Solar energy for your home ...The Manning Branch held a Solar Information Night on 5 May 2010 in Taree.Here is a summary of facts on grid-connect domestic solar electricity and solar hot water, which is being kept up to date.
NSW electricity prices have risen by more than 20% in the past year and are expected to rise by a total of 42% during the next three or four years - mostly due to the major upgrades of transmission lines. Now is the time to invest in your own power generation and add dispersed green energy to the grid! If you needed some extra incentive:
RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) are certificates handed out by the Federal Government to people who produce their own renewable electricity or who save electricity by having a solar hot water system. The Howard Government mandated a Mandatory Renewable Energy Target and RECs were introduced as the unit that measured electricity retailers’ achievement of that target. They also are used to measure the meeting of commitments of Greenpower (but individual RECs can only be used for either the MRET or Greenpower, not both). The target was increased by the Rudd Government. RECs are sold on the market and therefore the value varies depending on demand. In March 2010, each REC was worth about $28; in late April they rose to $40 and are presently rising in value. Your installer will tell you how many RECs you will get. The number of RECs you get depends on the size and brand of your system and its date of installation:
Check that you have enough northerly facing roof with no shade from trees or other buildings. Shade on part of a panel will stop that panel producing electricity and may affect the efficiency of the entire bank of panels. A tiled roof costs a little more than a metal roof for installations (between $200 and $300 more). Installation involves putting panels on your roof, installing an inverter, changing your meter and cabling. An inverter converts the DC electricity your panels make to AC electricity that matches the grid’s supply. It is advisable to get good quality panels and a good inverter. One guide to quality is to check the years of warranty. Buyers’ guides have been produced by: It is advisable to get a larger inverter than necessary for the system you are buying so that you can add to the number of panels over time without the expense of a new inverter. For example, if you intend to buy a 1.5kW system, it is advisable to get a 2 kW inverter. To get 20c/kWh rebate in NSW you will need a gross meter . That means your panels and electricity meter should be on the same building. Some rural properties with panels on a shed and the electricity meter down the paddock or on the house have experienced extra costs because of the additional (underground) cabling required. Even if you opt for net metering, extra costs could be incurred if your electricity meter is a very old one. Ask the installers when they give you a quote for panels. When getting quotes:
Small-scale generators of other forms of renewable energy are also eligible for RECs (though not for the Solar Credit multiplier):
There is net and gross production of electricity. Here’s an example to explain the difference: Say you produce 5000 kilowatt hours (kWh) a year from your panels but only use 3000kWh yourself at home. You have a net of 2000kWh that has gone into the grid to help power other houses. The gross is the 5000kWh your panels made. In existing systems signed up before 18 November 2010, NSW will pay 60c/kWh for all 5000kWh you generated. The ACT has a similar gross scheme paying about 40c/kWh whereas at the moment other states are paying for the net, i.e. just for the 2000kWh you didn’t use. If you want to get 60c for every kilowatt hour you produce, you will have to have a gross meter installed by an electrician (Level 2 or above). It might not be economical to install the gross meter if your panels are some distance from your electricity meter. There has been a wide variation of quotes by installing electricians so it is best to get a number of quotes. Generally, for systems on the same roof as the electricity meter, gross meter installation has ranged from $100 to more than $300. The gross metering scheme began in January 2010. It is officially known as the Solar Bonus Scheme. Because of the demand, there is a waiting period (although supply has recently increased and the waiting period is getting shorter). The Solar Bonus Scheme (and its 60c/kWh rebate) is only guaranteed until 2017. The NSW Government suddenly reduced the rebate to 20c/kWh at midnight on 27 October 2010. The new feed-in tariff is less than most rural Country Energy customers pay for their power. It is thus now recommended to stick to net metering and avoid the cost of a new meter. For more information see the NSW Govt website . A note to pensionersMoney earned via the gross feed-in tariff is regarded as "income" and so may affect your pension. However, solar feed-in tariffs that appear as credits on an electricity bill will be exempted from a pensioner's income test. It is only if you take these as payments (by cash or a cheque) that you will need to report them to Centrelink but they will be averaged over a year.We recommend you seek financial advice at your local Centrelink for further information about these rules. A note to landlordsA landlord who does not occupy the premises is unlikely to be eligible for the Scheme where the tenant is responsible for the consumption of electricity at those premises.
New stand-alone homes are no longer permitted to have electrical hot water systems and a new replacement for your existing system will not be available after July 2012. Here are some tips to help you make the transition:
Solar hot water does not produce electricity but instead uses the sun’s heat to produce hot water, in the same way as a black container of water will get very hot in the sun. Even though solar hot water systems are an energy efficiency device (rather than a generator of renewable electricity), they attract Renewable Energy Certificates . You will get approximately 17-28 RECs for installing solar hot water. Other financial assistance is available in the form of rebates:
How do you do it? A general rule is that any electrical appliance that generates heat uses more electricity: the more heat, the more electricity. That’s why incandescent light bulbs are so inefficient as a form of light. Power tools also use a lot of electricity. If you want ideas on saving electricity, find more on this website, your local council and electricity provider. The Alternative Technology Association surveyed the owners of Solar Systems (see the report at the ATA’s website ). |
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