I also have questions about its safety, and use by date... just did some research after receiving a flyer in the mail from origin energy I am in NSW, if I take up their cheapest solar deal on 1.6 panels $2490, or a 2 OKW deal is $3490....the only benefit I get, is if my net contribution exceeds my usage, then I get .08cents savings per kwh
I believe that also only applies to my daylight usage, there is no savings on night time usage...
SA gets the best deal with net contribution of .25cents a kwh, Qld is .16 cents but if you use more than the solar power generates, there is no saving to you.... my ordinary bill is now $350 per quarter, which includes a service fee of $1.00 a day or $90 service fee a quarter
It is double that amount for summer, and again for winter using an airconditioner for an average of 4 hours per day on the very hot, and very cold days...
I want to be really green, and am very green in all other areas of life....but this idea of my paying a substantial price for my energy costs....seems to me to be really over the top... tomorrow I will start checking my daylight energy use, and my night time energy use, to fine tune the figures to see what savings can be made I also find the solar panels to be very ugly in my view, and detracts from the street appeal on a house
maybe my complaint, is I was initially sold the idea that solar power saved us money.... in fact I was bombarded with that message, rather than it was cool to be green now I am finding, being green is very expensive
my friend took up the early NSW offer, where he receives .60cents a kwh for every kwh of solar energy he generates....so he has a zero electricity bill...the electricity charges are around .30 cents per kwh... they do not refund him the money, but I think they credit his next bill ps I think my night time usage would exceed my daylight usage...but I will monitor it, get back to you on this detail like the tim flannery light bulbs, that cost $8 each, and last barely 6 weeks....I think we have been conned.... energy costs for lighting use such a small amount of electricity,,,,it is the cooking, and air conditioners, bigger machinery that burns up the kwh usage
