Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

I've started a conversation with my installer about potentially adding panels on my E facing roof.

I'm hoping I can get 2.5-3kW on there, it would need a separate inverter, but I can finance it using the 0% green mortgage thing Nationwide do, so interest free for 5 years.

Would give a nice boost to the system, and would wind up with panels facing E, S, and W for more even generation through the day.
 
We have had 16 panels, 5kw inverter, a 9.5kw battery and eddi hotwater since March. Honestly best investment I have made in a long time. They are givenergy products but my installer is an old friend and his workmanship just excellent. Currently we are on octopus agile but think we may switch to go as the ability to charge the battery at night for 9p a kw would be ideal.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
I also have an email from the installers, one of the directors, who told me they have never had any charging/discharging difficulties and they install around six battery systems a week. And his batteries are on a north facing wall and have no issues.
I can certainly represent that I was given the impression there would be no issues in regards the batteries. I raised this query after reading the spec sheets that mentioned charge temps of 0c and above.
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Did you get the 'Winter Battery Performance and Optional Enclosures' email from them yesterday trying to sell insulated external enclosures? thats saying
However, when temperatures drop below 5°C, your batteries will start to charge at a reduced rate and perhaps not to full capacity. When temperatures drop below 3°C, they may even shut down to protect themselves.
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Hello everyone! We installed a 5.3kW system with battery this year and have a Solax x1 Hybrid G4 converter. We have recently moved to the Octopus flux tariff (cheaper between 2am and 5am, more expensive between 4pm and 7pm) and though I have easily set it up to charge the battery between 2am and 5am, I also want to make sure it makes sure the battery is kept to a minimum of pretty full so we can use it between 4pm and 7pm. I think I need to use the peak shaving mode but as it isn't a peak variable tariff it feels a little like a hack. Does anyone have any advice? I am assuming if I set the peak limit low like 0.1kW that will force battery use in the time period that I set? Thanks in advance for any help, the Solax webpage on this new mode isn't the clearest.
 
Tropical_crush_11 said:
Hello everyone! We installed a 5.3kW system with battery this year and have a Solax x1 Hybrid G4 converter. We have recently moved to the Octopus flux tariff (cheaper between 2am and 5am, more expensive between 4pm and 7pm) and though I have easily set it up to charge the battery between 2am and 5am, I also want to make sure it makes sure the battery is kept to a minimum of pretty full so we can use it between 4pm and 7pm. I think I need to use the peak shaving mode but as it isn't a peak variable tariff it feels a little like a hack. Does anyone have any advice? I am assuming if I set the peak limit low like 0.1kW that will force battery use in the time period that I set? Thanks in advance for any help, the Solax webpage on this new mode isn't the clearest.
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Peak shaving ain't for the UK! Its a way to reduce grid draw when the grid is more expensive if you draw above a certain level.

You can set minimum battery stats and charge / discharge allow times etc in selfuse.
What you cannot do is have a different set of parameters for 4-7pm only.
IE right now there is no really easy way to manage Solax with Flux.
 
I've just pulled the ct clamp off the iBoost sender for the time being.

I set the threshold on it to 500w and it was better, but this morning it's one of those sun in/out mornings and I noticed it intermittently sending to the hot water over battery.

Pretty certain you guys are right in that the iboost "reacts" faster than the AC battery inverter, if the power jumps by more than 500w, and let's face it on a day like today it's jumping up and down by several kw, it'll prioritise the water.

Obviously it's really inefficient to be heating the water over charging your battery.

I might reconnect it come mid March or so.

Bit annoying but honestly, I'm terms of energy saving for what little does end up in the hot water over the winter months I don't think it's a major loss, plus any excess still goes to grid at 12p per kWh (if Scottish Power ever decide to actually pay us), so I'm not going to look into it any further.
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Peak shaving ain't for the UK! Its a way to reduce grid draw when the grid is more expensive if you draw above a certain level.

You can set minimum battery stats and charge / discharge allow times etc in selfuse.
What you cannot do is have a different set of parameters for 4-7pm only.
IE right now there is no really easy way to manage Solax with Flux.
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Thanks so much, even just knowing that there is "IE right now there is no really easy way to manage Solax with Flux." is really helpful as I just thought I was just not understanding something.

I will have a think about instead changing the battery discharge window to start at 4pm but what I would want to happen is a bit variable depending on the weather of that particular day! Next job is to check if my washing machine has a delay function so I can wash and dry between 2am and 5am :D
 
BUDFORCE said:
I've just pulled the ct clamp off the iBoost sender for the time being.

I set the threshold on it to 500w and it was better, but this morning it's one of those sun in/out mornings and I noticed it intermittently sending to the hot water over battery.

Pretty certain you guys are right in that the iboost "reacts" faster than the AC battery inverter, if the power jumps by more than 500w, and let's face it on a day like today it's jumping up and down by several kw, it'll prioritise the water.

Obviously it's really inefficient to be heating the water over charging your battery.

I might reconnect it come mid March or so.

Bit annoying but honestly, I'm terms of energy saving for what little does end up in the hot water over the winter months I don't think it's a major loss, plus any excess still goes to grid at 12p per kWh (if Scottish Power ever decide to actually pay us), so I'm not going to look into it any further.
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Presumably the alternative for water heating is gas?

If that’s the case and your export is 12p, I’d ditch the iboost anyway, even if you are going it for the green credentials (aka the feels).

1) it’s cheaper to heat it by gas by >4p/kWh
2) you’ll actually cut more CO2 by exporting to the grid because gas power stations operate at a lower efficiency than a modern gas boiler.
 
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b0rn2sk8 said:
Presumably the alternative for water heating is gas?

If that’s the case and your export is 12p, I’d ditch the iboost anyway, even if you are going it for the green credentials (aka the feels).

1) it’s cheaper to heat it by gas by >4p/kWh
2) you’ll actually cut more CO2 by exporting to the grid because gas power stations operate at a lower efficiency than a modern gas boiler.
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We are on kerosene heating oil, but I'll go with that anyway it makes me feel better.

Cheers!
 
Anyone looked into the new “Givback” scheme for GivEnergy owners? Seems similar to saving sessions but you basically get paid for exporting at periods of high demand, they claim “up to“ £2.10 per unit but at least £1.00. The catch is that they control your battery for each session, force charging beforehand if necessary and then discharging, though if the prices they pay are as good as they say then even charging at peak flux rate you’d still come out easily ahead. I would assume you’d also still get paid at your standard export rate from your provider.

It sounds tempting, but the loss of control at times is a worry, though they do say you can override it at any time.

givenergy.co.uk

Introducing GivBack: A new way to earn cash from your battery this winter | GivEnergy

Join GivBack & earn cash from your battery. We’re proud to partner with Axle Energy on a new program that will generate income for customers.
givenergy.co.uk givenergy.co.uk
 
It sounds like basically its the same as the Octopus savings sessions in effect.

I assume during the peak grid times when demand reduction kicks in the givenergy thing will do the same as all the other suppliers and bid for demand reduction.

The peak Octopus one last year was higher than £2.1 although iirc it wasn't much higher. The normal one was iirc £2.25 or so per unit saved.

I wonder how nicely this will play with normal export.
Your specifically not allowed by NG rules to benefit from more than one at at time, for obvious reasons.
It might be more than one "special" event, not 100% sure to be honest, as ever wording is a little vague.

Edit, yes Octopus was £2.25 per kwh saving last winter.
 
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Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
It sounds like basically its the same as the Octopus savings sessions in effect.

I assume during the peak grid times when demand reduction kicks in the givenergy thing will do the same as all the other suppliers and bid for demand reduction.

The peak Octopus one last year was higher than £2.1 although iirc it wasn't much higher. The normal one was iirc £2.25 or so per unit saved.

I wonder how nicely this will play with normal export.
Your specifically not allowed by NG rules to benefit from more than one at at time, for obvious reasons.
It might be more than one "special" event, not 100% sure to be honest, as ever wording is a little vague.

Edit, yes Octopus was £2.25 per kwh saving last winter.
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One of their sessions was even higher around £4 per kWh. I'm stopping with Octopus on this as their take is smaller.
 
FIT question…

My mates dad has the old FIT tariff. He has a decent sized south facing array.

He has recently bought an EV and I was shocked he is paying £150 a month electric (he’s on his own)

His provider and FIT is Eon.

How easy is it to move him onto Octopus Intelligent? Obviously we still want the old FIT and don’t want to jeopardise that, hence why he is getting spanked with Eon.
 
94JDH said:
One of their sessions was even higher around £4 per kWh. I'm stopping with Octopus on this as their take is smaller.
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It was but I think it was only one wasn't it? IIRC all the rest were at the same £2.25 rate.

We are making the assumption of course that the export part of the new savings sessions will pay at the same rate as the saved units.
I am not sure if there is anything specific about it from any reliable source yet.
 
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