Solar options for home in 2022

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87 posts

Master Geek
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#3464798 25-Feb-2026 16:30

HarmLessSolutions:

The big issue for me would be the daily charge gobbling up the first 20-25 kWhs of export. Ouch!

In our case our first ~8 kWh cover our daily charge.

Agreed: $3.66 is a huge daily charge.

Mine is $1.38 (Meridian on the Orion network). Even then - even in summer - it can often take well in the afternoon by the time the daily charge is covered and the water cylinder is hot ... i.e. until I actual move into credit for the day.

HarmLessSolutions

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#3464801 25-Feb-2026 16:36

kangaroo13:

HarmLessSolutions:

The big issue for me would be the daily charge gobbling up the first 20-25 kWhs of export. Ouch!

In our case our first ~8 kWh cover our daily charge.

Agreed: $3.66 is a huge daily charge.

Mine is $1.38 (Meridian on the Orion network). Even then - even in summer - it can often take well in the afternoon by the time the daily charge is covered and the water cylinder is hot ... i.e. until I actual move into credit for the day.

Our Ecotricity/Powerco daily charge is $1.61 so with morning on peak export in the mornings being 24c/kWh means we're usually in credit by mid morning if it's fine. Our 13 kW of capacity is a big advantage in this respect.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

Jase2985

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#3464811 25-Feb-2026 16:51

kangaroo13:

HarmLessSolutions:

The big issue for me would be the daily charge gobbling up the first 20-25 kWhs of export. Ouch!

In our case our first ~8 kWh cover our daily charge.

Agreed: $3.66 is a huge daily charge.

Mine is $1.38 (Meridian on the Orion network). Even then - even in summer - it can often take well in the afternoon by the time the daily charge is covered and the water cylinder is hot ... i.e. until I actual move into credit for the day.

You are likely low user, the poster is a standard user, that is about standard for Auckland lines charges

HarmLessSolutions

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#3464815 25-Feb-2026 16:59

Jase2985:

You are likely low user, the poster is a standard user, that is about standard for Auckland lines charges

Not sure who you're referring to as "the poster" but we're with Ecotricity/Powerco Taranaki on a low user ecoSolar plan. We used 11,500 kWh in the last 12 months but only imported 4,200 kWh.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

Jase2985

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#3464818 25-Feb-2026 17:21

HarmLessSolutions:

Jase2985:

You are likely low user, the poster is a standard user, that is about standard for Auckland lines charges

Not sure who you're referring to as "the poster" but we're with Ecotricity/Powerco Taranaki on a low user ecoSolar plan. We used 11,500 kWh in the last 12 months but only imported 4,200 kWh.

The person with the "huge daily charge"

sen8or

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#3465051 26-Feb-2026 08:29

I've got 3 systems that I'm now looking at -

1 is a Sigen Energy system, 26x WBC Series Back Contact Ultra Panels (485w), x1 Sigen Energy 10kw inverter and x1 Sigen 10kw (9 useable) battery vs

1 Tesla system, 24x Aiko 490w panels, x1 Tesla 10kw inverter, x1 13.5kw tesla powerwall.

1 Tesla system, 25 x Longi 470w panels, x1 Tesla 10kw inverter, x1 13.5kw tesla powerwall.

All systems will produce approximately the same energy (12.6kw for Sigen, 11.8kw for x2 Teslas), the tesla battery has 50% more useable capacity. There is a $6 -8k difference in cost between the Sigen and the two tesla quotes.

Is the tesla system that much better?

I get that a battery may or may not be a necessity, is an extra 4.5kwh worth the extra $

If I put some sort of smart relay on the Sigen system (can't find any reference to it in their quote), I get that it will increase the cost, but will that bring the performance closer to the Tesla and its "smart" ability to learn and manage priorities.

Thanks

Sen

HarmLessSolutions

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#3465064 26-Feb-2026 08:47

sen8or:

I've got 3 systems that I'm now looking at -

1 is a Sigen Energy system, 26x WBC Series Back Contact Ultra Panels (485w), x1 Sigen Energy 10kw inverter and x1 Sigen 10kw (9 useable) battery vs

1 Tesla system, 24x Aiko 490w panels, x1 Tesla 10kw inverter, x1 13.5kw tesla powerwall.

1 Tesla system, 25 x Longi 470w panels, x1 Tesla 10kw inverter, x1 13.5kw tesla powerwall.

All systems will produce approximately the same energy (12.6kw for Sigen, 11.8kw for x2 Teslas), the tesla battery has 50% more useable capacity. There is a $6 -8k difference in cost between the Sigen and the two tesla quotes.

Is the tesla system that much better?

I get that a battery may or may not be a necessity, is an extra 4.5kwh worth the extra $

If I put some sort of smart relay on the Sigen system (can't find any reference to it in their quote), I get that it will increase the cost, but will that bring the performance closer to the Tesla and its "smart" ability to learn and manage priorities.

Thanks

Sen

Is it the type of Sigenery system that can have more battery modules added? If so would 1 more battery bring it up to a similar cost to the Tesla systems?

Also a DC EV charger can be added to the Sigenergy stack which would allow V2H/V2G functionality. The battery capacity of most EVs would leave the static battery capacity of either system in the weeds when used as house energy supply.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

sen8or

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#3465140 26-Feb-2026 12:06

It looks like it (scaleable), but payback period with no battery (Sigen) is 7 years 5 months, with battery is 8 years 9 months, close enough to be a toss up. Cost looks to be about $ 7900 for 1 battery. Not sure a 2nd battery would make it any more viable. Winter time we'll struggle to fill a single 10kw (or 13kw) battery I would have thought (in Christchurch) and in summer, who knows what our requirements may be.

HarmLessSolutions

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#3465150 26-Feb-2026 12:22

sen8or:

It looks like it (scaleable), but payback period with no battery (Sigen) is 7 years 5 months, with battery is 8 years 9 months, close enough to be a toss up. Cost looks to be about $ 7900 for 1 battery. Not sure a 2nd battery would make it any more viable. Winter time we'll struggle to fill a single 10kw (or 13kw) battery I would have thought (in Christchurch) and in summer, who knows what our requirements may be.

So essentially an extra battery would bring the total cost for Sigenergy pretty close to that of the Tesla systems but with more battery capacity and the possibility of adding V2H to the system in the future.

Irrespective of the above though an extra <1.5 years payback for a battery inclusive system seems like a good choice to me. Winter generation from a 10 kW system should be sufficient to get some charge into the battery on most days if the panels have decent aspect I would have thought. If not topping the battery up from cheap off peak is another option to avoid peak period import.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

kangaroo13

87 posts

Master Geek
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#3465153 26-Feb-2026 12:33

sen8or:

It looks like it (scaleable), but payback period with no battery (Sigen) is 7 years 5 months, with battery is 8 years 9 months, close enough to be a toss up. Cost looks to be about $ 7900 for 1 battery. Not sure a 2nd battery would make it any more viable. Winter time we'll struggle to fill a single 10kw (or 13kw) battery I would have thought (in Christchurch) and in summer, who knows what our requirements may be.

With SigEnergy, you have various battery options - and it has implications not only with the storage capacity, but the maximum power they can deliver.

Older options:

5kWh, max 2500W

8kWh, max 4000W

Newer options:

6kWh, max 3000W

10kWh, max 4600W

Not sure which are currently avaialble in NZ.

The above capacities are nominal - check datasheets for actual values as they do deviate quite a lot.

https://www.sigenergy.com/uploads/en_download/1693548782125366.pdf

https://www.sigenergy.com/uploads/en_download/1758200906743690.pdf

For example, to get 10kWh, you could go for the one 10kWh module or stack 2x5kWh modules. You could get 5kWh now, and stack a second one later.

Note: 2x5kWh gives actual 10.4kWh @ 5000W; 10kWh gives actual 8.76kWh @ 4600W, but is also likely cheaper.

I understand you can stack different capacities - but check that. E.g. buy 8kWh now, and add another 5, 6 or 8kWh later depending upon how things go.

Paul1977

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#3465550 27-Feb-2026 19:09

For those of you on PowerEdge, do they have an app or anything to monitor power usage?

Jase2985

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#3465551 27-Feb-2026 19:16

Paul1977:

For those of you on PowerEdge, do they have an app or anything to monitor power usage?

Also do they allow download of your 30-minute power meter data?

dantheperson

226 posts

Master Geek
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#3465552 27-Feb-2026 19:20

Jase2985:

Paul1977:

For those of you on PowerEdge, do they have an app or anything to monitor power usage?

Also do they allow download of your 30-minute power meter data?

That's a legal requirement now isn't it?

Jase2985

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#3465553 27-Feb-2026 19:22

dantheperson:

Jase2985:

Paul1977:

For those of you on PowerEdge, do they have an app or anything to monitor power usage?

Also do they allow download of your 30-minute power meter data?

That's a legal requirement now isn't it?

Probably but i use the data extensively for modelling and for working out future plans etc, so easy download is good.

richrdh18

232 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 102

#3465557 27-Feb-2026 20:50

Paul1977:

For those of you on PowerEdge, do they have an app or anything to monitor power usage?

No app. Just web login. You can see your usage but tbh it is pretty useless.

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