Adelaide, SA is a great place for solar power – and did you know that 30-40% of homes in the Adelaide area have solar panels installed on their roofs? With the cost of solar power at historic lows and electricity rates higher than ever, more and more Adelaide homes and businesses are making the move to solar. This article outlines the basics of what you need to know about going solar in Adelaide (and also touches on battery storage).
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{ 9 comments }
Please clear up a use of Solar power for me. You say that the best way to use it, is as it produced. It is my understanding that with the current smart meters all solar power produced is sent to the grid and on todays rate I get 6.5c per Kwh. Likewise all power I use is charged at the current SA power user rate of 31c per Kwh (approx). So based on this, what difference does it make when you use power – if it was a reversing meter I could understand, but when all solar produce power goes to the grid I am at a loss. Please help a confused customer.
Hi Bill,
Think about it this way – when you run devices in your home, they’ll first use the power that’s being produced locally (i.e. the solar panels). If there’s not enough energy from the solar panels, you automatically draw from the grid (and pay for it). Likewise, if there’s not enough electricity usage to ‘soak up’ the energy produced by your panels, it ‘leaks’ back into the grid. Most homes use more energy at night, but it’s possible to shift the usage of certain devices (e.g. a washing machine or dishwasher) to daylight hours to use up more solar energy.
The main thing to understand is that the solar energy is not automatically sent back into the grid – only the excess is. By using the solar energy yourself, there’s less energy that you have to purchase from the grid at 31c/kWh.
Hope that makes some kind of sense. You can also read our article about solar self-consumption here.
Hello
We have 14 Bosch panels which have been good for four years. However, there has been a clear fall-off of power over the last year or so. This is about 15% less, or worse. (Its not dirt or trees – the panels face NW at 40 deg, and get cleaned at intervals).
Its not one bad panel, as blocking each in turn cuts power similarly.
Bosch say, “Sounds valid, get them checked by an installer and we will replace and pay costs if there is a deficit”.
Can you help? And if so, in what way?
Thanx
Hi Malc,
Thank you for your comment. Over time there will be a slight loss of efficiency but this does sound a little higher than normal. It will be best to contact a solar accredited electrician in your area to come and test the system. They will also be able to find any faults or problems with the panels. Simply search solar accredited electrician followed by your post code and a list will show in the yellow and white pages
Hi, have purchased a new house, which has existing solar panels on the roof. No nothing about solar. Do I need to negotiate a contract with my existing electricity supplier? Do I receive a tariff? Who would I contact to enquire about battery storage? Dont move in for another month, but system is approx 18 panels/4.5kW. Postcode 5118. Thanks in advance.
Hi Dave,
Recognising that our response has taken quite some time (we get lots of comments on our blog), but the basic answer to your question is that you need to shop around for a different energy retailer to get a better overall deal.
For your reference, we keep a list of feed-in tariff rates by state and retailer here. Also check out the government’s EnergyMadeEasy website to compare deals more holistically, or our own Solar-Friendly Electricity Plan Comparison Tool.
Hope this helps.
Hello. Can you help?? I am purchasing a house which has a 18 year contract for 5 kW solar power system on it. It is 3 years into the contract according to the owners who advised me that I now get that benefit for the next 15 years at the same contracted price of 24 cents per kw as I am taking over the property and contract now. I can find it in any current legislation that this is the case. I saw it was on your page from 2011 however. So just want to know where I stand as when I rang the company they said I am legible for 5 cents :( ??
Sorry can’t see it in legislation. And can’t find out more cos I am not the policy holder etx
Hi Shane,
By contract, are you referring to a contract for a solar feed-in tariff, or a power purchase / solar lease agreement?
I’m going to assume that you’re talking about the feed-in tariff rate. In South Australia the benefits do appear to be transferable to those who purchase a home with solar panels on an existing solar feed-in tariff arrangement. You can read a bit more about this in our article ‘When do the feed-in tariffs end?‘; you can also see where it is addressed directly on SA.GOV.AU’s FAQ page about the state’s feed-in tariff.
Hope this clears things up for you! Fortunately it sounds like you’ll be receiving the higher rate!
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