Solar Panels and Tax

[drsmith]

In WA, the net feed-in tariff scheme is reviewed every three years or when 10 megawatts of new generation is installed. This, I assume is for new installs.

From the graphic in post #73 above, about 18000 systems were installed under the scheme from August 2010 to March 2011 with the monthly install rate rising rapidly. This takes new generation capacity well above 10mW even assuming an average size of 1.5kW.

Expect a downward adjustment in the 40c/kWh feed-in tariff in the upcoming WA state budget.

 

[drsmith]

In WA, the net feed-in tariff scheme is reviewed every three years or when 10 megawatts of new generation is installed. This, I assume is for new installs.

This I have confirmed with the WA Office Of Energy. Existing participants in the scheme would stay at the current rate, and it's 10 years from signup.

While my 1.5kW system is not yet installed (early June is the expectation), I'm allready signed up to the net feed-in tariff, so the state government can now do what it likes with tariff rate.

 

[carbonadvisor]

Here's a good site - www.carbontaxadvise.com

With some ideas for alternative green energy sources.

"It's all good until they figure out a way to tax the sun!"

-Famous last words

 

[Glen48]

I was reading were the greenies are demanding low water flush toilets now they have found out the pipe work from the throne's to the pumping stations etc is building up with mold's. sludge's etc because there is not enough water going through the system to flush it all away the answer is to spend million on bleach to clean out the trash.
Also the front loading washing machine have been found not to clean as well as the older models so things on the surface might sound OK but further analysis shows up the true facts, just like QE 1 QE 2 QE???

 

[Calliope]

Top Solar Addresses;

According to Matthew Warren, Chief Executive of the Clean Energy Council, "It’s a common misconception that household solar panels are popular in our capital cities and exclusive suburbs, and not in rural and regional Australia or working class neighbourhoods. These new figures show clearly that Australia’s switch to renewable energy is even more popular in regional Australia than it is in the city."

The CEC lists the top 20 solar postcodes as being:

Caloundra City, Queensland : 11.98% of households
Uralba/Alstonville region (west of Ballina), New South Wales : 11.91%
Victor Harbour/Hindmarsh Valley, South Australia : 10.83%
Samford/Mount Glorious/Enoggera Reservoir, Queensland : 9.98%
Dubbo, New South Wales : 9.97%
Brunswick Heads/Ocean Shores, New South Wales : 9.80%
Bega region, New South Wales : 9.76%
Jimboomba, Queensland : 9.03%
Burpengary, Queensland : 9.03%
Hindmarsh Island/Goolwa, South Australia : 9.03%
Buderim, Queensland : 8.83%
Ormeau/Jacobs Well, Gold Coast, Queensland : 8.74%
Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast, Queensland : 8.58%
Mount Barker, South Australia : 8.56%
Ballina, New South Wales : 8.40%
Kelso/Condon (Townsville), Queensland : 8.27%
Tweed Heads South/Banora Point : New South Wales 8.16%
Fraser Island/Hervey Bay : Queensland 7.83%
Mandurah/Dudley Park (south of Perth) : Western Australia 7.43%
Forrestfield, Western Australia : 7.34%

http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=1495

 

[Glen48]

Has any on worked out the running cost over several years with maintenance and battery replacement etc?
Most likely in here some where ...

 

[Smurf1976]

A grid-connected system has no batteries involved.

Panels - the better manufacturers offer a 25 year warranty. That's considerably longer than the warranty on just about anything else you can buy, including the house itself.

Inverter - minimum life 5 years, should last 10+ for a decent one.

 

[Glen48]

i bet the feds will hate this down the track they won't be able to work out a tax a system and it will Merrily plug along getting more profitable each year.

 

[Ferret]

NSW government have today announced that they will use retrospective legislation to cut the feed in tarrif to 40c/kWh for those who signed up to the scheme at 60c/kWh.

Not at all happy. When I ordered mine a year ago the cost was much higher than today, but I did the numbers and decided to go ahead on the basis of the 60c rate being guarranteed until 2017.

Individuals and businesses just can't plan for the long term these days with the way governments keep moving the goal posts.

 

[drsmith]

NSW government have today announced that they will use retrospective legislation to cut the feed in tarrif to 40c/kWh for those who signed up to the scheme at 60c/kWh.

http://www.industry.nsw.gov.au/__da...govt-announces-closure-solar-bonus-scheme.pdf

What happens to the installers in NSW and what about the potential legal challenges on the retrospective feed in tariff changes ??

How quick will this spread to other states ?

What a mess.

 

[Smurf1976]

Individuals and businesses just can't plan for the long term these days with the way governments keep moving the goal posts.

To be perfectly honest, I do think that the constant changing of the rules with solar is quite intentional so as to scare most people well away from it. Make it look like something positive is being done when really it is not.

The average person has no real knowledge on the subject other than what they hear through the media. They hear a constant stream of problems and negative stories, such that they decide to stick with their "safe" grid electricity and electric hot water. The coal mining companies must love it...

 

[Calliope]

As Yogi Berra would say "It's deja vu all over again."

Statewide solar panel checks after flaws discovered

NSW Fair Trading will carry out statewide checks of solar panels installed under the state's controversial solar bonus scheme after a small number of potentially fatal flaws were discovered in some northern NSW homes.

Fair Trading Minister Anthony Roberts has ordered the safety checks after an audit of panels installed in 55 homes in Port Macquarie revealed 16 were problematic.

Three were found to have "serious" flaws.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/e...-discovered-20110522-1eyi3.html#ixzz1N3quPzth

 

[Smurf1976]

Based on my experience I'd say that the electrical installation in 50% of homes are up to standard, 25% are not as they should be but are reasonably safe, 25% are outright dangerous.

Dodgy solar installs is a problem but it's certainly not the only one. I'd be more worried about missing or disconnected earthing systems, TRS cable and things done by well intentioned but unsafe handymen (or dodgy tradesmen) than solar panels in terms of electrical safety as a whole.

At a guess, I'd say that many of the concerns being referred to (but not stated) in that article have to do with incorrect connection of the DC circuit breaker as this does seem to be a common problem area and relates to lack of understanding of correct proceedures. That plus failing to use a sufficient number of L feet to attach the rails to the roof prior to mounting the panels - that one comes down to cost cutting.

But let's keep this in perspective. Yes, your solar installation could be done incorrectly. So could every other aspect of you house's construction. This isn't a reason to avoid solar but rather, it's a reason to avoid dodgy tradesmen be it electrical, plumbing, building or whatever.

 

[IFocus]

Based on my experience I'd say that the electrical installation in 50% of homes are up to standard, 25% are not as they should be but are reasonably safe, 25% are outright dangerous.

Dodgy solar installs is a problem but it's certainly not the only one. I'd be more worried about missing or disconnected earthing systems, TRS cable and things done by well intentioned but unsafe handymen (or dodgy tradesmen) than solar panels in terms of electrical safety as a whole.

At a guess, I'd say that many of the concerns being referred to (but not stated) in that article have to do with incorrect connection of the DC circuit breaker as this does seem to be a common problem area and relates to lack of understanding of correct proceedures. That plus failing to use a sufficient number of L feet to attach the rails to the roof prior to mounting the panels - that one comes down to cost cutting.

But let's keep this in perspective. Yes, your solar installation could be done incorrectly. So could every other aspect of you house's construction. This isn't a reason to avoid solar but rather, it's a reason to avoid dodgy tradesmen be it electrical, plumbing, building or whatever.

In WA the contractor number and the electricians license number are both registered on the job with the test certificate break the rules and you get hammered big time.

Maybe differed in the rip off corrupted Eastern States

 

[Calliope]

This isn't a reason to avoid solar but rather, it's a reason to avoid dodgy tradesmen be it electrical, plumbing, building or whatever.

I'm sure we are all aware of that. However when the government offers us the installation of something at a huge discount it attracts dodgy tradesmen like vultures to a carcase. People assume that because it is a government sponsored project, that the dodgy installers have the Government's stamp of approval.

As Ronald Reagan said "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

 

[moXJO]

In WA the contractor number and the electricians license number are both registered on the job with the test certificate break the rules and you get hammered big time.

Maybe differed in the rip off corrupted Eastern States

Thank God for living in a liberal run state ehh

 

[Calliope]

I doubt that anyone installing a roof solar system was naive enough to believe he was reducing global emissions. What we did know was that other consumers would pay for it.

Rooftop solar photo-voltaic systems are an enormously expensive way to pursue greenhouse gas abatement.

Last year, the Department of Climate Change estimated that, at the photo-voltaic costs then prevailing, fitting every home in the country with a 1.5 kilowatt array would have a capital cost of about $200 billion - five times the cost of rolling out the broadband network - and would deliver in 2020 less than 10 per cent of the national abatement target.

In a nutshell, solar panel schemes drive up power bills while making minimal reductions in carbon dioxide. There are cheaper ways to reduce emissions.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...taxpayer-dollars/story-fn59niix-1226060667283

 

[Logique]

Further to that C., Premier O'Farrell has said that the basic choice for NSW consumers was:
Either:
- Cut the feed in tariff to 40c (still very generous, for existing sign ups only).
Or:
- add $170/ann to every consumers electricity bill.

The solar scheme began under the present ALP Opposition leader's then Ministry, budgeted to expend $400M, which has now blown out to $2Bill. Just what is a responsible incoming Premier meant to do?

Managing the state's finances responsibly is the promise I expected Premier O'Farrell to keep.

So business people took on financial (borrowing) risks based on a promise from...a Labor Govt...clearly on it's way out... Give me a break, why didn't they give themselves a buffer and cost it out at 25c fi-tariff?

This sounds like
- privatizing the windfall gains at 60c, but
- socializing the opportunity cost of slightly lesser gains at 40c

Anyone now wanting solar panels in NSW is offered a Net (vis-a-vis Gross) meter, fi-tariff = zero. Depending on future kWhr rate inflation, and also the percentage of consumption netted off, this is still somewhat attractive. But I'd be thinking it would have to at least double the break even point to pay it off? Grateful for any numbers people could supply here. I've been thinking ~10yrs for a 1.5kW system.

 

[Julia]

Further to that C., Premier O'Farrell has said that the basic choice for NSW consumers was:
Either:
- Cut the feed in tariff to 40c (still very generous, for existing sign ups only).
Or:
- add $170/ann to every consumers electricity bill.

And the latter option is totally unfair to everyone who wasn't able to afford the capital outlay to put the system up.
It would especially affect renters who are usually those in the most disadvantaged situations.

 

[Logique]

And the latter option is totally unfair to everyone who wasn't able to afford the capital outlay to put the system up.
It would especially affect renters who are usually those in the most disadvantaged situations.

Absolutely Julia, and add to that high rise apartment dwellers, students and others. For every owner of panels there are many more that didn't have the opportunity.

Yes, breaking political promises is to be avoided like the plague, but all the same it's hard to feel too much sympathy for someone merely going from 60c to 40c fi-tariff, still very generous indeed.