Belly,

I should have added that the ATO is said to be looking at power sold back to the power company as a form of income, which arguably it is.

The ATO has hundreds of accountancy types with soft blue-white hands and nothing to do but look for more ways to increase the tax base to add to the size of ATO's ant hill.

Expect a knock on your door. LOL

Onthebeach, another area the ATO may look at is capital gains tax, as in all fairness, you are generating an income from your residence.

I would suggest however that they take a real hard look before any such move, as the reaction to that would see many claiming their deductions, or at the very least, a fair portion of them.

In fact, if the ATO does tax on the income, one could argue that your residence IS USED to generate income, therefore deductions may be legal.

But, don't discount what i have suggest about using free solar power to charge batteries, because it could be very worth while, especially if power goes to $1.00 per KW.

It won't take too many 70% increases to get to that level.

Congrate,s onthebeach!
There have been some but in all the years I have been here [2005], yours is the silliest I ever saw.
In this thread and my own, time and again, I said I wanted not to profit but to get *a fair go*.
Rechtubs thread is about stand alone, my thought is both that and solar have a future, and benefit this country immensely.
The end result can be one less power station.
Abbott too wants to see another million homes on solar.
I never asked for profit and have beggar all chance of getting it!
Your childlike words are junk comment.
And find me some power generator that rejects the extra power they buy from me for 6 cents.
And sell [as green power] for 40, your maths are poor if you see profit in that for me.
And Bazz dislikes me, but in truth I respect the man he once was, a very special bloke, his bit about feeding in power company power and selling it for 60 cents is madness.
No power company would overlook the generating power of say ten panels and the out put after the crime.
To be honest those getting over the odds are thieving it from those who pay for it.
onthebeach read slowly, observe we both want fairness and equity your charge is madness.

Hey, Belly, who said I disliked you ?
We don't always agree, but so what !

Belly said;
his bit about feeding in power company power and selling it for 60 cents is madness.

Well, many things that are done are madness, but can I be the only one
to have thought of doing that ?
If you are one of those on the 60 cents a KWhr and you are buying at say
25 c a KWhr you could if you were cunning by only feeding in in
daylight hours if there was a time of day meter probably get away
with it.
So long as you did not go silly with it they would never know.
The question arises, is it in fact illegal ?

After all you are not stealing the power your DC power supply uses
and they have contracted to pay you for the power you feed in ?

I am sure if too many did it they would soon make it illegal.
I am just surprised that I have not heard of it being done.
Is it just my murky mind ?

On a related matter Belly, what sort of batteries do you use ?
Lithium Iron have been a great success in electric cars but are
rather expensive. However second hand car batteries should be close
to zero cost and easily obtained from car wreckers.
You would have to turn them over more often, but so what they cost next to nothing.

Belly, my thread is not about stand alone at all, it's about using your free solar power to charge batteries, rather than selling back to the grid at greatly reduced rates.

Alternatively, you can change your way of life (if possible), use your own power, then use cheaper off peak power to charge batteries.

Charge one bank one night, the other the next.

The bottom line is as sure as night follows day, power prices will continue to rise and, I have no doubt governments will try to recind any out of balance contracts for solar buy back, mainly because previous governments have lef the states in very poor shape, in most cases.

Belly, just to clarify this,unlike a stand alone system, my suggestion uses a battery charger to charge the batteries, not the panels, so only a portion of your solar power is used during the day.

I would suggest, worked properly, you would have zero power bill in the right whether conditions.