(16-04-2024, 01:30 PM)nzoomed Wrote: ....Sounds like a plan. a few things that come to mind are that the best return you can gain from home solar is for the electricity you consume from it instantaneously which offsets that which you would otherwise be importing. That ensures the value of that generation to you is essentially full retail including GST which is far higher than any FIT (Feed In Tariff) on offer. A battery system can be used to time shift your generation capacity across the day but the cost of batteries needs to be factored against any potential import reduction they can achieve. If you have a storage HWC a power diverter such as a NZ made Paladin can divert excess generation into hot water thereby using your HWC as a battery (energy storage device) for far less cost than a home battery.
Im looking at installing some on my garage roof, I could easily fit 5kw on my garage roof alone on the northwest facing side and about another 3.5kw on the north east side, that would significantly cut my power bill right down, i dont use an awful amount of power currently, so i think that would be plenty.
Be aware that most lines companies in NZ have a 5kW/phase limit on the excess generation you can export which means that the system needs to monitor export levels and throttle back the inverter to ensure this maximum export. Having a PV system that is significantly greater than 5kW capacity is only viable if you can maintain a 'base load' of consumption that results in less than 5kW of 'excess'. Having a split panel set-up with morning and afternoon aspects can also address the export cap by ensuring that the whole capacity of your solar isn't generating at any given time.