Solar Power Systems - Coffs Harbour

When choosing an installer for your solar power system installation, always ask if they are a Clean Energy Council accredited installer. Coffs Coast Electricians CEC accreditation number is A9801714 .

The state's gross feed in tariff can appear difficult to understand, but it’s relatively simple. For consumers keen on exploring their clean energy options, here are the basics.

How it works.
Under the gross feed in tariff in New South Wales, households are paid for every single Kilo Watt Hour (kWh) of electricity they generate from their solar photovoltaic system on their property.

The rate.
All energy produced by eligible solar systems in NSW is awarded a rate of 20 cents per kWh for systems purchased from October 28th 2010 through 2016. Reviews of the scheme are scheduled for 2012 and 2016. (*may be subject to change and customers should make their own inquiries before basing a decision on this information.)

Metering arrangements.
To receive the scheme’s gross tariff, consumers need to have “gross metering” installed in their meter box to measure the total amount of renewable electricity generated.
Fixed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on your roof or on a framework on the ground as well as wind turbine units qualify for gross tariff.

Receiving payments.
All electricity retailers are required to provide eligible customers with either a Solar Bonus credit on their electricity bill or cash payment representing this amount. How a customer receives their Solar Bonus Scheme benefit is at the discretion of the retailer.
Bills issued to eligible small retail customers are required to include the amount of electricity supplied to the grid network during the billing period and the amount to be credited for that electricity.

Eligibility.
Customers with an annual electricity consumption of up to 160 Mega Watt Hours (MWh) are eligible to participate in the Solar Bonus Scheme.

Technology.
Solar photovoltaic systems up to 10 kW in size are eligible for the NSW gross feed in tariff. A standard solar system is around 1.5kW and can generate around 2,500kWh of solar energy a year. Wind turbines up to 10kW are also eligible to be paid the feed in tariff.

Payback.
A household with a standard 1.5kW solar system will be paid around $500 a year for the clean energy they generate depending on various factor such as: cell and panel efficiency, inverter efficiency, angle and facing of the installation. Other variables include daylight hours, cloud cover, shading, altitude and the seasonal angle of sunlight.

Cost.
The average cost of a 2kW PV system is up to $14,500 depending on the type of installation, tile or iron roof, tilted or flat. The actual price paid by customers is significantly less when Government rebates and subsidies are taken into account

Guide for purchasers.
The guide is a general introduction to solar PV systems. It includes a list of sensible questions to ask when inquiring about solar power to ensure the installer and type of panel you chose is up to scratch. Remember, you pay for what you get, a cheap price is not always the best price. A poorly purchased and installed system on your roof will cost you more than you think over the expected 25 year life of the system.
The new consumer guide to buying solar panels and a list of accredited installers can be found at:
www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/resourcecentre/Consumer-info/solarPV-guide.html