Hi all,
I'm relatively new to all of this, so please bear with me. I'd like to know how to get the most out of my solar panels $$ wise. Which provider to go with, what plan to go on etc.
My house had 4 solar panels.
I'm currently with AGL and as per my latest statement, i'm getting the following rates:
Standard Feed-in Tariff - Units: 72.214kWh Price: $0.12 Total Credit: $8.67
This is over a 31 day period.
Are these rates any good? Any suggestions to make a change?
Thanks!
Maybe that is why only 4 panels were purchased on a trial basis :D
came with the house when I bought it.
4 panels is probably an old 1kw (4x 275w or 300W if you are lucky). It is probably an old setup. Check whether your state has rebates going.
The production numbers don't look too far off. 12c feed in, can't be sure unless you tell us the state you are in.
OP's profile shows Location = Melbourne
He might look for the Victoria rebate and get a 6kw put up for like $1.5k to $2k.
I don't know much about solar panels either, but common sense would tell me to call a few providers and grab quotes for plans. Given that it looks like you've fed in, I'd probably be prioritising feed in tariffs, and what your peak-time prices will look like (at night).
If you look at installing more panels at may be cost-effective for you to buy a battery to use at night instead of feeding in your unused power for 12 cents per kWh.
For reference — i get 18c/kw feed in (SA - Origin).
Most houses that have small systems (in SA, not sure about where you are) like yours still have legacy 44c+ feed in tariffs, that make them absolutely fine to leave as is. If there isn't such a thing on your system — definitely upgrade the system.
4 panels is low - at minimum a 1kw system?
Prices wise, it's something you'll need to call yourself as different retailers will have different prices for each area. Also, IIRC Vic operates on net metering which means whatever you generate will be used up first before it shows up as a unit generated
Just curious, does anyone ever install more than a 6kw solar panel system?
System, or inverter?
The answer to both is yes anyway.
oh i see.. oh meant system
Have a look around your area & see which houses have solar,
just go up to them & knock on the door,
once you have solar, you always want to talk about them
Use energy (e.g. laundry, dishwasher, etc) during the day instead of feeding into the grid?
First tell us in which state you are in. we’re in WA and have installed solar panels from aviva energy solutions. Installed 6.66 kw panels with battery compatible inverter and also got free upgrade to 440W.
Also install solar batteries instead of getting 12 c feed in, so that you can use energy at night. While finding best solar installer, look for the portfolio of different solar installers, try to understand products or brands they’re promoting , a qualified solar installer knows its trade and would be able to distinguish different brands based on their efficiency, power output range, price, durability, to name a few. Also gather information about warranty. Hope this information helps you.
I'm not intending to be critical, but didn't you research this before you invested in solar panels?