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Thread: Power Co.'s

  1. #16
    Join Date
    8th January 2005 - 15:05
    Bike
    Triumph Speed Triple
    Location
    New Plymouth
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    10,079
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dadpole View Post
    29 cents a unit here in the sticks. By a remarkable coincidence, the 3 companies that service our area are within $5.00 a month.
    Thats similar to here although I get the little discount that came with signing a three year contract - which expires at the end of this month. So next month I will be looking...

    The ISP phoned me to entice me to bundle my power but it was going to cost pretty much what I'm paying now. As an enducement they offered me free cellphone for a year. My plan only costs $20.00 a month discounted for being bundled. If that was permanent perhaps, but not just for a year.

    Gonna keep looking.
    There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one. - Joey Dunlop

  2. #17
    Join Date
    4th December 2009 - 19:45
    Bike
    I Ride No More
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    278

    Proposed Solar Panel Installation

    Quote Originally Posted by pete376403 View Post
    Ecotricity - can go as low as 7 c/KwH (plus line charges, plus GST, plus any other charges that can be added) buy back rate for solar is the same but without the extra charges being refunded.

    Solar panels are about to be activated (12 panels and a 6kwH inverter/battery) will be intersting to see what thebills are like, A bit pissed off that we have missed the benefit power-wise of all the brilliant sunshine since January.
    Afternoon.

    Interested to see your post regarding installation of solar panels,
    especially since your profile shows you residing in the Hutt area.

    The reason for posting is to enquire whether you did much in the
    way of calculations re projected $ savings and payback time.

    I went through a financial evaluation process for purchase and
    installation of solar panels about 18 months ago, and decided
    that the economics just didn't stack up.

    1. Estimation

    I contacted one of the popular solar panel installers (name omitted
    on purpose) and asked them to come up to my house and give me
    some advice on panel suitability / size / quantity.

    I then asked for two quotes - one for panels only, and another for
    panels plus storage battery (installation included in both cases).

    I asked the installer (at the time of site visit) if they provided any
    software tools (calculator) to help a customer to work out if the
    proposition was financially viable.

    The answer was "No". He replied that it was "entirely up to the client
    how they justified the spend, and whether it was cost effective". They
    would not even point me to an online calculator that I could use.

    The calculator that I've used is the one provided by the University
    of Canterbury (UC):

    https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/news/20...alculator.html

    You could enter the various physical and financial parameters for your
    proposed implementation , and it would calculate a "simple payback"
    value ($), as well as an estimated time to "break even". It's very
    comprehensive and easy to use.

    [Note: In the intervening 18 months, I see that they have secured the
    UC solar calculator, so you might need to apply for a login.

    I see that University of Auckland have also produced an online calculator
    (although I haven't used it) :

    http://solarpower.cer.auckland.ac.nz/ ]

    2. Quotations

    I have a split level house and a separate garage. Solar panels were
    able to be mounted on either / both buildings, with easy cabling to
    the house and switchboard. Feedback of excess power back into the
    local grid was calculated at 8c / unit.

    The installer would provide only "all-up quotations", with no breakdown
    of materials / labour etc.

    Between (i) absence of a calculator (ii) provision of all-up quotes only,
    have to say that he did not really do his prospects of a sale much help.


    The first quotation was for panels alone (no storage) and effectively
    relied on us being able to use the power as it was generated. This
    quotation was for 10 panels plus inverter plus installation. All panels
    were to be mounted on the garage. Quotation was just on $10k.
    GST Inclusive. Average cost per panel was therefore about $1k.

    The second quotation was for panels plus a storage battery. This
    quotation was for 18 panels plus inverter and storage battery plus
    installation. Quotation was just on $30K. GST inclusive.

    At an average of $1k per panel, this indicated a storage battery cost
    around $12k.

    The first quotation (10 panels) gave a payback period of over 21 years,
    and estimated total savings of only $1,200 after 25 years.

    The second quotation (18 panels plus battery) did not even give a net
    positive payback (break even) within 25 years.

    So, on the basis of the above, I flagged the whole proposition away.

    Hope that your implementation offers better cost savings.

    Cheers

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