Panels are falling fast, the battery system is the expensive bit and that will fall quickly over the next 3-5 years

RobDickinson:

 

Panels are falling fast,

 

Yeah, prices keep getting shattered.

//I'll show myself out.

RobDickinson:

 

Panels are falling fast, the battery system is the expensive bit and that will fall quickly over the next 3-5 years

 

Falling fast? Not from what I see. Based on cost per kW for each of his two installs, and the quote I got.  His PW2 was circa 15k installed its now 18. Right now, it will cost you to install solar PV. Some can get away with it, but the PW2 while very cool is a poor investment. 13.5kW usable. $2-16 worth of power @16c off peak when you start using it. Thats $15 per week, and forget half the year. I LOVE solar but it doesnt work for most. Businesses yes. Generate and use same day. I raised the issue of every residence in NZ having solar how great would that be. But its a low cherry, residential power isnt a big user here, thats industrial, commercial and infrastructure. Not houses, but I thought it was a good idea, I still do, anything is a help. Bit its hard to force people to buy it and never get a return

SaltyNZ:

 

RobDickinson:

 

Panels are falling fast,

 

 

 

 

Yeah, prices keep getting shattered.

 

 

 

 

 

//I'll show myself out.

 

How much per kW installed? $1500 per kW???  His first lot was 4k per kW, the next lot was 3.5. I got a quote last year was 3.5 per kW

who are you talking about? 

And the cost of panels is falling, the cost of instillation may obviously vary... 

RobDickinson:

 

who are you talking about? 

 

And the cost of panels is falling, the cost of instillation may obviously vary... 

 

The example I gave in my recent post. The total cost of an install divided by the kW is what matters. No other number does, otherwise its misleading

retrofitting to an existing house is misleading also (in this conversation) as that already has mains bought and paid for.

Compare for a new house with no mains feed etc. Cali is mandating solar for new build now.

tdgeek:

 

How much per kW installed? $1500 per kW???  His first lot was 4k per kW, the next lot was 3.5. I got a quote last year was 3.5 per kW

 

The whooshing sound you can hear is the panel falling past on its way to shatter on the ground. :-D

RobDickinson:

 

retrofitting to an existing house is misleading also (in this conversation) as that already has mains bought and paid for.

 

Compare for a new house with no mains feed etc. Cali is mandating solar for new build now.

 

The mains are needed for the house anyway. If you needed more for solar you need more anyway. Although there will be a small saving if its installed during the build. Although even then a solar install is easy, its attached to a finished roof, wire is run thats easy, there isnt a great deal saved, especially when a retrofit is a one day install

In Cali IIRC they used to have massive subsidies. No idea what its like now, but if their situation means that is financially viable then thats great. Here there is often an infinite payback period.

tdgeek:The mains are needed for the house anyway

 

Why? In the context of getting rid of the cost of maintaining the grid?  

SaltyNZ:

 

tdgeek:

 

How much per kW installed? $1500 per kW???  His first lot was 4k per kW, the next lot was 3.5. I got a quote last year was 3.5 per kW

 

 

 

 

The whooshing sound you can hear is the panel falling past on its way to shatter on the ground. :-D

 

No idea what are meaning. But I seem to have struck a nerve as I said something that was not liked, which in this thread means anti green. If you disagree and that soon solar PV will be very worthwhile, then just say so. Ive merely explained why I see that is not the case or in fact, btu i return I just get vahue pushback as if Im being anti  green

I dont currently have solar, live on the south island electricity via ecotricity. 

Some point I plan on building a new place I'll add solar and storage then.

tdgeek:

 

SaltyNZ:

 

tdgeek:

 

How much per kW installed? $1500 per kW???  His first lot was 4k per kW, the next lot was 3.5. I got a quote last year was 3.5 per kW

 

 

 

 

The whooshing sound you can hear is the panel falling past on its way to shatter on the ground. :-D

 

 

No idea what are meaning. But I seem to have struck a nerve as I said something that was not liked, which in this thread means anti green. If you disagree and that soon solar PV will be very worthwhile, then just say so. Ive merely explained why I see that is not the case or in fact, btu i return I just get vahue pushback as if Im being anti  green

 

None of that; someone said "panels are falling fast". I was merely supplying the obvious dad joke: the panels fell onto the ground and therefore they [their price] shattered.

RobDickinson:

 

I dont currently have solar, live on the south island electricity via ecotricity. 

 

Some point I plan on building a new place I'll add solar and storage then.

 

Good on you. I wanted it too, while I know its not worth it, I face North also SI, and unlike my mate I would timeshift and manage more then he, so I was prepared to go with it, given that price per kW is slowly dropping, but as it happened our roof is too intricate to manage it despite not being a small house. If it could have a 10 year payback then fine. But his example there is no payback, as the cost of ownership exceeds the savings, so there is no payback period. Sure, others whose lifestyle and the cost can make it work, but until the overall cost per kW drops a lot, its hard for most to. Solar HW thought that is a winner, that should be compulsory IMHO

The Govt, including the Greens do not have coherent strategies on energy. The price of electricity in N.Z. doesn't not truthfully reflect reality. Wholesale Electricity is very cheap off peak and very expensive on peak. Retail-wise, off-peak users heavily subsidise on-peak, suppressing on-peak prices, ripping off off-peak users, discouraging voluntary load shifting (from on peak to off peak) and stifling the commercial solar market. The system is geared to favour the electricity producers and take choices away from both the consumer and environmentalists. 

Technically speaking the structure of the N.Z. electricity grid presently favours large scale solar installations. With solar you require gird level storage - we already have this in the form of Hydro Dams - when the sun is shining brightly, you close the taps and conserve hydro-water/energy in the dams. As the sun sets, open the taps, use the stored energy. 

In terms of solar, the geographical location of who uses vs who consumes power in the daytime should be irrelevant at a national level - grid-tied solar on residential roofs could/should be meeting the rise in daytime industrial demand. Because we have no coherent national strategy PW2 etc becomes relevant because  you are forced to strategise at a personal level instead.