Australian Solar Panels

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-27/australias-obsession-with-cheap-solar-derailing-market-insiders/11139856

"The ANAO found 1.2 per cent of rooftop solar installations have been inspected by the regulator.

The regulator's inspections found that about one in six solar installations was "substandard", and about one in 30 was "unsafe".

Based on the sample, the audit found there would be hundreds of thousands of substandard installations and tens of thousands of unsafe solar systems across the country."

I'm not sure how this sample counts as representative...

[BenFranklin'sSpectacles + 762]

2 hours ago, Marina Schwarz said:

I'm not sure how this sample counts as representative...

What about it do you find unrepresentative? 

[markslawson + 1,058]

11 hours ago, Marina Schwarz said:

"The ANAO found 1.2 per cent of rooftop solar installations have been inspected by the regulator.

The regulator's inspections found that about one in six solar installations was "substandard", and about one in 30 was "unsafe".

Mariana - in fact you've pointed to one of the major arguments against encouraging rooftop solar. If voters want a heap of solar power then fine, put the panels in a central installation where they can be properly installed and maintained with economies of scale and, crucially, the grid managers have some chance of  controlling its output to fit grid objectives of maintaining proper voltage and frequency 24/7. None of that's really possible with rooftop solar being put up anywhere due to subsidies. Grid operators have to work around the changes in  output and hope for the best. In fact permitting rooftop solar installations is far more about winning votes than about reducing emissions.

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

2 hours ago, markslawson said:

permitting rooftop solar installations is far more about winning votes than about reducing emissions.

All true.   That said, if the homeowner is NOT connected to the grid (or has a transfer switch that forces reliance on one or the other, not both at the same time), then he can make as much as his wallet can afford, store it, sell it to charge his neighbor's (electric) car, do whatever he wants.  And the grid is not affected by his individual choices and actions  .

[Marina Schwarz + 1,576]

13 hours ago, BenFranklin'sSpectacles said:

What about it do you find unrepresentative? 

Its size.

[BenFranklin'sSpectacles + 762]

9 hours ago, Marina Schwarz said:

Its size.

Would you elaborate on that?