Slybacon Posted October 11, 2010 If anyone would like any assistance with solar grid connect systems in the hunter area please send an email to [email protected] Mention SAB for a discount ;) 1.48 K Grid Connect starting from $2990 System produces $1400+ per year fixed untill 2017. Boom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
psili sausage Posted October 11, 2010 Now that's a healthy investment. I wish I had the means... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atomar Posted October 12, 2010 Paid a bit more for our 2kW system from ClearSolar but pretty happy watching the numbers on the inverter and seeing how much is being generated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magicdirt Posted October 12, 2010 My old man recently got one of them and I was a bit surprised to see that the system only feeds the grid and not his own house.(he does get a nice cheque instead of a power bill though) From what I understand if there is a blackout he will still be without power even though he has enough panels to run everything in his house. Can they be wired with voltage sensing circuitry to feed the power to the house in the event of a voltage drop on the grid (Brownout or Blackout) ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr me Posted October 12, 2010 Do you actually have to inform the government that you are installing solar? I guess the electricity company would like to know as well. What happens if I don't want to feed power back in the system and like Magic asked, what happens in blackouts? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
atomar Posted October 12, 2010 If you want the government rebate you'll have to fill out a form and they will know about it. I'm no expert on this but I believe in a grid-connected system, the inverter needs to synchronise the sign wave with that from the grid. Once the grid is down, so is your solar system. I believe you'll need a much more expensive inverter and batteries if you want to run it independently from the grid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magicdirt Posted October 13, 2010 If you want the government rebate you'll have to fill out a form and they will know about it. I'm no expert on this but I believe in a grid-connected system, the inverter needs to synchronise the sign wave with that from the grid. Once the grid is down, so is your solar system. I believe you'll need a much more expensive inverter and batteries if you want to run it independently from the grid. This sounds pretty accurate from what I can make out (inverters have come down in price in the last few years though). A decent array of deep cycle batteries is going to cost a lot too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fenris Posted October 13, 2010 You can build your own solar panels. A kit of 72 individual cells, that need mounting and soldering can be bought from an online auction site for about 1/6 the price of the same panel prebuilt. Great if you can solder properly and have the patience to construct them yourself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slybacon Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) Orange has revealed their vision for the tent of the future. Utilising cutting edge eco-energy technology, the Orange Solar Concept Tent will allow campers to keep in touch and power their essential camping gadgets. 2 KW Solar Tent!!!!! http://www.azocleantech.com/details.asp?newsID=6014 Edited October 13, 2010 by Slybacon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
