Not Sure How Efficiently My Solar Is Running

lockmc on 11/01/2021 - 08:59

I have what appears to be a 2Kw solar system in my house.. Only moved in last year.
The inverter is capable of 2000 watts and we get the premium feed in tariff (60 cents) do I'm unable to upgrade the system without losing that rate.

On the hottest of days with no clouds, the inverter says Pac 1650, so I'm guessing it's not pumping the full 2Kw.

There are 12 solar panels. How would I know if the panels aren't capable of providing enough? I want to make sure my solar is working as efficiently as possible due to the feed in credit.

My last bill showed only 40kWh which feels a little low. I do have a pump for the solar heating for my pool running during the day and we are home during the day, so we have the usual fridge, cooker etc running. Does that still sound a little low?

Home & Garden Solar Energy System

Comments

  • brendanm on 11/01/2021 - 09:04

    Panels are probably old and dirty. Hot days are actually bad for solar. Give them a clean first off and see how it goes.

    • lockmc on 11/01/2021 - 09:08

      I did think this but heard somewhere you shouldn't clean them. I'll have a look. Thanks!

      • IVI on 11/01/2021 - 12:37

        Your Library should have books to help you work out how to care for PV panels.

        You should have rec'd some How-To & Spec's info (if you bought the property) OR
        your landlord can make copies how his/hers.

        You've got to see that they're clean. And - if you're not able to safely work at roof-
        heights, that may mean you'll have to pay someone to do it. Be sure you (or they)
        are skilled!

        OTOH, if they're more than dirty (eg, damaged by hail, shading of part of their area,
        etc.), you might like to leave them as-is (unless you can access first-buyer's war-
        ranty).

        Another reason to forego the value in you PV Panels can be - for those who care
        about others & end-of-Life consequences of PV Solar - that kids in devel'g lands
        have to work with toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, etc.), as they try to harvest
        any valuable bits from them.

        If your panels are damaged (beyond wiring repairs could fix), I - for one - would
        just leave 'em on the roof… get any power you can (post-cleaning) & make due
        with that.

        Cleaning is a regular job or cost for you; replacement is just what you'd expect:

    • lockmc on 11/01/2021 - 09:09

      Are panels more efficient or better than they were 10 or so years ago?

      • Caped Baldy on 11/01/2021 - 09:21

        Panel tech changes quick. I've got 370kW panels though the standard is 330kW (I think in 2019 the standard was around 300kW).

        My system tops out at 4800kWh (13 panels) but I'm lucky to get that for even a portion of the day.

        40kWh does seems low. Are there any apps you can get for the inverter which show live data?
        Could be less since the system is feeding the pool heating and less is going to the grid. How much energy does the pool heating use?

        • abb on 11/01/2021 - 09:31
          +5

          Your units are a little confused.

          If you have anything like a normal house, rather than a vast warehouse or paddock, you won't have hundreds of kilowatts in panels. Each panel is probably 370W, and I'd guess that your peak generation capacity is 4.8kW, not 4.8MW.

          Watt-hours (Wh) are a cumulative measurement of power over time. It's possible you've generated 4.8MWh over some time period, but not in one day.

          • Caped Baldy on 11/01/2021 - 09:34

            @abb: Yup, I was wrong. Thanks for the correction.

        • netjock on 11/01/2021 - 11:50

          40kWh does seems low

          OP has pool pump that probably guzzles some of the production.

      • brendanm on 11/01/2021 - 10:14

        They are, but panels also degrade over time. So if your panels put out 2k in perfect conditions when new, even in perfect conditions now, you won't get the full 2kw.

        With how you use your solar (eg, running everything during the day), you aren't going to be feeding much back in to the grid, so the 60c fit is of little importance to you. If it were me, and I was using all the power, all day, I'd get a new system put in. You can figure out from your bill how big you need, but "generally" a 5kw inverter and 6.6 of panels will cover it. Oversizing on the panels allows you to make your 5kw inverter max for a greater part of the day, more "area under the curve".

  • Porker on 11/01/2021 - 09:13
    +2

    Likely an old system, or dirty.

    My in-laws have $0.60 tariff per kW to my $0.12. However, my system was only installed last year and on a good day can capture 30KW. Theirs will only get 5-6kW for the same day and is over 10 years old.

    When I heard about their tarriffs, I tried to get that rate but $0.12 was the highest that companies would give. Then I realised with efficiency differences of the systems, we're roughly returning the same $$ per month.

    However, where they benefit is that they save all their big energy draws to nighttime (eg. washing machine) to maximise on their $0.60 capture, as the usage rate is a lot less to pay.

  • Elppa8 on 11/01/2021 - 09:15

    That’s normal for an older 2kW system. Newer systems use say, a 5kW inverter with 6.6kW of panels to get closer to the maximum.

  • holdenmg on 11/01/2021 - 10:13

    Do you know if all your Panels are functioning?

  • highon2str on 11/01/2021 - 10:32

    If you're with AGL, you can view daily export via the app. Cross reference that export with a similar size system in a close by suburb on pvoutput. Not sure if the other providers have solar monitoring in their app too?

  • avoidfullprice on 11/01/2021 - 11:07

    we get the premium feed in tariff (60 cents)
    …
    My last bill showed only 40kWh which feels a little low.

    I presume you have gross feedin? (i.e. everything you generate get exported)

    If that's the case, yes, that way low for a month? (don't know how often you get bills) considering you recent peak generation is at 1.6kw

    • avoidfullprice on 11/01/2021 - 12:57

      Looks like Vic scheme operated around 2010 for 2 years, and is for NET feed in https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorian-fee…

      So your panels are likely to be 10 years old. Panels lose performance over years, so your panels are probably operating normally.

      And for 40kwh feedin on your last bill (monthly or quarterly), something at your house is consuming a fair bit of power.

  • lgacb08 on 11/01/2021 - 19:35
    +1

    Mate, with that 60c fit you better turm off everything in the day and switch back on once the sun is on the other side of the world because you literally wasting away nearly 30c for every kwh you consume during daylight hour.

  • brad1-8tsi on 11/01/2021 - 23:42

    If it's an older system they probably haven't over-panelled. 1650 is probably as good as it gets.

    The elec provider (not retailer) should have a certificate of compliance that will say what size & qty of panels were fitted.

    It's a very small system so you won't make a fortune from it.

  • dasa on 12/01/2021 - 08:06

    60 cents i can only wish, my bill last week, AURORA in Tasmania are paying 8.46 cents nothing but licensed thieves.

    • lockmc on 12/01/2021 - 13:38

      Wow that's low.

  • Isla Brown on 21/04/2021 - 21:35

    As told by CSIRO energy centre research, a clear sunny day generates almost double the amount of solar energy than in winter. To maximize your solar energy generation – watch out for your energy usage, monitor your solar system regularly, use solar battery and carefully plan your energy consumption for household appliances. Check for overgrown trees, bird droppings or dirt.

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