Todae Solar Case Study - Gympie, QLD
Ted and Pam Uebergang – Gympie, Queensland
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“Power has always been too
cheap in Australia
but that’s changing. Environmental arguments aside, this has got to be
a very compelling reason to invest in solar
and other renewable energy systems.”
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Ted and Pam
Uebergang live in a three-bedroom, single storey property near Gympie, three hours north
of Brisbane.
Air conditioners are used for heating and cooling; hot water and
cooking is also electric.
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As a result energy usage is reasonably high for a
two-person household. So when the federal government raised the capital
rebate to $8,000 in May 2007, the couple decided it was time to invest in solar and reduce their carbon
footprint.
Todae installed a 2 kW system in October 2007.
So far the 12-panel system has cut the household electricity bill by close
to a fifth. With the money saved through the rebate, Ted and Pam have also
installed an evacuated tube solar hot water system and a small standalone solar-wind hybrid
system that supplies additional power to the house via a battery bank. “On
a good day in summer, we can run the whole house on just the standalone
set-up, while our grid connected solar system supplies the grid and we get paid for that!”
Asked about their choice to switch over to
renewable energy, the couple agreed it was satisfying to know that they’re
now generating their own electricity. Also since the grid interactive
system was installed, the Queensland
government have introduced a higher tariff for renewable energy supplied by
residential systems. “We’re charged around 13 cents a kilowatt hour when we
use electricity from the grid but get paid three times that by the power
company when we feed it back!” explained Ted. “We’re already seeing a good
return on the system because of that.”
Summing what they would say to anyone
considering solar, Ted says, “Electricity prices will only go up in the
future. Power has always been too cheap in Australia
but that’s changing. Environmental arguments aside, this has got to be a
very compelling reason to invest in solar and other renewable energy systems before there’s a
mad rush. We’re very, very pleased that we took the decision to do this and
I can honestly say I’m hooked on renewable energy. We’re looking to invest
in a small hydro system now – there’s no stopping us!”
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Solar System Specifications:
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SYSTEM SIZE: 2.1 kW grid connect
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HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USAGE: 17 kWh per day
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ACTUAL SYSTEM OUTPUT: 9.2 kWh per day
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OPTIMUM SYSTEM OUTPUT: 12.1 kWh per day
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CO2 SAVED: 1.79 tonnes per year
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ELECTRICITY SAVING: 46.6%
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