Photo Voltaic Power SystemsWe advise on sizing and locating photovoltaic systems and provide contacts of local installers.Photo voltaic power systems generate electrical power from sunlight. If mains power is available, most residential systems convert the power to mains voltage and connect to the grid so that excess electricity can be supplied to the network for credit, and mains power from the grid can supply the difference between power from the photovoltaic system and household demand. This is much cheaper than using a battery bank for storing excess energy. Battery banks are also bulky and have a short life compared to the panels. The power output of PV panels is normally quoted as the peak power output of the panels. This is the maximum possible power output in ideal conditions. The panels will generate less power if the panel temperature is above 25 deg C, or if the panel is not directly facing the unshaded sun. Some power is lost in the wires and in converting to AC mains type power. The output further decreases due to atmospheric haze and built up dust , bird poo etc.. on the panels. To add insult to injury, typical crystalline PV power systems lose almost all of their power if just a small area of the panels are shaded. For this reason, it is very important to avoid even partial shading of the panels as much as possible. for the same reason, it is important that all the panels face the same direction. The ideal orientation for panels which are grid - connected in Sydney is approximately 30 degrees from horizontal and facing true north. This will give the greatest total power output over the year. Facing the panels slightly west of north will give more power during the afternoon which will match better to the peak demand on the grid. The average daily power output from an ideally oriented unshaded PV power system in Sydney is approximately estimated by: Average daily power output (kWhrs/day) = Panel Peak Power Rating (kilowatts) x 4 (hours) Feed in TariffsA Feed in Tariff is a rate paid for power fed back to the grid. Most state governments around Australia are winding back their residential feed in Tariffs. A good summary of all the feed-in tariffs around Australia is provided on the Austwide Solar WebsiteSolar CreditSolar Credits provide additional support to households, businesses and community groups that install small renewable energy generation units, such as rooftop solar panels, and small-scale wind and hydro electricity systems.Solar Credits apply to the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity installed for systems connected to a main electricity grid and up to the first 20 kW of capacity for off-grid systems. Solar Credits work by multiplying the number of certificates, called small-scale technology certificates (STCs), that these systems would generally be eligible to create under the standard deeming arrangements. The level of support in terms of the number of STCs received via Solar Credits will be determined by the date the system is installed. For more information visit the Australian Government Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency web page here The Australian National University Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems provides more useful information here. |