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Date: Sun, 04 Nov 2012 09:43:28 +1000
From: Adam Nielsen <a.niel...@shikadi.net>
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To: hackerspace_brisbane@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Solar power and usage monitoring
References: <CANnr-cvPCOM48SHYnbBZjZx9qxB5GeEEarzp+9fNWScqJzm...@mail.gmail.com> <CAPYd8GsJsZZgdgH0_c1-_-N+xrPJ13=oHadSBSzt10Wfhr+...@mail.gmail.com> <CANnr-csLJf7KCXkGP-gO9ZPx9WUpfYy3So28yrpgN=Hyf4i...@mail.gmail.com> <CANnr-ctntHPAYCL4HCe41DBUhWsNGO0hSYg_i8TENT9fyNU...@mail.gmail.com> <CAKZ1cTxnWLemQdx_9hpbnW=nOhzuBp+Th1egWRkczAA+6Mj...@mail.gmail.com> <CANnr-cunadbHnG3soN+0TVcivYp-0H+aexex1CoGLcpzPSK...@mail.gmail.com> <CAKZ1cTw07JtObNsvDrb_096safbOpqPub2ySU+N9ti=dZJq...@mail.gmail.com> <CANnr-ctoLXvu50oDdhXQs6YzTZqhSj+yO_0yPzAx0LqQa2p...@mail.gmail.com> <CAKZ1cTz1uyiWZv5YaEgyxB3x8_ddSUNYP7J0kyGArVaqfzk...@mail.gmail.com> <CA+g76ao24pcyMBC4PeSCehhoJU4q5RuGdBERqdh4XkbLE_-...@mail.gmail.com> <CA+w-GAb0Mxs1ZP90MCphevsP65SzivBv8VrQPgukM__PMHO...@mail.gmail.com>
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> This way you can see if you turn your fridge off during the day you can make
> more money because essentially you have to pay yourself 50c kwh for the power
> that you use during the day and your fridge will stay cold during the 6 hr
> period. Old people do this with a simple timer you buy from bunnings.

Does it really work like that?  I was told the way it works is that at the end 
of the quarter, the amount of power you generated is subtracted from what you 
used, and you pay the remaining about.

This way it doesn't matter when you use the power, i.e. turning your fridge 
off during the day would reduce your bill by the same amount as turning it off 
overnight, or turning the thermostat up so it's warmer all the time.

It also means that the utility would never pay you any money unless you 
generated more electricity than you used 24/7 throughout the entire quarter, 
which I thought was the 'catch' - you only get paid the premium rate once you 
generate more than you use in total.

If this is wrong, it would mean that you could set up a large UPS system and 
run your whole house off batteries during the day, pumping all the solar power 
into the grid, then charge the batteries overnight (or via one of the cheap 
rate tariffs like hot water) so you get paid the premium rate for every last 
watt of solar power.

Cheers,
Adam.