[Surferdude]

I clean mine with just water as advised by the installers.
I bought myself an extendable handle used for pool cleaning and brush. Because our house is only at ground level I can stand on a step ladder only a couple of rungs up and hose the panels then lightly wipe over them with the brush. I can get on the roof if needed but don't really need to.
Be careful up there Dazz. Long way down.

[Doggie 1]

Just ask Molly. 

[Dazzler]

thanks Trev 

I have a long tool... (to clean them with) 

I think the original ones near the ridge will be reasonably easy to get to .. not so keen on cleaning the front lot going forward 

[Mike SX]

Got the other 10 panels installed today. Looks quite good with 20 panels on the roof .. 

Your house is just fabulous - love it

[ElleB]

Dazz for my panels... given that there is a 3 floor drop to the concrete, I bought a telescopic wand that opens out to about 5 mts .. It has a sponge mop on one side and a squeege on the other, just like a conventional one at the servo.
 The hose screws into the other end, so water passes through the shaft of the "do-dah".

 It is a bit wippy when at full extension, but it does give enough  to wash them off  and the bit of "elbow grease" that it applied will move most of the scum and dust.
 It is a bit harder to get the spots from kamakasi bugs and the like, but right now they dont cover much of the total area...

 Needless to say, do the clean by hand where you can and use the wand for washoff and reaching the farthest panels.......

 Basically you have what I have, just less distance to fall...you will get mega gravel rash,... I will get..." splattered"

Need a Eye  ( not an Eye 30) in the ridge capping and a harness...

[Dazzler]

Thanks Tony.. I have an aluminium extension pole for cleaning the front windows  (forgot about that)  Alzheimers (who me...)

Harness Smarness.. she'll be right mate .. I'll only fall off once .. Might do some video while I'm up there 

Thanks Interphase .. I think I could have made it prettier with bay windows and stuff if I hadn't been so obsessed with controlling the cost..

See here for the story of the build...

https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=1833.msg68468#msg68468

[rustynutz]

Hey Daz, if you haven't got around to cleaning them by the time I come to visit, I'm happy to hop up on the roof and give them a wipe over......

[Dazzler]

Hey Daz, if you haven't got around to cleaning them by the time I come to visit, I'm happy to hop up on the roof and give them a wipe over......

Thanks heaps Rusty, but but if you fell off and I was unlucky and you survived, you might sue me   

You are a good mate but i wouldn't expect you to do that.

I am reasonably good with heights but I wont pick a day like I did in Launceston once where I painted  the roof of my first house on the hottest day of the year - so long ago it was Fahrenheit! 96 degrees ...

[rustynutz]

Happy to do it but ultimately it's up to you...

Luckily heights don't worry me and your roof looks a doddle compared to my previous place out in the sticks.
With that one I had to clear the guttering every couple of months and the roof was too high to reach it all with a ladder.

[Just Rick]

Dazz the cheap systems True Value Solar are flogging are just that,Cheap,I personally know three people here which had them installed four and two year ago,all have had to have panels replaced and one has had two inverters replaced,first inverter was replaced within twelve months of install,by TVS, second one happening outside the twelve month warranty on the inverter,so TVS did say they would do Mark a favor and supply and fit a new one at cost,I was thinking some time ago about going with TVS,until I started talking to PPL,we are getting a system from and independant supplier,here in WA now we only have a 8.5 cent buy back now,our bills come in every two months,with the prejected saving we worked out it will take three years to get our money back.

[Dazzler]

Dazz the cheap systems True Value Solar are flogging are just that,Cheap,I personally know three people here which had them installed four and two year ago,all have had to have panels replaced and one has had two inverters replaced,first inverter was replaced within twelve months of install,by TVS, second one happening outside the twelve month warranty on the inverter,so TVS did say they would do Mark a favor and supply and fit a new one at cost,I was thinking some time ago about going with TVS,until I started talking to PPL,we are getting a system from and independant supplier,here in WA now we only have a 8.5 cent buy back now,our bills come in every two months,with the prejected saving we worked out it will take three years to get our money back.

Yes Rick, TVS get a real caning on some on line forums (so I didn't go with them)

Our system is from Ultra Greensun (a Tassie Company) I think Ken the owner is in his eighties! He uses a bunch of young guys called In-series Electrical to install them. They seemed really switched on ( pardon the pun)

My set-up is a cheaper one but you pay your money and you take your chances...I know of people who have paid big $$$ and still had issues (Bit like BMW versus Hyundai) BMW's still have warranty claims 

[beerman]

Bills in.....$23.55 credit. Not bad for a warm and cloudy December, where the Good Wife was smashing the A/C

If I can get rid of the $72 I spend on hot water and get the air conditioners on Tariff 33 I'll be set!!

Bill was $445 otherwise.

[Dazzler]

Great result (well done!)

[The Gonz]

  Noyce.

Can't feel my hip pocket just yet but someday when the technology is convincingly good I'll take the plunge. I'm a very slow purchaser at the best of times (over 12 months to decide on the i30, time enough to see that it finally got cruise control). 

[Phil №❶]

Got my bill today, $17.00 for 92 days. 

[The Gonz]

  I think there's a feint tingling in my back pocket now... 
 

[Just Rick]

I have a long tool...

I've heard that about you little blokes , but hey there's no need to brag about it 

[Dazzler]

We just got our latest Power Bill for the last 3 months .. Half of this period we had 10 panels and the other half we had 20 panels. (3.8Kw sytem with 5Kw inverter)

Started the quarter roughly $70 in credit the bill was approx $170 and I paid around $270 off it before we got the extra panels installed so now we are $170 in CREDIT. 

So I've said to Trish  I should not have to pay any off it in the next 3 months as that credit should offset any net power use in April and May when the weather cools down and we have to start using the heat pumps and stuff again. 

[Surferdude]

Good stuff Dazz.
PS. Not much power being genarated up here over the last couple of days. Heavy cloud, rain, wind for the third time since Australia Day. 
But we're still way in front.
After the next bill in March I'll ask for a refund. 

[Dazzler]

 

[beerman]

Another quarter another great power bill.....or should I say receipt.

Rebate of $444.08

Up another $31.82.....

I like this tax free money......

[Dazzler]

That's great Beerman 

Loving ours too but this is a worry!... and not just happening in Tassie I believe.

http://www.saveoursolartas.org/

[Surferdude]

That's great Beerman 

Loving ours too but this is a worry!... and not just happening in Tassie I believe.

http://www.saveoursolartas.org/

Already happened Dazz. In NSW even before we put ours in. But existing agreements are untouchable. Barry O'Farrell (NSW Premier) wanted it to apply to agrrements already in place but was advised he couldn't legally do so.
In Qld it has happened also but the same thing applies. Existing agreements are locked in till (I think) about 2028.

[Surferdude]

Another quarter another great power bill.....or should I say receipt.

Rebate of $444.08

Up another $31.82.....

I like this tax free money......

Beerman, are you saying a rebate of $444 for the QUARTER?

Wow!

[Phil №❶]

My rates are fixed till 2028, but the KWh rate charged in summer is slowly creeping up to the feed in rate, so, the ability to make money is changing to just offsetting cost. Ours is only entry level, so, to be expected, still every little bit helps.

Our last bill was $98.00 for the 1/4. On our bill is says that a 1 person home in my area pays on average $1100. There are 4 in our house. 

According to rebates, we had slightly more sun last summer.

[Dazzler]

Doesn't look like ours are locked in down here but I think if they halved the rebate only cost us about $50  so I signed the petition and am supporting the push (will see what happens)

Wont we happy if we loose out 1:1 

[beerman]

It would be political suicide to meddle with the agreements already in place.....You entered into the solar with particular pay backs in mind. Whilst you should have allowed for some sovereign risk, most wont have, and will blame the Government for their losses. Most households have 2 voters affected multiplied by the number of houses with solar equals a lot of votes to lose.....

and yes 845kwh @ 0.52c= $444.08

Hot water went up to $90 though.....I turned the thermostat down so hopefully this helps.....

[Surferdude]

It would be political suicide to meddle with the agreements already in place.....You entered into the solar with particular pay backs in mind. Whilst you should have allowed for some sovereign risk, most wont have, and will blame the Government for their losses. Most households have 2 voters affected multiplied by the number of houses with solar equals a lot of votes to lose.....

and yes 845kwh @ 0.52c= $444.08

Hot water went up to $90 though.....I turned the thermostat down so hopefully this helps.....

Still confused here beerman.
Is that a net figure, or before your useage is deducted? I generated 850 kwh in the last quarter also. But I used some.

[beerman]

It would be political suicide to meddle with the agreements already in place.....You entered into the solar with particular pay backs in mind. Whilst you should have allowed for some sovereign risk, most wont have, and will blame the Government for their losses. Most households have 2 voters affected multiplied by the number of houses with solar equals a lot of votes to lose.....

and yes 845kwh @ 0.52c= $444.08

Hot water went up to $90 though.....I turned the thermostat down so hopefully this helps.....

Still confused here beerman.
Is that a net figure, or before your useage is deducted? I generated 850 kwh in the last quarter also. But I used some.

That's what the solar made, the bill was a $31.82 credit. Though as I would have had to pony up the coin for the power used if it wasn't there, it is still money in the bank 

[Surferdude]

It would be political suicide to meddle with the agreements already in place.....You entered into the solar with particular pay backs in mind. Whilst you should have allowed for some sovereign risk, most wont have, and will blame the Government for their losses. Most households have 2 voters affected multiplied by the number of houses with solar equals a lot of votes to lose.....

and yes 845kwh @ 0.52c= $444.08

Hot water went up to $90 though.....I turned the thermostat down so hopefully this helps.....

Still confused here beerman.
Is that a net figure, or before your useage is deducted? I generated 850 kwh in the last quarter also. But I used some.

That's what the solar made, the bill was a $31.82 credit. Though as I would have had to pony up the coin for the power used if it wasn't there, it is still money in the bank 

Cool thanks.
I thought $444 was a massive amount.
BTW I just recieived tha cheque I asked for to cover my 12 months credit. About $525 which on top of the approx $1600 p/a bill in the past makes a nice return.