Gympie 2.1kw Solar Power System

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Gympie 2.1kw Solar Power System

Todae Solar > Solar Power for Homes > Recent Solar Projects under 3kW > Gympie 2.1kw Solar Power System

• SYSTEM LOCATION: Gympie, QLD
• HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USAGE: 24 kWh per day
• ACTUAL SYSTEM OUTPUT: 4.6 kWh per day
• OPTIMUM SYSTEM OUTPUT: 9.5 kWh per day
• CO2 SAVED: 1.79 tonnes per year
• ELECTRICITY SAVING: 19.2%

“Power has always been too cheap in Australia but that’s changing. Environmental arguments aside, this has got to be a very compelling reason to invest in solar and other renewable energy systems.”

Ted and Pam Uebergang live in a three-bedroom, single storey property near Gympie, three hours north of Brisbane. Air conditioners are used for heating and cooling; hot water and cooking is also electric. As a result energy usage is reasonably high for a two-person household. So when the federal government raised the capital rebate to $8,000 in May 2007, the couple decided it was time to invest in solar and reduce their carbon footprint.

Todae installed a 12-module, 2 kW system in October 2007. Nine months later it has generated 1100 kWh, which Ted admits is lower than he had hoped: “The system should produce 10 kWh or more in the height of summer but this last year has been unusually cloudy and overcast. Even so we’ve still cut our electricity bill by almost a fifth.”

With the money saved through the rebate, Ted and Pam have also installed an evacuated tube solar hot water system and a small standalone system that combines six 125W solar modules mounted on a tracking frame and a 200W wind turbine. The standalone system supplies additional power to the house via a battery bank. “On a good day in summer, we can run the whole house on just the standalone set-up, while our grid connected solar system supplies the grid and we get paid for that!”

Since installing solar, Ted and Pam have also made a few changes to their lifestyle to get extra benefit from their investment: “We’ve replaced all our lights with compact fluoros now and we often choose to cook our evening meal on the barbeque rather than the electric stove top. We’re more aware of when we sue electricity these days and are always looking for ways to reduce our usage.”

Asked about their choice to switch over to renewable energy, the couple agreed how satisfying it is to know that they’re generating their own electricity. Since Todae installed the grid interactive system, the Queensland government have introduced a higher tariff for renewable energy supplied by residential systems. This has reduced the payback period on the system significantly: “We’re charged around 13 cents a kilowatt hour when we use electricity from the grid but get paid three times that by the power company when we feed it back!” explained Ted. “We’re already seeing a good return on the system because of that.”

Summing what they would say to anyone considering solar, Ted says, “Electricity prices will only go up in the future. Power has always been too cheap in Australia but that’s changing. Environmental arguments aside, this has got to be a very compelling reason to invest in solar and other renewable energy systems before there’s a mad rush. We’re very, very pleased that we took the decision to do this and I can honestly say I’m hooked on renewable energy. We’re looking to invest in a small hydro system now – there’s no stopping us!”