Octopus Power Ups and Free Energy Sessions

200sols said:
Yeah but solar is usually pumping when it's negative/free.
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It can be yes, but I tend to :
1) charge batteries which will just about top my generation if spiky and beat it on a full sun day, 5.5kw
2) heat water, 3kw
3) do washing/dishwashing, 1-3kw spiky during cycle
4) normal house load etc

What I tend to see is for the first 2 hours, give or take a net import varying from 3-8kw depending on cycle point and solar generation, then after that roughly equal or exporting depending on solar gen.

Solar has sat just under 5kw today (its windy and not that warm) for chunks but also had dips. So even worst case I would be importing 0.5kw for batteries (max is 5.5kw charging), so hot water and other stuff is all free from grid.

For sure the ability to pull from the grid and your own solar generation max (at what time of year) will influence how much you can pull from a session.
I mean I have my PU sessions listed and winter type ones have been as high as £11 refunded (I use a couple of fan heaters then as well), to may-july being more like £1-£2 credit back per session generally.
Often the PU will be when its windy which tends to often be cloudy generally as its usually the remains of a storm from elsewhere.
 
Ron-ski said:
Why??? Just export it at a different time, that's what I do, unless your export limit/battery size is restricting you, then a higher export would help, not make it worse.

I'm on Flux so my off peak is roughly 15p and my normal daytime export is also roughly 15p.

I usually charge the batteries overnight, but only to about 80% in the summer, I reduce this when there is a charging session.
I then limit the battery charge to 45%, exporting the excess solar.
At 13:00 I import as much as possible, which charges the battery, the battery is also charged from solar.
At 14:00 I turn off import.
Batteries charge to 100% from solar, excess is exported.
16:00 to 19:00 I export the batteries to 45% at peak rate, circa 26p.

I will admit it does seem quite a bit of effort for little reward, but I should be able to automate it fully once I get the time.
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Yeah I don't get this it doesn't work thing, I've done almost 100 saving sessions now (which are just slightly better than the free power sessions) and its made a large diff to my income.

If you look at those days you see much higher export and much higher import than normal days.
They often end up my most negative cost days although when on Agile thats harder to see than when I was on a flat tariff.

If your generation is so high that you can't import then its not for you. But if you have a medium size system then 100% it can be made to work.
If you CBA then sure, move on nothing to see.

In the winter PU days made a massive difference, rarely would my batteries be in a healthy stage by lunchtime/early afternoon, being able to top up then even if its an hour is awesome.

I think for those not used to this (ie unused to having a solar system and doing PU or SS) its come at the worst time, its for sure harder right now its like worst case but give it 3-4 months and it changes dramatically.
 
So today I had negative agile pricing from 10:30am, by 1pm I had charged batts (around 10-11kwh), around 1.5kw average solar generation or so I would say from solar, overcast here pretty much all day
I also did a hot washing wash and a hot dishwasher one. Both benefit from the occasional hot with the lower temps we use nowadays.
Plus heated the water although that seemed pretty hot already. Haven't used any gas since 13th Aug, what with free powerups and free energy sessions plus agile pricing.

So by 1pm I was mainly exporting, although not much, around 500w most of time. The odd spike went above solar when I put the kettle on so a little importing as well for free.

Tomorrow is seriously blue (negative or very low cost on agile). So batts will be dumped tonight. I will recharge them from 2:30am being paid to do so. Not sure about a cheeky export mid/alte morning to also get paid to recharge them mid afternoon...

Half expected a free energy or powerup tomorrow, still time I guess...
 
Free elec clarification in regards export

"You're welcome to join in. Free Electricity only measures your energy import, not your export. If you're typically running off your solar or battery power around the time of the Free Electricity session, your normal energy use may be very low, and anything you use from the grid above that will be free. WIN!
During the session, fill your battery up to make the most of the free hour."
 
@Hawk Tuah
I had a missing power up credit, they advised of the total for three but only credited two.
I spoke to CS (twitter DM) and they after a week gave me the amount as a good will gesture.

They had contacted the PU team but hadn't had a response. I suspect that same team is doing the free sessions.

I received the proper credit today as well, (CS just confirmed to keep the extra one no issues)

That was PU for 25/7 31/7 and 08/08, they have not processed the ones since yet.
 
Had a powerup today from 12-2:30 so it covered the same period.
For most of the 1-2pm I was pulling around 10kw from the grid.

Batteries were fully discharged as Agile was expensive last night, but otherwise I would have simply emptied them anyway in advance at 15p

The clouds came out at around 13:15 and didn't go full sun again till 13:50 approx. So solar dropped to around 1.5kw or so.

House load + charging batts (5.5kw) + immersion 2.5kw I think, + dishwasher + washing on, some hot drinks, pannini sandwich.
I'm not complaining ;)

Tomorrow will be similar. Free session then cheap agile so will be emptying batts in advance if there is anything in them, although again overnight isn't great so they won't be that full.
Charge and heat water etc again from 1- around 3pm when cheap agile ends. Then later dump batteries ready for the free power up from 7-9pm.
Agile is quite cheap when the free is on anyway and I would be charging slightly earlier than if the free power wasnt on. Optimum 2 hours is really around 13:15 - 15:15 with the slight tail off on battery charging.
Mine fully charge in 2 hours give or take.

As I am West facing most of the time either batts are low if its a low generation day, or I am dumping very low overnight agile units for 15p in the morning.
If its a good generation day I flip self use to feed in priority and nothing goes into the batts and excess over usage is all exported.

Only negative for me is that if these sessions start to show up with regularity I may need to consider agile charging times. Agile is often low priced at this time as well.
So I will often do a battery top up lunchtime so as my array is kicking into action being West facing, the batts are full and its straight to 15p export.

Before I moved to agile and was on go I wouldn't bother pulling in more units than I could use before a powerup to make sure batts were low in advance.
 
Ron-ski said:
I reduced my overnight charge, but I seriously underestimate how bad today has been,at 1pm my battery was at 45%, currently generated just 8.9kWh.

Won't have a full battery for the Flux period, may just discharge a bit further than usual.
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Yeah its even rained here and supposed to be at least dry all day.
There was an outside change of 600kwh for the month, I needed 13.5 today, 99% thats not going to happen.
 
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