Australian solar energy rebates from grid.

[EssexBoy]

Hi Guys.

I live in Australia and am considering buying a solar system for my house.

I was talking to someone today, who told me that it was reported the energy suppliers are not forced to pay for solar electricity fed into the grid, and therefore not paying.

I'm sure this isn't true, but is there anything to support what this guy is saying ?

Thanks

Pat.

[Aussie Bob]

My provider, Ergon Energy, pays, as we have a 1.05kw grid connected PV system. We get AUS$0.44/kwh for excess power we push onto the grid, and pay around AUS$0.17/kwh for power we pull off the grid. That's called nett metering.

I'm not sure why they're basically making a loss on the power we push onto the grid, but I think they're compensated by the government somehow for the price difference. Right now the ratio is around 1:3, but I can see that getting to 1:1 in the next few years, as the power companies jack up the price of power and lower the price they pay for power coming off solar PV systems like mine.

[dulcimoo]

You are LUCKY ...

...We get AUS$0.44/kwh for excess power we push onto the grid, and pay around AUS$0.17/kwh for power we pull off the grid. ...

We get paid 6 cents less than it costs!

[Sunking]

My provider, Ergon Energy, pays, as we have a 1.05kw grid connected PV system. We get AUS$0.44/kwh for excess power we push onto the grid, and pay around AUS$0.17/kwh for power we pull off the grid. That's called nett metering.

I would call that extremely bad buisiness practice.

Net metering by definition is an equal credit of you receive what you pay which again is poor business practice and companies will only do it because they are forced too by law. Catch is they do not pay for it. They are allowed by the government to artificially raise their electric rates to cover the losses and pass it on to rate payers. It serves no purpose and their are no winners or anything gained.

[Naptown]

Actually I believe it is called a feed in tariff
Similar to the SREC's in the US
But the other rate payers do pay for it.

[Sunking]

Actually I believe it is called a feed in tariff
Similar to the SREC's in the US
But the other rate payers do pay for it.

Yep and it just collapsed in Pennsylvania if I understand correctly SREC fell from $200 to less than $80 and crashing hard. The PONZI SCAM collapses?

[Naptown]

Yep
I will have to check into that but PA's problem is with open borders. There were a lot of folks from out of state selling into PA because of the high price. DC had a similar collapse but closed the border and pricing has risen dramatically since. Maryland's border closes as of 1/1/2012

[Sunking]

I will have to check into that but PA's problem is with open borders. There were a lot of folks from out of state selling into PA because of the high price. DC had a similar collapse but closed the border and pricing has risen dramatically since. Maryland's border closes as of 1/1/2012

Closing the border sis a really bad idea.

[Naptown]

Closing the border sis a really bad idea.

What would your reasoning behind that be?

[Sunking]

What would your reasoning behind that be?

Protectionism never works and results in retaliation measures.

[Naptown]

I'm not really worried about Illinois invading Maryland

[russ]

Probably won't take long and the courts will put an end to the thing -

Up until now no one has cared - now it is becoming an issue.

[Sunking]

It is a SCAM investment to start with. Once you understand that and th eway th escam works, you get in early, rob people blind, get out early, and leave everyone else holding the bag when the SCAM collapses. The SCAM was invented by Al Bore and some friends from Chicago mercantile commodity traders.

[Solar-dude]

"It serves no purpose and their are no winners or anything gained."

the guy who gets 3x the price for his electricity seems to be the winner with a larger share of the pie to me.

[russ]

"It serves no purpose and their are no winners or anything gained."

the guy who gets 3x the price for his electricity seems to be the winner with a larger share of the pie to me.

Winner? Then you would call Al Capone a winner? Bernie Maddof?