Solar Power Inner West Sydney, NSW
Solar Power Sydney > Solar Power Inner West > Solar Power Marrickville
3.5kW panels (1.75 due North & 1.75 due West)
4kW SMA inverter Sunny Boy 4000TL
Initially installed a 2kW system in 2008, upgraded in 2015
Simon decided to get solar way back in 2008, because he thought ‘it was the right’ thing to do. It also seems to have been a good move for him financially. He was the happy benefactor of the generous 68c feed-in tariff (FiT) in NSW from 2010 to 2016, and decided to upgrade his system in 2016 with the money he made from the FiT. He can’t remember what he paid for his solar system in 2008, or the upgrade, but in an average quarter with the 68c FiT, he generated 770kWh of electricity, which earnt $530 of credit.
These days the retiree earns a leaner 10c per kWh for his exported energy, and last quarter received $75 for the solar he put back into the grid. But he also would offset approximately $145 per quarter from using the solar his system produced, thus making his solar financial benefit per quarter about $220.
Working out:
1380kWh produced over the quarter (14.8kWh per day)
750kWh exported @ 10c per kWh = $75
630kWh consumed, offsetting would be cost of 23c per kWh = $145
Total benefit per quarter = $220
If Simon was purchasing a similar sized solar system today, for the average price of $4000, it would take about 4.5 years to pay back.
Simon said he hasn’t had any issues with his solar system overy the years, and would certainly recommend going solar.
