http://www.squidoo.com/energysavinglightbulbs
— short article about energy saving globes

With excerts from the www.news.com.au article ‘Electricity bills to soar 20 per cent’

NSW homeowners can expect to pay up to 20 per cent more for electricity after the pricing regulator gave retailers the green light to raise supply costs.

The price rise is due to a large increase in the cost of supplying electricity and the need to ensure the state’s future capacity can be funded, the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) said.

While supporting the need for higher prices, it warned the move could significantly impact on homeowners.

“IPART has concluded that wholesale purchase costs have increased substantially and that the allowance for electricity purchase costs should increase to reflect this,” IPART chairman Michael Keating said in a statement on Wednesday.

End users faced a price increase to cover escalating purchase and network costs, it said.

IPART found a typical residential customer of EnergyAustralia, Integral Energy and Country Energy on regulated tariffs can expect to pay around $3.53, $3.89 and $3.92 more per week respectively from July 1, 2009.

This represents an increase of about 21.7 per cent, 21.1 per cent and 17.9 per cent.

The opposition endorsed IPART’s assistance recommendations, but blamed the price price rises on government mismanagement of the electricity sector.

“The (energy) minister said he was going to do all he possibly could to stop these increases. Well the minister has failed,” shadow treasurer Mike Baird told reporters.

The government has the ability to negotiate with IPART to put forward a case … they clearly need to take responsibility for their own mismanagement.”

Sydney’s CBD and surrounds have been plagued by blackouts in recent months – the worst cutting power to 70,000 homes and businesses and causing peak hour chaos on March 30.

NSW Greens MP John Kaye said the price price rise was just the start of an escalation in electricity prices, with the state government planning to privatise energy retailers.

“Private owners will treat homeowners as cash cows,” Dr Kaye said in a statement.

“Bills will soar as corporate retailers do nothing to help their customers reduce demand in the face of rising prices.”

With the rise in prices, in is timely for householders to consider energy efficiency measures and renewable energy, such as solar PV.

Listed on: Dmegs Web Directory

1. How do solar power systems work?

Solar power systems convert the energy from sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. This is made possible because of the atomic structure of the materials used in producing solar cells. A simplified xplanation is that in certain materials – such as a lattice made of doped (modified) silicon – the
energy contained in one photon of light is sufficient to cause the electrons to jump from one atom to
another, creating a current.

An Inverter then converts this direct current to household electricity (or alternating current [AC]), whilst at the same time matching this AC production to the signal (frequency and wave shape) of the
electricity grid.

Typically, a solar panel array is mounted on the roof but can also be mounted on ground fixings, such
as a fixed frame or a tracker. In the southern hemisphere, the sun appears to be north of us.
Therefore, solar panels should be oriented to face the North and tilted at something close to the
degree of latitude (our position relative to the equator and south pole) in order to generate as much
electricity from the sun as possible.

2. What is the difference between Solar Hot Water & Solar Power?

Solar power systems use the energy contained within light from the sun to generate electricity, and are
commonly referred to as Solar PV or Photovoltaic systems within the industry. Solar hot water
systems use the heat of the sun to directly heat water, and this type of technology is referred to as
Solar Thermal energy.
With Solar PV (or Solar Electric) systems, there are no unsightly water tanks, and with systems
connected to the electric grid, there are no batteries – excess production is sent to the grid for
distribution to other homes (you get credit for this).

3. What is PV?

PV stands for Photovoltaics, derived from photo (meaning light) and volts (an electrical measure
proposed by the scientist and inventor, Volta). Solar PV is used in industry literature to clearly
distinguish solar electric systems from solar heating products.

4. Why are there no batteries in a Grid Connected Solar System?

Grid Connected means that the system is connected to the local power network (“the grid”). This is in
comparison with stand-alone solar PV systems in remote areas, that do not have access to an
electricity grid. With Solar PV (or Solar Electric) systems, there are no unsightly water tanks, and with
systems connected to the electric grid, there are no batteries – excess production is sent to the grid
for distribution to other homes (you get credit for this).

5. Why should I install a solar PV system ?

We should all strive to leave future generations with the same opportunity for prosperity that we enjoy.
A part of this is looking after our environment. Much of Australia’s electrical production is sourced
from Coal, a resource that sullies the environment during its extraction (scarring of land, dirtying
water, tailings), during its transport (long journeys by road, truck and ship) and during its combustion
(carbon dioxide, sulphuric acid, heavy metals such as mercury).

Solar Power production displaces electricity from fossil fuel power stations, thereby reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and the other negative ‘symptoms’ above.

Solar Electric Systems are quiet, clean and reduce your electricity bill, whilst requiring little maintenance.

It’s possible that a solar system will also make your home more attractive to subsequent occupants.

6. How long will the panels last ?

Many BP Solar panels from the 70s and 80s are still working today. The panels used by the Sydney
Energy Cooperative in our displays at fairs, shows, and festivals were made in the early nineties.
Panels have no moving parts, so the primary failure modes are corrosion and thermal cycling.
Typically, solar panels on the Australian market come with a warranty of up to 25 years depending on
make or model. When evaluating the legitimacy of warranties, bear in mind the history of the
manufacturer and their current financial standing.

7. How long will the inverters last ?

SMA, Fronius, Conergy and Latronics inverters have 5 years parts warranties right out of the box. It’s
generally possible to purchase a warranty extension of a further five years, although SMA inverters
bought together with BP Panels (through us) come with a 10 year warranty standard. SMA claim to
have designed their inverter range for a 20 year life

8. Will solar panels survive a hailstorm ?

In most cases, the answer will be Yes. Solar panels are made of hardened laminated glass. To pass
Australian Standard and TUV testing and certification, solar panels are required to withstand a test
involving a 1inch solid ice ball (representing a hailstone) being fired at the solar panel surface, without
breaking the glass or damaging the solar cells.

9. If I put in a grid connect solar system, will I have electricity at night ?

Your electricity supply will not be interrupted at night as a result of installing a solar system.
Note that solar panels need sunlight to generate power, and therefore power will not be supplied by
the solar system at night. However, in Grid Connected systems the main board will automatically
source power from the electricity network (the poles and wires in the street), ensuring that you always
have access to electricity. The idea is that in the day time, your production will exceed your needs,
creating credits, which you can then use at night. Credits will only be created if you use less power
than the solar system produces.

10. Will my solar panel produce power during blackouts?

The good news is that most blackouts happen at night or during inclement weather – times when solar production is minimal or non-existent. If you have a standard grid connect system your inverter will automatically shutdown and disconnect itself from the grid during a blackout, in order to protect workers on the network. If it did not shut down, your system would continue to put electricity onto the
grid. This would endanger power line service workers.

TIP 1: Make a Plan

Create a plan of changes that you wish to make to your home. You will be providing this plan to each of the solar power contractors you will be visiting. This is to ensure you will be showing the same base-line information to each contractor so you can get a better understanding of what work that will be provided. The basics will be identifying a shade-free location on the roof for installation of the solar panels, approximate cable runs, planned location of the inverter, and location of the meterbox. It would be helpful to tell the installer the type of roof (ie tile/tin/sloped/flat) and how high the house is.

TIP 2: Write Everything Down

Expect questions about the job from the solar power contractor. Be sure to write down each question and your responses. Take special note of any concerns they may have about the job. These questions may help you reveal their level of expertise. Before you visit or telephone your first contractor, create a list of questions to ask each one. Don’t worry about getting similar answers, as this will help you compare them – again revealing their level of expertise.

Some questions to consider:

How long have you been doing Solar Power installations?

How many solar power systems have you installed?

Have you PERSONALLY completed an installation similar to the one I’ve requested? If so, please provide me with examples of your work.

How long will it take to get your written estimate and complete the work?

How do you price your work?

Do you use government certified solar components?

Do you provide a warranty on parts and labor?

How will your warranty save me money into the future?

Do you and your employees actually complete the work or do you hire subcontractors? (NOTE:- many companies just ring around till they find someone in your area, in many cases they have never even MET the installer)

How and when do you clean up?

Do you process my rebates?

Are you certified for solar power home system installations?

TIP 3: Pick Your Solar Power Contractor Carefully

After interviewing a number of solar power contractors, make a ‘best of’ list. To do this, use the notes you took during the visits, compare answers and make sure your most important questions have been answered. This will take some time so do not rush this step, as it is extremely important. Once you have picked a solar power contractor that has the technical ability for your installation, be sure that you have a good rapport with them as this can also affect your project success.

TIP 4: One More Set of Checks

Verity your chosen contractors credentials, licensing and always check the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for any issues with this contractor.

TIP 5: Follow Up After You Have Picked a Solar Power Contractor

Before signing with the solar power contractor of your choice, call and be sure to ask any final questions and request a written price list, schedule, quality and warranty agreement. As the rebate process progresses, you may wish to call to check up on progress – this growth industry means that many companies are extremely busy.

The page, at solar panel list, is a list of datasheets from all of the major manufacturers on the local Australian market, including solar panelSuntech, Sunpower Corporation, and Conergy.

Step 1. Work out your consumption in kWh/day, either from your meter or from your bill
Step 2. Divide by 4 in Melbourne to get a feel for your capacity
Step 3. Match Panels to the capacity, and then inverters to the capacity of your panels taking into account voltage and current characteristics of the panels grouped into strings.

Starting to really get into the technical talks and discussions at TED. If you haven’t seen it you should really check it out.

I’m really excited about the developments in the solar industry, especially those at Solarworld and Suntech.

In my spare time, I enjoy trying things out to save energy, like energy saving downlight retrofits. You can easily go from 50W to 15W or even less with a variety of tricks – big savings.