Quote:
Originally Posted by Top_oz
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So either they jack up the c/kWh rates, so you have non-solar customers subsidising those with solar, or they reach a point where you pay $x,000 p.a. to have the security of the grid connection. I suspect consumers won't like either scenario.
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Not entirely right I din't think. They set differential rates depending whether you have solar or not. So already, there is a solar penalty built in to the pricing models.
Another factor that I believe will kick in sometime this year is a new demand-based tarrif structure - i.e. you pay substantiaslly more in peak demand periods (when you are cooking dinner or running an aircon during the day or running a HWS). If this happens, strategies currently used to mitigate power bills by solar won't work as well. For example, I have my HWS on a timer that kicks in at 11 a.m. and out at noon - i.e. peak solar times so the solar covers the whole cosumption of power for hot water. Pool pumps can similarly be configured to run only between say 8 am and 4 pm so they too can use the solar power you are generating (or some of it).
When demand-based tariffs come into play, I think I will have another look at Tesla-type storage batteries. At current price-points, these can't ever hope to cover their cost until the warranty has expired - 10 years or so. But the game changes with demand tariffs.