Thinking to install a 6.6kw system in QLD.
Just wondering if prices for solar systems have temporarily increased or are inflated by the current situation, and hence whether any potential savings now will be offset by the higher costs? Or whether it may be worth waiting a few months to install?
I've been quoted around $8k for a Fronius + Q Cell system
Thanks
Any time is a good time to install solar (as long as you do your research and get a system that meets your needs now and in the future plus installed by a reputable company who will do a good job and be around in the future for any warranty claims). If it is more expensive it will take a little longer to pay itself off, but it will always provide huge returns over its life for your money. No other investment will out-perform it. Waiting for this inflation period to be over is like waiting for the housing market to cool down before buying - you might get the timing just right to save some money but for pretty much all of history the right time to buy a house has been some moment in the past no matter what the market is doing right now.
I had my 6.6kw system with growatt in WA installed July last year for $2200 off an offer off here.
Since then prices have steadily risen due to supply shortages and i believe QLD has a lower subsidy. You'll be waiting a while for supplies to catchup methinks (also doesn't help that inflation is through the roof and the Aussie dollar is falling).
About par for a 6.6kw system in WA is $3000, anything more and the payback exercise becomes harder.
I think my one will pay back in around 4 years. If yours is 3.5 times that you're looking at a 12 year payback.
Fronius = porsche
Growatt = ford
Both do the same job
Both have similar warranties
One costs significantly more than the other
Am i missing something here?
Unless you get your dinner party guests over and whip out your Fronius?
Both have similar warranties
How long past their warranty periods are each expected to continue operating without issue?
Inverter failure is likely the most common reason for a solar system to stop working
@SBOB: Also after 10 years of the Inverter operating i'll likely be upgrading to a battery system so not really an issue.
You could say the same about a Nissan Nevara and a Great Wall of china.
I have Huawei inverters, and when I was looking and researching, I got a strong sense that Fronius has a cult following. Probably because they’re made in Austria. It’s just sad that those who love them tend to trash other brands like they’re inferior. Honestly it doesn’t matter, other than supporting Europeans over Chinese (which I try to do everywhere), the service you’ll get won’t be much different, with the same warranties and still decent quality by the Chinese brands.
With all of the supply chain logistic issues, coupled with shortage of tradies I think it is difficult to see prices dropping in the near/intermediate future.
Not necessarily. There might be a glut of these things because home construction has basically halted due to material squeeze.
Uhhhh, source?
I'd definitely get another quote. Installed solar a year and a bit ago for just over $3k in metro Sydney for my parent's place. This was less than a 5kW system due to limited roof space. The company that installed handled the grants available (can't recall if it was federal or state).
With AGL and the overall rates and costs are higher than the cheapest provider I could find, being reamped energy, although it didn't include the energy used directly from the solar.
I keep looking at getting Solar installed and everytime I don't bother as prices go up, tariffs go down and I never know who / what to use.
One thing I find funny is the sales people who bombard you everyday straight afterwards that reeks of desperation. It is an instant no if you keep hassling me.
a fronius inverted is state of the art you can always go mid level. I thought sungrow was good
https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/solar-inverter-compariso…
Tariffs go down but the technology is getting better so you can get a bigger/better system for less money. Like phones.
You should buy as soon as it is appropriate for you.
Solar no longer generates revenue to users, like it used to before. But what it does do, is reduce your expenses. So instead of paying $600 for the quarter, your usage will be smaller, and you might instead only have to pay $200. And depending on factors, the solar cost will pay itself off in 3 - 10 years, most likely in about 4 years.
If you had a Home-Battery, you can automate it to store power and sell back during different hours (on-peak/off-peak), and that would greatly speed up the time to pay itself off. But since we have a shortage of Home-Battery (like the Tesla PowerWall) it is not very likely, and the costs for the battery is high. They also depreciate/wear-out, so it becomes more likely that it will just pay itself off with little profits. Despite all that, in general, it is still more environmentally friendly so it's worth it for our wealthier members.
Now if you had a BEV (and Home-Battery), you will pay a lot of monies. But if you are someone that travels often, you can basically eliminate the cost of fuel. That, along with smart usage of your vehicle as a secondary battery of sorts, you can greatly limit the amount of electricity you get off the grid, and at the cheapest/off-peak periods. And you can maximise the amount of electricity you sell back to the grid, and at the expensive/on-peak periods. Doing so isn't unethical, as you actually limit the amount of coal/fuel is burnt by the power stations, so it is even more environmentally friendly than before. This should be what we strive for in our sunny nation.
Given a powerwall can do daily cycling for 10 years under warranty (to 70% charge of a new battery) it should last 15-20 years. Surely you could get some payback out of that period.
It's hard to say without some data/factors.
Someone who:
- doesn't have solar + hardly uses electricity = wouldn't get much utility out of it.
- doesn't have solar + uses a lot of electricity = would get little benefits.
- has solar panels + hardly uses electricity = would be worthwhile and pay itself off reasonably.
- has solar panels + uses a lot of electricity = would pay itself quickest.
I would rush out to get Solar Panels, but I wouldn't rush out to get a Home-Battery, and would wait even longer to jump on the BEV bandwagon.
Unless you have a huge difference between peak and off-peak prices a battery won't pay for itself before the warranty period is over
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/ is a good website. I used them for quotes/installation but before then it's just got some really useful information. Better to spend an hour going through it then either overspending and/or getting an inappropriate system. This is something you will have for a long time so I wouldn't go into it blind.
Do your maths and see how long the payback period is and then based on this if it is okay then buy. Also check out if the system is gross or net or can have a battery attached later. See if a battery will shorted the payback period or not (usually).
I love how people talk about solar panels like payback period is the most important thing. There are other benefits too. People get up in arms and worked up if their payback period is a year extra than another option. It is all good! Just make sure you get a quality job done with quality components.
Unless your a total greenie then payback is the most important thing. If you are not a greenie that as long as you are okay with the payback period then buy it.
Also check out if the system is gross or net
I don't believe any metering would support gross fit any more.
It's all net usage, and irrespective of phase (for those with more than 1)
Battery will lengthen the payback time
I've been quoted ~10k for 7.8kW with SolarEdge Genesis optimised inverter. It's a semi-rural area.
Will be getting more quotes, too.
Might want to look into enphase with much of the solar edge feedback i've seen
Just remember the solar is best when you are using power when the sun is out. So if you are home during the day doing washing, clothes dryer, dishwasher, aircon etc you will be able to use the solar power. People with pool pump running during the day also get a good benefit.
But if you go to work all day your unused solar will be put back in the grid at 5 cents (Vic) and when you get home after work you then need to buy it at 30 cents. A lot of solar companies are not honest enough to explain this to you and will use total daily numbers.
Sure a battery would help this, but most people only have solar panels.
Can still get good value out of it if you can do things like set a delay on your dishwasher, have a combined washer/dryer with a delay (or normal washer with a delay to finish within an hour of you getting home so you can hang the clothes up), and cook bulk meals on the weekend sometimes and only need to microwave them on weekday evenings.
Thanks everyone who have shared their thoughts .
Was watching the news this morning, and they had a story that said while prices (to install a new system) have increased, installations have also increased