Solar panels are being touted as a way for home-owning grey nomads to gain an income while they are away travelling.
According to the industry, grey nomads ‘on the adventure of a lifetime’ can help fund their lifestyle by turning their idle homes into power stations, at the same time as increasing the value of their homes.
A press release from Auzion Solar Power claims solar is the perfect short and long-term investment for grey nomads, and others, who leave their homes on extended trips.
“Solar power is at its most cost efficient when you maximise the energy fed back into the grid,” said Auzion CEO, Mark Leckenby. “For most households this means trying to reduce the energy used throughout daylight hours but when you are away on holidays, your household uses very little or no electricity.”
This apparently means that all the energy you don’t use while your home is unoccupied will be fed back into the grid and bought off you by your energy supplier at a premium rate.
“So while the cost of energy is set to continue increasing, installing solar makes sense for everyone,” said Mr Leckenby. “For travellers the investment is even more of a no-brainer because the additional power generated means they will pay their systems off much sooner.”
In Queensland, householders get paid a minimum of 44 cents per kW, one of the highest government feed in tariff rates in Australia.
The Auzion press release unveils ‘part time grey nomads’ Paul and Pauline from the Sunshine Coast, who it says installed a 3kW Auzion PV Solar System on their home in July and are apparently already experiencing the benefits.
“We travel for three to four months of the year and saw solar as a good return on investment, far better than the return we would receive from having our money in the bank,” Paul is quoted as saying. “My wife and I recently returned from a four-week holiday and while we were away, our system fed 344kW back to the grid and, at 50c per kW with Origin, we have already made $172 in just one month.”
Auzion’s Mark Leckenby reckons that, depending on their solar system size, grey nomads can earn well over $1,000 per year for doing virtually nothing.
