New high end Solar Cell claims 42.8 % efficiency

[Eeyore]

The warmer states (WA, QLD,SA) would be similar to the where you are
in the US with similar demand peaks due to aircon. Our local energy
supplier has a system called SmartPower and it might be economical if
you have a fairly heavy and constant demand for power during off-peak
times, eg. swimming pool or aircon but for most users it wouldn't be
worth it.
http://www.synergyenergy.com.au/PDF_Documents/Brochures/Product_Brochures/SmartPower.pdf

Retro-fitting a SmartPower meter is expensive especially if you have a
3 phase connection ($615) as I do. SmartPower subscribers have a
summer-time variable tariff of 6.56c/kWh during weekends, 13.12c/kWh
during morning and afternoon weekday off-peak periods and 20.22c/kWh
during weekday peak periods. A normal subscriber has a standard flate
rate of 13.94c/kWh year round.

If I was not going to provide a battery I think it might be better to
install a few additional panels so that I had excess energy to put
back into the grid during summer peak periods. This would mean I would
get rebates for any off peak power I would be drawing from the grid
after sundown when the panels were not producing power.

Let's take a look at QLD insolation.
http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/media/env...ability/energy/Queensland_Solar_Resources.gif

Unless you live in the hot dry interior, you're loooking at no more than around 17 MJ/m^2
annuallly.

At a fairly typical 13% conversion efficiency today, that's 2.21MJ or 614 kWh /m^2

So.... how much will your power co. pay you for 614 kWh ? It's worth maybe what, $AU100 ?
How does that compare with the cost of a 1m^2 panel (plus associated costs like the required
grid-tie inverter and so on) ?

By the way, I'm not convinced by the insolation figures your state gov't quotes. I reckon
they may be 'out' (over) by easily 2:1. They sem to be wildly different to any others I've
ever seen but quoting them in MJ rather than kWh makes it less instantly obvious.

Hang on a sec. Are they even paying you anything for power you make ? The document you cited
doesn't seem to say so.

Graham

 

[neon]

in BARSTOW CA. there are acres of the stuff what it generates is 100 homes consumptions. solar wind in Desert Spring also is geneating about 40 gigawatts nothing to get excited anout the maintanance is big money 40' blades and must use power to start spinning . all this means that we the people the suckers get to pay for it it was still is a tax credit scam. 100millions it reminds me of the 400k we spent trying to find the anus temperature of a sled dog now who cares except the dog behind it. and yes you may store the power during daylight into battery but i envision SODIUM as a storge except the stuff is very corosive. to sell power to the grid in a small scale will never happen. the switchgear will cost 100% more then the benefits you as a consumer will ever get.

 

[Ross Herbert]

Let's take a look at QLD insolation.
http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/media/env...ability/energy/Queensland_Solar_Resources.gif

Unless you live in the hot dry interior, you're loooking at no more than around 17 MJ/m^2
annuallly.

At a fairly typical 13% conversion efficiency today, that's 2.21MJ or 614 kWh /m^2

So.... how much will your power co. pay you for 614 kWh ? It's worth maybe what, $AU100 ?
How does that compare with the cost of a 1m^2 panel (plus associated costs like the required
grid-tie inverter and so on) ?

By the way, I'm not convinced by the insolation figures your state gov't quotes. I reckon
they may be 'out' (over) by easily 2:1. They sem to be wildly different to any others I've
ever seen but quoting them in MJ rather than kWh makes it less instantly obvious.

Hang on a sec. Are they even paying you anything for power you make ? The document you cited
doesn't seem to say so.

Graham

The solar radiation pattern for Perth is similar over the whole year
to Brisbane. However, during the months Oct - March Perth is
considerably higher than Brisbane. Here is the BP Solar radiation map
they use http://www.bwsolar.com.au/solar_solar.htm

According to this publication
http://www.carbonplanet.com/downloads/cp_newsletter_4.pdf that of 41
main cities in 26 OECD countries, Perth has the best horizontal solar
irradiation figure of 1941 kWh/sqM so it is quite possible the
insolation figures you read are factual.

This is the explanatory documentation on grid connected systems and
buyback
http://www.synergyenergy.com.au/Residential_Segment/Green_Energy/Renewable_Energy_Buyback.html

They pay 10/11ths (why not decimal?) of the price they normally sell
to the customer. Essentially you can't make a profit by exporting
power to their grid and your bill will instead be based on the net
usage after taking into account the exported power at the above rate,
ie. it's a rebate scheme.

 

[neon]

You are mal-informed your system s tied to your continent grid they buy and sell power from each sytem on a dayly or even hourly bases, Your generators must have reserve spinning power for such an emergency and your power may come from 1000 or more miles away. they also have jet peakers where their power can be broght on line right now. power can and will come from any source trough the transmisson grid. why my air-conditioning power may come from power generated in the northern states. power is just a phone call away. actualy is an operator that presses a key to close a breaker in a sub station somewhere , finaly the buy back power must be in ac at whatever frequency i would not certenly tie my converter to the transmission if it blows it is your expenses not their. Think about that. sell power indeed save a penny so you can waste a dollar bad deision.