Solar power on your home

[Araratgold]

One very important thing to bear in mind, and the installers conveniently won't tell you this !! :

All new inverters must be limited so that they do not put more than 255 volts into the grid. This can have massive effect on how much power your system will produce.

My 5.2kW system was recently limited to 1300 watts output on a bright sunny day because of high grid voltage. I have two neighbours that have older 5kW systems that are not limited, and our local grid voltage often exceeds 250 volts, and sometimes over 255 volts, which sucks for me !

My advice from experience is that if you are going to install a solar system, check your local grid voltage on a bright sunny day, and if it is around 250 volts or higher, don't bother, as you will rarely get full efficiency from your system !

Rick

 

[newhunter]

Good info Bacchus thank you. to check the power on a good sunny day do you just put your volt metre into a power point in your home and check the voltage is that right.

 

[Occasional_panner]

You can test it with a multimeter, have it set to AC volts, most probes that come standard won't be long enough usually though.

An easier and safer way would be to use one of these https://www.jaycar.com.au/mains-power-meter/p/MS6115

They are a handy tool, it not only shows volts, but also shows how many watts a unit is using. You can leave an appliance plugged in for a day or week and measure the accumulative amount of energy that appliance used over that period.
It's surprising to see how little modern TV's use, the biggest draw I found was the fridge over a 24 hr period.
Things like an oven will draw 2000+ watts but not for very long, appliances constantly plugged in using power are the ones that add up to significant amounts over a day.

You often hear about phantom or vampire loads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power
Well with one of these you can test all your own appliances yourself.

I haven't found any vampire loads that were significant, modern stuff these days is very efficient.

It's the things that are constantly running that add up, like pumps and fridges, mainly the things you can't do without.

Most people wont need to go into that much detail though unless you are planning an off grid setup.

 

[Bacchus]

Good info Bacchus thank you. to check the power on a good sunny day do you just put your volt metre into a power point in your home and check the voltage is that right.

With respect I seriously hope you are taking the P155 .

If not that is an easy way to get yourself killed ! The bottom chart shows the system output and timeline lifted from live wifi monitoring you can get at any time to check output .
If you are planning a non grid stand alone system it will have required meters installed.

You should probably start talking to a few system retailers who analyse your needs and requirements , also the site Grubstake recommended will broaden your knowledge , plenty of good reading there.

Good luck and don't go sticking anything in power points

Cheers

 

[Occasional_panner]

Good info Bacchus thank you. to check the power on a good sunny day do you just put your volt metre into a power point in your home and check the voltage is that right.

With respect I seriously hope you are taking the P155 .

If not that is an easy way to get yourself killed ! The bottom chart shows the system output and timeline lifted from live wifi monitoring you can get at any time to check output .
If you are planning a non grid stand alone system it will have required meters installed.

You should probably start talking to a few system retailers who analyse your needs and requirements , also the site Grubstake recommended will broaden your knowledge , plenty of good reading there.

Good luck and don't go sticking anything in power points

Cheers

Amazing.... I didn't get killed.
Perfectly safe thing to do.

 

[grubstake]

Good info Bacchus thank you. to check the power on a good sunny day do you just put your volt metre into a power point in your home and check the voltage is that right.

With respect I seriously hope you are taking the P155 .
If not that is an easy way to get yourself killed ! The bottom chart shows the system output and timeline lifted from live wifi monitoring you can get at any time to check output .
If you are planning a non grid stand alone system it will have required meters installed.
You should probably start talking to a few system retailers who analyse your needs and requirements , also the site Grubstake recommended will broaden your knowledge , plenty of good reading there.
Good luck and don't go sticking anything in power points

Amazing.... I didn't get killed.
Perfectly safe thing to do.

Just because you didn't get killed this time doesn't alter the risk you are taking, especially with a $25 amateur multimeter, even though its spec sheet claims it will measure up to 600 VAC.

Here's mine, which has a range up to 750 VAC:

But there's a very important sticker on the bottom:

 

[Bacchus]

For all I know OP could be a kid on the other end of this conversation, not someone that knows what they are doing with a multimeter .

Perhaps you can let him know how his solar would be performing on a bright sunny day by doing that as he asked ??
I am thinking our friend should not be playing with power points

I'm happy with my advice given .

Cheers

 

[Occasional_panner]

For all I know OP could be a kid on the other end of this conversation, not someone that knows what they are doing with a multimeter .

Perhaps you can let him know how his solar would be performing on a bright sunny day by doing that as he asked ??
I am thinking our friend should not be playing with power points

I'm happy with my advice given .

Cheers

Yes mate, that's why I said this
"An easier and safer way would be to use one of these https://www.jaycar.com.au/mains-power-meter/p/MS6115\"

 

[Smoky bandit]

I got mine from super cheap auto for $25 over 10 years ago..I have fixed multiple 240v apliances and wireing..but you need to know what you doing..Dosnt matter the price of the tester.

 

[newhunter]

I will get an electrician to check the power at home when i get some fans fitted to our home. I don't think my multi metre is good enough. I am leaning towards the 10kw solar system for our home at the moment. After rebates its around $8000.

 

[Occasional_panner]

The sparky will only be able to see what it is at that point in time.
For $20 one of these https://www.jaycar.com.au/mains-power-meter/p/MS6115 will allow you to check it whenever you like in real time
You can just use it as a volt meter if you wish but it does a lot more than that.

Just plug it into a socket and it will tell you the voltage at that point in time.

Have you checked with your grid provider to see what the maximum size array you can fit is? 10kw seems very high.

 

[Occasional_panner]

Good info Bacchus thank you. to check the power on a good sunny day do you just put your volt metre into a power point in your home and check the voltage is that right.

With respect I seriously hope you are taking the P155 .
If not that is an easy way to get yourself killed ! The bottom chart shows the system output and timeline lifted from live wifi monitoring you can get at any time to check output .
If you are planning a non grid stand alone system it will have required meters installed.
You should probably start talking to a few system retailers who analyse your needs and requirements , also the site Grubstake recommended will broaden your knowledge , plenty of good reading there.
Good luck and don't go sticking anything in power points

Amazing.... I didn't get killed.
Perfectly safe thing to do.

Just because you didn't get killed this time doesn't alter the risk you are taking, especially with a $25 amateur multimeter, even though its spec sheet claims it will measure up to 600 VAC.

Here's mine, which has a range up to 750 VAC:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4012/1543391927_multmtr1.jpg
But there's a very important sticker on the bottom:
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4012/1543391974_multmtr2.jpg

1. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to throw that multimeter in the bin.

2 Don't compare your two dollar shop bit of junk to my meter that is actually rated to 600volts.

 

[Tathradj]

The multimeter I use has a very high rating to measure
mains voltages and 3 phase circuits.
And I can measure up to 40 Amps for 20 seconds.
And it cost well over $500.00.
Even the leads are rated to do this type of work.
The next one up had logging but I hate multi-function devices.
My all time favourite is an AVO.
Getting up to 60 years old but by crickey they are a brilliant meter.
I agree with Panner.
Please, DO NOT go sticking a $25.00 multi meter into a power point.

 

[Nuggetbuster]

I agree with Panner.
Please, DO NOT go sticking a $25.00 multi meter into a power point.

Sorry, but I'm confused. The photo that occasional_panner posted indeed shows a $25 multi meter (Digitech QM1529) stuck into a power point.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/economy-autorange-multimeter-with-non-contact-voltage-sensor/p/QM1529

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/7956/1543387387_multi.jpg

Amazing.... I didn't get killed.
Perfectly safe thing to do.

 

[Occasional_panner]

Wow, how to get a thread off track.

Yes Nuggetbuster I did use a $25 multimeter in that pic.

It is rated for 600v, so yes it's fine to use on 240v.

Between that and an oscilloscope I really don't need anything more elaborate.

Better units have higher cat ratings for insulation and board design is most likely wider spacing between tracks.

But yes the yellow Jaycar one I pictured is totally fine for 240v.

The one I was having a go at was the black unit grubstake posted a pic of which had a sticker stating not to use it on 240v.

 

[iamagoldenoldie2]

saw part of a free to air tv program tonight on the industrial revolution that's heading for us. can you envisage this,,,, no cars can will be scrap metal, no reliance fossil fuel, the future generation will have cats electric cars, parts built from plastic on a 3d printer, well for solar energy , it will take over , the houses supply the grid, microwaved around the suburb on sold to each other no AGL or other companies tom deal with, perhaps thats what they know and we don't it will be a digital world with humans building the info structure because robot cant, i can see this happening, just look back when the first mobile phone hit the market , a suitcase size and what have we today . the sad thing for me there must have been an eclipse when I bought my solar system , i would love to get 20 cents , perhaps I cpuld put up a sign power for sale and a neighbour could buy my excess but then i would be a power generator and the tax man would come knocking but the future is interesting maybe the polls know something we don't on the future industrial revolution looks like germany is a leader the demo on the logistics movement of the materials , the driver sits back and the computer takes over the driving .......

 

[Lesgold]

Got my second electricity bill in eight years two days ago. $107 for the quarter. Cant complain about that. Put a 3.78kw system in when NSW had a feed in tariff of 60c per kWh. The system cost me $17000 back then. (Wow, havent prices dropped since then.) Kept an accurate tally of power produced. The system paid for itself in six years and three months. By the end of the scheme, I had credit with the supplier which continue to pay bills for well over a year. Ended up calculating that the money I invested into the system gave me a return that was slightly better than bank interest. (And I also ended up with the system connected to the house) Currently being paid 15c a kWh. for surplus being exported back to the grid. The service availability charge is the big scam. Need to generate 10kwh per day just to pay for that. Had to laugh about the bill I was sent three months ago. Used up the last of my credit that Origin were holding from 2016. Ended up with a bill of 56c. Itll be interesting to see how much longer the inverter lasts.

 

[Nuggetbuster]

Wow, how to get a thread off track.

Yes Nuggetbuster I did use a $25 multimeter in that pic.

It is rated for 600v, so yes it's fine to use on 240v.

Between that and an oscilloscope I really don't need anything more elaborate.

Better units have higher cat ratings for insulation and board design is most likely wider spacing between tracks.

But yes the yellow Jaycar one I pictured is totally fine for 240v.

The one I was having a go at was the black unit grubstake posted a pic of which had a sticker stating not to use it on 240v.

Thanks for the lengthy repsonse, but my post was in response to tathradj's post, not yours.

I was seeking to clarify what he meant by saying that he agrees with you, but on the next line asks for people NOT to stick a $25 multi meter into a power point, which is exactly what your photo showed you doing.

I am genuinely confused with this directions - does he agree with you, or should one not stick a $25 multimeter like yours into a power point?

If wanting a clarification is deemed as taking a thread off track, cancel my membership :koala:

 

[Bacchus]

Got my second electricity bill in eight years two days ago. $107 for the quarter. Cant complain about that. Put a 3.78kw system in when NSW had a feed in tariff of 60c per kWh. The system cost me $17000 back then. (Wow, havent prices dropped since then.) Kept an accurate tally of power produced. The system paid for itself in six years and three months. By the end of the scheme, I had credit with the supplier which continue to pay bills for well over a year. Ended up calculating that the money I invested into the system gave me a return that was slightly better than bank interest. (And I also ended up with the system connected to the house) Currently being paid 15c a kWh. for surplus being exported back to the grid. The service availability charge is the big scam. Need to generate 10kwh per day just to pay for that. Had to laugh about the bill I was sent three months ago. Used up the last of my credit that Origin were holding from 2016. Ended up with a bill of 56c. Itll be interesting to see how much longer the inverter lasts.

G'day Lesgold

Since you have used up your Origin Energy credit you have earned over the years and in case you are entertaining a switch for a better deal , as you said the supply charge is a money grab . Here in SA the standard supply charge is 90 cents per day , The best deal I found was with Amaysim energy as they are one of the only retailers who discount their supply charge ( by 30 percent ) as a pay on time discount and energy used and pay a 20 cent feed in tariff , could be worth a look . That site solarquotes mentioned previously will bring up the best deal for you being offered by all retailers to your postcode with no obligation.

Cheers

 

[Tathradj]

You are seeking clarification,
I myself was also referring to the black cheepy jobby. :awful:
As for the other meter and leads that is being used,
I agree to disagree on that one.
I am not a qualified sparky but I am fully and highly aware
of the danger involved in carrying out testing procedures
involving lethal voltages.
Is that enough to stop your member ship cancellation.

I was seeking to clarify what he meant by saying that he agrees with you, but on the next line asks for people NOT to stick a $25 multi meter into a power point, which is exactly what your photo showed you doing.

I am genuinely confused with this directions - does he agree with you, or should one not stick a $25 multimeter like yours into a power point?

If wanting a clarification is deemed as taking a thread off track, cancel my membership koala

And now,
Back on track. :Y: :Y: