(SOLAR) Upstream Energy Power Purchase Agreement

Before I am going to sign up a solar power purchase agreement, what do you guys think can go wrong? I am currently paying $0.23/kwh from Energy Australia, with this power purchase agreement I am paying $0.186/kwh for 6.4kw seraphim 330w panel and solaredge 5kw inverter setup. I only pay for what i use from solar during day time and buying from the grid at night from my current energy retailer Energy Australia. FIT will be taken by Upstream. I am using around 23kwh/ day. The things that get me is I will get transfer of ownership after the term 5 years, but is it too good to be true? Please advice.

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Comments

  • before we can advise you further, you need to tell us on what roof orientation is the system installed on, what's your current usage pattern (how much day time vs night time). But by the sound of it you still have to pay the usual energy rate to EA AND the solar generated so I don't think it's much of a good deal, says you use 50% of your energy during daytime (which is very very generous) then the saving you get from that is 5c per kwh, so 120.05365 = $220. On the other hand, if you DIY, a prime north system that size can give you 10,000kwh a year easy in Canberra, says you use 4300 from that so 5700 exported, if you pay for the system yourself the amount of saving you can get from there is 4300.23+5700.10 = $1553, so over 5 years you'd have given away $10000 to Upstream (assuming FIT won't drop too much, and I'm aware in Canberra you won't get much more generous FIT like the rest of NSW). I'm not sure what's cost there in Canberra but around sydney area you can get a system of that size for $5-6000 mark. But that's the price you pay for not having to fork out a large amount upfront and someone taking care of the headache.

    My assumption above (and you seem to think that way) that you only have to pay 18.6c/kwh when solar is up but it is probably not always the case, on cloudy winter day, you'll still draw from the grid if you run a few high load devices.

    • I am using 23 kwh / day, yes the rate is not too good but then after 5 years that solar system will get transfer to me? Good advice, I didnt realise solar is not much producing on winter day. Yes I can get a basic 6.6 kw system from Solar power nation etc for $4500 but the after sales service will be bad i guess, I almost sign the deal with SPN but this deal came up and made me think twice. Thank you for your reply.

  • Solar Power Nation is a cheap solar company with Poor Workmanship. With these Power purchase agreements you will always paying end up much more and even you are not the owner of the system. Buy a Decent Quality system from any local solar company. It will save your money and any future Dramas.

    • I have heard few horror story with SPN after service and not really keen to get cheap installer to install something on top of my head. I will be the owner after 5 years though. I dont have a lot of money to buy it upfront at the moment.

  • On paper this doesn't seem like that bad of a deal, you get slightly cheaper energy prices than you're currently paying when you self consume the solar and after 5 years you own a system that will still have a decent chunk of warranty left on the panels and inverter. But a couple of things that would concern me is the savings must assume you are on the cheapest energy plan available to you. I'm not familiar with ACT pricing but Energy Australia normally aren't the cheapest energy provider in my experience and these solar buy back deals normally sting you on the energy rates. If you are paying $300 extra than you could be annually for your energy bill then over 5 years you have forgone $1500 in energy savings, are still paying 18c a kwh for solar you're self consuming, still missing out on the approx 10c FIT when you export the excess solar. The other thing is how sure are you that you will be in your current home beyond 5 years, a lot can change in 5 years.

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