Soldato
Thats double what im paying for nearly the same system……
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
Soldato
It is way over the top, but a sign of the times.
I wonder if and when this demand will come down.
I reckon it'll be a long time you know, years. And its the old waiting vs paying over the odds, if you pay over the odds, you start saving straight away, if wait, it has to get cheaper relative to how much you would have saved over whatever time period. We rushed into ours a bit earlier this year and paid a bit over (although nothing like that quote) to get an install. But right now if I had waited, not only would it not be cheaper, but more expensive, and in the mean time we are saving money every day.
Problem is for most people (lets be releastic) this isnt a job you can do yourself.
I wonder if and when this demand will come down.
I reckon it'll be a long time you know, years. And its the old waiting vs paying over the odds, if you pay over the odds, you start saving straight away, if wait, it has to get cheaper relative to how much you would have saved over whatever time period. We rushed into ours a bit earlier this year and paid a bit over (although nothing like that quote) to get an install. But right now if I had waited, not only would it not be cheaper, but more expensive, and in the mean time we are saving money every day.
Problem is for most people (lets be releastic) this isnt a job you can do yourself.
Associate
Have you thought of even just batteries and inverters? Ie charge 10kwh per battery @ 7.5p/KW during the night and use that during the day.
Doing the maths gets you a pretty sharp return...?
Doing the maths gets you a pretty sharp return...?
Unless you have an EV, none of the suppliers are offering 7.5p/KW at the moment I think. The closest would be an Eco7 tariff and those prices are closer to 15p/KW (I haven't looked for a few months, but certainly that was the case earlier this year).
Soldato
Going battery only without an EV/hybrid is a risk.
The really good scheme is Octopus go and whilst you are likely to get on it, that assumes they do not at some point tighten up.
Thats really the risk, availability of a scheme that allows cheap off peak charging. As that expands (I think it likely will) then the risk reduces.
Batteries have a similar ROI to panels* when I calculated so they do not have a very fast payback.
But they are typically far easier to add since no roof work, scaff etc
* assuming you dont vastly overpay for either
The really good scheme is Octopus go and whilst you are likely to get on it, that assumes they do not at some point tighten up.
Thats really the risk, availability of a scheme that allows cheap off peak charging. As that expands (I think it likely will) then the risk reduces.
Batteries have a similar ROI to panels* when I calculated so they do not have a very fast payback.
But they are typically far easier to add since no roof work, scaff etc
* assuming you dont vastly overpay for either
Unless I'm mistaken, Octopus already advertise GO as an EV-only scheme. The only way to join it is to lie and say you have an EV and hope that Octopus don't actually check / enforce it?
Soldato
Hence the risk.
Associate
GO might not work out cheaper for people who have a highish daytime use, Go is not covered by the cap of 34p unit rate.
Soldato
Technically yes, but they don't seem to really gate keep it. They certainly do for the other tariffs. I suspect since they have allowed many people on without an EV previously.
They certainly could choose to ask for proof at some point.
If your charging batteries its 100% going to look like EV charging
Right thats the risk. I do find it somewhat of an oddity that they go with being a green company and yet dont specifically provide more assistance and cooperation with small generators and those with storage, like they do with the Tesla scheme.
I am sure its going to come eventually.
The average only just works out higher than the cap price if your usage is somewhat balanced. As soon as you can ensure that you use a more notable amount in that window its very quickly going to drop your average unit cost.
An EV, batteries, hell even switching dishwasher, washing machine, tumbler etc would likely achieve this.
Associate
^^ Yes, if you can time shift your usage, GO is a winner for sure.
I only use the cheap rate, only day rate I have to use is when I turn the battery off to reconfigure/mod something. (Usually under 2 kWh a month)
Changed from the GO to GO Faster end of last month to make use of the 9.30PM start time, plus the 5-hour cheap window.
I only use the cheap rate, only day rate I have to use is when I turn the battery off to reconfigure/mod something. (Usually under 2 kWh a month)
Changed from the GO to GO Faster end of last month to make use of the 9.30PM start time, plus the 5-hour cheap window.
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Soldato
yeah planning to switch to go faster myself just havent got round to it.
We do have a hybrid so i can provide the needed details although it never actually gets charged as other halves company take the **** on teh rate they pay, plus its a logistical nightmare to get power to where it would need to be
Associate
Yeah, obviously you need to do your maths and balance your daily usage against batteries.
In short, 7.5p Vs 30p would save about £1600 per year for us, you should obviously ramp up batteries enough that you don't start peak using except in rare occasions. Naturally with solar too, our savings are pretty huge...
Soldato
it's 7.5p and 40p peak if signing up to Go atm, so more saving.
Associate
Yeah, the two figures I'm comparing are non-go Vs go (ie standard energy cap Vs go cheap rate). Naturally if you underspec your battery capacity, then could could end up paying more!
Ie silly example,
Currently use 20kwh per day @ 30pkw
Get a battery that only covers 5kwh and no solar, it'd mean I'd be paying:
5kwh @ 7.5pkw
And
15kwh @ 40pkw
If I instead got 20kwh of batteries, then my cost basically drops to 7.5pkw permanently
Ie silly example,
Currently use 20kwh per day @ 30pkw
Get a battery that only covers 5kwh and no solar, it'd mean I'd be paying:
5kwh @ 7.5pkw
And
15kwh @ 40pkw
If I instead got 20kwh of batteries, then my cost basically drops to 7.5pkw permanently
Soldato
Bit less potentially you'd only need to cover 20 hours of the day, the 4 hours is battery charge + grid usage for the same 4 hour window.
The biggest risk of going battery only is what has already been mentioned, pretty reliant on Octopus Go existing and not checking you have an EV, if you have one it's less of a risk but the rates can still be adjusted I guess.
Thing is with the reliant on the octopus go thing, is that if they do get rid of them there will then be no shift of usage time as people will just go oh I'm home now and I might as well just charge my car up as it doesn't matter if I do it now or overnight cost wise, so suspect the offpeak tarriffs won't be going anywhere anytime soon, maybe less attractice in future as more people utilise them.
Soldato
Be good if they officially supported solar batteries with Go as well, and also updated SEG pricing as 4.1p/kwh is criminal really!