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Yes, I run 2x 250w in the Summer + 1 330W extra added in the Winter, it works just as you say it uses the grid tie power first.
Panels in the garden, plugged into the ring main in the shed.
any links to the parts you use?

Micro grid tie is more used for covering the background electricity usage, like fridge freezer ect.

Exactly what im hoping for just go some way to powering the stuff like router, switch, nas. House runs around 250w at idle.
 
Source a second hand panel local to you if you can, shipping panels is very expensive for single panels.
I'll trust you a link from Aliexpress, not sure if I can post it on here as they sell such a wide range of gear.

Don't Do!! 300W panel to 250W grid tie. Grid tie needs to be the same of more capacity than the solar panel.
 
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Source a second hand panel local to you if you can, shipping panels is very expensive for single panels.
I'll trust you a link from Aliexpress, not sure if I can post it on here as they sell such a wide range of gear.
you can as long as what you link isnt sold by ocuk, same rules as amazon.
 
I'm seriously thinking about some sort of small solar setup, even to just charge a power bank. That way I can at least charge USB devices that slowly seem to be increasing in number.

Amazon and eBay appear full of solar 20,000,000,000 mAh power banks, which I don't need. I'd like to be able to have a solar panel on my shed charging power banks on rotation as I use and deplete them. Just plug in an empty power bank and remove when full and replace it with another power bank.

I do realise that I could be on a hiding to nothing, which is why I don't really want to spend too much money. But I'd like to try it.
 
We were lucky and managed to get a 4kW solar array installed on the last day of the deadline for the FIT scheme pricing drops.

From memory, we get something nuts like 56p/kWH + export.... Just had a payment of over £1000 for the last 6 months and it's guaranteed to rise with inflation for 25 years :cool:
 
Grid-tie micro inverters are great for getting rid of your day-to-day baseload for you house in the daylight hours, You can get a full setup of 350w+ solar panel and inverter for under £200. If you can soak up 200w of base load on average over 6 hours of every day, and you are paying 15ppkWh, then in a single year you've saved ~£65, and that is pretty good going, if you opt for a second hand panel from eBay ~250w for £30-50 then your total cost could be as low as £100.
 
We were lucky and managed to get a 4kW solar array installed on the last day of the deadline for the FIT scheme pricing drops.

From memory, we get something nuts like 56p/kWH + export.... Just had a payment of over £1000 for the last 6 months and it's guaranteed to rise with inflation for 25 years :cool:
Can only get 3 - 4p now FIT. *sad face*
 
Can only get 3 - 4p now FIT. *sad face*
Tbf, I'd still get solar again even at that rate but I'd have to combine it with some kind of power backup i.e. Tesla Powerwall.

Having the ability to capture the solar and store it would offset almost any electricity bills, plus having the whole house running off renewable energy would be a selling point.
 
Tbf, I'd still get solar again even at that rate but I'd have to combine it with some kind of power backup i.e. Tesla Powerwall.

Having the ability to capture the solar and store it would offset almost any electricity bills, plus having the whole house running off renewable energy would be a selling point.

Batteries really weren't worth it a year ago. ££££s investment, for a relatively small return in many cases. If you have octupus agile tariff though, and a large enough battery, then it may be, because you can charge the battery on cheap electricity overnight, and use it during the day. Now with the price increases in electricity, and the reducing cost of the storage, it's becoming more realistic.
 
Batteries really weren't worth it a year ago. ££££s investment, for a relatively small return in many cases. If you have octupus agile tariff though, and a large enough battery, then it may be, because you can charge the battery on cheap electricity overnight, and use it during the day. Now with the price increases in electricity, and the reducing cost of the storage, it's becoming more realistic.
Could go one step further and go on the plunge priced tariff and control the charger with IFTTT to charge when its the cheapest.

Edit: Just realised Agile is the plunge tariff. Go i was thinking of. Good idea, but how much are batteries these days.
 
Could go one step further and go on the plunge priced tariff and control the charger with IFTTT to charge when its the cheapest.

Yep. There's tech coming that will allow an electric car to be used as a house battery too. Only problem for us would be that the car is often out as it's taken someone to work! But if you have two, and one is normally home, that's going to be handy. It's already being tested around the country I believe.
 
Tbf, I'd still get solar again even at that rate but I'd have to combine it with some kind of power backup i.e. Tesla Powerwall.

Having the ability to capture the solar and store it would offset almost any electricity bills, plus having the whole house running off renewable energy would be a selling point.
I've got a 2.4KWh setup and looked into battery backup and it looked like would never pay for itself.
 
Home battery storage is still too expensive period.

Best option is vehicle to grid when that becomes a thing.
 
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