Can you have grid-tied solar without export?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Can you have grid-tied solar without export?

1 | 2

Pete101

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

#3162030 21-Nov-2023 12:52

boosacnoodle:

What are you looking to actually achieve here?

I would like to save on my electricity bill by reducing how much I import while actually using more and keeping my low user rate (I'm boarder-line at almost 9,000kWh per year), I'd like to run the AC more on the hot days. On top of this and probably more importantly, I'm wanting electricity security in the event of a long term outage, natural or man-made disaster etc.

Lenovo

Lenovo computer and accessories deals (affiliate link).

SomeoneSomewhere

1125 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3162117 21-Nov-2023 14:19

They won't kick you off the low user rate for using too much; that's just the point where it stops being cheaper. You would current probably pay the same amount regardless of which plan you're on.

Low user rates are being slowly abolished; the allowable cost per day is increasing by 30c each year IIRC.

Making decisions on the assumption that low user plans will continue is not a good long term strategy.

tripper1000

1541 posts

Uber Geek

#3162158 21-Nov-2023 15:56

1) Low user plans are presently being phased out. They were bought in to favour low users like retirees and now they being phased out because they have been blamed for higher costs to large, low income families. Low user daily charge is rising by approx $0.30 per year until they match the high user daily rate.

2) FYI, there is a central register of "unsafe installations" that your connection must be registered on if there is grid tied solar. The lines company typically adds your address to this register when installing the return meter.

I got a nasty phone call and letter from my lines company (via my retailer) explaining this when they noticed my DIY solar returning power to the grid. There is also a bunch of rules about using NZ certified grid-tie inverters, which rules out anything you see on AliExpress, and many decent brand, but not-certified-in-NZ, inverters that wind up on Trademe.

This was true as of 2018. Might have changed/evolved since then.

3) I echo the sentiments above regarding load control. At the moment off-peak users are being charged grid upgrades surcharges to support people/businesses using on peak power with gay abandon. It is all about pushing up generators profits, not about supporting the economy.

4) Same goes for the stupid analysis above requiring 9% ROI on a hyrdo dam - maybe if they only last 10 years, but they have lifetimes longer than you or I. This is self-licking ice-cream analysis - the higher the cost of power, the more valuable the dam, the greater the expected ROI, the higher the cost of power and on it goes. This analysis is why this kind of infrastructure is seldom built by commercial entries in the first place despite being invaluable to society, and another reason why it shouldn't be sold into commercial hands.

1 | 2