A Win!

[Phoebe]

A win for Solar Citizens in WA au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/18456332/liberal-rebellion-on-solar-heats-up/

[duncan]

good to hear. I was honestly floored to learn that they would pay me 7c per kw for solar, but I had to pay them 48c +$1/day if I wanted to buy exactly the same thing back...over 700% markup

[Brian]

I was going to be very adversely effected when they said they would cut the 40c F.I.T..

So I am now very happy.

Our 5.5kWhr system supplies our 2 person household, our LEAF, and my electric motorbike. Over 12 months we are a net-exporter of electricity to the grid.

Australia could get all its stationary energy needs from renewable sources within ten years - but both major political parties are ignoring such a planet-friendly possibility.

[Phoebe]

Wish it was that good over here, Brian. I pay 24c for what I take from the grid and only get 8c for what I put on the grid.

[Brian]

But, Phoebe, I bet you didn't pay $36,000 for your system, as we did for our 5kW system The Howard government did supply a helpful $ 8,000 subsidy.

In 2010 the W.A. State government was keen to encourage the uptake of solar PV, so introduced the 40c per kWhr net feed-in-tarrif. This was supplemented by the energy supplier adding 7c.

The scheme was so successful, it was soon over-subscribed, and was stopped for new applications.

We now pay 26c per unit we draw from the grid, whilst the supplier has upped their contribution to 8.8529c per kWhr.

One of the supplier's arguments is the cost of " poles and wires ". But this does not allow for the fact that roof top solar is local, supplying local needs. It does not come from a remote coal guzzling, CO2 belching power station.

[Jim Hare]

I don't look at the buy back rate since we use the majority of our solar during the day. So I look at it as how much less I have to pay for electricity as a result.

We got in mid to late in the game, about 2 years ago, so we got a 6.25kW system for about $21k, including rebate. We sell for 20¢ I think, but again, we don't sell too much as we are using it first and selling the excess.

Our power bill has dropped by several hundred a quarter so it's definitely working. I think I figured it would take about 8 years for the system to pay itself off. I'm happy with that.

[Phoebe]

No, I didn't Brian. I paid $7,000 for a 3 kW system.