Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

A feed-in tariff is a premium rate paid for electricity produced by a renewable source such as a grid connected rooftop solar system or wind turbine, usually over and above the market rate.

National gross feed in tariff programs have been established around the world, resulting in increased uptake of solar and wind power systems by home owners and businesses .

We've waited long enough for the Australian Government to act decisively - it's time to push the issue of national gross feed in tariffs; particularly after the recent Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting where principles tabled were far removed from how a feed in tariff system should operate. Sign the petition - http://www.feedintariff.com.au/

Most states have a buy-back rate for grid tie systems... except NSW... which has announced they will be doing so...

But yeah... lets push the buggers along as you say Westy... I've signed...

Now we just have to get them to (re)apply a "rebate" to every solar installation... regardless of income...

In Queensland they only pay you for what the system produces over and above what your house consumes. Even though we're paid a higher rate for this excess than we pay for grid power small systems can't take advantage. The Idea is to be paid a higher rate for all the power the system produces even if you consume it yourself, creating incentive for every household and business have a system no matter how small or large.

Ah .. OK Westy.... hadn't realised that... thought it would only be for excess fed back to the grid... interesting....

But how is the government going to be convinced to pay a "premium" rate for the power that we actually consume ourselves....

Around here, wholesale producers get paid wholesale rates to sell power to the power company (or to consumers). The consumers also pay a fairly large charge for use of the grid to transfer power from producer to consumer. So while a producer might get $0.10/Kw-hr, the consumer will pay double or triple that (or more).

What we have here in California is "net metering", where we get paid exactly what we would have been charge for the same power, assuming we are using some approved source like solar. It makes money for the power transmission companies as solar produces power at peak demand times (at least in our climate) and sure is nicer for us than selling them our excess at the low wholesale rates.

Some countries (Germany, etc) have a lot more incentives that, I assume, make the seller some real bucks. Germany has really raised the worldwide price of panels by soaking up the world supply: they cost more recently than about four years ago. Too bad: we would have installed a lot more in sunny California if they had not installed so many in cloudy Germany. Unintended consequences!

yep, I was told (if I understood right) that Germany has a deal where you sign a 20yr contract with the power supplier, so you know you'll get returns even if government policy changes next election. They get paid double (Ithink) the going consumer rate, on a completely separate meter.
Apparently some people have taken out loans for panels, paid off the loan in the first 10 years, the rest is 100% profit

So now big companies are putting millions into solar panel farms as a pure money making venture...and just happen to do something worthwhile at the same time

Rupe - haven't they done a backflip on the means testing of solar panel rebate. I think the changes jick in from June/July???

In November 2008, I contacted several electricity retailers (here in S.Australia) re 'feed in tariffs'.
South Australia Electricity: no feed in tariff paid
ORIGIN ENERGY : no feed in tariff paid
AGL : yes 44c/Kw feed in paid
TRUenergy : initially no feed in tariff paid. One week later: YES we pay 64c/Kw

So we signed up with TRUenergy.

About a week later we were contacted by South Australia Electricity, YES we will pay 44c/Kw feed in tariff,

By that time we had already signed up with TRUenergy.

heka