HOW GRID FEED SOLAR WORKS

1. Sunlight hits the solar modules which convert the light energy into DC electricity.
2. An Inverter converts the DC electricity to AC electricity, the same as you normally get from your electric utility provider.

3. The electricity from the inverter flows through your electric meter. When you are generating more electricity than you are using, the extra power flows out onto the grid. You actually run your electric meter backwards, essentially selling electricity back to the utility. At night or when you are using more electricity than you are producing, the grid supplies the needed electricity just the same way as your home operates today. You only pay for the NET amount of electricity you use!

HOW MUCH POWER DO I CONSUME?

It is easy to work out how much energy you already consume by looking on your electricity bill and reading how many kilowatt hours have been consumed during the last billing period. there is usually a bar graph section wich tells you your average daily usage. But take into consideration your yearly average not just the average for that billing period.

A 1KW grid feed solar system will produce a yearly average of 5KWh/day. This is enough power to run the following -

• 6 x 18w energy saving globes for 6 hours per day
• 1 x average fridge/freezer (550kwh/year)
• 80cm LCD TV and foxtel box for 8 hrs per day
• A full cycle for an average washing machine

As you can see this is a large part of you daily house requirements that does not have to come from coal power. And this is all from our smallest system costing around $990.00 installed for our basic tin roof installation if you are participating in a community project. In the bar graph below the yearly average is approximatly 15KWh per day so a 1KW system would provide about a third of this power requirement

WHAT ABOUT METERING?

There are two ways of metering solar production depending on who your service provider is. Your service provider is who owns the poles and meters from the street not the company you get your power bill from.

Gross Metering - Used by Integral Energy, this sytem records the total production of your solar system and then they deduct this from your electricity bill (cost $275.00).

Net Metering - Used by Energy Australia and Country Energy, this means the power from your solar system is consumed in your house first and any excess is then fed to the grid and taken of your bill (cost $0-$400.00).