Spending the kids' inheritance - I have the power!

It all started when I was considering the heat issues associated with my north facing back roof - flat and metal! I decided a fly roof of sorts was needed and considered laying brush fencing or shade cloth over it. I even considered a roof-top garden. Then thought an actual tropical fly roof would work. Ah! but what if that fly roof was clad with solar panels. But wait! Solar panels can go straight on the roof as it is at the moment!

Voila!

Although the panels are shaded early morning they use technology to overcome this. I could have even fitted on a few more but because of discrepancy with the layout of the office and the actual installer I did not know that at the time. Even at 6:30am I am producing. The cost of my solar panel roof was roughly the same as adding a fly roof and it is earning me money.

I have kept my old solar system (10 years old) that is mostly on the western pitched roof. When it dies I'll consider what to do next but by then technology will be even more advanced. I have also kept my old working solar hot water system. Again, when it dies I'll reconsider and maybe just use an electric hot water system with a tank closer to where I need the hot water so I don't lose as much heat in cold pipes.

My Solar Analytics software is throwing a wobbly at the moment trying to integrate all these various readings it is receiving but that will be sorted eventually with people coming from each different company and scratching their head a lot over my meter board layout. At the moment my graph reads that I am actually UNconsuming power which is impossible.

To use some of my excess power I have now had air con installed in my lounge room and bedroom. I can heat/cool the rooms in the middle of the day (when the sun shines) using the double brick walls to store that temperature for when I need it in the evenings.

    

Of course I am also feeding into the grid and offsetting my power bills. When batteries become a better/cheaper option I will consider installing one. You never know, I might eventually be off grid.