Energy Matters Forums

[ranma241]

Hi all the net meter solar power is worse than any pyramid scheme and here is why it cost me to for the installation $1,600 over the past billing period of 83 days the usage is 133kWh and the solar contribution of 214kWh. I would think they would use the calculation of solar contribution less power usage. BUT no how it work is they will pay you the Sh!Tty 6cent kWh then changed you the usage in full what bullsh!t is that.

So for me to recovery only the cost of the installation will take me 28 years. You would make more money if you put in a Term Deposit.

133kWh is break down as follow
1. 114kWh cost 21.85 cent = $24.91
2. 19kWh cost 24.25 cent = $4.61
total cost $29.52 only usage

214 kWh at 6cent =$12.84 credit

**recovery cost work out as below**
base on 12.84 over 83 days = 0.15 cent per day *
0.15 * 365 = $56.46 per year
$1600 / $56.46 = 28.33 years

[Smurf1976]

You are forgetting to mention that your consumption figures would be higher if not for the solar assuming that you have some load during daylight hours (which judging by the actual consumption data you almost certainly do). This would reduce the payback period considerably.

[zzsstt]

But surely you worked out the details before you ordered the system? There have been no recent rules changes, the system has been working the same way for the last year or more and "they" haven't changed the way the billing happens.

Net metered PV with no regulated tariff is a different game to the high tariff (subsidised) systems. To make best use of it, you install a small system that generates only as much power as you use through the day, and you accept that any excess production is exported at a minimal return (or no return at all for a few power companies!).

So if you tend to use about 800W fairly constantly through the day, you install a 1kw system which nullifies that use - where you would previously have been billed for .8kw x 7 hours = 5.6kwh you are now billed for nothing. The intention is not to export power, but to cancel out you daytime power usage by making it yourself.

As Smurf1976 says, the "solar contribution" on your bill is the power you exported - the power you used yourself has already reduced the "usage" total. The net meter shows the NET export and the NET usage (import), so your PV system has already largely covered your daytime use of power, but that is not reported on your bill because they can't measure how much power is created and used instantly - the net meter only measures power going to and from the grid.

I admit that I still see some advertising that plays on the "never have another power bill" line that actually hasn't been possible since the demise of the solar bonus scheme (NSW), but that is easily dismissed with a few minutes of research.

Mind you, if the numbers you posted are your total bill, then you are using 1.6kwh of power per day. The national average is about 17kwh, so either your solar is doing a great job or you really don't use any power. But a $1600 PV system can't be very big, and it's still exporting 2.5kwh/day. Is this the house you live in, or a second house with a 1.5kW system on the roof?

[Tracker]

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What was your bill prior to installation..
Did you mention the size of the system and where you are..?...

[Sojin_Muneshi]

[Moderator- removed quoting of entire original post]

So ask to be moved over to a Gross Metering Scheme, and get 6c for your entire generation output, and buy it back for your own use at 22c and see what your payback is then?, I'm sure you would be screaming to get put back onto Net metering!

Just because some sales shark sold your a solar power system and you bought it expecting to "make money", doesnt mean it "has to be" profitable to you, and that the metering and tariffs have to be "designed" to make it "profitable for you".

Those days are long over.

The ongoing advertising pitches of "never pay an electricity bill again" should be reported to Consumer Affairs, and unfortunately lots of friends and family are hearing of the great outcomes achieved on the Gross 60c PFIT and are buying in expecting the same results!!!, without understanding why those great results were achieved under the NSW trainwreck!!

There is tattslotto every saturday night, and horse racing every day, and if you choose to "invest" in them, its up to you to confirm the return will be better than term deposits at the bank.

You are suggesting that you generate about 15c export per day, at 6c thats just over 2kWh, so it would seem you have a very small system, hence the main benefit you were ever going to get was avoiding the purchase cost of import energy that you instead use from your own generation, and hence Net Metering is far more advantageous to you, than having Gross!, which would now give you a payback in the order of 60 years!

regards

Sojin Muneshi

[Tracker]

...... at 6c thats just over 2kWh (a day export), so it would seem you have a very small system,

Thanks Sojin, at least your brain is thinking this Sunday.. Yes... 2Kw a day.

So if the customer is getting NO benefit, then they must be using no power during the day.

I suspect this is another of those mentioned "Scams" conning folk into thinking they are getting far more for their dollar. .. For those afraid of their their electricity bills, the thought of never paying again, is very tempting. I cringe when I see the TV ad saying what you said... "With this (1.5Kw) system , you may never pay another bill.."

As a consolation to the customer, you will see where folk HERE are going to big lengths, trying to really wipe out their bills.. and sadly, that will NEVER happen whilst you remain connected to the grid... The retailers are increasing their service charges to ensure they will win, no matter how much you generate..
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[lizard]

Tracker writes : The retailers are increasing their service charges to ensure they will win, no matter how much you generate..
Yes , I have a feeling this is true , supply/service charges going to rise exponentionally

[Sojin_Muneshi]

Thanks Sojin, at least your brain is thinking this Sunday.. Yes... 2Kw a day.

So if the customer is getting NO benefit, then they must be using no power during the day.

But even a 1.5kW system in mid NSW in winter should be outputting more than 2kWh per day Gross, so if its putting out 2kWh Net export, then the import avoidance volume is likely to be 4 - 6kWh across the year? and at 20c/kWh thats a @$1 / day or $365 pa benefit per year, even at $3000 purchase price for a 1.5kW system, that is still a <10 year payback, ie 10% per annum, cant beat that with deposit accounts.

regards

Sojin Muneshi

[zzsstt]

We have not yet heard back from the original poster, and as I said in my first post, the power bill only shows a consumption of 1.5kwh per day, and an export of 2.5kwh/day. These numbers do not suggest a normal usage pattern!

I'm still guessing (and hopefully the OP will clarify) that this is a tiny PV system on a largely unoccupied building!

[Tracker]

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and, I BET they were told their Electricity Bill would be GONE forever.. .....
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