Positronic Solar Data and Electrical

04/03/2025

It looks like we're going to get a bit of weather in the next couple of days.
This video we made in 2011 is worth a watch if your string inverter is in a flood zone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAcVXbB58kI
Make sure you read the 'About' notes as well.
If you have an Enphase system, you don't have a DC voltage problem so this video doesn't apply.
If your switchboards are likely to get flooded, turn off the main switch as you wade out the gate.
Your inverter will switch itself off if the grid goes down so if you're not getting flooded you don't need to do anything with your solar. It will turn itself back on when the grid comes back.
If you have an Enphase or Sigenstore battery, lucky you.
If you don't have a Sigenstore battery and you'd like one, drop us a line - [email protected]
Good luck.
See you when the mud dries.

This was filmed during the 2011 Brisbane floods. You can hear it coming down by the bucketload in the background. By following this pretty simple procedure y...

20/01/2025

Avid readers will know I'm not keen on batteries.
20 years living off grid will do that to you...
They're not an economic solution, the cost of the battery is more than you'll ever save.
However, I don't think grid reliability is going to improve, what with increased storm activity and increased loads due to EVs etc.
Extended blackouts lasting days or weeks are quite possible: https://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au/story/8871231/hunter-residents-face-power-outages-four-days-after-storm/
A properly sized battery system tied to your panels will allow you to run your entire house off grid indefinitely.
We've been installing Sigenergy systems for the past few months. They are compact, relatively economical (ie cheaper than Enphase or Tesla), have an excellent app, work well with Enphase systems and provide true three phase backup.

Again, batteries won't save you money. If you buy a battery for blackout protection any savings (and there will be savings) are a bonus. These savings will not pay off the cost of the battery before the battery needs replacing.

If you're on the 44c FIT you can't install batteries and keep the 44c.
I'm replacing my system, a 15 year old Xantrex/ET Solar in a couple of weeks.
It will be swapped out with Aiko panels and a Sigenergy 5kW hybrid inverter with no battery.
When 1 July 2028 rolls around and the FIT ends I'll add batteries to it. If, in the meantime, blackouts do get overly tedious I can add batteries to it quickly and easily, but I'll be giving up the FIT.

If you want more detail please send an email to [email protected]
We have production/consumption logs and installation photos for most of our existing customers and can tailor a design to suit your situation.

happydaze,
John

14/01/2025

Dane started with Positronic as a first year apprentice in 2019 and graduated at the end of last year. He's just completed his Grid Connect Solar, Design and Installation certification and today was his first job as boss.
15 x Aiko 470s on Enphase IQ8HC.
https://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?id=124543&sid=107505
As is always the case with Dane, he did an excellent job.

14/01/2025

Q. Why is Positronic more expensive?
A. Because we sell quality systems that last.

"In my 15th year and powered up the monitoring for the first time in about 5 years over Chrissy....still going strong !" - The Craw

https://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?userid=1195

31/12/2024

Listen to Shane Doherty on 4BC Summer Drive weekdays from 2pm-6pm.

28/08/2024

I got back from Kiribati on the weekend.
We've got a few systems there and it was time to give them some love.
Karea owns the Tobaraoi Travel Agency (and Tobaraoi Green Living) . If you ever feel the urge to visit Kiribati, book everything through Tobaraoi - including and most importantly your flights. They're on your side. For more detailed information on Kiribati as a tourist destination I recommend https://www.amazon.com.au/Sex-Lives-Cannibals-Equatorial-Pacific/dp/0767915305
We sent him a container in 2022 to deal with a dodgy grid. Shortly afterwards his connection to the grid was dug up. It's still not repaired so he's been off grid since. System works well and only needed a tune up.
Positronic supplied a system for the Sisters of the Good Samaritan at Abaokoro in 2011. The batteries were replaced with Discovers in 2021, due to a fence post through submains...
It worked beautifully until 2023 when more extraneous circumstances interrupted the operation.
I'm very sad to report the Schneider MPPT6080 regulators and XW6048 inverter have been consigned to the deep and replaced with a Noark 6kW hybrid inverter.
Sister Tibwau is very pleased to get the fridges working.
The Sisters run an infants school with 72 kids.
In 2022 we sent a system to the Sisters for their new digs at Temaiku. This has 4kW of REC/Enphase AC coupled to a Schneider XWPro and two Discover batteries. Their bill has dropped from $300/month to $10/month. The only blackout they've had was when they had a house full of Australian Sisters blissfully unaware the grid had disappeared 4 hours previously.
Unfortunately the rest of the electrical installation is pretty ordinary so I'm sending a bunch of powerpoints, switches and circuit breakers over for Karea's boys to sort it out.
Just to be clear, Karea didn't do the rest of the electrical, he installed the solar.
Kiribati just held their elections and unfortunately Karea didn't get a guernsey. Nevertheless he is committed to appropriate and sustainable development and you'll be hearing about these nation-building projects in the coming months.

27/08/2024

Summer is coming...

12/08/2024

Positronic Solar is helping to Save the Bilby.

Last week we delivered and installed this off grid system to their site at Hungerford to power their electric motorbikes and ATVs.
Dane did an excellent job setting up and commissioning the system, which has 40kWh of Discover AES batteries, 8kVA of Schneider inverter and 12.3kW of REC panels

We've given them a $20,000 discount off the quoted price and we're paying the $139 monthly subscription for the Starlink.

If you'd like to contribute, you can donate here: https://savethebilbyfund.org.au/

05/08/2024

A very special delivery to Save the Bilby at Hungerford, way out west.
40kWh of Discovery batteries, a Schneider XW Pro inverter, 30 x REC 410W panels with light and power to charge their electric Ubco motorcycles and Tuatara ATVs.
More photos to come.

30/07/2024

We've had a few enquiries lately from customers enquiring about increased power bills.

Generally, analysis shows that their systems are working well, given it's winter and the poor weather we've had.
Most of you have PVOutput logging and you can do a retrospective comparison to see how your system compares with it's performance any number of years in the past. I choose two sunny days. Example attached.

The main issue is the massive increase in tariffs, from typically 22c/kWh to 30c/kWh in the past 12 months with similar increases in daily charges.
This is a fairly old explanation of why this has happened, but it is still on point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELaBzj7cn14

Of course, if you have any concerns about your Positronic Solar system, don't hesitate to contact [email protected]

15/02/2024

Positronic Solar has a couple of additions to our team.

Quite a few of you will remember Dan Birrell.
Dan was part of the team from 2010 to 2017 and rejoined us this week, settling back in the sales role as if he'd never left.
Fiona is pretty happy - she reckons it's like getting the original band together again.

Tom Brady has joined us as Tech Support. You'll have seen Tom commenting often here and elsewhere about his various Positronic systems. His first system was a Trannergy with 3.2kW of ET 200W panels in 2014 which has since grown to a 10kW array. We added 6.75kW of Longi and Enphase to it in 2021. He bought a 6.6kW Winaico/Fronius system for his Mum in 2017. He's now living in the Wide Bay district and we installed 25kW of Longi and Enphase on his new house, along with a Zappi car charger and an Eddi hot water controller.
It follows that he has a lot of experience with the various systems we've installed over the years and he is very knowledgeable in all aspects of the sorts of problems that crop up with comms, logging, etc.

Clem has joined the roofing squad. He's an electrician from France, over here on a working holiday.
Sebastien is happy - now he's got someone he can talk to.

Piper has joined us as Office Assistant. Fiona decided that nepotism is a valid employment strategy and has engaged the oldest member of her family to assist with various duties. Apparently. I had no say in it.

We're continuing to be extremely busy with enquiries and installations. Nearly all of the business is from existing customers and referrals.
I really appreciate the support you, our customers, give us and I can assure you all that we all try our hardest to earn this support.

We're also extremely busy with battery enquiries. I received a call last year from the Dept of Energy asking for feedback and suggestions on this Battery Booster Scheme. I was my usual forthright self, pointing out that subsidies harm the market by their very nature. A $3000 subsidy advantages landfill batteries - reducing their price by 50% while only reducing the price of a decent battery by 15%. Besides, even with a subsidy batteries still make no sense from an economic or environmental point of view.
However, Positronic is an approved installer and Enphase is an approved battery, so if you want a battery with a subsidy we can sort you out.
Tom is handling battery quotes, you can contact him via [email protected]

That's probably a large enough slab of text, so...

happydaze,

John

21/12/2023

It's the summer solstice tomorrow at 2:27pm.
We won't be here, we'll be at the driving range celebrating so here's the summer solstice post.
This year has been another big one for Positronic Solar.
We've installed nearly 200 solar systems this year, all using Enphase and most with Longi panels.
System sizes are bigger than previous years with most systems 10kW or larger.
We've also been installing Enphase IQ5 batteries, which work as described on the box - despite every potential purchaser getting a lecture about the economics. I'll do another battery post in the New Year specifically about the IQ5s and how I feel about them now. Short story - they're the best on the market, but...
Our PVOutput team is now the biggest in the world by daily generation.
The crew is working well and harmoniously. Attached are photos to prove it.
Dane has completed his four year apprenticeship and is now on the big boy money.
Andy started his apprenticeship this year and he seems to be happy. Hard for me to tell 'cos I'm usually doing the GOM thing at him (all part of the training)
We've had Nathan on his work experience this week with a view to starting an apprenticeship next year.
Baya and GT have been invaluable providing some Mongolian muscle, hoiking panels and rails onto roofs.
Seb completed his battery training and both he and Charlie have been doing a sterling job herding the cats.
I'm pretty sure you, our customers, are happy with the work they've been doing.
Some of you may remember Fiona, who used to be our ray of sunshine at Brendale. Well, she's back!!! Fiona will be looking after all your emails and phone calls, bookings and requests.

Personally, this has been the worst year.
I lost my darling Narelle in May and I miss her so much.
I'll be taking an extended break starting around February. Vicki the Royal Enfield and I are heading off on a Big Lap and I'll be back when I'm ready.
I'm sure you'll be in good hands.

In the circumstances there won't be the usual paean to the sun gods on this solstice post.
Here's Laibach with vor Sonnen-Aufgang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b39CfCN2bNE

Here comes the sun
The bright sun

Oh night-sky
You fine one
Deeper, higher
I already know it

You want to get rid of me
Dawn is already on its way
You are my freedom
Oh sky above me

So today is our last day for the year.
We'll be back on 8/1/2024.
Email and phone support will be sporadic.

Happy Solstice to all of you - see you next year.