We have LED lights and roof solar plus a sunny summer. We don’t miss the previous bills that were in the thousands.
Now we are expecting electric cars to be about 3 years away so we will need to figure out how to get the power charge for them.