Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

katie279 said:
I'm saying nothing - I'm hopeful for 15kw today! Been freezing again, but blue skies from 6am till the sun goes down - those panels are earning their keep and then some!
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That's amazing. I think I'll give you a run for your money when the weather's better. But have to say absolutely impressive you must be in a little weather ecosystem of your own!

9kWh only today. But as far as I'm concerned our electricity bills are still 40% less than they were last year. So it's win win.
 
Freefaller said:
That's amazing. I think I'll give you a run for your money when the weather's better. But have to say absolutely impressive you must be in a little weather ecosystem of your own!

9kWh only today. But as far as I'm concerned our electricity bills are still 40% less than they were last year. So it's win win.
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Yes, it genuinely is a bit unique here - we're right behind a hill that does take all the clouds away - quite often we'll see a strange 'donut' effect where it's cloudy except for the middle part by the hill where we live.

Just feeling a bit silly we didn't get solar panels 10 years ago when we moved in, but hey - we'd just be ordering an upgrade now anyway... ;)
 
Is anybody graphing savings based on real rates they would be paying for each unit generated for many years? Based on best pried tariffs etc.
 
Well my install for a 9.5kW AC coupled GivEnergy battery storage system fell through today after I received an email from my installer stating the prices were going up by £1300. After doing some research, I found that the increase is actually £600 and that they were more than likely just trying to extract even more profit. So I've told them to cancel it. Back to square one. I was using the Home Energy Scotland route to finance it (0% loan). So I'll either give up for now or buy the materials myself and pay an electrician to install the equipment and do the DNO paperwork.
 
katie279 said:
Yes, it genuinely is a bit unique here - we're right behind a hill that does take all the clouds away - quite often we'll see a strange 'donut' effect where it's cloudy except for the middle part by the hill where we live.

Just feeling a bit silly we didn't get solar panels 10 years ago when we moved in, but hey - we'd just be ordering an upgrade now anyway... ;)
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So you're saying we need to build hills behind our houses? :D
 
Journey said:
Is anybody graphing savings based on real rates they would be paying for each unit generated for many years? Based on best pried tariffs etc.
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I didn't graph it, but I did work out that my SolarEdge system has paid for itself this year, installed in December 2015.
 
Journey said:
Is anybody graphing savings based on real rates they would be paying for each unit generated for many years? Based on best pried tariffs etc.
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Thats exactly what my spreadsheet does. Compares what I buy from grid at 7.5/40p compared to what it would cost at 34p. I take 90% (to account for conversion losses into and back out of battery) plus the solar generated for use in the equation.
Obviously I include all the grid units in the costs, but only 90% in the what would it have cost calcs.
Nov was only 6 days for me, but answer was £23.43
Predictions for full months range from £80 to £195 of savings but thats very grey right now

At some point I need to start using the diverter to heat my water off peak but I need to work out how to add that into the calcs since the reporting is pretty basic for that
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Thats exactly what my spreadsheet does. Compares what I buy from grid at 7.5/40p compared to what it would cost at 34p. I take 90% (to account for conversion losses into and back out of battery) plus the solar generated for use in the equation.
Obviously I include all the grid units in the costs, but only 90% in the what would it have cost calcs.
Nov was only 6 days for me, but answer was £23.43
Predictions for full months range from £80 to £195 of savings but thats very grey right now

At some point I need to start using the diverter to heat my water off peak but I need to work out how to add that into the calcs since the reporting is pretty basic for that
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I need to get something sorted once I get my system fixed up, and eventually replaced with my new kit, although by the time that happens I may have had an ASHP installed, so that will complicate things further.
 
Journey said:
Is anybody graphing savings based on real rates they would be paying for each unit generated for many years? Based on best pried tariffs etc.
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I'm only a few months in on my journey (no pun intended) - however it's a bit of a moving feast. We've changed our habits based on the COL, we've also increased the insulation and bought more energy efficient equipment, and no longer leave things on. The rates are going to vary now we're not longer on a fixed rate. It's quite messy unless you've got a cheat sheet I could borrow?

I'd want to do a year's worth of PV ownership before really making any statements about it - but just looking at my bill this time last year we've notably spent less, so it *must* be having an impact, HOWEVER, the cost have gone up as well but just looking at kWh there's a notable reduction.
 
I'm taking the simple approach if I can. I've generated X and exported Y therefore my usage is Z, not too worried about what uses what, mostly that figure matters as it's efficiency of generation to usage that counts.
 
Freefaller said:
I'd want to do a year's worth of PV ownership before really making any statements about it - but just looking at my bill this time last year we've notably spent less, so it *must* be having an impact, HOWEVER, the cost have gone up as well but just looking at kWh there's a notable reduction.
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That's the double whammy though, you've reduced usage, and costs per unit have gone up yet you are still seeing savings. :)
 
Journey said:
I need to get something sorted once I get my system fixed up, and eventually replaced with my new kit, although by the time that happens I may have had an ASHP installed, so that will complicate things further.
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Yeah you can only be so specific.
I think as long as your reasonable in your estimates then you should be broadly correct in your calcs.
I would assume you could have a simple meter fitted to the ASHP feed to record its usage if your really interested.

Have you seen that Octopus have launched a specific HP tariff now?
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Yeah you can only be so specific.
I think as long as your reasonable in your estimates then you should be broadly correct in your calcs.
I would assume you could have a simple meter fitted to the ASHP feed to record its usage if your really interested.

Have you seen that Octopus have launched a specific HP tariff now?
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Whats the HP tariff???
 
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