gooki: Hi, I know this thread is getting a bit old, but thought I'd chip in.
We installed 4.5kw of solar on our roof, 5kw inverter and a power diverter for hot water at the end of August 2017.
In the last 12 months our power diverter, diverted $450 worth of solar power into our hot water cylinder.
Our total electricity saving over the last 12 months is approx $1,000.
Our total system cost was $10,500. However we haven't paid a cent for it yet, thanks to 21 months no interest, no repayments.
My $10,000 has returned $1,700 over the last year by staying invested. Add the $1,000 in free electricity and our total cost is down to $7,800. By the time I have to pay for it, I expect our out of pocket cost to be below $7,000.
This will give us a payback period of approx 7 years.
What you get for installation sounds like a great deal consider it's interest free for close to two years!
What I am more interesting to know is how much percentage of electricity you've consumed from your own Solar compare with from the grid, and did you have people stayed at home most of the day time to archive that kind of savings. Did you got the kind of savings/returns promised by the solar installer?
Yeah it takes a bit of research to get a good deal. FWIW I supplied the Immersun power diverter myself (included in price) and they installed it when doing the solar panels.
By having the power diverter installed you loose the ability to track the amount exported via the inverters web interface. I’ll have to check my meter box to get the exported amount. FWIW I’m not even getting paid for my exported power. I’m giving it away free (thinking of changing to Ecotricity for summertime cut power costs even more).
We are a family of four in a 200sqm home in Christchurch with electric everything (except cars).
People at home during the day 3 days a week.
I never bothered to look at the installers savings/return estimates. I’d done my own using the eeca calculator plus additional consumption for the power diverter.
We slightly oversized our system with the expectation that I’ll be at home during the day more often in a couple of years, plus expectation to own an EV in the near future. Recommended size from installers was 3.5 kw system.
gooki: Yeah it takes a bit of research to get a good deal. FWIW I supplied the Immersun power diverter myself (included in price) and they installed it when doing the solar panels.
By having the power diverter installed you loose the ability to track the amount exported via the inverters web interface. I’ll have to check my meter box to get the exported amount. FWIW I’m not even getting paid for my exported power. I’m giving it away free (thinking of changing to Ecotricity for summertime cut power costs even more).
We are a family of four in a 200sqm home in Christchurch with electric everything (except cars).
People at home during the day 3 days a week.
I never bothered to look at the installers savings/return estimates. I’d done my own using the eeca calculator plus additional consumption for the power diverter.
We slightly oversized our system with the expectation that I’ll be at home during the day more often in a couple of years, plus expectation to own an EV in the near future. Recommended size from installers was 3.5 kw system.
Yes, we are a family of four as well, but I was plan to borrow majority of my installation cost from mortgage money, and the EECA calculator comes to a conclusion of payback more than 25 years and a loss of $200, not so encouraging. my 4.5 Kw system would also cost around $3000 more against yours. I did got a few quotes, but none is directly comparable as they all supplied different panels/setups, and I think a couples of them probably not going to work due to my house has a small north facing roof and it's need either two or three direction facing setup.
EV has a larger up-front cost, but more predicable savings again PV for my setup, so I am considering EV as a secondary car as well.
Most inverters max out at dual mppt ports, so you'll only want your panels facing two directions.
In our case we have 10 panels facing north and 6 panels facing west.
We found WorldSolar to be the best priced at that size. Their installers are awesome, but their sales/admin weren't anything amazing (but good enough).
At 3.5kw Harrison's Energy were price competitive, sales person was knowledgeable but I disliked their sales pitch (they try to rubbish the competition and spread FUD).
The EECA calculator is good for calculating the power generation, and consuption(excluding power diverter). But their payback calculations are rubbish (excludes inflation among other things), do your own payback calcs.
gooki: Most inverters max out at dual mppt ports, so you'll only want your panels facing two directions.
In our case we have 10 panels facing north and 6 panels facing west.
We found WorldSolar to be the best priced at that size. Their installers are awesome, but their sales/admin weren't anything amazing (but good enough).
At 3.5kw Harrison's Energy were price competitive, sales person was knowledgeable but I disliked their sales pitch (they try to rubbish the competition and spread FUD).
Yes, but my North side is relative small, 4 panels North (maxed out) and north 6 panels West and East from Harrison's and I choose them because they have LG panel one of the most efficient panel, but more expensive as well as the inverters didn't handle three directions. So it is either three side little bit over size but more expensive or two sides, but going to be a minimum installation and probably going to replace inverter or install power optimiser underneath panels if I want upgrade, I would personal choose slightly more expensive installation in the beginning, but it also means I wouldn't get the benefit of technology advance and manufacture improvement compare to upgrade it later.
I am definitively going to get a WorldSolar quote next time maybe next year, I did request a quote but they are the only one didn't response to me from Email, probably the part their Admin/Sales is not that great as you mentioned.
From Harrisons, I got a quote from franchise owner which is bit odd to me.
Same experience with Harrison's, quote from franchise.
Personaly I have a slight issue with the legal liability ending at the franchise level. I'd expect a line in the contract that all guarantees and warranty issues will be underwritten by the parent company.
gooki: Same experience with Harrison's, quote from franchise.
Personaly I have a slight issue with the legal liability ending at the franchise level. I'd expect a line in the contract that all guarantees and warranty issues will be underwritten by the parent company.
Wen trying to contact the owner at one instance, and he went on holiday which he let me know beforehand, I got an auto reply email for a relative small list of alternative contacts from his team.
Haven't thought though the legal issue at that point but guess if something went wrong, looks like I can only reliably rely on his team, beyond that, it is an unknown. So if I indeed went with Harrisons, I will need read their contract carefully.
gooki: At 3.5kw Harrison's Energy were price competitive, sales person was knowledgeable but I disliked their sales pitch (they try to rubbish the competition and spread FUD).
Disappointed the salesman didn't tell you what you wanted to hear?
That "FUD" could be reality?
I have solar (nothing to do with Harrisons) and I think most of the suppliers suck.
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But it warned that there could be changes to electricity pricing mechanisms over time, which could reduce the financial value households got from solar. The Electricity Price Review is considering the issue of low-income households propping up the cost of households adopting solar power systems. It has been suggested that a price structure could be introduced that would include higher prices during peak times, which are usually the times solar power is not available.
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