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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Snowy" data-cid="567070" data-time="1458856604">
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<p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:14px;color:rgb(0,0,0);">As I understand it the Panasonic is slightly bigger at around 8kw, but also in dimensions</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The panasonic guy told me on the phone that the Tesla will only take it's own inverter, so if you already have PV panels you need to buy the Tesla inverter. Panasonic can be retrofitted.</span></span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Great thing about the batteries is that you don't need to change the way you do things as much. We try to only run large appliances on sunny days, etc but with the battery you are using your own stored power, so not such an issue.</span></span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully I can get one soon.</span></span></p>
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<p>I had some points for this, but first, read this spec sheet:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.panasonic.com/au/consumer/energy-solutions/residential-storage-battery-system/lj-sk84a.specs.html'>http://www.panasonic.com/au/consumer/energy-solutions/residential-storage-battery-system/lj-sk84a.specs.html</a></p>
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<p>The two weights given - 84kg *159kg with battery - indicates (not saying its definite) that Panasonic are actually selling the battery management system - an <em>84kg battery management system</em> - as a package with the batteries. Can one exclude the other? Why list two weights? Or is the Panasonic doing a bit of inverter crossover piece here?</p>
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<p>I'm not sure about backwards compatibility with the Panasonic, however I'd be very leery of assuming <em>every </em>inverter just works with it. Age of your hardware or the skill of the sparky hooking it up could be critical. If the Panasonic battery management setup can act like a grid export it should be OK, as I believe most recent manufacture inverters can be rigged to have multiple import/exports, or inverters daisy-chained.</p>
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<p>I assume it needs to sit on the ground at that weight, so plan for a solid structure under it.</p>
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<p>Maximum flow is 2kW, with 1kW in backup mode. To put that into perspective, it will barely get your kettle fired up or run an electric oven. They don't list a "peak" mode</p>
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<p>The Tesla has standard of 2kW and peak of 3.3kW. Not that you'd want to use it because it would flatten the thing in short order. </p>
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<p>Tesla is 95kg and wall mounted - best to mount externally to brick from the looks of the mounting brackets. I talked to the lead sparky and engineer and they said they'd support stud wall mounting but neither looked thrilled about it. </p>
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<p>The Tesla is just a battery, stated compatibility at this point is with the SolarEdge inverters with StorEdge battery manager (like mine) or the Fronius setup. I've also discovered today from talking with the SolarEdge manufacturer that there is a bit of lag (a few seconds) when peaks come on e.g. in the morning when we boil the kettle, the battery gets a lot of the power in there but the grid is called on. Wish I could change that.</p>
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<p>Also need to consider placement and ambient temperature after a <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://reneweconomy.com.au/2016/fire-sparks-concerns-over-lack-of-standards-on-battery-storage-52193'>Chinese cheapo caught fire</a> - though it looks like the install was a dog's breakfast. And I would <em>never</em> put a battery in the garage where a hot car and a summer's day can drive temps over 50C. Must also be said that installer and product quality shouldn't be an issue for any of the majors (Tesla, Panasonic, LG, etc) because they're simply not going to deal with little operations. Sub-contractors are another matter.</p>
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<p>Get the biggest fucking solar panel array you can but <em>ensure</em> the inverter can handle your array size as a minimum, and hopefully more. Reason by example: let's say my panels are cranking at 4kW and the battery is full, but the house needs 6kW - I still need to pull 1kW in from the grid because my inverter is 5kW. It will take 4 from the panels, 1 from the battery, and 1 from the grid. Hard limit.</p>
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<p>I'm going to write a two-part blog on the ROI (payback time) thing, because I've seen a few people add it up by counting feed-in-tariff versus self-generation over whatever and blah blah blah. They never seem to include the vital stats of the house.</p>
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<p>I'm taking more of a macro approach i.e. of my power bill, how much do I expect the panels and battery to save me, divide the purchase cost by that figure, and arrive somewhere between 8-10.5 years.</p>
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<p>That is, if the wife stops using the fucking oven on cloudy days :ireful: I go away hiking with the boy and THAT shit goes down...</p> -
<p>I think you're going to have to consider an oven amnesty mate. Sure those batches of muffins will add up over the years but I'd trade a longer ROI for a happier domestic front :whistle:</p>
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<p><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzm1v1BPjf1r36e0do1_500.jpg" alt="tumblr_lzm1v1BPjf1r36e0do1_500.jpg"></p>
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.solarcity.co.nz/residential/product/solar-care/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwid63BRCswIGqyOubtrUBEiQAvTol0SAno6egLwkyh5f116hKyhiP3MbXdjVTAH77W8lFI0saAoYA8P8HAQ'>http://www.solarcity.co.nz/residential/product/solar-care/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwid63BRCswIGqyOubtrUBEiQAvTol0SAno6egLwkyh5f116hKyhiP3MbXdjVTAH77W8lFI0saAoYA8P8HAQ</a><br><br>
Interesting concept, 20yr contract effectively? Be interested to talk to someone else whose done this. -
Be interested to see if they're the same as these guys:<br><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.solarcity.com">http://www.solarcity.com</a><br><br>
A lot of the site content matches -
<p>yeah when I saw them on google (saw an ad on FB) I wondered that too, I expect so as you say, too similar otherwise.</p>
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<p>The power resale guys I'm running a pilot site with (<a href="http://www.repositpower.com/)%C2"></a> like me to attend an Energy Networks conference in Adelaide next month. They're paying for everything. </p>
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<p>Time to dust off the suit and break out the networking attitude.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="567388" data-time="1458983570">
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<p>That is, if the wife stops using the fucking oven on cloudy days :ireful: I go away hiking with the boy and THAT shit goes down...</p>
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<p>Ok I give up... was this a serous comment?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="573098" data-time="1460935913">
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<p>If it interferes with my financial goals, it is looked down upon.</p>
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<p>Is that so hard for a neo-liberalist like you to understand? :)</p>
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<p>I just think losing 50% of your house and other assets might not be a good plan in the scheme of financial goals....</p> -
<p>Well, that's a risk whether I have solar panels or not :)</p>
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<p>Anyway, because that oven started shitting itself, and they don't make replacement parts for it any more*, we bought a new one on the weekend. Given what that cost, I've earned the right to bitch a little about the usage.</p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12px;">* 5 year old oven, made by Westinghouse BUT it was built in Italy. The company that made it went bust, so no more spare parts. Fuck.</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="573134" data-time="1460938853">
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<p>we bought a new one on the weekend. Given what that cost, I've earned the right to bitch a little about the usage.</p>
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<p>But did it cost more because of you or her?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="573166" data-time="1460940854">
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<p>Her. I was happy with the slightly lower-priced model, but it was only 5-burner and didn't have a defrost mode.</p>
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<p>We use the sun to defrost as well, we just cut out the middle device.</p>
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<p>5 burners? pfft.. I can see why you avoided that nonsense!</p> -
<p>Surely you'd be looking at either an induction top if staying electric or (if you use the oven a lot) go gas?</p>
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<p>Ovens aren't the most efficient devices and using one for defrosting is plain silly on both energy consumption and food safety grounds.</p> -
The oven is a standalone 900mm electric twin fan Smeg, with a gas 6-burner hob.<br><br>
Love the gas cooktops - can't really get my head around induction for stir-fry of any kind. Primal urge for flame? Dunno. Its kind of the fossil fuel we want to have, though the gas hot water is going for solar as soon as I can manage it.<br><br>
Tried to talk the wife into fan forced gas oven, but she doesn't dig it. And, as Hooroo said above somewhere: its another fossil fuel.<br><br><br>
The defrost function for the oven is not used frequently, and only raises temperature to about 30C in most ovens. It is a better result than the microwave in my opinion. -
<p>Just spoke to the solar city guy and they can provide a Panasonic in a few months time. 11K - seriously expensive - so will have to work out the repayment time. Might work if I go off grid 'cause that will save $53 a month as well as the usage but need to do some sums to see if it will save over a reasonable time.</p>
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<p>Tesla still not available in NZ through vector but probably not too far away. Have heard that the cars will be available soon too, along with a whole charging station setup. All rumour but will be great if they do it, I will be in.</p>
Solar Power and Storage - a nerd's view