Fully Installed 5KW Solar System - $3970 @ Skylight Energy (NSW)

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Associatedskylight1 on 10/03/2017 - 13:48 skylightenergy.com.au (161 clicks)
Last edited 10/03/2017 - 13:53 by 1 other user

5KW Solar System

High Grade Quality, Solar Panels (Tier 1 Listed)

Fully installed - for only $3970

System Details-
5 Kilowatt Solar System
20 x 260 watt Panels
5 Kilowatt – Inverter
System Installation
Free Wifi System Performance Monitoring Software

Our products come with-
25 Years solar performance warranty
10 Year product warranty on solar panels
5 Years warranty on inverter

This system will save up to $1800 per year of your electricity bills.

Fully installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited installers.

NSW Only Sydney Metro within 100KM, limited offer.

Call us today on 02 8710 4918

Related Stores

skylightenergy.com.au

• 

  jazattack on 10/03/2017 - 13:56

  +2

  What's the normal price? How is it a deal?

• 

  senz on 10/03/2017 - 14:03

  +1

  The FIT in NSW is only 5-8 cents per kw, installing a solar panel is basically selling unused electricity back to the energy company and they sell it back to you at 23-33 cents per kw.
  If it was a 1:1 FIT then solar panel would be a good investment. That $3970 is better invested somewhere else.

  • 

    cornucopia on 10/03/2017 - 14:14

    +1

    This is a ridiculous generalisation. You're frightening the children!! I can give you a business case for an average household that says the payback on this sort of solar array investment is 4-5 years after which your electricity cost avoidance will be an ongoing $500 pa plus. And I have nothing to do with the solar industry other than having a 5Kw system installed .. :-) .. !!

    Say you're a typical household with air and a pool and you use around 4000 KwH per quarter (as I do). Any you're able to load manage this into 50% daylight and 50% nighttime (not too difficult it there's someone at home 24/7).. You install a $5000 5Kw solar system and that generates about 20 KwH a day (averaged year round, just as my 5 Kw system has done for 3.5 years)) or about 1800 KwH a quarter which is approximately what you need to supply your 50% daylight power use. So you end up feeding very little to the grid and your 1800 KwH a quarter off the solar AVOIDS 1800 x $0.25 in billed power, that is $450 a quarter. So on a cash basis your payback period is 5000/450 quarters, 11 quarters, round up to three years. Looks OK to me .. of course if you wanted to be clever you could do a discounted cash flow based on an upfront $5000 and the payback would be a little longer. Even if you skew you day/night to 40/60 or worse, 30/70, your worst case payback will be around five years. Of course with significant nightime use and very little feed in you will still have a power bill, this business case is about what you AVOID paying, not what you still have to pay. Cheers …

    • 

      samfisher5986 on 10/03/2017 - 15:44

      -1

      I could say thats a ridiculous generalisation.

      I use $800-1200 a quarter for maximum cost savings possible.

      But I fit the average, 9-5 workers in the house and air conditioning. Not many things run during the day as nobody is home obviously…

      I have never had anyone able to prove that I would get a payback any sooner then 8 years or so at which point the warranty has nearly expired anyway if the inverter has 10 years.

      • 

        cornucopia on 11/03/2017 - 07:48

        -1

        You're not trying. You can run most appliance cycles in absentia these days and in any case for a lot of the year there is a 12 hour solar window. That leaves little more than lights and computers outside solar hours and if you use battery based portable devices even the computers can be moved into the solar window (battery charging). Admittedly without a pool (1500 KwH a quarter) your cost avoidance is reduced however the payback still comes in at 5 years worst case. As for the warranty, you're confusing that with life expectancy. To illustrate the point, I have a household stereo amplifier in daily use that contains a lot of the technology in an inverter. The warranty expired 44 years ago and the device works as new and has never had the case opened. If you buy quality there's no reason the solar array and inverter won't last 25 years plus.

      • 

        samfisher5986 on 11/03/2017 - 19:25

        -1

        @cornucopia:

        What on earth are you talking about?

        What are you expecting everyone in the house to run during the day? Thats not practical.

        Your logic behind life expectancy and new product is stupid.

        You only buy something expecting it to last the warranty length, any longer is a bonus. And lets be realistic, things don't last like they used to and inverters definitely fail.

  • 

    Cheeper on 10/03/2017 - 14:29

    I agree with Senz. @ 7c FIT solar is just not worth it.
    If you are lucky? by the time you will be needing to replace components you might be close to recouping your initial outlay so you slip back again.
    We have had ours for about 5 years now and can attest that your money is better spent elsewhere.
    If the FIT was more reasonable, say about 3x-4x more then it may be viable.

    • 

      The Hobo on 10/03/2017 - 14:40

      +1

      Not at all @xywolap

      It all depends on your usage patterns.

      If you have people at home all day (working from home, stay at home parent etc, drug lab) etc. then you can use the power you generate instead of paying for it from the grid.

      Yes, you won't have the huge negative bills that people used to get - but at the same time, you will end up with a very small power bill.

      If you have reverse cycle air con on through all of summer, this can offset the usage. I've just ordered a 5.5kW system (not through the website above), and calculated full payback within 3-3.5 years based on my past years worth of usage patterns, including times of usage.

      I can make that faster, by switching all my dishwasher, laundry etc. usage to during the day.

      • 

        The Hobo on 10/03/2017 - 14:48

        I should also add - the unit you have installed must be designed to your usage.

        If you are using 50 units a day, but have a small undersized unit producing 2 units a day (as an example), then your payoff time would be forever.

        But if you can afford to put up a system that produces as much as you use, then you will find the payoff much faster.

        Warranty's on these things are at least 10 years for most manufacturers. You should have at least saved twice your investment before you need to dip into your pocket - worst case scenario

      • 

        3 on 10/03/2017 - 15:59

        @deeps: Why would a small system pay off slower for someone who uses more electricity? Or do you mean the payoff for small systems is longer in general?

      • 

        The Hobo on 10/03/2017 - 16:04

        @3:

        I probably worded that badly.

        payoff time would be the same, but the perceived advantage would be minimal. If your power bill is $600, and you get a system that knocks off $50, you will feel you wasted your money investing in a system.

        But for me, if I get a big system, and the bill goes from $600 down to $120, I will feel happy.

      • 

        Cheeper on 10/03/2017 - 23:37

        @deeps:
        We are retired and home all day.. mostly. The unit is a 1500w. I assure you… @ 7c you are very lucky if the unit comes anywhere near paying for itself before major outlays for replacement components, panels etc.
        Solar units under the current fit is a total waste of money… no debate.
        Now, if it was 25 -30c fit it would be worthwhile… but in NSW that was screwed by the state Labor govt when they did not do their homework and introduced the system under a 60c fit.
        That cost the state a hell of a lot of money.. :-( and ruins any chance of there being a more beneficial fit for quite some time. One day it may happen?

      • 

        The Hobo on 12/03/2017 - 19:16

        @xywolap:

        If you are home all day, you probably aren't exporting much to the grid with a 1.5kw system.

        You are only looking at it from a FIT point of view. If that was the only way to pay itself off, then yes of course, @ 7c it would take forever and a day.

        But you only export if there is anything leftover from your own usage. If you have a fridge, tv, computer and various other items powered on, most of your solar production is going straight towards powering that. There won't be much left on a 1.5kW system.

        Whatever is leftover is exported to the grid at 7c, but you have saved yourself from paying ~30c per unit that you would have had to pay for from your retailer. This won't show up on your bill, so you may not be aware that it is happening.

        The FIT in Perth atm is about 8c, and even with that taken into account - my payoff time is around the 3 year mark.

        A simple way to work out how much you are actually saving, is to keep track of how many units your system produces each day for a billing period, or work on an average based on a few days. Say you make 25 units per day as an example. Then check your power bill and see how many units you exported and made a lousy 7c each for.

        If your billing cycle is 60 days, you produced (25x60)= 1500 units for that billing cycle. You may have exported 300 units. That means you saved yourself from buying 1200 units from the retailer. 1200*.3 (assuming 30c per unit cost, differs with providers) = $360 saved for that period.

        That $360 isn't recorded anywhere on your bill, but it's real savings. Being at home all day - means solar is best suited to you. It is not suited for people that aren't at home during the day, who then have to rely on FIT as the only way of making back their money.

• 

  The Hobo on 10/03/2017 - 14:06

  +3

  Fronius inverter pictured.. Is that what's included?

  If it is, and the tier 1 panels (depending on the manufacturer), this is actually a good deal.

  But without details - this isn't a deal

• 

  cornucopia on 10/03/2017 - 14:06

  Both panels and inverter are Anonymous Brand in the text of the offer .. beware, never buy a solar system UNLESS you know the brand of both panels and inverter and have researched them on solar forums, like Whirlpool. There's a lot of rubbish out there .. :-( .. !!

  • 

    RubenM on 10/03/2017 - 14:12

    -3

    I definitely disagree.
    99% of people haven't heard of any inverter brand other than SMA. Yet I have a Zeversolar inverter (SMA owned) that I'm very happy with.
    Most people have also never heard of the largest panel manufacturers in the world and might be shocked to find out that the most sold tier 1 panels are all made in China.

    • 

      cornucopia on 10/03/2017 - 14:21

      +1

      With what??? Making an informed decision by doing some research before you buy??? DOH!!!

  • 

    nick nick on 10/03/2017 - 14:20

    They did say theres a 25 year guarentee on the performance though

• 

  RubenM on 10/03/2017 - 14:10

  Okay, some of the claims are over the top, but the price is good.

• 

  thebargainhunter on 10/03/2017 - 14:12

  But their website says Skylight Energy - Australia's No 1 Solar Company

• 

  PJC on 10/03/2017 - 14:14

  +1

  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/help:store_representative
  Expected Behavior
  It is recommended that reps respond to comments and reasonable enquiries about their deal, product or service. To assist with this, reps are automatically subscribed their deal posts.

  https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/271117

• 

  UFO on 10/03/2017 - 14:15

  +8

  At first glance seems very cheap, but as much as they show a Fronius inverter on the picture (great brand), I'd be very dubious of these unnamed "Tier 1" panels included. Considering they are the most important part of the system, I'd be wanting to know the exact brand and model.

  Plus, 260W panels doesn't sound all that impressive.
  I've recently had a legitimate Tier 1 system installed, and the panels used were Sunpower 327W panels… top of the line and a huge difference from 260W.

  I'd recommend anyone interested in getting local pricing for panels to go to www.solarquotes.com.au.
  I want to give a free plug to this site because it's bloody terrific!

  The guy that runs that site is called Finn Peacock, and he used to work at the CSIRO (Renewable Energy Div) before starting this site in 2009.
  His site offers a terrific learning tool to get full bottle on solar power systems, and gives unbiased and educated advise for specific circumstances.

  When and if you are ready to go ahead, use him as a referral base and he'll recommend 3 installers in your local area that he has personally vetted to ensure they use quality components and installation. I ended up going with Solargain, a mob here in the ACT (but I think they are in Melbourne as well). They weren't the cheapest (or most expensive), but had the best overall package and customer service.

  I ended up going for a 9.48Kw system using top notch everything… and it was about $11k (everyone's circumstances are different btw, and mine was incorporated into a new house build… so meter box and wiring etc was able to be planned at an early stage).

  What I'm trying to say is, if you're going to take the leap and spend thousands of dollars on a solar panel system, you want to be damn sure its not a lemon. Get educated on the topic. Check out this website and read the "About Us" section. It's a pleasant change to find someone knowledgeable and trustworthy, that also isn't trying to fleece you.

  I couldn't be happier and strongly suggest you check them out if you are serious about solar. Sorry for the long rant, but there's so much crap out there I just wanted to shine a light in the right direction for those just starting out.

  • 

    aarcana on 10/03/2017 - 15:40

    Thanks for the write up, great advice.

    Wondering if any other OzBargainers have had similar results with the site you mentioned, or can offer other advice on this topic.

    • 

      armaboo on 10/03/2017 - 20:13

      +1

      I've also used the website and am getting my solar panels installed tomorrow.

      I found the site particularly useful to teach myself about solar power so i could make an informed decision.

      After putting in your information, 3 suppliers will contact you. I found all of mine were similar prices and had good reviews from prior customers.

      My system seems expensive compared to UFO and the OP, and I'll admit i didn't a huge amount of time comparing prices, but I'm happy with what I've got. For something that you want to put on your roof and not worry about for another 10 yrs I'm happy paying more for quality.

      • 

        UFO on 10/03/2017 - 22:13

        +1

        Don't be disheartened with the price mate. I know for a fact I saved a few grand by ensuring a net meter was installed straight up, and the wiring and installation process for the installers was a lot smoother than trying to retrofit an already completed home. I put my price in there as a basic reference, but for all intents and purposes you could add a few grand on top and it'll be closer to the mark. Plus I didnt go on a payment plan, paid in full upfront through the mortgage… there's another $2500.

        And it also depends on where you are located. Different states, different locations and different installers will also have a huge influence on pricing.

        Out of curiosity what state are you in?

• 

  nxllson on 10/03/2017 - 14:52

  +1

  Not a deal - no previous price stated and this just seems like a pure advertisement on a bargain site.