Solar panels and Space Heater

[Bob23]

Hello! I’ve a 1kw array installed and wanted to modify it to run a space heater in the winter, how could I go about it? My install wasn’t certified by the house builder so I can’t get a feed in tariff, which means bar running the fridge, I’m exporting free of charge to the national grid for them to sell it back to me at a pretty penny! So, sod that roof top socialism!

What I’d like is changeover switch so I retain the original system for summer, and then a setup for the winter that won’t draw any power through the mains, but will dump all of whatever is generated during the day, into a 1/2kw wall mounted lounge space heater - can this be done?

And can it be done at a price that benefits in the shorter term? I can wire it no problem, many thanks if you can!

 

[Geoff1946]

I don't think your inverter will start up unless it's connected to the mains.

 

[Murdoch]

OP your panels are covering all your back ground lecky, not just the fridge.

just add the space heater and on sunny days it’ll just support your usage more.

just be aware how little the panels will produce during the winter

 

[bglproserve]

What model is the Inverter for the array?

 

[binky]

You can use a solar immersion gadget to send leccy to a really basic heater, ie nothing with any form of electronic controls.

 

[Murdoch]

You can use a solar immersion gadget to send leccy to a really basic heater, ie nothing with any form of electronic controls.

I seriously don't know how that is any better than just allowing the set up to use all the solar generated power unless its some form of storage heater and then in the winter the 1 KW panel won't produce much and it'll have electronics in it.

 

[binky]

I seriously don't know how that is any better than just allowing the set up to use all the solar generated power unless its some form of storage heater and then in the winter the 1 KW panel won't produce much and it'll have electronics in it.

It's the only way to guarantee you don't buy leccy from the grid and avoid exporting any. To be frank, with only 1kw of panels I doubt there would be much surplus energy in winter to merit the expense of buying the gear.

 

[Mr Aargh]

On the other hand I think it is a laudable idea and means spare energy absolutely is used. One wants a variable responsive space heater, as you say Binky, basically one configured only to use energy when spare. So the equivalent of a Marlec Solar Iboost or a my energi Eddie.

 

[ProDave]

About the only way now to buy such a basic electric heater is one of the cheap portable electric convectors. All the wall mounted ones now have this silly LOT20 electronic controls and would be totally unsuitable.

I use one such portable convector as a second level dump load, my immersion heater being the primary dump load from the PV diverter, but it is possible at mid day to generate more than the immersion can absorb (2.8kW in practice) so then the convector turns on as well.

I assume this is a recent developer built house and the token small PV system was to get it over the line to just meet building regs. I also assume it has a combi boiler so no chance of diverting excess to an immersion heater as no hot water tank.

 

[Bob23]

What model is the Inverter for the array?

Hi there, it’s a Solis 3600 mini 4G. On the roof there’s 4x panels of which there’s 2x dc cables going into the DC1 ports. Coming out of it there’s 2.5mm t+e into an isolator.

Currently it’s showing 965w gen as it’s pretty sunny, just for me I’d rather that go into a heat source for the winter than powering the fridge freezer which doesn’t really draw anything. I do t really have any other loads connected during the day l, so it’s just a glorified pigeon roost running my fridge occasionally and exporting to businesses FOC! Maybe I’m not socialist enough

 

[Bob23]

Hi there, it’s a Solis 3600 mini 4G. On the roof there’s 4x panels of which there’s 2x dc cables going into the DC1 ports. Coming out of it there’s 2.5mm t+e into an isolator.

Currently it’s showing 965w gen as it’s pretty sunny, just for me I’d rather that go into a heat source for the winter than powering the fridge freezer which doesn’t really draw anything. I do t really have any other loads connected during the day l, so it’s just a glorified pigeon roost running my fridge occasionally and exporting to businesses FOC! Maybe I’m not socialist enough

Also I’d want it so that as the wattage drops it’ll still shove energy into the heater. Basically the more basic the better! Just a stat will do me with local isolation and obvs so it won’t pull anything from the grid

 

[Bob23]

About the only way now to buy such a basic electric heater is one of the cheap portable electric convectors. All the wall mounted ones now have this silly LOT20 electronic controls and would be totally unsuitable.

I use one such portable convector as a second level dump load, my immersion heater being the primary dump load from the PV diverter, but it is possible at mid day to generate more than the immersion can absorb (2.8kW in practice) so then the convector turns on as well.

I assume this is a recent developer built house and the token small PV system was to get it over the line to just meet building regs. I also assume it has a combi boiler so no chance of diverting excess to an immersion heater as no hot water tank.

Yep, it was commissioned in 2019 I spoke to the sparks that installed it, he said the only way to get the house to have an export tariff is to have it decommissioned and then new kit reinstalled he was actually MCS certified but the builder wanted it cheap, so I can only get paid for the export, if the energy supplier will take on an uncertified system…. Which non of them do. Pretty annoying as up to 2019 he was installing the rest of the houses on the estate MCS certified