Hello all,
approx 18months ago I utilised the gvt rebate program to install a small solar system to the roof of PPOR (1KVA).
Knowing little about the system I presumed all was done and dusted and I was now saving the earth and my pennies (albeit on a very small scale).Recently Inoticed that there is no mention of solar credits on my electricity bill so I called Ergon to query, seems they know nothing about my solar panels and I have not been receiving any credits.
I am in the process of resolving this but am rather confused about how the system works and what my alternatives are. I was hoping you may be able to help? I am nervous about being trapped into some system to which I have limited control.. some show on TV the other day about new smart meters?
Okay, so once the system was installed I noted that my bills reduced a little but have now risen again (I thought it was the prices rising but it seems the usage also increasing so I will need to sort that out). My questions.
What is currently happening to the power that is being generated? It generates during the day when I have almost no power usage at home and obviously not at night so is it being wasted? It does make the meter go backward (not sure how or why). Is it possible that my power is going into the grid and I just not being paid cause I not got that agreement with them?
What if I wanted to store my power in a battery set up.
If anyone could help or knows of a good website or company that could help explain my options I would be grateful..
Also should I be asking Ergon to back pay me for the 18 months it was on the roof and not connected to the grid (apparently they were aware that a form had not been received as their was a note in their system apparently).
OMG mate
You sound like you have no idea how it works? lol
Look if you dont have batterys then the power goes back into the grid and you should recieve a certin ammount of money back for that power that you generated.
For example. the feed in tariff rate was .60c per klwatt hour and has been reduced recently by the govt to .20pklwatt hour. It depends what you signed up for. If you have 6 to 8 panels your should get roughtly 2-3 $ back at day at the .60c feed in tariff rate.
First of all I would go back to the company that installed it for you, have them explain it to you how it works. You NEED to know how it work so that you dont lose out.You need to check on your inverter how much electricity your panels are generating. What if you have one dodgey solar panel then you are losing out massively.
Take control mate dont get bent over.
G'day intrigue
I live in Victoria and not long ago had a solar system installed.
How its supposed to happen is that the solar installers install the unit and then they send some paperwork to your power retailer (yours is Ergon energy by the look of it) they also leave some paperwork in the power box for the inspector fill out and send on to your retailer. Once your retailer gets all this paperwork they send a work order to the company who looks after the power lines and reads the meters (ours is SP Ausnet in Victoria) Not sure who your would be, to have you meter changed to a solar meter so they can measure how much power goes in and how much you export back to the grid. Without this meter you wont be getting a cent for the power you are producing.
First of all I would be calling the the company that installed the unit and make sure they have sent off all the correct paperwork to Ergon Energy ,going by your conversation with them I dont think they have , if not ask for a copy of it and send it off yourself. We had to send ours off 4 times before they finally got it. Once the retailers get this paperwork they can then order the new meter
To answer your questions, The power your generating you will be using yourself anything over that will go back to the grid, hence your meter running backwards. Any power going back to the grid at the momment you are not being paid for as ther is no way of measuring it.
I think you will have buckleys of getting back pay as again ther is no way of measuring how much has gone back to the grid.
You will have a lot of phone calling in front of you but don't give up, start with the installers then ergon again once you know the paperwork has gone through.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Rod
Hee Hee No Idea
Thank you both for your input. I will continue with the multitude of phone calls.
I guess what I am struggling with at present is this.
Lets say during the day my system generates 5KVA of power. At night nothing.
My usage is more like 2KVA per day and 5KVA at night.So if I work on totals I am drawing 2KVA per day that I must pay for (well that would be the case if for example the power was stored)
If I work on the fact that it is not stored anywhere (currently) then I am giving them 3KVA per day and then paying them for 5KVA at night… Surely not
Sooo….. when my meter runs backwards it tells me that I am putting power into the grid (which I am currently not being paid for..) however it also winds back my meter usage.. So I must be receiving some benefit? If I understand correctly I am getting the benefit of 1:1 however if it were going into the grid I would get 2:1? (or similar). So I am missing out on the difference.
However if my system only makes 5KVA per day and I use 7KVA per day…… owe my head hurts!
G'day again
Your slowly getting the gist of it,
To answer your questions, If your system produces 5kw per day and you use 2 kw your meter will run back 3 kw so you are benifiting those 3 kw, you wont be paying for any power through the day, the 5kw you use at night you will be paying for minus the 3 kw your meter has run back, so in 24 hrs you paid for 2kw going by your numbers.
I think i'm starting to confuse myself…..LOL
You are correct when your meter runs back you are recieving a 1:1 benfit at the moment, but if you were getting paid for power going back to the grid via a solar meter that measures what you put back after your own usage (surplus power) you would get the paid for.( In victoria we get 66c per kw). So the best way to use them is minimise your usage through the day and put back to the grid during daylight then that should subsidise what you use at night. To simplify it here in Vic for every kw I put back to the grid I can use 3 kw off the grid. (22 cents per kw taken off the grid, 66 cents per kw put onto the grid)
If your system makes 5kw and you use 7kw you only pay for 2kw as your house will use what ever your unit produces first.
Hope this helps
Cheers
Rod
Let us know how you get on….
cheers
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