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RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 06:50am 18 Jun 2007
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Well, I can't say I wasn't warned....
For 18 months I've been talking with Greg from greenandgold in adelaide - back when it was still a solar sphere, and then through all the developments to solarcube. He seemed all positive and promised the world, just another couple of months. And another. And another. Well, he's completely gone back on his word and they will not be supplying their "product" (if indeed it ever existed outside some government funding paper) to actual end users.
They "claim" they will be selling these units to the mug public (can you say "suckers") - who will never actally SEE their investment - they will be installed at a solar farm in northern south australia.... and the "suckers" will get some discount off their electricity bill for them.
Can you say "scam"? I know I can.
All looked good, sounded good, but I am truly of the opinion this was only ever a plan to seperate fools from their money, and a great steaming pile of cash from the government and probably the south australian electricity mob.
What damn good is some solar-farm to me when I cannot even get the grid on here? He accepted that and had promised me units (without the grid-tie inverter). I've now wasted 18 months and let a bunch of well priced conventional (but oh, so very tangiable!) panels slip past my fingers because I was waiting on this much better system. *sigh*
More fool me.
Highlander Senior Member Joined: 03/10/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 266
Posted: 09:32am 18 Jun 2007
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G'day Ross, yeah I have been keeping an eye on it too.
I emailed him as soon as I saw that, and asked if they were going to sell the dc charging units for raps.
Well no reply yet.
I think if anyone "buys" one of these in a theoretical solar park they're an idiot.
You'll never actually see it and if it's administered by a company you'll never actually have ownership of it, so if the company folds, bye bye to sun cube. That's presuming there ever was one and if there was how many owners did it have? It would be easy to sell each one 100 times over pocket the cash and wind the company up.
Just looks very sus to me.
Central Victorian highlands
grolly Regular Member Joined: 19/05/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 62
Posted: 11:39am 18 Jun 2007
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Hi ross,
Are they not "fish eye" reversing lenses (as stuck to the rear window of vans), stuck on a box with a pv panel in it?Inventors of the SunBall which won the New Inventors “Peoples Choice” award for 2005
ABN 41 668 497 821
7 Provident Avenue
Glynde, 5070
South Australia, Australia.
Phone: +61 8 8365 5844
Fax: +61 8 8365 6241
Email: info@greenandgoldenergy.com.au
Web: www.greenandgoldenergy.com.au
SunCube Mark 5 specifications
(14 April 2007)
Designed, developed and manufactured to comply with CPV standard IEC 62108
Material of construction Aluminium and Glass
Mass approx 20 kg
Environmental range -20 deg C to 60 deg C
0 to 100% humidity
Sealed against driving rain
Receiver optical surface 3.2 mm low iron toughened glass
Receiver Fresnel lenses 2 mm molded PMMA
Bounded to inside of outer glass skin
Receiver width 1.020 m
Receiver height 1.020 m
Receiver depth 0.25 m
Optical collection area 1 m2
Moisture and dust ingress Sealed against dust and moisture
Max wind speed not to damage the SunCube 200 kph full face on
Hail impact Compliant with IEC 62108
lessSolar Harvest module efficiency relative to direct beam availability 35.4% Yearly kWhs at 5.5 kWh / m2 / day direct beam availability 711 kWh / yr
Peak output (25 deg C cell temp, 1,000 W / m2 direct beam, AMI 1.5) 300 Wdc at max power point
Voc (under above test conditions) 27 Vdc
Vmp (under above test conditions) 25 Vdc
Isc (under above test conditions) 14 A
Imp(under above test conditions) 12 A
Tracker 2 axis via internal microprocessor
Motor location Sealed inside the SunCube
Tracker power drain 1.8 W during sky point adjust
0.1 W during stand by
Tracker sky point adjustment 2 seconds every 8 minutes
Half angle to the sky 2.5 deg
Do you want me to call in to the office and find out what's happening?
Grolly
I have bought the farm...now I AM powering it...
petanque don Senior Member Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212
Posted: 04:30am 19 Jun 2007
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I was intending to visit him in the near future.
I think he is looking to get a distributor to handle domestic quantities.
If this will ever happen and at what price they would be offered at who knows.
Clearly with any new technology. The issue of go with what is available now or wait until something better comes along is complicated (look at computers).
I will suggest with any new product there will be some teething problems.
I have personally seen the prototype suncube and sunball.
He has plans for a suncube farm with many thousands of units.
Clearly there is a huge difference between grand plans and successfully executing the project.
They come 4 to a pallet.
Best Regards
Don
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 04:53am 19 Jun 2007
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In simplest terms, yes. In more thorough terms, no. A normal monocrystaline panel cannot sustain 10 suns... what I understand they're using here are the much more expensive tripple-junction cells.
That'd be great.... although they "tell" me that Greg is overseas for the week.
Not that I believe much they say now... I've been talking with him, personally, for 18 months or more. I am increasingly of the opinion that they're just (another) bunch of crooks and liars. Of all the emails and phone calls over that time, I've only ever had one reply.
I'm *SO* tempted to start making a competing product that I can actually *SELL* to people....
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 04:59am 19 Jun 2007
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Don, I don't doubt for a minute that a prototype exists, and yes, I heard the whole "Looking for distributors" spiel, but after their latest about-face, I wouldn't want to sink 20c into the operation.
I'm aware that "new products" can have delays and teething problem - this ^$%@* however was not "teething problems" - it is a complete about-face of direction, a complete going back on his word to supply, and in my mind at least, a complete misrepresentation of the product, the company and the intention.
I wouldn't trust him, or the company, as far as I could spit a bull elephant.
As soon as I can buy some "real" panels, from a "real" supplier with a "real" product, I will be. And if that happens to be before these idiots wake up and change their direction yet again it'll be too darn late.
I hope their entire operation goes up in a puff of investors smoke, that the government and the investors all demand their capital be returned and he finds himself with nothing. (Am I bitter? Hell yes, I HATE being lied to and that is exactly what he has done every damn step of the way)
Bryan1 Guru Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1210
Posted: 10:31am 19 Jun 2007
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Eh Guy's i'm not surprised thats sun cube is a scam, wasn't that crook from the solar shop backing it. One can only hope that @@@ker that runs the solar shop has all his money invested and endes up going broke so he doesnt rip off anymore people. Yes I was one of the poor people who thought for 18K I was getting a good deal where in reality if I want any longevity in my batteries it means running a genset everyday just so we have power.
Steve9R Regular Member Joined: 24/01/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 72
Posted: 06:00am 22 Jun 2007
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"Public Investment for Solar Farm"
"A privately owned 15MW solar farm is earmarked for the South Australian outback. Costing up to $30 million, the farm, operated by Green and Gold Energy, will be open to public investment.
The 200,000m2 facility is likely to be located at either Leigh Creek, Woomera, or Roxby Downs.
Chief Executive of Green and Gold Energy and inventor of the Solar Cube technology Greg Watson says that he is using his own capital generated from overseas sales of SunCubes to fund the project. The company plans to erect 50,000 SunCubes initially and will sell a quarter the the public. The offier is open to individuals only, not commercial groups, and will allow customers to buy up to 4 $1500 SunCubes each.
The Solar farm could be up and running and hooked up to the grid by the end of this year"
Renew - Issue 100.
Edited by Steve9R 2007-06-23
RossW Guru Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495
Posted: 09:04am 22 Jun 2007
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Ahh, so he's able to sell them to international users (or perhaps just sold the idea and run off with the loot)
So only mom-and-pop investors who are not likely to have the funds to mount a legal challenge if/when it all goes tits-up.
I smell big-time scam.
Pity, it was a good idea. Why is it that so many "good ideas" go into the hands of cheap scumbags with no ethics and no hint of the old "a mans word is his bond".
Anyone wanna chip in and we'll make the bloody things so people CAN BUY THEM instead of handing money to some anonymous body waaaay away with no chance of ever seeing your investment, nor using it for a real, practical purpose? (Like all us poor buggers paying $1/KWH to make your own with fossil fuel because you can't get the grid?)
Yes, I'm bitter... because I hate liars.
Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 639
Posted: 07:14am 23 Jun 2007
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Very interesting comments here.
I agree wholeheartedly that you should 'get what you pay for'.
My dad got stung twice with scams like this.
The first was a bluberry farm. Don't know if the farm ever existed, but absolutely no benefit.
The 2nd was a gum tree farm. I remember sitting in the car as a kid driving to find this farm and the manager, to find out where were the cheaques that were supposed to be coming. It was a waste of time and energy.
In 'Business' I see this kind of thing happening all the time. I had some info about Green and Gold from one of my suppliers, some time ago.
I almost got done bad by a fellow selling motors for boats. What he didn't know was that I have contacts with other F/glass and boat places and the word got out that he had taken 100% money and not supplied motors to many customers. In the process of me buying 2 motors he had shifted shop 3 or 4 times. Often failed to answer the phone or return calls. That was end of business.
Ross, if you smell it, have nothing to do with it.
If anyone is serious about any solar products, just email me for my best price.
Trev @ drivebynature.com
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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Inventors of the SunBall which won the New Inventors “Peoples Choice” award for 2005
