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FineWine

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#280208 2-Dec-2020 15:27

We are currently in the process of reviewing quotes for a domestic solar power system. (with no battery power bank)

Location - Tauranga with good Nth and Nth West facing roofs angles and slopes.

Power Supplier - TrustPower currently using an intelliHUB controller. We will also be utilising their Solar Buddies program.

Solar Company quotes - Harrisons vs SkySolar (did not hear back from anyone else)

We have nearly decided on the following: (Both the companies have provided quotes for the same panels and inverters)

Solar Panel - REC N-Peak 325w x 12 = 3.9kW (25yr output and 25yr product build warranty)
Inverter system - Fronius Primo 4.0kW (10yr service & product warranty)

Estimated calculations - by both companies and our ourselves:

Current Import Energy Rate: 33.43cents per kWh

Estimated System Size - 3.0 - 4.0Kw (12 panels)
Estimated Output per year - 4300 - 4400 Kwh
Estimated dollars generated per year - $1700 - $1800
Estimated ROI - 6.4 years

Where we are having decision difficulty is the Energy management system:

eddi EcoSmart Energy Diverter vs PowerGenius

Any opinions and help in this area would be very much appreciated.

Cheers 🍷

Edit to reflect current cost

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

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#2614839 2-Dec-2020 16:07

I'm not sure what you are paying for power, but here in Dunedin I am paying about 18C incl GST as a high user of electricty.

Assuming 100% use of power generated I would save $775 a year.
Of course I'm not going to be home using all the power during the day so my saving will be less (buyback is what 8c/KW these days?

Anyway assuming your power charges are higher than mine and you are allowing for less than 100% untilization,

ROI of 6.5 years sounds a no-brainer to be.
Enjoy your new system.

Personally I'd allow a fudge of 20% less savings when calculating as I suspect the power generated estimates are generally on overstated by suppliers.
At lease that is my experience talking to friends in Dunedin who have installed solar.

FineWine

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#2614911 2-Dec-2020 18:59

KrazyKid:

I'm not sure what you are paying for power, but here in Dunedin I am paying about 18C incl GST as a high user of electricty.

Sorry missed out giving that important figure. I have edited my original post to include it.

Import Energy Rate: 33.43cents per kWh

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

andrewNZ

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#2614922 2-Dec-2020 19:46

Holy crap! Have you checked to see if you can get cheaper power?

ANglEAUT

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#2615131 2-Dec-2020 21:51

FineWine: ...

Power Supplier - TrustPower currently using an intelliHUB controller. We will also be utilising their Solar Buddies program.

...

Sorry, no experience using either of the systems.

One big consideration for me would be the following

Is a display available that will show to any occupant the current usage & cost?
- There are other people in the house besides me
- They will not have access to the dashboard on the web page
- You are buying this system to make a change
  - to your wallet
  - to the environment
  - ...
- For people to change, that change needs to be front & centre of their thinking. Seeing a spike in usage after switching on appliance X will bring that change into focus. Think "nudge unit".
That display will create awareness & eventually lead to behaviour change

PS Also like the Solar Buddies program, seems like a solar version of the Z Share tank.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2624294 19-Dec-2020 13:16

OK we have gone with Harrisons energy solutions. We went with them mainly because they had the slightly better tech and software monitoring (not much between the two) and they had a 16c per unit (max 500 u/m) buy back for 24 months compared to just 7c per unit.

Hopefully install in January 2021.

Will keep you appraised.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

FineWine

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#2637186 18-Jan-2021 09:03

Well on Friday, due to another job cancellation [surprise], our solar system was installed, except for the eddi EcoSmart Energy Diverter, so it is not powering the hot water and not going back into the grid yet. But it is powering the rest of the house.

So far since going online at 14:30 on Friday we have produced 56.87 kWh with Saturday being our best day of 27.25kWh and Sunday at 12:55 we topped out at 3634w.

This data we can view on the web or via an app on our iPhones or iPads in real time.

When we get the eddi EcoSmart Energy Diverter we will have a better idea of what we are using from the grid vs solar and non-peak times vs peak times. So it will indicate what will be the best times to up consumption (washing etc).

The eddi EcoSmart Energy Diverter is meant to be installed this week.

So far so good 😀

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

HP

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timmmay

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#2637188 18-Jan-2021 09:14

Nice :)

Most solar arrays seem to be on one part of the root, optimised for maximum generation at the peak of the day. Given most people don't use much power middle of the day but mostly in the early / late parts of the day and few have power storage other than hot water I wondered if it was worth splitting the panels so are optimised for the morning sun, some for the midday sun, and some for evening. If you have batteries it makes less difference, and of course you can heat hot water with the middle of the day power.

FineWine

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#2637190 18-Jan-2021 09:21

Forgot to mention we have 12 panels - 6 on NW roof slope and 6 on NE roof slope each six is running parallel and wired into the inverter.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2637191 18-Jan-2021 09:27

andrewNZ: Holy crap! Have you checked to see if you can get cheaper power?

He's probably on a low user rate, with lower fixed line charges. They balance out at some point, depending on where you are in the country. Given the wire doesn't degrade any faster if you put more power through it, the regulated fixed line charges is something that need addressing IMO.

Everyone should pay the same fixed charges, irrespective of how much power they use. For people with solar, being stuck with higher power charges in winter because they no longer buy enough power in summer is rather unfair.

baileym1

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#2640213 22-Jan-2021 18:15

FineWine:
Forgot to mention we have 12 panels - 6 on NW roof slope and 6 on NE roof slope each six is running parallel and wired into the inverter.

Is this the current 12 panel $9,240 special on their website? If you don’t mind could you pass on what the total installed cost was?

FineWine

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#2640262 22-Jan-2021 19:04

baileym1:
FineWine:

Forgot to mention we have 12 panels - 6 on NW roof slope and 6 on NE roof slope each six is running parallel and wired into the inverter.

Is this the current 12 panel $9,240 special on their website? If you don’t mind could you pass on what the total installed cost was?

Have not looked at their, Harrison's', website per se. But here is a break down of our costs.

Solar Panel - REC N-Peak 325w per panel x 12 = 3.9kW (25yr output and 25yr product build warranty)

Inverter system - Fronius Primo 4.0kW (10yr service & product warranty)

Energy Diverter - eddi EcoSmart Microgen Energy Diverter 3kw Eddi-16AP01, MyEnergi Current Transformer with 5m Cable: CT100-16-05 (100a 16mm) & MyEnergi Data Hub.

COST = $10,748.93
Incl: Installation, all wiring, conduiting, solar mount rails, all paper work with TrustPower & CCC. (note: there is a lot of safety signage which goes on the Fronius, switchboard and meter box. This includes the emergency shut down procedure)

We completed the paperwork for TrustPowers SolarBuddies and all has been approved.

Note: They, Harrison's, also priced matched a competing quote from SkySolar. In the end it was the 16c per unit (max 500 u/m) buy back for 24 months with TrustPower and the software. Plus we were not too happy with SkySolar having to drill into the hotwater cylinder x 3 to mount their sensors.

We are very happy with the installation. It took 6 hours to install. All very neat and tidy. Included run through of the Fronius readout panel. Registration and Login to the Fronius data portal via browser and iDevice app. We have only paid 50% upfront so far as the eddi EcoSmart is in a container some where (port or off coast).

Edit: Clarified a few points

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

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baileym1

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#2640625 23-Jan-2021 14:11

Thanks very informative - have booked in a consult myself with Harrison’s - unfortunately it’s a few weeks away - will update with what comes from that.
Around $10k with 4 years interest free - $50 a week essentially - with some offset by savings - then it’s an asset for the rest of its usable life.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2640643 23-Jan-2021 16:15

Correction to above statement: it is going back into the grid now via the already previously installed TrustPower Smart Meter. I was under the impression it wasn't because CCC had not been issued.

The proof will be in the next bill.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

tdgeek

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#2640649 23-Jan-2021 16:34

KrazyKid:

I'm not sure what you are paying for power, but here in Dunedin I am paying about 18C incl GST as a high user of electricty.

Of course I'm not going to be home using all the power during the day so my saving will be less (buyback is what 8c/KW these days?

I use EK, they just dropped the kWh rate by 8% to 22c. Less 10% prepay discount, less 30 hours free every month. These all make the ROI longer

What I bolded is key. I love solar (we just have Solar HW) but its hard to stack up. The sunshine hours you mainy get are Summer when less power needed, and you have to be home using it to maximise it. You can time shift washing and dishes but you can't time shift breakfast and dinner, especially if many Summer dinners will be cold. In Winter when you need it, its not there.

Its awesome but its hard to justify.

baileym1

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#2642044 26-Jan-2021 07:40

Finewine - we have got our quote for a similar system and the Harrisons rep has brought forward our meeting by a week - one of the upgrades mentioned is "If you wanted to upgrade to black rails and clamps and add in a Fronius Smart Energy Meter, which would give you reporting of your solar production and house consumption"

I think we will go with the black rails and clamps - did you get the Smart Energy Meter?

If we agree to everything we have our install penciled in for the 23rd Feb

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