Positronic Solar Data and Electrical

09/08/2026

I think this might be the earliest that the Positronic team has topped the leaderboard.
Enphase, Longi, Fronius, Sigenergy and Aiko also made it to the top 15.
Thank you to all our customers.

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.