Energy Neutral Homes - Possible?

[bellenuit]

Drive around a city with LED traffic lights, which haven't been around that long, and note how many of them (green ones especially) have a lot of failed LED's. And that's despite the road authorities replacing the really bad ones rather than leaving them out there.

Not really relevant to the thread topic, but as you mentioned LED traffic lights, you may be interested in this article I came across today.

http://www.switched.com/2009/12/17/useful-but-dangerous-led-traffic-lights-save-energy-hide-in-sn/

 

[moXJO]

An old friend of mine helped design a house in Sydney that took it totally of the grid (water, electricity and sewerage I think). I think he had a website, was 5 or so years ago now.

 

[Buddy]

I acutally wanted a 5kw but the cost was to great at the time, a 1kw wouldn't have done what I wanted which was to cover the water and gas costs as well, leaving only rates, telephones and cars to deal with on a monthly or yearly basis. I assume you could move it, the panels are bolted on so the tiles would need replacing or filling, a tin roof the same, a sparky could disconnect and remove the inverter, I think like you say it is a question for the supplier but I could not see why it could not be done.

Smurf made a good point with regards to feeding the grid and the buy back cost to you of night time power, not sure about other states but in WA at the present you sell at green rates and buy back their "dirty" power for the same higher green rate, think that things are in the works to revamp the system for next financial year.

I am still thinking of getting a spa, if I do this I will add rainwater tanks to cover the water for this, graywater for gardens is a great idea, we used to do it on the farm but in a very rough fashion lol, when you supply your own water you realise just how valuable it is.

As far as websites go I used to have a few marked but since I have a system now they have been deleted, try running a google search and spent an hour or so going through them to sort the crap out from decent sites then narrow them down to 4 or 5 worth looking at and that supply to your area, get in contact through the websites and follow them up from there. I used a local supplier, if anything goes wrong I know where he lives lol, good to support local business if possible and cost effective.

I am wondering about the following:-
I have a smart meter (Perth WA) at the moment so get the benefit of off peak (from memory, around 11 cents per unit versus around 29 cents peak). If I install PV panels, I guess I can sell at the "green rate" but as you say I then have to buy from the power company at the higher rate. That makes my smart meter useless. So, what if I get another connection to the grid installed into the property, connect that to the PV system - which means I sell at the "green rate". But if I need to import power, it would go through the smart meter, with the associated savings. The 2 systems would be totally independent (no inter-connection). The question is..............are you allowed to do this?

 

[Putty7]

I am wondering about the following:-
I have a smart meter (Perth WA) at the moment so get the benefit of off peak (from memory, around 11 cents per unit versus around 29 cents peak). If I install PV panels, I guess I can sell at the "green rate" but as you say I then have to buy from the power company at the higher rate. That makes my smart meter useless. So, what if I get another connection to the grid installed into the property, connect that to the PV system - which means I sell at the "green rate". But if I need to import power, it would go through the smart meter, with the associated savings. The 2 systems would be totally independent (no inter-connection). The question is..............are you allowed to do this?

Not sure, synergy hit me for $200 to install a two way metre box, thats the only way they do it at the moment, I think in Europe where solar has been around longer as far as promoting it to homeowners they have an out meter for green power and an in meter for dirty power, so you get the two rates. The smart power still comes into the equation, during the day in summer I get paid the higher rate, during the night it's the lesser rate but still at the premium green power rate as opposed to normal rates, hope that makes sense. Best idea is to contact your power supplier and ask.

 

[Smurf1976]

I am wondering about the following:-
I have a smart meter (Perth WA) at the moment so get the benefit of off peak (from memory, around 11 cents per unit versus around 29 cents peak). If I install PV panels, I guess I can sell at the "green rate" but as you say I then have to buy from the power company at the higher rate. That makes my smart meter useless. So, what if I get another connection to the grid installed into the property, connect that to the PV system - which means I sell at the "green rate". But if I need to import power, it would go through the smart meter, with the associated savings. The 2 systems would be totally independent (no inter-connection). The question is..............are you allowed to do this?

Peak period is 11am - 5pm Summer weekdays and 7-11am plus 5-9pm Winter weekdays. Rate for this is 29.06c for energy you sell to Synergy, 31.97c for energy you buy from the grid.

Shoulder period is 7-11am and 5-9pm Summer weekdays and 11am-5pm Winter weekdays plus 7am - 9pm all weekends (year round). Rate is 17.73c for energy you sell to them, 19.50c for energy you buy from the grid.

Off peak rate is other times. Sell to them at 8.29c, buy from them at 9.12c.

The difference between buy and sell rates is due to GST - it's otherwise the same rate.

So your PV system would be offseting consumption or exporting to the grid most heavily at peak times (Summer afternoons) with most of the rest at shoulder rates. Effect on off-peak consumption would be minimal.

It would take a bit of work to calculate properly, but the value of energy your PV system produced in this situation would end up a bit over 20c per kWh or somewhere in the order of $300 a year for a 1kW system.

 

[Putty7]

I'm not really familiar with the situation in WA but I'd assume that peak rates apply either all day (morning to evening) with off-peak overnight or that it is at least peak rate during Summer afternoons.

So in other words, whatever your PV system produces will be offsetting consumption or exporting to the grid at the peak rate and you'll be buying back energy at, mostly, the off-peak rate overnight. Sounds like a good deal to me if you're allowed to connect your PV system at those rates.

Yes it is smurf, if you aren't on smart power you are on the flat A1 tariff which isn't giving you peak rates while you are producing.

 

[ghotib]

An old friend of mine helped design a house in Sydney that took it totally of the grid (water, electricity and sewerage I think). I think he had a website, was 5 or so years ago now.

Are you talking about Michael Mobbs' sustainable house in Chippendale? This is really exciting because he retrofitted everything into a VERY inner city terrace. He's got a business website now, but the house story is still available at http://www.abc.net.au/science/planet/house/default.htm

Ghoti

 

[Smurf1976]

Not sure, synergy hit me for $200 to install a two way metre box, thats the only way they do it at the moment

They seem to charge for the bi-directional meter in WA, SA and Vic but it's generally free in the other states (certainly it's free in Tas).

Different power suppliers would be using different meters I assume, but mine simply records net energy flow through the meter in either direction as separate readings. So one register for imports, the other for exports.

PS - December 21, longest day, 6.90 kWh (AC power) from 1kW PV system under good but not perfect conditions. Higest I've seen it thus far was 6.98 kWh on a day in late November.

All going to plan, the heat pump HWS is being installed on Wednesday this week too.

 

[moXJO]

Are you talking about Michael Mobbs' sustainable house in Chippendale? This is really exciting because he retrofitted everything into a VERY inner city terrace. He's got a business website now, but the house story is still available at http://www.abc.net.au/science/planet/house/default.htm

Ghoti

Yes that’s the one. Was a while back when I heard about it. Very clever and not as complicated as it seems