5KW Grid-Tie Solar Power System
June 23rd, 2014Update and Correction, 30 June 2014
The Q-Cells and SMA special mentioned in this post is now over. All of those systems have sold out. Also, Solar King operates in the North Island and the top of the South Island (Nelson).
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We pay NZ$47.7 cents (including GST) per kilowatt hour for electricity. That’s robbery. Year after year, it just keeps going higher. This isn’t to say that electricity is a bargain anywhere in NZ, it’s just unbelievably expensive in the Far North.
It’s a pretty good scam when companies can keep raising prices for electricity while demand remains flat.
As winter closed in this year, Becky and I decided that we weren’t going to take it anymore. After doing a lot of research, we called up SolarKing and had them install a 5KW grid-tie system for us. We went for twenty 250watt Trina Honey panels and the outstanding SMA Sunny Boy 5000 TL inverter.
Although we spent a large chunk of our savings on the system, we’re looking at recovering the cost in about five years, which is incredible. In other parts of NZ, system payoff times will be longer, but still much shorter than just a couple of years ago because panel prices have dropped sharply. If you have money sitting in a savings account, you probably realize that after tax and inflation, that situation isn’t looking so hot. Additionally, we were going to be spending the money on the electricity whether we got the solar system or not—might as well get the solar system.
I’ve wanted a solar energy system for about three decades (since I was a kid, in other words). Yes, I used to pester my parents to install solar panels. It just never made economic sense with system payback times measured in decades. So, move to the rural Far North of New Zealand and feel the boot of that electricity bill on your neck, and it’s amazing how solar power becomes a no brainer!
Here’s what our house looks like now (click for bigger images):
5KW Solar System
5KW Solar System
I was so impressed with what SolarKing did for us that I became a sales representative with them. I was planning on waiting until I collected more performance data from our system to announce all of this, but there has been a time sensitive development.
Yes, readers in NZ, I want to sell you a solar power system.
SolarKing is currently offering 3KW Q-Cells and SMA system packages for NZ$9,995, including GST and installation.
German panels.
German inverter.
NZ$2000 off the normal price.
SolarKing made ten of those available a couple of weeks ago, and they are down to four. That’s why I’m posting this now, so you guys in NZ could consider this deal in case you’ve been looking to get into solar. Want a bigger system? Let’s discuss it.
SolarKing handles everything. You don’t have to mess around with applications to the power companies to get the grid-tie consents. I just paid the administrative fee and the system application was approved. (The fees vary by region and aren’t included in the system price. Mine was NZ$200.)
If you are in New Zealand and have any questions about solar, send me an email. If you do a deal for a SolarKing system through me, I’ll make 6% on it. My manager said that he’ll pay me on any systems I sell around New Zealand. I’m supposed to come out to your house and measure your roof pitch and roof orientation, check for shading issues, take pictures of your breaker panel, your meters, your roof and get copies of your electricity bill etc. etc. If you’re cool with helping me get that info, SolarKing will pay me the commission on your system.
Ok, to sum up my pitch: German panels, German inverter, save thousands, support Cryptogon, lower your power bill. Win!
Finally, I’d just like to say thank you to those of you who have ever supported us over the years. That system wouldn’t be on our house if it wasn’t for you.
It looks as beautiful as it is practical. Not much sun up here in Scotland however.
A lot of work and effort involved in running such a place but such houses within community clusters are the future.
Hi Kevin
Check out this site …
http://www.solarquotes.co.nz
This is a brilliant site run by a chartered electrical engineer.
We wanted to put a 4.5 kW system on our place – did a lot of research, made contact with the panel & inverter manufacturers in China who were willing to supply direct providing we would take a minimum of a pallet load but in the end built a cottage to rent out instead. Also am able to buy panels through Australian distributor and hope to in the future. You definitely made the correct decision to use Honey panels.
Here’s a bit of info on Q-Cells :
http://www.solarquotes.co.nz/panels/german/
Q Cells are great panels – although most of them are made in their Malaysian factory these days. Q-Cells Germany almost went bust this year, but was bought out by Korean solar manufacturer Hanwha Solar One.
@ Shikar: I’ve been looking a lot at Scotland as a place to sit out WW3 (as long as it’s well north of the nuke submarine bases on the Clyde) and the lack of good quality sunshine is a problem. Micro hydro would be a much better bet there with all that rain and melt water from the snow cover on the mountains. Scotland has a lot of strong winds too from Atlantic storms but wind turbines are not that discreet and I remain unconvinced about their economic viability.
@ Kevin: You look like you’re living the dream there with that idyllic, verdant setup! I had heard that the Northland was very windy (Auckland at least) – can I ask, what’s your view on wind turbines?
@djc Side by side, Solar King’s test setup in Auckland shows Trina Honey panels slightly out performing Q-Cells. That’s why we went with them. I looked at how the Trinas are made and there’s hardly any human hands involved. They are mostly made by robots. As for some Q-Cells not being made in Germany, that’s right. I was told that Solar King sells the “Made in Germny” ones so people would have that option if they want it.
Just avoid Samil inverters. We tried to save money by going with a cheaper inverter and it was defective. I had wanted to go with SMA from the start, so when our Samil turned out to be bad, we just shelled out the extra cost for the Sunny Boy 5000TL instead. The thing goes like a sledge hammer, seems very reliable. Great data reporting too. I use an Android app and the inverter communicates with it via BlueTooth.
@cryingfreeman There’s not much wind up in the far north in general, but our property is remarkably calm. Most of the time, any wind turbines on our place would produce no output at all. Also, when the wind does blow here, it swirls around, so you don’t get any sort of consistent direction which the turbines like to have. Our place is definitely the worst site for wind I’ve ever seen.
There are isolated exceptions. Becky’s aunt and uncle up here have a neighbour who has a hill on their property which gets very strong and consistent wind. They have multiple wind turbines up there and produce several kilowatts of power with them.
For us, the choice to go with solar was easy. Our roof orientation is almost exactly due north and we have no shading issues.
Nice job.
Normally, I’d say something about suggested improvements, or alternative methods. All I can say is, if we ever end up moving to your part of the world, I’ll ask for your help to duplicate your setup.
@cryingfreeman:
Wind farms are a total waste of time in my view. A massive amount of greenwashing going on to make a fast buck on what is a renewable energy icon. They are extremely uneconomic and even more unhealthy. I used to be very much an eco-activist in my youth and still am to a large degree but environmentalism has been corrupted just like anything else.
There a numerous battles going on to resist the Wind farm scourge up here but big money and awareness is rising. People are beginning to see that it’s a little more complex than simply being NIMBYS or inside the pocket of fossil fuel companies.
Communities are seduced by the handouts given to landowners and they see their landscape uttely ruined by turbines up to 385ft numbering over 30 in one area. That is a huge blight with minimal difference. And of course, when the wind doesn’t blow money is lost resulting in the government having to actually pay to keep them going. It’s a farce.Until people understand that where there is fast money to be made there’ll be the corruption of lofty principles lessons will be repeated over and over…
As to the possibilities of moving to Scotland. I’d thoroughly recommend it – IF you’re not too bothered by the lack of sun, which you seem to be. (I sympathise). However, where I am on the West coast in Argyll, it is the warmest since we have the gulf stream and a separate micro-climate as a result. It rains a lot and the summers are short. But it’s one of the most beautiful and ancient regions on the planet with lots of Celtic monuments and castles which are thousands of years old. Community networking is reasonably strong sheep and fish farming are some of the primary sources of income away from the towns.
We are fairly self-sufficient up here, with a back-up generator, geo-thermal heating, good storage space and a few acres of land for orchards and extra veggie plots. The nearest town is a about 45 mins away.
Modest hydro-electric schemes built with local materials and local companies is economical and by far the most sensible route for Scotland for obvious reasons. However, it is more expensive in the short-term and thus the energy companies are avoiding it. Wind farms give a quick turnover and a heavy propaganda campaign underlies the government’s push. Nothing remotely to do with renewable energy.
Anyhow, I wish you well in your search.
@ Shikar: Thanks for that and yes, I saw the horrors of wind farms blighting the skyline myself first hand in February whilst driving through Glenmoriston in the NW Highlands. I had been interested in a building site there once upon a time but was dismayed at the affront to the senses caused by those wind turbines. Winters are long and dark there so I wouldn’t be moving for the sunshine; as I mentioned previously, I view it more as a place to lie low should world events get out of hand.
I also crave isolation and an escape from the grid more and more; my home has its own fresh water supply from a spring shared with a few others nearby, but I’m surrounded by zombie consumers with no sense of alarm about anything going on in the world. I don’t mean them any harm, but I would feel better well away from them. The flip side to isolation is we need to be reasonably close to a hospital in case our children get hurt or swallow a pen or something stupid like that! One could very easily prep oneself into a real life-or-death situation.
Returning to climate, dry Alpine air is best for my asthma, even in freezing temperatures. Ireland is just a rain-lashed soaking sponge, which is great from a potable water point of view but really terrible for any kind of inflammatory disease like arthritis or lung conditions. I know Scotland is much the same, but it’s all about one’s priorities-in-light-of-threats matrix.
If there ever is a nuclear exchange I would think the deeper into the southern hemisphere you are the better off you will be, as the nuclear poison will tend to stay in, and kill off, all of the north.