Soldato
- Joined
- 25 Nov 2005
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- 12,452
Depends how bad climate change gets
This is getting ridiculous (energy prices - Strictly NO referrals!)
- Thread starter DXP55
- Start date
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No its great to hear your experience with the batteries and such which is great and I'm glad its working out for you
I'm looking to move at some point but maybe not so much right now??..... If I had a battery system with the solar, I'd like to be almost 90% off grid power if I could be. My usage from say 6 till 6am isn't much but with a 10kW battery or something I'd like to think that would cover anything I'd use around the house till the next morning.
The only thing really that I'm concerned about is that when in the winter months when the solar is low and sometimes not even a 0.5kW has been made, how would it be then with a 10kW battery to recharge.. (Just for arguments sake..) My overnight usage is not much, so over a year at worst case I'd have to work out the numbers but I wonder how long it would take to re-coup the costs.
I did Google how long batteries lasted for solar and that was about 2000 recharges and between 5 to 15 years.. Which I believe they quoted the Lithium ION batteries as well as acid batteries where mentioned but they had half the recharging capabilities.
I'd like to consider possibly another set of panels on the front of the house if that would make any great differences and possibly batteries too but I think that might be just wasting cash over what I have really. Unless I've got the AC running most of the day, I do wonder if the batteries would be a viable option for right now for me
Soldato
UK industry’s heavy energy users fear enforced winter shutdowns
With their bills already soaring, fuel-intensive firms are now on notice that they may have to cease operations
www.theguardian.com
Soldato
Don’t worry. The Daily Express now formally backs Liz Truss. Sorted 
Soldato
No its great to hear your experience with the batteries and such which is great and I'm glad its working out for you
If I had a battery system with the solar, I'd like to be almost 90% off grid power if I could be. My usage from say 6 till 6am isn't much but with a 10kW battery or something I'd like to think that would cover anything I'd use around the house till the next morning.
The only thing really that I'm concerned about is that when in the winter months when the solar is low and sometimes not even a 0.5kW has been made, how would it be then with a 10kW battery to recharge.. (Just for arguments sake..) My overnight usage is not much, so over a year at worst case I'd have to work out the numbers but I wonder how long it would take to re-coup the costs.
I did Google how long batteries lasted for solar and that was about 2000 recharges and between 5 to 15 years.. Which I believe they quoted the Lithium ION batteries as well as acid batteries where mentioned but they had half the recharging capabilities.
I'd like to consider possibly another set of panels on the front of the house if that would make any great differences and possibly batteries too but I think that might be just wasting cash over what I have really. Unless I've got the AC running most of the day, I do wonder if the batteries would be a viable option for right now for me
Its practically impossible to go solar only off grid in the UK.
To go offgrid you need most of four things, possibly all combined
1) A really massive array, as you say winter generation can be down to a very low % of theoretical array size
2) Off grid power generation, so a petrol/diesel generator is most usable, which is what most offgriders have
3) A will to be very low usage potentially for some time, ie just enough to survive, no loads of washing and tumbling if generation is a trickle
4) An alternate source of warmth, log burner, coal fire etc
Modern batteries are now typically 5000+ cycles over 10 years warranty (or more cycles (more is pretty much irrelevant))
Eg https://batteryfactory.co.uk/products/givenergy-9-5kwh-li-ion-battery
They use LiPo4 now
If you can get on a cheap off peak tariff (Octopus by far the best in market right now) then you can charge for less than 10p per unit over night.
If your battery gives you somewhere like 70% plus of your daily usage even in winter you will have days with grid independence, but not many.
Spring / Autumn you will likely be basically neutral, with summer generating real excess. (Assuming a suitable array for your consumption)
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
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- 9,148
To me my electric usage (not including the car) is about 12-13 kwh per day. The tesla powerwall is the only one that comes close (last time I checked anyway), and I had a quote for about 10k (just the battery and installation, no panels) which is quite a cost.
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 May 2006
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Tesla powerwall is the rolls Royce of batteries. I would love one but there are cheaper options.
my pylon batteries are 2.4kwh each. I have 3 and iirc cost between 2200 and 2500 (for all 3 not each). 6 of them would therefore give you the storage you need . also, and not talking off grid now but more living on "off peak" power. if it were me I would buy the 3.5kwh versions however and have 3 or 4 of those.
in the 4 or 5 hrs of off peak energy you will not be running off batter either, you would be charging your home and using the grid so the batteries only need to last 19 or 20:hrs.
the biggest challenge of no solar generation and trying not to use on peak power would be the 3.5kw/h max output of the batteries. I don't know if you could install them differently to double that up (say 2 individual banks of 3), but for instance if I have the oven and hob on at the same time I can go way above that. from memory I have seen about 6.5kw/h being used in our home on a few occasions. usually when for what ever reason the washer and drier had to go on at the same time we were.prepping tea and my pc was on. (usually we don't do all that at once unless if off peak or our solar array is kicking out 2.5kwh+ but sometimes needs must)
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My battery can output at 5 kW and 7 kW for 10 seconds.[Huawei 10 kWh LUNA2000]
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 May 2006
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- 6,845
nice! significantly more than mine. I was on a budget and at the time what I chose offered the best bang for my buck. things change all the time however (this was July 2021) and different use cases vary. with some fairly minor planning we can keep under the 3.5kw/h draw most of the time in winter and in summer we have more wiggle room with the solar.
Soldato
You can daisy chain, I am getting 2 of these, 5.8kwh, can add upto 2 more, so potentially i can go to 23kwh (20/7 useable)
Triple Power Solar Battery | Solax Power
Get the best of both worlds with Triple Power Solar Battery from Solax Power! Save big on your electricity bills and help protect the environment. Get yours today and enhance your energy independence like never before.
I will get max draw of 5kw due to inverter being limited at that, but going to be very rare I use more than that at any point in time
Soldato
Interesting how old tech can come around with some reimagining
Pulling energy out of the sky
A company in Norway has developed an innovative "kite" that turns wind into electricity.
www.bbc.co.uk
Soldato
Sounds damn noisy!
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Mar 2013
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Sorry I realise they were other options. We have a gas hob, but electric oven. I don't think (again if I exclude the car) that we would pull more than 5 kW at once. The oven uses a lot for maybe 5 mins til it's upto to temp, but nor much other stuff comes close (we have a power shower so that's general the other big thing). I might look into the other options though as that's significantly cheaper. Even if you do top 5kw, I'd imagine it would be a short period, I.e. boiling kettle while oven element kicks in or something. Just don't tumble during the day and it's fine (assuming on go/intelligent).
Mains gas or Bottled?
If mains gas (and assuming you also have a gas boiler) you could switch to a boiler-fed shower instead to reduce your spike load and also swap some electrical energy to gas energy which is cheaper?
I've seen the power shower consume up to 10kW during the winter and that's not cranking it up. Usually about 6 - 6.5 on the dial. 7 if it's a really cold freezing winter. I've never seen it at 10 but I'd imagine it would hit 12 - 14kW.
Where as during this heatwave it was down to 2 - 2.5 on the dial.
Because it’s not popular. If a party says we wish to sacrifice something in the short term to benefit us in the long term. All the opposition have to do is say, “vote for us, no short term pain”. And people will do it. The parties know it’s irresponsible. But none of them care about the long term of this country, they care about getting into power and they will say and do whatever they believe makes them most likely to get it. And that is usually reacting to contemporary issues with short term solutions.
Permabanned
Doesn’t work like that at least mine doesn’t. I have 2 settings, one full power which is 12.5kw or 10.5kw I believe and one low power which 7.5kw. The dial just adjusts the flow in order to reach a lower or higher temperature depending on the number. It doesn’t alter the power draw at all.
Don
Not surprised, chinese takeaway in town went from £1k a quarter on gas to £10k and decided to close down as a result.
Popular Chinese takeaway in Aberdeen hit with £10,000 jump in bills to close tonight
A popular Chinese takeaway in Aberdeen will close its doors for the foreseeable future due to the mounting pressure of "impossible" energy bills. The
www.pressandjournal.co.uk
Soldato
Seems insane, can any takeaway joints really operate if they're spending so much on utilities?
I can only see them having to charge a lot more for food, at a time when people are likely going to be spending less on takeaways due to having to find money to pay their own utility bills.
Small businesses will need a lot more support.