Out of reach

For a lot of people, the idea of being green, environmentally friendly and energy conscious is a good thing. We all want to be this. We all want to do our best.

As a general rule going green costs money. However it is usually just the initial outlay to fund the infrastructure of things like solar panels, inverters, wiring, labour unless you're doing it yourself.

However, sometimes things don't add up.

For example, I've started to shop around for solar panels for my house. I was holding out until we built a new home, however, I don't know when that's going to happen, so I want to start being a bit greener now.

My reasons aren't just about the environment. I also want to have less reliance on the mains electricity, and less dependence on their supply. At the same time I also want to save money. Who doesn't. However, as the cost of installing a solar array can get pricey, I started to look at cheaper alternatives.

Here's where my brain started to hurt.

A 1.5kW system that comes with 8x190W panels, an inverter, fully installed and ready to go, also allowing the option to feed excessive power back into the grid and get some money back for it, or a credit on your on-grid account.

All that for a measly (From) $1050.00

Sounds affordable. A 1.5kW system will pump about 3-4kW of energy back into the grid based on an average household usage of 15-18kW per day. Thus reducing your energy bill, decreasing your reliance on dirty power supplied from Australia's favourite power station, coal powered.

Don't check my maths, it was my worst subject at school.

Where's the bit where my brain starts to hurt?

Here:
The next system is a 2kW system. A few thousand more. But where it really aches is the 3kW system. $7080.00

It comes with twice as many solar panels, 18x190W panels. And obviously a bigger inverter.

Lets assume it takes twice as long to install, since there are twice as many panels, otherwise, the additional wiring is hardly worth the $7000 price tag. The inverter? This is the only item I can think of that will increase the price from $1050 to $7080. But even then, I can't seem to wrap my head around it.

I'd be more inclined to buy and install two 1.5kW systems and split the circuits in the house. Half the house on one circuit and the other half using the other 1.5kW system.

If both units are connected to the grid, then technically I'd still be pumping twice as many kW's back into the grid. Not to mention the fact that I've spent a little over $2,000 rather than $14,000.

Heck, I'd even go with another installation and bump things up to 4.5kW and this amount of solar power would actually provide me with enough power to go off the grid in suburbia.

Only issue with that last bit is that I don't plan on using batteries for storage of that power. I'm happy with having power fed into my house from the grid when the sun isn't out. However, I'm happy to also light a candle since I don't watch TV. Email and using the laptop may pose a problem. I'd have to charge my mobile phone during the day or at my music school. Though charging it off the solar power makes more sense.

I got my first power bill for the music school. $45 per quarter. All because I open windows instead of turning on the air con, though sometimes I do blast the air con just to clear out the heat in the room that's been shut all day. Then when that initial bite has gone, I'll open everything up. And since its summer, we have plenty of natural sunlight still coming into the school thanks to all the windows in the place I found.

I was asked about a water cooler. And I've decided that I'll be getting a hand made clay cooler I found that is pricey, but no more expensive than a refrigerated water cooler, and it will use no power what so ever, it'll keep water at a nice, cool and comfortable temperature and also looks a hell of a lot nicer than a plastic water cooler waiting for the water to heat up so it can waste more power cooling it down.

I still can't get my head around the cost difference from the 1.5kW system to the 3kW system. Surely, it's the inverter causing the major price difference.

Cheerio