Get your Solar on your roof quick , Qlders!

[UTE 701]

I wonder if all Queenslanders have heard the news about Reduced Feed Tariffs , from Solar Systems back into the grid .

The drop will be a massive cut : from the current 44 cents to 8 cents per kWh .

But if you get an application in before 9 July , you will still get the 44 cents locked in .

That's all you need to do by the deadline , nothing else .

By the way , I believe some other States are down to Zero rebate ....

So if you are thinking that sometime between now and the end of the year , you may want solar panels on your house , I would suggest you get in on this .

I know the Solar business I work at , is keen to get people signed up that would be happy to wait many months until they get to the top of the list , rather than want it straight away .

We are in Brendale , north Brisbane .

http://www.uni-industries.com.au/

Not my business , just my employer . And not a fly by night solar business that used to install water tanks , and then roof insulation .....

They are actually electricians , and a full family business , that has been running 25 years .

Hope this notice helps someone .... Darryl.

[KevinD4D]

I put our order in today for a 5KW system. Was going to wait 6 months but this decision forced a commitment...

[Matto]

Thanks for the heads-up Darryl.

I'd love a system, but can't afford it at the moment. Plus I need to replace some iron before putting panels over the top. Plus we don't have a north-facing roof, plus plus plus...

I'm sure a lot of people will benefit from the higher tariff. Just wish I was one of them!

Cheers!
Matto

[Sicilianmama]

Yes I know I just emailed, faxed and mailed my forms to make sure they got them

[UTE 701]

Matto ,

I understand full well about budgets , etc , etc ....

As for the shape of your roof , I've sent out many jobs on tilt kits , which lift up panels to face the right way . Some have panels on the southern roof away from view , but tilt them up to face north .

Also seen two smaller inverters go out onto a job where one works best from 8 to 11 , and the other takes over and works best from 2 to 5 for example . The good quality SMA inverters ( that we sell ) can actually have two configurations going into the one inverter which separates them inside it .

Basically , anything's possible .

[Hairs]

Weird that 12 months ago, The power generators(Companies) don't mention or said anything about a cost to them to have households generating power and feeding the grid, then bang, all of a sudden it cost them to do it.
I also find it strange that 12 months ago all infrastructure was fine, now all states have run down infrastructure that needs urgent attention.
I don't know if other states don't have Gross In Feed meters, NSW dropped that a few months back, we were able to have one fitted with our 3.8KW system, which gives us a return of about $450 per quarter after usage.
This will stop as of the 1st of 2016, if the NSW Gov doesn't work out how to stop it before hand.
ATM it is also tax free, just waiting for gillard to figure out how to change that as well.
Sorry to Hijack you thread Darryl 

I'd love to install a 12v LED light system and give the 240v the flick.
Surely with a couple of deep cycle batteries and 180 panel would do the job.
Can't be much different than going camping 

[geordie4x4]

At least Queensland give you a warning that the rate is about to change. A few years ago here in WA I had applied for the rebate for instillation of a system and they bought the deadline forward by two weeks without telling anyone. I missed out by one day. But now I see that the price of installing panels is so much better anyway so Not sure if I missed out or was saved from an expensive decision. 

I am still planning to install solar on the house regardless of how much rebate It gets. Seems like the right thing to do in this day and age or the responsible thing to reduce our dependency on coal fired power.

Still it sux that the Govt are promicing rebates then drop them off as quickly as they can to save a few $ rather than continuing to promote an environmentally responsible system.

[KevinD4D]

Two words...Carbon Tax...

[Rumpig]

out of curiosity... if someone signed up today at the 44c rate, how long do they get that for?
is it a contract price for a couple of years and then drops to the 8c rate, or does it last longer then that?
can't say i've ever looked into solar for the house, so am curious as to how the buy back system operates.

[Kit_e_kat9]

In Qld I believe it's 2018 ...

Kit_e

[prodigyrf]

....I'd love to install a 12v LED light system and give the 240v the flick.
Surely with a couple of deep cycle batteries and 180 panel would do the job.
Can't be much different than going camping 

Stop day dreaming-
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=23237.0

[Hairs]

Stop day dreaming-
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=23237.0

So you're saying I couldn't run a 12v LED light system on a 180W panel and a couple of deep cycle batteries.

[Kit_e_kat9]

Ute701,

"Service Request
Thank You
The form has been submitted"

Here's hoping your people aren't too busy to call me before the cut off date!!    Smallest available for me (atm) as I don't have a lot of folding stuff to share.

Kit_e

[Bill]

In Qld I believe it's 2018 ...

Kit_e

We had our panels installed last year and that is what our contract says...
Bill

[luxabout]

Hi Darryl,

Is there a deposit that needs to be paid before sending in the forms?

I'm off to Europe next week and I don't have time to figure out which system to go with etc, but would love to get the forms in asap.

I'd be happy for an install a few months down the track...

Thanks,
Bryan

[Bill]

At least Queensland give you a warning that the rate is about to change. A few years ago here in WA I had applied for the rebate for instillation of a system and they bought the deadline forward by two weeks without telling anyone. I missed out by one day. But now I see that the price of installing panels is so much better anyway so Not sure if I missed out or was saved from an expensive decision.  

I am still planning to install solar on the house regardless of how much rebate It gets. Seems like the right thing to do in this day and age or the responsible thing to reduce our dependency on coal fired power.

Still it sux that the Govt are promicing rebates then drop them off as quickly as they can to save a few $ rather than continuing to promote an environmentally responsible system.

I hear what your saying.
We only had to pay 1/2 the price of our system because the rebates paid the other 1/2.
You can now buy bigger systems for less than the 1/2 that we paid for ours.
To be honest I reckon the government was getting sick of being touched up by the solar people and I cant say that I blame them.
And for those people who say the solar folks were not touching anoyone up, explain to me how an $18,000.00 system just happens to drop to half price the day after the rebates are stopped...
Bill and Morag

[JCOJ]

We here in SA had our tarriff's cut already - massively.

Interesting to note that the cost of solar has done the same.  A 5kw system was $23k+ when the full tarrif was in, now they are around $8k.  We got told the prices will fall more in July so we are holding off until then.  I don't car about the feed in tarrif, as long as the system installed accounts for our total energy use.

[briann532]

Here in NSW we've been shafted again!!!!
Now only get around 8c per kilowatt.

Only way to use it effectively is to get a system that matches your daytime usage so you aren't selling it back to the grid, but using it yourself.
This means your not buying power from them during the day.
Night time is night time and there's not much you can do!

Just make sure that no matter what a company says, you must get a payback in 3-4 years max, otherwise you're being ripped.............

Now that the NSW gov. STC rebate is dropping yet again to a 2x multiplier, hopefully it will bring the product price down again.
Heres hoping.

By the way, I'm installing another 225watt panel on a jayco roof this weekend..............Yeah ha!!!!
And as for charging a battery during the day and running led at night......
Hell yeah. Initial outlay quite costly, but well worth the savings if you intend living in the house for a few years.
I'd recommend having both 240 and solar lighting, by just adding leds to the house with a seperate room switch.
No alterations to existing wiring and power on tap if batteries go all labour party on you!!!!

Cheers
Brian

[KevinD4D]

Most of our electricity usage is at night so hopefully the new system will put around 20KW per day back to the grid which should pay us around $10 per day and hopefully that will negate the night time usage so we end up with no bill but with 4 teenagers in the house that may be a big ask...

[just startin]

The initial idea about fitting solar and rebates was to install enough panels to cover your electrical costs NOT to be a supplier of power!
I know of people here in NSW that have installed that many panels on their property that they get returns of up to $20,000 per year   ( as said no tax). The price for a supplier to  buy power from a generators is about 1.3 cents/kWh so why should any Gov. pay 44c/kWh to a home owner ? The supplier charges us around 31-33cents/kWh. and on carbon tax your bill should only rise around 0.5cents/kWh if the tax is added only to the cost of the generators to produce the power! BUT we are told our bills will double in the next couple of years so who is putting the cost up!     That's the end of my rant   

[KevinD4D]

Greedy elec suppliers, because it was all sold off to private enterprise, and I am sure the state and federal government are getting a good slice...

[D4D]

What do you expect when you sell our power companies to overseas 'investors' and we're selling all our farming land overseas also...

[KevinD4D]

Don't get me started on that one J...

[UTE 701]

I took all the questions to work today and got a few answers ....

Is there a deposit that needs to be paid before sending in the forms?
I'd be happy for an install a few months down the track...Thanks,Bryan

G'day Bryan ,
The answer is No deposit needed  . There is no obligation to go with our business , even if we submit the form for you .
The form is an application between you and the electricity board , but we submit it on your behalf .
You also have 12 months from the July 9 to have your system actually installed .
And the size of the system on your application need not be the size you actually put in .
But it can't be more , ie , put down a 5 kw on the application , and then decide later on which you really want to put in .
We also have an interest free, finance plan if you money is short at the moment .

In Qld I believe it's 2018 ...Kit_e

I was told today that it is in fact 2028 . ( but that could easily change with something like a Government that changes their mind ! )

*Only way to use it effectively is to get a system that matches your daytime usage so you aren't selling it back to the grid, but using it yourself.
This means your not buying power from them during the day.
Night time is night time and there's not much you can do!
* Just make sure that no matter what a company says, you must get a payback in 3-4 years max, otherwise you're being ripped......
* Now that the NSW gov. STC rebate is dropping yet again to a 2x multiplier.

Yes the first statement is true for someone on 8 cents , but if you are on 44 cents , them by all means send as much as you can back to them.
The second statement is also true , but based on the fact that you get a decent feed in tariff in return otherwise it may take longer
As for the third statement ... close . The STC is actually a Federal Government thing . And the multiplier is what the Government gives you in the form of a discount , but this is often handled by the business doing the selling and offered to you as a discount off the system . It was a 3x multiplier , but is now down to 2 x starting July 1 . That is what the loud , fast talking tv ads are saying when they said the price will go up . But many companies are wearing the cost and still selling at the same price for a little while .

And in reply to a PM that I can answer openly for all ...

Re: panels, is there any benefit to using expensive panels? or are the cheap ones just as good?
The SMA inverters make mention of the fact that they're "generator-safe", which is a plus as well, since we have a hardwired gen input and changeover switch for cyclones.
what sized system should I be looking at (without you knowing anything about our house, usage, etc)? Everyone I've spoken to (with a range from 1.5kW to 2.5kW) has wished they'd gone the next size up. Is it just a case of setting your budget and getting the biggest system you can afford? Any guides on rough pricing brackets?

Like most things , there are good cheap ones , and expensive sh!t ones .
Best to go with a brand you think is made as a quality item . A bit like buying a TV , some brands I've never heard of , but still go ok .
Yes the SMA are a quality item .
When installed all inverters will have 2 isolation switches to separate them from the panels and the mains . So in the case of a cyclone , isolate the mains , and you could be using your power to help run things in your house . The reg in the inverter needs to see clean power from the generator to work with it . Also being in Cairns make sure your rail and bracketing system is wind rated accordingly.
As for which system . Well first thing is to put in an application for 5 kw , and then sit back and relax , and think about it . You have 12 months .
Basically , install either the biggest system you can fit on your roof , and / or , the biggest you can afford due to the % return on your investment .
Some of our prices at the present are : ( choice of inverter may vary price )
5 kw Chinese 200 W panels = $ 9490
5.04 kw German Bosch 240 panels = $ 12490.
( but if space is a problem , put in a higher watts panels for the same space = more kw )
3 kw Chinese 200 W panels = $ 5990.
3.12 kw Bosch 240 panels = $ 7290.

Hope all this helps .....

And by the way , if you apply with us at http://www.uni-industries.com.au , shoot me a pm and I'll make sure they speak with you in time .

Also , we have experienced electricians on every job , so it is a good time to get your switch board upgraded too for anyone with older stuff .

Cheers , Darryl.

[Matto]

Thanks Darryl, that's great information. Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions - much appreicated.

I think I'll get my form printed out and submitted then - with a 5Kw system being listed on it!

re: the isolation switches, that's interesting informaiton. I had been told that it was not able to be set up as you've described (ie, able to run the house on the slar when the mains power was unavailable), so that's great to know. If it's just a case of asking the installer to wire it up that way, then that's a fantastic benefit. If it means that we could run the fridge off the solar through the day, that would be all we would need.

Cheers mate  - thanks for the help!
Matto