AGL solar & battery bundes & VPP

[profdraper]

In Brisbane, AGL offers two panels/ combos - one with a Tesla battery, the other with a Sungrow.

The confusing bit is that Sungrow is not shown as supported in AGL’s VPP list or as a BYO battery for VPP.

Anyone have any experience with these AGL bundles & Sungrow in AGL’s VPP?

[Lester · Accepted solution]

Seems it should be all ok, no doubt you found some of the info on their site, but here's a few links.

https://www.agl.com.au/residential/energy/solar-and-batteries/solar-batteries/virtual-power-plant 

https://www.agl.com.au/content/dam/digital/agl/documents/solar-batteries/agl-virtual-power-plant-cus... 

https://www.agl.com.au/residential/energy/solar-and-batteries/solar-batteries/compare-solar-batterie... 

https://www.agl.com.au/residential/energy/solar-and-batteries/solar-batteries/compare-solar-batterie... 

Just watch the Powerwall info, not sure this is the PW3, or the PW2, but the data has PW2 dimensions and specs, but says integrated inverter ? Which is what the PW3 has, not the PW2.

Note - PW2 will soon be obsolete once Aussie stock is gone.

From what I see, you get $1500 off a battery through AGL (ask off what of course ?!), $100 sign up credit, $70 a quarter credit, should cover supply charge, possibly (likely) contribute more a credit, except possibly dead of winter*.

You can apparently set your own minimum on what they leave you, eg 20% min, but you could say 30% ?? Not sure.

I'd be surprised if your 2 person home uses more than our 2 person home each night, we are using about 4kwh from dusk to dawn, so a decent PW capacity or similar in Sungrow should cover you well & truly.

Also consider other non VPPs (Amber for example), but some take more care setting up, setting limits, possible monitoring so you can avoid negative $ for your power.

* A good size system is needed to ensure Winter is best covered, I'd recommend no system under 10kw, go for overkill, extra panels are not too much more now over an inadequate size system.

[profdraper]

Certainly some inconsistencies & sloppiness there:

Not indicated specifically if PW2 or PW3 but says ‘fully integrated Tesla inverter’, meaning it must be a PW3, but then also lists SunGrow or Frontius inverters in that bundle but which of course would not be required.

In the Sungrow system listed, fine, but the VPP information is inconsistent about which batteries; top page shows SunGrow, but next proforma does not list this. Having rung them about this, turns out they’ve pulled Sungrow VPP for now citing technical issues, yet they still advertise this system and VPP incentives.

Also on the phone: turns out that their solar install contractors do not install tilt brackets at all - bit of a problem for flat roof like ours or others with less than ideal positioning. No risers, one size fits all.

No, will stay away from this I think. In general have found AGL customer support to be vey poor & no longer have the time or patience for this kind of misinformation & clumsiness.

[Lester]

Yet some of the specs for the PW2, so who knows for sure.

I doubt many would have their hands on the PW3 as yet, they are only literally just released.

Not many installer want to do tilt panels any longer, due to the REALLY hard job getting them through council approval.

Apparently getting them through wind loadings is a very tiring task, and it is very costly.

Pros and cons, much less cost with std racking (ensure they use Clenergy, by far the best solar racking), now most say "put as much as you can on the roof, and you'll far offset any tilt benefit".

But then, flatter than say 12 degree and you will get water / dust pooling along the bottom edge of your panels, and this has to be cleaned off maybe 3 or 4 times a year.

The usual min approx 22 degree pitch sees rain clean them off quite well, might only need a clean once a year to keep them working their best.

I have 12 panels on an 8 degree pitch roof, and 15 on the house 22 degree pitch (east, north, west) and in summer I guess the flat pitch work a little better overall, and it's an easy roof to get on and clean them down.