Burwhale goes solar.

2009-04-01 03:45:21

#1

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

It took some work but its finally done. Today we got a 1kWh solar array installed.

https://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo49/burwhale/solar1.jpg

It will feed its power into the grid and offset our power use. My folks have already got a similar system and they actually get a credit back from the power company.

https://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo49/burwhale/solar3.jpg

The cost of electricity will go up for Australians in the next few years, so over time it will pay for itself. It will also reduce the amount of Greenhouse gases going into the air (if you believe in that sort of thing , which I do). I got my set up through a co-op that buys them in bulk and installs around 100 units at once, which means pretty big money savings. I would recommend the Co-op thing if you guys are interested.

https://i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo49/burwhale/solar2.jpg

Hopefully we will get solar hot water next..

2009-04-01 03:47:57

#2

Finray: Hup! Dos, Tres, Cuatro; +2,629|6216|Catherine Black

Mazda 3 ftw.

2009-04-01 03:48:02

#3

TC.Troy: Let the rough side drag; +111|7001

Kudo's mate
Well done!
I am looking into this sort of set-up in the house I am remodeling. It gets full sun from sunrise to just before sunset, with both halves of the roof exposed for a fairly equal time. Its a solar panel dream tbh.
I think there are certain incentives, rebates if I go this way.
What sort of special provisions did you have to make to feed back into the grid?

again, Well done mate.

2009-04-01 03:48:11

#4

RavyGravy: Son.; +617|6834|NSW, Australia

nice house

2009-04-01 03:50:50

#5

Cheez: Herman is a warmaphrodite; +1,027|6867|King Of The Islands

It's a bit small but being QLD it's probably $9 billion.

My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.

2009-04-01 04:03:12

#6

The A W S M F O X: I Won't Deny It; +172|6112|SQUID

lol QLD

2009-04-01 04:06:38

#7

Cheez: Herman is a warmaphrodite; +1,027|6867|King Of The Islands

Look at me! I'm a QLDer! I chopped down all the trees cause the birds at 4am were giving me the shits. Now there's all these bugs around. Fuck this, I'm knocking off early to pretend to be a Schoolie.

My state was founded by Batman. Your opinion is invalid.

2009-04-01 04:08:44

#8

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|7093|NT, like Mick Dundee

Fuck having a neighbour within 300m of the house.

Cheez wrote:
Look at me! I'm a QLDer! I chopped down all the trees cause the birds at 4am were giving me the shits. Now there's all these bugs around. Fuck this, I'm knocking off early to pretend to be a Schoolie.

Lol'd. Can't karma you twice in 24 hours.

Last edited by Flecco (2009-04-01 04:11:43)

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2009-04-01 04:10:49

#9

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6928|so randum

where do you aussie types get your power from (in the main)

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-04-01 04:12:25

#10

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|7093|NT, like Mick Dundee

FatherTed wrote:
where do you aussie types get your power from (in the main)

Coal. We have more of it than you.

We should go nuclear because again, we have more of it than you... and everybody else.

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2009-04-01 04:12:52

#11

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

TC.Troy wrote:
Kudo's mate
Well done!
I am looking into this sort of set-up in the house I am remodeling. It gets full sun from sunrise to just before sunset, with both halves of the roof exposed for a fairly equal time. Its a solar panel dream tbh.
I think there are certain incentives, rebates if I go this way.
What sort of special provisions did you have to make to feed back into the grid?

again, Well done mate.

Hey Mate, thanks for the comments. We had some pretty good incentives in Oz. I got a $8000 rebate for mine, but that may have changed to a $7500 rebate now. Not sure what country you are from but it is really worth looking into. Your roof sounds pretty good, all that I needed for mine was a north facing aspect, and it should capture heaps of light. Even if its not looking directly at the sun it will still get 90% exposure ( or close to that).

It is actually amazing how little had to be done to the house to get this done. The panels feed into an inverter (turns DC to AC) which then goes to the power meter to record how much it generated, then feeds into the street power lines. Took about an hour and a 1/2 to install.

2009-04-01 04:13:04

#12

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6928|so randum

Flecco wrote:
FatherTed wrote:
where do you aussie types get your power from (in the main)
Coal. We have more of it than you.

We should go nuclear because again, we have more of it than you... and everybody else.

Bit silly of you lot to not be using nuclear.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-04-01 04:16:27

#13

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

Flecco wrote:
FatherTed wrote:
where do you aussie types get your power from (in the main)
Coal. We have more of it than you.

We should go nuclear because again, we have more of it than you... and everybody else.

Personally I wouldnt want to go nuclear. There are so many alternatives out there , we just dont need to. Dont hate it though. Nuclear costs heaps and takes many years to work, may as well use alternatives.

2009-04-01 04:17:51

#14

Amdi Peter: peut-être; +111|5976|paris

Nice

How much did it cost?

2009-04-01 04:18:29

#15

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

Cheez wrote:
Look at me! I'm a QLDer! I chopped down all the trees cause the birds at 4am were giving me the shits. Now there's all these bugs around. Fuck this, I'm knocking off early to pretend to be a Schoolie.

Dude you have serious QLDer envy, if we suck so much then why do so many Victorians move up here?

PS, yes house is small , but we are OK with that.

2009-04-01 04:18:33

#16

DonFck: Hibernator; +3,227|7060|Finland

Burwhale wrote:
Flecco wrote:
FatherTed wrote:
where do you aussie types get your power from (in the main)
Coal. We have more of it than you.

We should go nuclear because again, we have more of it than you... and everybody else.
Personally I wouldnt want to go nuclear. There are so many alternatives out there , we just dont need to. Dont hate it though. Nuclear costs heaps and takes many years to work, may as well use alternatives.

Like koalas. On treadmills. Awesome.

On topic: Very nice! (and probably expensive)

I need around tree fiddy.

2009-04-01 04:30:45

#17

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

DonFck wrote:
On topic: Very nice! (and probably expensive)

Probably not as expensive as you may think. After the govt rebate, and considering the bulk buy factor, its very reasonable. If it wasnt well priced we couldnt afford it.

2009-04-01 04:33:01

#18

Jestar: Shifty's Home Number: 02 9662 8432; +373|7169

You know that the amount of energy, resources and manpower required to create a solar panel takes a long period of usage to even out. They're also very inefficient. On the other hand, they raise awareness, which is always good.

2009-04-01 04:47:32

#19

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

Jestar wrote:
You know that the amount of energy, resources and manpower required to create a solar panel takes a long period of usage to even out. They're also very inefficient. On the other hand, they raise awareness, which is always good.

There is a myth around that solar power panels take more energy to make than they produce, its not true. Of course it will take a while to cover the resources that it took to create the panels ( one source I read about said 2 years), but they have a 25 year life span, so should do really well over time. Its true that they are not hugely efficient, but my array, with solar water will take care of all our power needs, so efficiency isnt really an issue. Contrast that with the amount of crap that comes out of a coal fired power station, and we are way ahead. Coal fired power stations emit more uranium than uranium powered stations. Not to mention Mercury etc..

2009-04-01 05:03:48

#20

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|7093|NT, like Mick Dundee

Burwhale wrote:
Coal fired power stations emit more uranium than uranium powered stations.

Did I read that correctly?

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2009-04-01 05:04:32

#21

FatherTed: xD; +3,936|6928|so randum

Flecco wrote:
Burwhale wrote:
Coal fired power stations emit more uranium than uranium powered stations.

Did I read that correctly?

Probably true, since nuke plants don't emit uranium.

Small hourglass island
Always raining and foggy
Use an umbrella

2009-04-01 05:09:48

#22

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|7093|NT, like Mick Dundee

FatherTed wrote:
Flecco wrote:
Burwhale wrote:
Coal fired power stations emit more uranium than uranium powered stations.

Did I read that correctly?
Probably true, since nuke plants don't emit uranium.

Waste product though... They don't emit it but you do have to get rid of it.

I reckon they should put it in lead capsules and fire it at the sun or summat.

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2009-04-01 05:23:22

#23

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

Flecco wrote:
Burwhale wrote:
Coal fired power stations emit more uranium than uranium powered stations.

Did I read that correctly?

True story ( although I possibly should have said "radioactive elements " instead of uranium.

source

wiki wrote:
Radioactive trace elements
As most ores in the Earth's crust, coal also contains low levels of uranium, thorium, and other naturally-occurring radioactive isotopes whose release into the environment leads to radioactive contamination. While these substances are present as very small trace impurities, enough coal is burned that significant amounts of these substances are released. A 1,000 MW coal-burning power plant could release as much as 5.2 tons/year of uranium (containing 74 pounds (34 kg) of uranium-235) and 12.8 tons/year of thorium. The radioactive emission from this coal power plant is 100 times greater than a comparable nuclear power plant with the same electrical output; including processing output, the coal power plant's radiation output is over 3 times greater.

2009-04-01 05:33:01

#24

The A W S M F O X: I Won't Deny It; +172|6112|SQUID

wow everyone in here has read the wiki on renewable energy

2009-04-01 05:44:13

#25

Burwhale: Save the BlobFish!; +136|6651|Brisneyland

The A W S M F O X wrote:
wow everyone in here has read the wiki on renewable energy

Funny, I posted the wiki on fossil fuels.

BF2S Forums Burwhale goes solar.

Cheez wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

TC.Troy wrote:

Flecco wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

Flecco wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

Cheez wrote:

Burwhale wrote:

Flecco wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

DonFck wrote:

Jestar wrote:

Burwhale wrote:

Flecco wrote:

Burwhale wrote:

FatherTed wrote:

Flecco wrote:

Burwhale wrote:

Flecco wrote:

Burwhale wrote:

wiki wrote:

The A W S M F O X wrote:

Board footer