Moving On From A Solar Hot Water System To Solar Electric Panels

by John
(Melbourne)

Hi,

On November 1, 2002, we installed a solar hot water system which preheated our hot water for household use and in winter, assisted with heating the house through a ducted hydronic gas heater system. In addition, we used a gas heater to supplement the solar hot water heating as required.

Recently, there has been a sharp increase in the cost of electricity in Australia which is primarily supplied by coal fired electricity generators. For instance, these generators supply the city of Melbourne and the State of Victoria. Also, there has been some wind turbines and gas fired generators contributing to the grid.

As a result, we have decided to use solar panels which contribute to the electricity grid and thus help cut our power bills.

The payback period quoted in the documentation is 15 years. However, other friends who have completed the switch have found that the payback period has proved to be only about 4 years. This has been due to the increase in the price of electricity.

Overall, I believe that this is a great way to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help stop climate change.