Installation Date

Notwithstanding inclement weather, my panels and inverter will be installed on May 3rd, unfortunately the "net" meter (which tracks both my consumption and production separately) won't arrive until late May. My system will still be connected to the "grid" and feed any electricity produced into it, I just won't have any (official) record of it.

While I was waiting

Having a break in the Barossa and happened upon this substantial installation at Jacob's Creek Winery.
The panels appear to be ~200W units and each array is 5x14=70 panels, giving a total combined output in the vicinity of 25-30kW!
To ensure maximum output they track the sun, too.

Always Learning!

So my installer rang me to see if I'd received any communication from my electricity distributor, which I had (see previous post). He was concerned as, unusually, his submission for approval wasn't responded to by the distributor. Turns out my application for a "peak" capacity of 5kW may be the sticking point, procedurally, as he usually gets his approvals returned "same day" (and without the consumer's involvement). It's possibly due to new attitudes, policy wise, about larger systems?

Nevertheless, his call got me thinking about other "approval" I hadn't paid particular attention to, mainly, in this instance, "Development Approval" (in South Australia). I remembered hearing some time ago that some people were running into strife with their Council Building Inspectors because they hadn't sought approval for the installation of their solar panels, and this had consequences. A quick check of my council website failed to identify any specific requirements for approval. On the contrary, a Council Fact Sheet (last updated January 2012) identified information about "Schedule 3 - Acts and activities which are not development" which, in section 15 clearly set out the exemption that applies to Solar Panel Installation:

(The following acts or activities are excluded from the definition ofdevelopment (other than in respect of a State heritage place, or as otherwiseindicated below).)

15—Solar photovoltaic panels

        (1)         Subject tosubclause (2), the installation, alteration, repair or maintenance of adesignated photovoltaic system on the roof of a building.
        (2)         Subclause (1)does not apply if the place where the designated photovoltaic system isinstalled is a local heritage place if, when installed, it is able to be seenby a person standing at ground level in a public street.
        (3)         In thisclause—
designated photovoltaic system means—
            (a)         aphotovoltaic system comprising solar photovoltaic panels that have a totalweight not exceeding 100 kilograms; or
            (b)         aphotovoltaic system comprising solar photovoltaic panels that have a totalweight exceeding 100 kilograms if—
                  (i)        the weight load is distributed so that it does not exceed100 kilograms at any 1 point of attachment to the roof; and
                  (ii)        the panels (and any associated components) do notoverhang any part of the roof; and
                  (iii)        the panels are fitted parallel to the roof with theunderside surface of the panels being not more than 100 millimetres abovethe surface of the roof; and
                  (iv)        the panels are installed by a person who holds anaccreditation under a scheme recognised by the Minister for the purposes ofthis paragraph.  

Application Progress

Today I've received email from my electricity distributor advising...
"Your application to install a Small Embedded Generator at (my suburb), has been received"
Just have to sign the T&C's and return it to them, and we move a step closer....