solar and battery...
TRANSCRIPT
Solar and Battery information Seniors Week 2018
Council’s Sustainability Program
– reducing our environmental footprint
Fossil fuel power is a major source of greenhouse emissions…
62%
31%
6%
1%
Tweed Shire Major Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sources 2016
(t CO2e)
Stationary energy
Transportation
Waste
Wastewater
Are you solar and battery ready?
• Avoid energy waste
• Work out your daytime use
• Get a range of quotes
• Be a smart customer
Invest in a system designed to suit your
needs
Ask lots of questions
Use reliable, accredited suppliers with
local experts
Choose quality products
Energy Efficiency is Ongoing
and Continuous
Opportunities to save energy
So what about solar?
Beginnings of Solar Electricity (PV)
1.First observed by French physicist
A. E. Becquerel in 1839
2. Albert Einstein was awarded the
Nobel Prize in Physics for explaining
the photoelectric effect (1921)
3. Bell Labs produce the worlds first
modern solar panel (1955)
4. Hoffman Electrics produces 8%
efficiency PV modules at $25 per
cell or $1,784/W - (1956)
History of Cost of Solar Power ($US)
Costs have come down >50% in 5 years
5kW solar systems
Why should you go solar?
• Over the past five years, the cost of installing
a solar system has reduced.
• Solar energy used during the day will
generate savings in your electricity bill.
• Very effective way of reducing your emissions
• Adds between $0.20 to $0.98 per kWh cost
• The payback time can be around 10 years
• Warranties vary between 10 – 15 years, or
throughput of power/number of cycles.
What about batteries?
Get a credit on your bill for excess solar
produced
- Electricity retailers determine what rate they’ll pay for
your excess solar, following state pricing guidelines.
- Using your own solar power is more cost effective then
selling power to the grid: using less grid power at 20 –
30c/kWh is better than selling your own solar power at
6 – 17c/kWh
- Make sure you compare all of retailers’ electricity rates,
charges and discounts as well as solar feed-in tariffs
when deciding on which energy retailer to sign up with.
- Demand management: some energy retailers will pay
‘grid credits’ if you export power during peak times
Going solar: Who’s who
- Use reliable, accredited suppliers with local experts
- Check online for reviews, ask around for
recommendations
Price guide (including STC discount)
Estimated
energy savings
per year
$580
$870
$1,160
$1,445
$2,890
Quality products
• Only use Clean Energy Council accredited equipment
• Check out Choice/CSIRO’s survey of panel
performance
• Tier system rankings refer to
production capability of
manufacturers, not the
performance of the panels
• Installers preferences for
technology differ – here’s an
online supplier’s preferences
as an example…
Sizing your system
1. Work out the average daily energy consumption
from your energy bill: 12 – 16 kWh/day
2. Work out your daytime consumption: assume 1/3
of daily use
Black line: typical use pattern of
people at home during the day
Grey area: peak power periods
Yellow line: typical solar
production pattern
Red bars show the amount of
excess solar being sent back to
the grid
Try to move as much of
morning and evening peaks
into the yellow zone
Inverters
The heart of your system, and the part most likely to
fail…
…therefore buy a premium brand with local support
…and opt for a hybrid inverter if you’re thinking about
batteries
Meters and monitors
• Reconfigure or replace your meter
• Monitor the performance of your
solar and where energy is used in
your home
Examples of battery storage
Lithium ion
Example of Battery Storage
Lead acid
Example of Battery Storage
Locate batteries close to panels and in a shaded spot to
keep batteries cool
Considerations For Battery Storage • Cost
• Nominal Storage Capacity
• Usable Storage Capacity
• Size and Weight
• Cycle Life
• Round Trip Efficiency
• Single or 3-Phase Capability
• Operating Temperature
• Off-Grid Capability
• Warranty – Documentation
What kind of returns can you expect?
www.solarcalculator.com.au
Future predictions
Morgan Stanley research, June 2016:
“battery storage costs could fall 40 per cent in two years,
largely as a result of an increase in scale in global
manufacturing and the local industry.”
…but we don’t buy the latest car/bbq/lounge based on
payback.
Desire vs an economically rational decision
Check out online resources
Battery storage comparison table with prices
Solar diverters for electric hot water heaters
Heat your hot water with surplus solar power
from your PV panels.
During bad weather or high hot water
consumption you’ll still need grid power to
keep the water hot!
Extra hardware needed to keep a hot water
system on a controlled load tariff – ask your
installer.
Finance options
Renewable Energy Credits can bring the cost of the
average 3kW system down by between $3,000 to
$6,000.
Funding options include:
1. Outright
2. Add it to your home loan
3. Some solar retailers offer no interest loan
schemes (closely check their terms and
conditions)
4. Lease: pay a fixed regular cost to access power
from a system owned by the installer/financier
5. Power purchase agreement: pay only for the
solar energy provided by the system.
What’s next?
1. Commit to one new or ongoing action to reduce energy use
at your place
2. Calculate your daytime power use and breakdown of current
costs in your power bill
3. Get quotes from accredited suppliers that can provide good
local support if needed
4. Compare potential drop in daytime power costs to your
current bill to work out whether solar is worthwhile
5. Check with your power company and others to make sure
you’re on the best power and solar feed in plan.
…then relax and enjoy the power of the sun!
What’s next?
1. Commit to one new or ongoing action to reduce energy use
at your place
2. Calculate your daytime power use and breakdown of current
costs in your power bill
3. Get quotes from accredited suppliers that can provide good
local support if needed
4. Compare potential drop in daytime power costs to your
current bill to work out whether solar is worthwhile
5. Check with your power company and others to make sure
you’re on the best power and solar feed in plan.
…then relax and enjoy the power of the sun!
