Electric vehicles and alternate fuel sources

We had 3 different solar companies come to do a quote for panels. With our current quarterly bills and our age all very quickly said it would be a negative decision and we would be dead and gone before we paid it off with savings.

What most people don't factor in to the equation is the loss of that money for many years before it is returned and what it could be doing from earning interest - super averages 7-10% - to paying for a holiday, desirable house renovations or any number of things (a new truck?). The people who got in years ago with outrageous returns are still being held up as examples when the current truth is far from economically viable for nearly everybody who are a couple of pension age.

Factors other than economic results must bear heavily on a decision to put in solar panels on a suburban house and the view must be very long. I think it is for young people and new build homes with a long term outlook.

Lang

We have a 5kw array and it just keeps ahead of the usage.
That’s with a pool and aircon when needed. Also a 19kw pool heater which really eats the juice.
We pay about 25c per KWh and they pay us about 10c. So you can see it’s no money maker.
Plus when we lost supply in the recent floods, those panels just sat there doing nothing.
Battery systems make no financial sense. Takes at least 15 years of savings to pay for the instal and the warranty is much less than that.

In Victoria, two things are different to what others here say:-
1. The credit is taken off our power bill. Last month our feed-in amount was greater than our power usage so we got a zero bill but the excess credit appears to have disappeared from this month's bill.
2. The amount paid for excess power is reduced every now and then, so that it does not matter what you received when you first got solar panels you will not get it now.

A few years ago, a person who should know said that putting solar panels up purely to make money from the power you generate will never work.
We bought a house with 16 panels about three years ago, otherwise I would not have them.

When we first connected solar we were paid 60 cents/kwh. Now we get 9 cents/kwh feed in. We are charged about 23 cents /kwh for the power we buy. Our saving is in the fact that we now buy less than half what we use per quarter. The credit is a handy bonus off the bill.

There's a few good points raised here
Dont believe the sales pitch, do your research before sticking your hand in your pocket

Every case will be different, some people whether retirees or young people just starting out will find it rewarding and worth while

So do your research and don't listen to any of us as our experience and driving factors are just that, ours and may have a completely different result than yours

As I read thru these comments it is clear most people are still relying on the sales man for information

Paul

We put solar panels on our house in Echuca and make enough money from November onwards that we don't actually pay for power until August/ September. In our case I had to spend some money after we moved or I would have lost income payments for 2 years. Spending that money to reduce our bills and keep our income payments made sense as we were too young to access our super and had already contributed as much as the Tax Office would allow!

You can also go off grid pretty cheaply these days, that’s providing you’re not stuck with an existing electricity supply which will charge you a daily premium just for that privilege as well as a meter charge.
I recently shouted the kids a 3000 inverter for their caravan, just as a trial. Cost $370 delivered.
12v to 240 at 3000w is massive amps, 24v would be much better.
It runs the van’s inverter aircon, microwave and so on.
Using two 100ah gel batteries so they don’t last long unless it’s sunny and then the solar panels can keep on top.
Was an interesting test.

I asked a solar crowd about running a DC motor directly from solar panels.......plan was to use the 40hp 200v motor from the Coles to drive a 3 phase 415v alternator.........solar crowd wasnt any help ,on account of they seem to only interested in green credits for power companies.

John that method sounds a bit inefficient, a modern inverter setup should be heaps better.
2nd hand solar panels are popping up everywhere so its inexpensive to cover your roof.
Communication towers etc have scheduled replacement of all panels and batteries and they are tested prior to sale. Any that don't pass get dumped.
Then an inverter and batteries, batteries are going to be the biggest expense.
Once you aim for over about 10kw they seem to like 3 phase. I'm not a fan unless you have a lot of 3-phase gear.
Loading individual phases unevenly to run your 240v gear will kill the inverter pretty fast.

Here's so me Proud Aussies showing a couple of Global Corporates How Its' Done...

www.truckinwithkermie.com/blog/sea-its-e...lian-its-bloody-good