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yahoo2

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Joined: 05/04/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1166

Posted: 05:40pm 23 Feb 2012

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I'm feeling a bit miffed at the moment. About 12 months ago I gave a number of proud new owners of grid connected solar systems some advice on managing their usage so that they stay in the good books with the FIT scheme in S.A.

Found out in the last few weeks that almost all of them have ignored what I said and it looks like they may well forfeit the 44 cent FIT.

Its a quirk of larger systems on rural properties and the NET metering used here in south Oz.

The policy here at the moment is that any solar grid feed that is not wired to the primary residential meter must show reasonable power use. I think this is fair enough. The bar is set unofficially at 400 Kw/yr at the moment.

The crucial thing that people don't realise (even after I explain it to them apparently) is that on a 5 Kw NET metered system most of the power used while the sun is beating down on the panels is supplied directly from the inverter. This means it will not count towards the minimum 400 Kw a year they need.

I set up a neat little system for a couple of people with mechanical timers and power outlets. This means that some power use can be shifted to night time. Things like bore pumps and battery chargers. Things that run 24/7 like network servers, wireless transmitters and GPS differential beacons are swapped to this meter as well. The result has been a healthy 900 Kw used and no nasty letter.

yahoo

PS these two systems are still selling 30 - 40 Kw /day to the grid so there is actually a net gain in $$$ from using some power.Edited by yahoo2 2012-02-25

I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not...

VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 11:18pm 23 Feb 2012

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Hi Yahoo

It is a very difficult thing to get people to understand, the system is such that it is meant to be used as a enhancement to power not an eliminator of usage as this is against the commercial operation of the supplier.

it is hard to get the wife to bake at night and do the washing after dark, years of ingrained habits need changing, I like your idea of a timer on the line to force the household to use power at night, top marks.

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 11:47pm 23 Feb 2012

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A comment sent to me by Isaiah regarding metering, if this is happening to him it may be wise to keep a close watch on our so called smart meters too.

Devvy,
I wrote you a while back about my local electric company installed the smart meters a while back.
this month when I received my bill's (i have 2 accounts) I noticed that the bill was estimated. Why in the world should we get a estimated bill when we have smart meters?
I did some improvements on some of my usage and with the unnormal mild weather I was looking for a lower bill but it was higher.
In the electric company's news letter they announce that the company they were in bed with to provide over the electric wire Hi speed broad band INTERNET service, was closing their doors!! They are scrambling to find somebody to carry the service for those that signed up for it to fill the contract to August.
Do you have any input on this??

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

yahoo2

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Joined: 05/04/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1166

Posted: 03:34am 24 Feb 2012

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VK4AYQ said
it is hard to get the wife to bake at night and do the washing after dark, years of ingrained habits need changing, I like your idea of a timer on the line to force the household to use power at night

I guess the distinction here is that the panels are hooked to a meter used for running a business, I prefer to keep the household power use separate to simplify their taxation. But the principal is the same for everybody.

We should all sit down at least once a year and crunch the numbers to see if we can improve our bottom line. the prediction here is that the price of power will increase another 10 cents in the next 20 months, this will change things for people on the lower FIT rates, it will be more cost effective to consume power from the panels than to sell it. Perhaps setting the aircon to crank up and cool the house before everybody gets home from work.

I see a similar situation with couples living off-grid, now that we are installing more generating capacity, the batteries are full early in the day for at least 7 months of the year. Some of them still have the mentality that every electron needs to be saved. When I suggest that we should think of something productive to do with the excess power in the afternoons I get a very aggressive NO(we do it this way and we are not going to change) or blank stares of not understanding.

I am a great believer in the theory that our comfort and quality of life is not just how much money we throw around but what we do with the resources we are given.

yahoo

I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not...

yahoo2

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Joined: 05/04/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1166

Posted: 04:06am 24 Feb 2012

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VK4AYQ said A comment sent to me by Isaiah regarding metering, if this is happening to him it may be wise to keep a close watch on our so called smart meters too.

I tell people to record their power the same way farmers do it with remote rain gauges and water meters. Get a small pocket notebook with a pencil and sharpener and put them in a screwtop glass jar, throw it in the bottom of the meter box. Every month or so record the date and the numbers on all the meters, it might not look fancy but good records means the difference between negotiating a mutual settlement instead of getting stitched up.

I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not...

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