AGL Energy : launches free rooftop solar energy monitoring service

Wednesday, 16 August 2017

AGL Executive General Manager New Energy Elisabeth Brinton said Solar Command Check was a free service which gives customers with digital meters a daily update about the performance of their solar systems.

'We believe most of the 1.7 million Australian households with solar installations have no monitoring in place at all,' Ms Brinton said.

'Although many manufacturers guarantee that solar panels will produce a minimum of 80 percent of capacity after 25 years and they cover defects for at least 10 years, most solar owners are unaware of how their system is performing.

'The savings generated by household solar panels depend on a range of factors. Some of our customers could save $1,600 or more a year, depending on the size of their rooftop system, their electricity consumption profile, where they live and their electricity prices.

'However research shows that at least one fifth of Australian households with PV systems had lost some of these savings because their solar panels had stopped working and required repairs or replacement at some point.

'We want customers to get the most out of their solar energy systems which is why we have introduced Solar Command Check. This service is a result of our investment in innovative ideas and technologies that benefit our customers, giving them control over their solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems and helping them manage their energy bills.

'Solar Command Check alerts registered customers if it detects a potential problem with their PV systems. This can help customers resolve major issues which could harm the return on their solar investment.'

Solar Command Check is available to customers on a solar tariff with AGL, a smart meter with more than 30 days of data, who are registered for My Account on the AGL website, have no solar battery and are not already subscribed to our subscription-based Solar Command monitoring service.

They can sign up for Solar Command Check via My Account.

http://pv-map.apvi.org.au/analyses
Based on a 4 kilowatt (kW) solar system, 22.5 kilowatt hours (kWh) per day usage, 43 percent solar self-consumption and current AGL discounts, savings range between $810 per annum (p.a.) in Victoria (24.8 cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh) electricity rate, 33 percent discount and 11.3 c/kWh feed-in-tariff (FiT)), and $1,660 p.a. in South Australia, (38 c/kWh electricity rate, 12 percent discount and 16.3 c/kWh FiT). Quoted electricity rates are GST exc but GST is incorporated in the savings. Savings for an individual customer will depend on numerous factors, including the customer's rates and feed in tariff, any applicable discount, the size of the system and the proportion of electricity produced which is consumed by the customer.
The 2016 Queensland Household Energy Survey of more than 1,200 systems commissioned by Queensland energy distributors indicates that panels or inverters in 23 percent of surveyed systems had stopped working and required repair or maintenance at some point and this was as high as 46 percent for systems installed in 2009. Issues with solar systems steadily increased once systems were three years old.

Also attached are screenshots of what Solar Command Check looks like for systems with different statuses.

About AGL
AGL is committed to helping shape a sustainable energy future for Australia. We operate the country's largest electricity generation portfolio, we're its largest ASX-listed investor in renewable energy, and we have more than 3.5 million customer accounts. Proudly Australian, with more than 180 years of experience, we have a responsibility to provide sustainable, secure and affordable energy for our customers. Our aim is to prosper in a carbon-constrained world and build customer advocacy as our industry transforms. That's why we have committed to exiting our coal-fired generation by 2050 and why we will continue to develop innovative solutions for our customers.