Solar Bonus Scheme Boom In New South Wales  

Energy Matters has a post on the NSW gross feed in tariff for solar power - Solar Bonus Scheme Boom In New South Wales.

While the New South Wales Solar Bonus Scheme doesn't kick off until January 1 next year; home solar power providers are already enjoying a sharp increase in orders for systems.

According to Max Sylvester of national solar solutions provider Energy Matters, the rush is already on. "There is usually some weeks of lead up time from the initial interest to installation and this may increase as more people become aware of the program and order systems."

"Given the Solar Bonus Scheme rate of 60 cents per kilowatt hour is guaranteed for seven years and applies to every kilowatt generated; people are understandably very eager to have a system installed sooner rather than later in order to maximize their returns. The activity in our instant online quoting system over the last couple of weeks from New South Wales has been phenomenal and we're ramping up our resources to ensure we can continue to meet the demand."

The NSW Solar Bonus Scheme is currently the most generous feed in tariff in Australia and combined with the Solar Credits rebate, home owners can recoup their investment in just a few years, depending on the installation location. Additionally, the Federal Government's Green Loans program can in some cases see home owners acquire a solar power system for free.

A typical residential solar power installation system has a capacity of around 1.5 kilowatts. According to information provided by the NSW Government., a solar power system of this size would generate approximately 2500 kWh annually, which translates to around $1500 return each year through the Solar Bonus Scheme.