Solar panels.

[NeilPearson]

Prices are not bad considering what It can get you.

[norbs]

Prices are not bad considering what It can get you.

I am already looking at ways to hook it up once my FIT is over next year. So awesome.

[smithcorp]

Sign me up@!!@@@!!!!

[ysu]

Hm...nice!
Get a solar array, a wind turbine and some batteries, and you're set
It may cost at much as 10yrs of electricity, but hey, where's the fun in that?

[J.D.]

Awesome. Closer to going off grid.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/05/every ... batteries/

Excellent!

[DexterPunk]

Just came here to post that... Seems IFLS are a bit slow on this one. Very, very, very cool though. I'm so excited to see where this is going. As I said on FB, the Libs better get used to the idea of further decline in demand for our coal.

[durbster]

Prices are not bad considering what It can get you.

I am already looking at ways to hook it up once my FIT is over next year. So awesome.

The maximum working temperature is a problem for you isn't it? The Tesla units don't work above 40C (iirc).

It's sort of first generation technology though I suppose, and a very interesting step towards a whole change in the way we power our homes.

[DexterPunk]

40c is fairly uncommon unless you live in central australia i'd imagine.

[norbs]

40c is fairly uncommon unless you live in central australia i'd imagine.

Western Sydney it is pretty common for at least a few days in summer.

[DexterPunk]

Yeah we get a few days over in summer here too in Melb. Sometimes you might get a string of 4-5 days over 40c. But 99% of the time it wouldn't be an issue.

[DexterPunk]

Just saw this.

http://www.sciencealert.com/new-tool-le ... l-generate

[wobblysauce]

Just because the day is not 40ºc, does not mean cars, glass houses, things with no ventilation do not go above.

[norbs]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/ ... 524-gh7pof

[r8response]

And by the time generous federal and state government subsidies run out, households without solar will have subsidised those that have made the switch to the tune of $14 billion.

Was there any doubt?

[norbs]

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/green-pow ... h9bd6.html

[ysu]

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/green-pow ... h9bd6.html

It's beautiful and I'm all for it, sadly there's one fairly ugly issue to overcome there;
The large providers want profit. Fairly reliable profit. Powerplants can't stop/start willy-nilly, so they need to know their electricity will be needed.
Until the renewables can generate 100% reliably, there's this gap, where you still need the large providers a lot, but they are less & less inclined to provide.
(or am I seeing it wrong, and it's not really a problem at all?)

I'm sure it's doable, but it requires people with brains in power. Or maybe worse; you need people with power & guts & brains in power Altho the elec providers may not be as big a hurdle as the miners are.

[wabbit]

Profits are ok and I think profits become the issue when shareholders continue to demand increased profits.

[ysu]

Profits are ok and I think profits become the issue when shareholders continue to demand increased profits.

Which is what...almost never, right?

[smithcorp]

Article here from Choice about battery storage and solar. Interesting look at payback periods (which look to be 14+ years for a typical household).

https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvem ... yback-time

[wabbit]

Which is what...almost never, right?

Haha! The world would be totally different if there were caps on shareholders profit (their demand for profit anyway)

[Bauer]

Article here from Choice about battery storage and solar. Interesting look at payback periods (which look to be 14+ years for a typical household).

https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvem ... yback-time

Anyone seen anything that mentions the lifespan of a powerwall?

[Cursed]

A quick search reports a 10yr warranty period.

[smithcorp]

And that's the issue - payback time likely to be longer than effective life of the unit (plus, as with panels, efficiency can be expected to decline over time). difficult decision. I am keen to put up a household battery system before the feed-in tariff ends this year.

[Bauer]

Im on board and would love to do this

But like cars of the same, you cant do it yet as a money saving thing. you do it cos you can

[smithcorp]

So, I got a letter from Dept of Industry about the ending of the solar feed in tariff plan in NSW at the end of December 2016. Haven't been contacted by Energy Australia yet as my provider, but it looks like my 60c per KwH will go down to about 6c. I have about $500 in credit on my EA account at the moment and my plan is to possibly increase the number of panels we have as part of a house extension, and go for battery storage.

Likely to be a boom time for people 'doing something' about their panels with the solar bonus scheme ending, so not sure whether to start arranging things now, or wait a bit. I figure at the least I'll need to replace my inverter/controller thingy and probably get a smart meter.

So, anyone know who is offering deals on battery storage installations?