Firstly, apologies if this mangles threaded readers, I only get the digest.
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 28 May 2012 10:59:17 +1000
From: dan062 <dan062@yahoo.com.au>
Subject: [luv-talk] Solar Panels
To: luv-talk@luv.asn.au
Message-ID: <20120528105917.4a39ca91@git-mint13-a>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Hello
I am considering installing solar panels at home.
Anyone is willing to share experience, good and bad, and any
recommendation please?
I will probably be installing a small system which will most likely
meet most of my needs.
We have just gone down this path and are due to have our 5KW system deployed as soon as we get some weather where the guy won't get blown or washed off the roof !
Firstly, do you know those needs ? As in, do you know what your average daily consumption of power is and therefore how much of a contribution the system you want to put in is going to make ?
You can get figures around the averages, but your site can make a huge difference. If you have enough space an open (no trees), north-facing roof with an appropriate slope, or where brackets can create such slope, then you will do pretty well against those average figures. But if you don't, then your panels won't perform as well.
There are obviously some unscrupulous cowboys out there who will install too-small systems on wrongly oriented roofs, going by some of the installations I have seen. Either that, or the people are so desperate to say they have solar power that they ignore the good advice of the tradesman. Those are the only reasons I can think of to see 1.5KW systems installed on a South-easterly facing roof.
I recommend that you get advice from a company who have been around for a while and preferably one that has interests other than just Solar (ie wind, composting toilets and other green technologies). These guys are more likely to be "true believers" and not just in it to scoop up some government subsidy $$'s and they are more likely to use quality panels.
Cheap chinese panels should be avoided, but there are also some good chinese manufacturers.
Beware the hidden charges that pop up when they come to give you a quote. Some of the cowboys will quote a very low price, but then miraculously, all these extra things need doing at your place.
Happy to chat off-list about this if you like and depending on your location, I can give you the details of the guys who are doing ours. They put a solar water heater on our roof 4 or 5 years ago and we have known them for ages before that.
Hope it works out well for you !
Andrew