Sell back to the grid and save - 21st April 2010

Generating your own power with a grid connect solar system means you use less mains power and save money on your electricity bill, but did you know you can also sell your excess power back to your electricity supplier?

This is called the Solar Bonus Scheme, a feed-in tariff where Queensland customers receive a payack of 44 cents per kilowatt hour for all surplus energy fed into the grid by their rooftop solar systems.

The feed-in rate of 44 cents is more than double the current domestic use tariff of 18.84 cents and is guaranteed until the year 2028.

Clever householders have been jumping on board with the scheme to take advantage of the great savings on offer.

Premier Anna Bligh announced last week that Queenslanders had received more than $3.52 million in credits on their electricity bill through the scheme.

According to Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson, the Solar Bonus Scheme has been responsible for a huge rise in Queensland's household solar-generating capacity.

Since the scheme began less than two years ago, the installation of grid connect solar systems has increased by 2400 percent.