Consumer.org is a trusted go-to online information source for kiwis looking at doing a bit of research before considering a purchase. Their information on Grid-tied PV Solar Systems is aligned with our thoughts on PowerBOS.
www.consumer.org.nz exerpt:
This year, researchers at the University of Canterbury Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre) published a paper investigating the economics of residential PV generation. They calculated the theoretical NPVs for installing a grid-tied solar system in more than 2000 houses in Christchurch with varying energy consumption patterns.
Its key finding was since buy-back rates are so much lower than retail power prices (7-8¢/kWh vs 26¢/kWh), the only way you’ll get a good return is by using most of the power generated by the panels in your home, rather than selling it back into the grid.
Dr Allan Miller, EPECentre director and co-author of the paper, says households that gained the most from PV systems were generally high-energy users who consumed a lot of power during the day.
“Their energy consumption suggests large homes, with other high-electrical energy use such as a heated swimming pool,” Dr Miller says.
What about batteries?
The mismatch between when solar panels generate power and when most of us need it raises an obvious question: is there an affordable way to store energy in the home? Unfortunately, for grid-connected homes, the answer at this stage is no. The cost of batteries means retail power is currently much cheaper than generating electricity from panels and storing it for later use.
All of these discussions support the argument for PowerBOS in New Zealand. If you think PowerBOS is for you, contact us and we’ll book in a time to come and see you.
