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Forum Index : Solar : free electricity - for 3 hours a day
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poida Guru  Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1470 |
wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers |
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| poida Guru Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1470 |
yes, Vic govt plans to give us 3 hours of free electricity from 1 Oct 2026. https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/households/save-energy-and-money/victorian-midday-power-saver this will make it a good thing to (ab)use to charge the battery/car/etc at FULL POWA!! since it's free. then use that stored energy to power things as they need it in the afternoon and evening. I don't know how this is supposed to work but all I can see is free 30 or 40 Amps at 240V going into the car or maybe run the dishwasher or cook dinner in the oven or something. Me? I will use the 2kW Eltek charger and parallel it with the other Eltek charger and top up my battery for free. Maybe also run the vodka still on it too. why not? wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers |
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KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
Basically a PR stunt, most people will likely think they are getting some real bill shock relief  The access time they chose for this "free power" should be all you need to realise what the game is. I like your thinking, take advantage of this clown show while you can. NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6519 |
Some of us in Tasmania have had something similar for a while now. Aurora will announce "Power Hours" and list a selection of timeslots. The latest was over the Anzac weekend. Before that Easter etc. You choose the timeslot you want and you get that 2,3 or 4 hour period free. Yes, I charge the car to take advantage of it. I assume it is done to train us to be flexible with our power usage, ready for when time of day power rates become more prevalent. Some of the selection for End of autumn event:  Jim VK7JH MMedit |
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| Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 647 |
Jim that sounds like they are trying to soak up the excess power produced by rooftop solar. Being off grid I don't hear about stuff like free hours of power. Maybe I need to run a couple of wires out to the 11kv line that runs through out property and use some of their free power on cloudy days. I am sure they would be happy to see a small transformer and a couple of alligator clips on their lines. |
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| TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6519 |
That is part of the story but only part. With hydro, it is relatively easy to cover the peaks and dips even with the current distribution system configuration. This time of the year, 2pm - 5pm is not peak solar and some of the timeslots have been well into the night. They also let us change out chosen timeslot up to 5 minutes before it starts. I do forget the time often so my saving can be 50 cents but other times I wind the car charger up and get a useful saving. VK7JH MMedit |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
Some of those time slots are at least usable  unlike a few hours around midday, and vehicle charging is one of the few uses that would make a meaningful difference in yearly cost, or perhaps switching a BIG electric Hot water system on at the desired time each day, but a large E-HWS would likely be on an off peak rate connection in any case?. Edited 2026-04-30 10:12 by KeepIS NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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| poida Guru Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1470 |
one thing though - I think you need to be on a time of use plan. we are NOT on that, we are with AUSNET, who only just recently offer TOU plans now. I wonder how this thing from VIC gov will work with those of us not on TOU plans. some sort of enforced plan changes for all of us in VIC? anyway, this is just pissing into the wind really, when it comes to dealing with the end stages of the fossil fuel/orgasmic/endless growth_n_jobs/mania we call (ahem) normal. I think it's time go off-grid. get a huge forklift battery. put sh*t-loads of panels on the roof. and cut off the gas too. Gas providers might be nice in person but the industry that extracts it really, really need to get f**ked. without lube. sorry for the rant but I AM OVER IT. wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers |
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| poida Guru Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1470 |
why the rant? get a load of this: https://reneweconomy.com.au/plan-to-increase-fixed-network-costs-will-take-from-the-poor-give-to-the-rich-and-slash-returns-on-pv-and-batteries/ wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers |
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Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1247 |
I'm sure I mentioned the daily connection fee (about 6 months ago) going up, when I was on grid the daily connection fee cost as much as the consumption, after trying to use less and less power it was futile, also the first step was running the house off grid with the utility available, it didn't take long to prove the system then get rid of the utility supply. Don't be scared of your thinking you need the utility as backup.......you don't! most of us will have an easy back up plan in place, inverter parts etc. Be aware that its a one way trip, getting the utility reconnected is similar to a new house build, all house wiring will have to be inspected and perhaps redone, plus many other expenses, if your not selling well then its no problem.  Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
This has already started to be drip fed through the media in the typical pathetic attempt to condition the sheep to ignore the planed changes, it will be good for those lesser off and you will be happy This is just one part of the horror that is coming for us, I posted the green Home certification a while back, this will be optional of course initially!!, and will create a $15,000 to $45,000 cost upgrade to the dwelling before you can sell you home, or even get insurance as time goes by. The roll out has already started, many reports from home owners, but just not in the MS Media. And like all these helpful regulations, they are here to save you money, trust us, you'll see.Aaron, a month or so ago, the Main Fuse in the street Green Pillar (underground power) blew, that happened when the sparky was preparing to change the Mains-Gen auto changeover switch to a Manual Mains-Gen switch. I'll might post about that in my main Inverter build, anyway, the Fuse was only a 60A and had been there for 15 years, incorrectly fitted by another sparky back then, and never corrected. I had to get the Energy supplier to do that as rules have been changed a bit, they confirmed the low value Fuse. However, without the street backup power, I suddenly felt very vulnerable, even though we have been 100% off grid for over 12 months, the feeling that there was no fallback if the Inverter failed was very disconcerting, even though I have spare boards, mainly because of the fact that we have two Fridge Freezers crammed full of meat etc. Anyway, I waited a month before getting the AC restored, that gave the sparky a chance to do some upgrades in-between jobs, without getting fried by un-switched street mains flowing through the Fuse box. Remember the days when the Main Power switch once did exactly that. Anyway, by the end of the month the anxiety of no mains AC backup had pretty much gone  As I said, I have full running backup boards, but I now have decided to finish the 4kW backup inverter (WG design of course) and also start making a few of poidas and WG MPPT controllers, I have 8 boards , that should now cover just about everything, Oh and some spare solar panels as well.Now lets hope they don't change a rule to stop properties with power from disconnecting from the grid while we still can, at the moment. Don't scoff at the thought of that, remember, shareholder $$$$$$ rule supreme.   How does that Michael Jackson song, "They don't really ........" NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
Sometimes rants are absolutely worth it, just to get it out, the frustration just builds and drives us crazy, I 1000% agree with what you said, no apology ever needed. NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
xxx Edited 2026-05-10 15:38 by KeepIS NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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| Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1247 |
Hi Mike, Yes Totally agree, but thinking of ways you can mitigate such a situation, last Wednesday one safety switch tripped 10 minuets after I left, this left the freezer (full of meat, Ice blocks and other goodies) without power for 3 Hours, the other 4 fridge and freezers were on 2 other inverters and different circuits so all those were ok, Reset the safety switch and no trips since, Might need another thread for some ideas to change fridge power over to another power source if the safety switch trips. I wondered if there if there is an unwritten 5 year Rule, that they don't bother us if we have been off grid for that time or longer...? Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
I would say if you go off grid (street disconnected) before any rule change, you would be fine. At this stage, in overall terms, there are very little off grid, and I don't think they will worry about rural off grid, they might even encourage it. Yes, we might have discussion re backups in another thread BTW, my inverter is not fazed at all by an AC short / fault. Cheers. NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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| Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 647 |
I am not sure why the rules changed other than the fact that Standards Australia are a for profit mob who have to keep making rules to sell books. But it used to be that fridges and freezers were on their own circuit without an RCD. The reason was that any nuisance tripping of the RCD would not do what happened to you KeepIS. I have been off grid now since the mid 1970s. I have a much bigger system now than then, and also have plenty of backups. No generator but I do have around 5 inverters all up. I use one inverter for our small house, another one for the shed supply, plus a spare that can be switched to either building. Having backups ready to swap takes a lot of the fear out of being totally off grid. I too wonder if some wonder kid economist in the government will think it is a good idea to charge us for the sunlight we use. Apparently in the good old USA some states do not allow you to collect rainwater. So one would think that banning the collection of sunshine may be on the cards. Especially with the nutjob that is running the place now. pete |
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| poida Guru Joined: 02/02/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1470 |
Grodoh: I expect we will see off-grid becoming a reason to condemn a house, in the suburbs. no chance for this in the sticks. but once you choose off-grid in the 'burbs, you get increasingly angry letters from the local council, until the sheriff turns up in his Hilux. I see this as part of end-stage capitalism, where all stops are pulled out to "just get all the money from the little people, and fast, too. move it to our owners fast." Not local council fault, they are just following orders. from state and federal govt. And those 2 can also say "it's just the way it has to be now", as directed by our owners (vis a vis USA/UK/OThers creditors and what not) I read recently that the 4 or 5x increase in connection charges thing was "consulted with community expressions of interest and submissions" and about 85% was against it. But it's locked in and they are just doing what they have to do which is ask interested parties what they think. and then ignore them and go ahead with the plan. so here we are in AUS: huge build out of roof-top solar huge build out of batteries in most of the new ones so much chatter from our leadership about renewable energy seeming to be making some progress to get off the FF teat but clearly it's not that simple for many opaque reasons. some clear ones too. just read The Australian and the AFR for guidance on what our owners would prefer us to do. I despair at this failure of public policy, political courage and nation building. we failed with this in the recent past and are failing worse now with this crap. wronger than a phone book full of wrong phone numbers |
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| KeepIS Guru Joined: 13/10/2014 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2131 |
Just on the subject of RCD (RCBO) tripping, I have RCBO on every circuit including Fridge, Freezers, Stove, all Workshop equipment etc. They never randomly trip with earth fault, unless the circuit has one of course, like moisture once in an outside power socket for one of the water pumps. I occasionally test them with a "simulated person," a box containing two resistors, a 30mA or 50mA select switch, push test button, and an earth probe. The simple "Inbuilt RCBO" test switch is OK, but it's not a real test of the circuit IMHO. When the old analogue meters were upgraded 16 years ago for solar in-feed, the SEALED simple Digital meter and old analogue Off peak meter, along with the off peak analogue freq switch were all wired directly from street power via a Tag-sealed plug in Fuse link. So there are always a number of live TAG-SEALED cabling connections and cases in all Fuse boxes, as opposed to just the old almost hidden Active line from the street to the underside of the Main Fuse box power Breaker, this is now a Mains disconnect for the Individual Circuit Fuse and RCBOs only, with the exception of the off Peak HOT WATER, which is also always live, and quite often runs through the building to the HWS. You can see a lot of heated debate in AU amongst electricians about this if you search for it. Sorry for getting a bit off topic here  EDIT: The old RCD's were upgraded a few years back to quality RCBO, so maybe that's the reason I don't suffer from the nuisance tripping, which I've also read about and that Godoh mentioned. . Edited 2026-05-12 10:46 by KeepIS NANO:Inverter V 8.2ks - Linux AvrDude GUI script V4.1 |
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