Using Solar Energy To Get Paid?

[Greenman]

I noticed some of the "green" electricity companies here in Australia are paying money to those who provide energy back to the grid. People are doing this by using solar electricity, and cutting back on energy consumption. Has anyone heard of using this method not only to be self sufficient, but to also generate an income?

[Islay]

Anecdotally (in the UK) I've heard a couple of people say that they generate power in various forms and earn a surprising amount from the grid, but I've no idea about precise figures. Perhaps either the solar panel provider or the grid might be able to give you information on the kind of income you can expect to generate?

[wolfsong]

ay, I've been thinking about it as-well, and have worked out that if we got optimal results, it would pay back in about... 10 years!
It's a big investment to get your standard household electricity consumption off it, assuming in Aussie-land you consume roughly the same amount as us per year (4500 KWh?). you need a huge array, plus inverters contracts etc. but it does make more sense where you are, as you get more sun (generally!)

[paul123456]

Hello there ,

here in Germany people can purchase a pv system , then they can supply back to the net ,the energy company and government
will pay around 45 euro cent per kwh.Recently my neighbour got a big installation , 34kwh , cost €120K !
It won't make you rich but after around 13 years the investment and loan will be paid off , and then it will make a little income.
If nothing breaks down ! Typical garantee is around 10-12 years .

The contract length for supplying back power is based on 20 years .Shame we don't have the Australian sun here .

regards ,

Paul

[sunnybp]

Yes. The grid solar power system.
Individual user can supply the redundant power to the grid if they may not consume all electricity.

[cluckcluck]

Here's some useful info on feed in tariifs - http://www.altdotenergy.com/2009/03/uk- ... nvestment/.

It's a subject we're a behind on in the UK, but hopefully that will change.

[snapdragon]

A year ago when we were starting to save the money for solar heat and PV panels (still saving) I asked about the re-payment options - and was told that they had all been 'taken' and no one else would be able to get paid back until a new 'tranche' had been released by the council/electric company/ government/ martians/ porpoises/ jellyfish/ lizards; or whoever is making the decisions at the time

I gave up

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Very popular here in France. EDF will buy power from domestic PV producers for anything up to 50 cents per kwh, depending on the type of installation. Contracts are generally for 15 years and banks are prepared to lend to householders based on their entering into these deals. One family I know of netted €1200 last year after deducting loan costs, increased property taxes (house more valuable by dint of the PV panels) and the standing charges for their EDF connection. And they didn't pay for any of the power they used.

The economics are complex: 50 cents is more expensive than any of the standard tarrifs, but EDF are working on the basis of marginal export power (which can be sold cross-boarder at very high prices indeed at certain times of the year). Add in the fact that EDF themselves don't have to raise the capital to build the additional capacity and it starts to make sense. Plus they are gambling that power prices in 5-10 years are going to be substantially higher than today.

There are nine houses in this village (of about 300 properties) kitted with the PV sets. We'd do it, but the south-facing portion of our roof is already occupied by water heating panels.

[contadino]

Feed in Tariffs are going to be introduced in the UK imminently, but I've not yet seen any actual figures as to how much you'll be paid. It's in Ed Milliband's Low Carbon Economy document that was published a few weeks ago.

Personally, regardless of the FITs, I've got no intention of grid-tying. All I want is a reliable electricity supply. Having the central heating pump stop every time there's a storm is kinda annoying. Periodically having no electricity inexplicably for several hours at a time is just pathetic. So I'll stick to the off-grid designs, TYVM.

[contadina]

This is a solar provider's bumf on the new feed in tariffs

The new tariff will pay for all electricity generated by your system, irrespective of if you use it yourself or sell it back to the grid. The amounts paid are in addition to any saving you will make by purchasing less electricity from your supplier and any income you earn from selling your surplus power to your electricity supplier.
The key points of the announcement are:
- 36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.
- 23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.
- Replaces the current ROC system which pays 10p/kWh.
- Effective as of the 1st April 2010, but all systems commissioned from now on will qualify.
- Systems installed from now until April 2010 will be eligible for both LCBP grants AND the new tariff.
A typical home solar photovoltaic system of 3kW, generating approximately 2,300kWh per annum will therefore earn around £1,000 per annum, which is an additional £600, dramatically reducing payback times.
As fully accredited Microgeration Certification Scheme Installers, any photovoltaic system installed by blah blah from today onwards will qualify for the feed-in tariff.
Following this announcement we are expecting a huge rise in demand so to ensure that you can make the most of the £2,500 LCBP grant currently available and the new feed-in tariff please contact us as soon as possible!

[Big Al]

This is a solar provider's bumf on the new feed in tariffs

The new tariff will pay for all electricity generated by your system, irrespective of if you use it yourself or sell it back to the grid. The amounts paid are in addition to any saving you will make by purchasing less electricity from your supplier and any income you earn from selling your surplus power to your electricity supplier.
The key points of the announcement are:
- 36.5p/kWh for small solar photovoltaic systems up to 4kW and 28p/kWh for systems up to 10kW.
- 23.0p/kWh for small wind turbines between 1.5kW and 15kW.
- Replaces the current ROC system which pays 10p/kWh.
- Effective as of the 1st April 2010, but all systems commissioned from now on will qualify.
- Systems installed from now until April 2010 will be eligible for both LCBP grants AND the new tariff.
A typical home solar photovoltaic system of 3kW, generating approximately 2,300kWh per annum will therefore earn around £1,000 per annum, which is an additional £600, dramatically reducing payback times.
As fully accredited Microgeration Certification Scheme Installers, any photovoltaic system installed by blah blah from today onwards will qualify for the feed-in tariff.
Following this announcement we are expecting a huge rise in demand so to ensure that you can make the most of the £2,500 LCBP grant currently available and the new feed-in tariff please contact us as soon as possible!

The bottom line for me is that I've reduced my electric consumption from over 7809kWhs PA in 2007/8 to 3078KWhs in the year ending 31/06/2009 but it is still way out of even my dreams to get solar pv now or in the future.

I do wish that someone, probably have to be the government lend me the money to install a system then I pay it back through the production of electric / low interest 15 yr loan etc but this is probably to much to think of from HM government.....

One other thing that would make competition work in the UK electric market would be if a company paid upfront for the install then you fix into that company for say 2 years. After that you can switch suppliers and thus the important figure for competition would not be how cheap the KWh was but how much they paid for each KWh.

This, I feel would ensure that the companies didn't over charge for an installation because they only had (for certain) 2 years to get the money back and secondly to keep the customer they would need to be ultra competitive on feed back tarrifs...

[contadino]

The bottom line for me is that I've reduced my electric consumption from over 7809kWhs PA in 2007/8 to 3078KWhs in the year ending 31/06/2009 but it is still way out of even my dreams to get solar pv now or in the future.

I do wish that someone, probably have to be the government lend me the money to install a system then I pay it back through the production of electric / low interest 15 yr loan etc but this is probably to much to think of from HM government.....

One other thing that would make competition work in the UK electric market would be if a company paid upfront for the install then you fix into that company for say 2 years. After that you can switch suppliers and thus the important figure for competition would not be how cheap the KWh was but how much they paid for each KWh.

This, I feel would ensure that the companies didn't over charge for an installation because they only had (for certain) 2 years to get the money back and secondly to keep the customer they would need to be ultra competitive on feed back tarrifs...

There's a company, based in Bishops Stortford IIRC, that does the whole lifecycle cost model as you discussed. I can't remember their name, but I'm sure a bit of Googling will proffer it. It also means that they're more honest about the potential yields from your particular PV site.