Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[katie279]

Sorry guys - just checking, I've moved to Octopus Go and solar all sorted, but I'm currently exporting ~4kw to the grid (batteries all full).

Does this get automatically paid back to me or do I need to do anything? (saw someone mention about SEG forms or something?)

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Sorry guys - just checking, I've moved to Octopus Go and solar all sorted, but I'm currently exporting ~4kw to the grid (batteries all full).

Does this get automatically paid back to me or do I need to do anything? (saw someone mention about SEG forms or something?)

I think you need to have them installed by an MCS certified installer. Not sure what the process after that is though.

 

[katie279]

Yeah, got a good outfit to do that - ok might email them and check

 

[HungryHippos]

You need to sign up for a SEG tariff basically. Does require some MCS and DNO paperwork.

Octopus Outgoing exists but you can't be on it whilst also being on Go:

Outgoing Octopus

The UK's most awarded energy supplier. We're doing energy better - for you and the environment.

octopus.energy

I am not sure if Octopus have any other outgoing options...

You can sell the energy to anyone on a SEG tariff, even another supplier, I'm actually going to wait until the new cap comes in, the SEG rates are pretty appalling really compared to retail pricing.

 

[katie279]

Ah right, so do you expect the SEG tariffs to improve after the cap? Assume it's not like Banks and how they 'pass on' interest rate rises.....

 

[HungryHippos]

Ah right, so do you expect the SEG tariffs to improve after the cap? Assume it's not like Banks and how they 'pass on' interest rate rises.....

I would not expect rampant profiteering but it would be nice to get paid at least "OK" for the service we provide as solar power farm operators.

Price should in theory track at least a little against retail prices.

I think they were hoping people would bring competition by bidding up/down prices as time goes along, but so far as I can see most of the SEG ones are not really shifting at all.

 

[katie279]

Hmm ok - when do we expect to see this then (given price cap now announced) - is this in next week or two, or longer? Conscious simultaneously, the summer is disappearing!

 

[HungryHippos]

From what I can tell you would struggle to get this SEG thing setup within a month in any case.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

solar power farm operators.

Delusions of grandeur

 

[HungryHippos]

Delusions of grandeur

Alright, Electrical Sunlight Storage Conveyancers!

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Purveyors of the finest green energy

 

[sparkymark75]

Sorry guys - just checking, I've moved to Octopus Go and solar all sorted, but I'm currently exporting ~4kw to the grid (batteries all full).

Does this get automatically paid back to me or do I need to do anything? (saw someone mention about SEG forms or something?)

You need to sign up for a SEG account. You can use any supplier, not necessarily who you are with for import. I just went with Octopus, it took a week from application to it being setup.

Octopus Energy FAQs

What is the Smart Export Guarantee Tariff, and how do I join?

octopus.energy

I think you need your MCS certificate and your DNO notification/reply to fill in the application.

 

[katie279]

You need to sign up for a SEG account. You can use any supplier, not necessarily who you are with for import. I just went with Octopus, it took a week from application to it being setup.

Octopus Energy FAQs

What is the Smart Export Guarantee Tariff, and how do I join?

octopus.energy

I think you need your MCS certificate and your DNO notification/reply to fill in the application.

Ah super, thanks sparkymarky!

 

[katie279]

Ok stupid question for car charging.

Have an EV, so have set a schedule (given on octopus go) to charge 00:30-04:30 @ 7.5p/kw

This is fine, except I've generated lots of free energy today, so that feels like a waste to export that to the grid.

However, if I charged from the grid during the day, the car would draw 7kw, which is well above my inverter which I think would max out at 5kw (ie 2.5kw from solar and 2.5kw from battery - or it might be 2.6kw in total). Either way, it'd mean I was drawing 2.5kw from the grid which would be @40p as during the day.

Is there a smart overclockers way around this? Ie can you set the max charge rate of an EV charger to a lower rate or something?

Scratching my head as to the best way to achieve this!

 

[Journey]

Scratching my head as to the best way to achieve this!

You really need a charger like a Zappi or Hypervolt that can change the minimum and maximum kW output via their software.

 

[sparkymark75]

You really need a charger like a Zappi or Hypervolt that can change the minimum and maximum kW output via their software.

This. Not sure what charger you have. I have a HyperVolt and set it to charge using only solar on sunny days. I can set it to use a mixture of solar and grid but I never really use that. Most of the time it’s set to charge during the Octopus Go off—peak times.

 

[katie279]

You really need a charger like a Zappi or Hypervolt that can change the minimum and maximum kW output via their software.

Ah right, yes I'll confess I may have picked the more expensive Anderson A2 because it looked nice...and it didn't look like a men's urinal...

Zappi Universal - Standard Installation Included - Future Charging Solutions

Please note: The OZEV EV charge point grant allows customers who live in rental accommodation or own a flat to reduce the cost of buying and installing a home charger by up to £350. Click here to check the eligibility criteria

www.futurechargingsolutions.co.uk

Hmm, might need to look at one for our second EV that's arriving shortly....!

 

[Journey]

Ah right, yes I'll confess I may have picked the more expensive Anderson A2 because it looked nice...and it didn't look like a men's urinal...

I used my knowledge of external IP6X rated enclosures, and put my 'ugly' Ohme inside of it. Not that I cared what it looked like in the first place before I had the box, but I wanted to restrict access to it.

 

[Russinating]

@katie279 What EV do you have? Does it allow you to reduce the ampage?

Personally, I didn't and still don't understand why you would pay more than the very minimum for an EV charger unless you need something really niche.

My charger cost me £299.99 plus £300 for the install, so £600. With an overnight unit rate of 5p/kW vs an Anderson or similar (like the above) at £1,200, that's 12,000kW difference, or 218 full cycles (Model 3 SR) before you break even. Even now with the 7.5p/kW overnight rates that's 8000kW or 145 full cycles.

Might just be me but if you're looking to save money by charging at the right times then factoring in the cost of the charger in the first place is by far the easiest way of reducing overall cost!

 

[sparkymark75]

@katie279 What EV do you have? Does it allow you to reduce the ampage?

Personally, I didn't and still don't understand why you would pay more than the very minimum for an EV charger unless you need something really niche.

My charger cost me £299.99 plus £300 for the install, so £600. With an overnight unit rate of 5p/kW vs an Anderson or similar (like the above) at £1,200, that's 12,000kW difference, or 218 full cycles (Model 3 SR) before you break even. Even now with the 7.5p/kW overnight rates that's 8000kW or 145 full cycles.

Might just be me but if you're looking to save money by charging at the right times then factoring in the cost of the charger in the first place is by far the easiest way of reducing overall cost!

Don’t know about katie, but I had my HyperVolt installed when the grants were still being offered last year so I paid just under £500 for supply and fit.