Solar System Review

[binky]

Yes, I wanted to avoid it because of the wait and potential cost of it. At the time I didn't know I could have had a 5kW inverter and limited the supply to grid to avoid a DNO but still have the benefit of 5kW inverter for Battery and Water Heating.

you can't avoid the DNO, it is a legal requirement to notify of connecting any generating equipment to the grid.

 

[binky]

That is a very good point. Thank you so much. I will consider this.
The only drawback I see is if you want to also benefit of selling to the grid, you won't be able to maximize the export (after you have taken for yourself what you need, consumption, batteries, water, maybe car etc...)

You have to have an MCS cert to get any of export payment schemes, which means using an MCs registered installer, which in turn costs!

Mostly the payments available are around 5p per kWh, which doesn't add upto much money. However, I have seen posts on here of being on smart grid half hour billing, which offers far more money when exporting at peak times. Troble is with any scheme like that is the company providing it can just shut it down or change the rules overnight as they are not government schemes. I don't know if they will ever do that, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind.

 

[Murdoch]

you can't avoid the DNO, it is a legal requirement to notify of connecting any generating equipment to the grid.

I wonder how many systems are being DIY installed which are over the DNO limit?

Another fine mess we are in

 

[Bob Smith]

I wonder how many systems are being DIY installed which are over the DNO limit?

Another fine mess we are in

The worst of all is when they are DIY installed by companies.. What we call Cowboys!!

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

That is a very good point. Thank you so much. I will consider this.
The only drawback I see is if you want to also benefit of selling to the grid, you won't be able to maximize the export (after you have taken for yourself what you need, consumption, batteries, water, maybe car etc...)

Yeah, the only issue would be less export, but you don't get much for that anyway, ideally I want to store or use everything I produce and export/import as little as possible.

 

[Bob Smith]

You have to have an MCS cert to get any of export payment schemes, which means using an MCs registered installer, which in turn costs!

Mostly the payments available are around 5p per kWh, which doesn't add upto much money. However, I have seen posts on here of being on smart grid half hour billing, which offers far more money when exporting at peak times. Troble is with any scheme like that is the company providing it can just shut it down or change the rules overnight as they are not government schemes. I don't know if they will ever do that, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind.

Here is what my uncle sees on his system (even though he has not currently signed up for any scheme as far as I know)


I suppose the choice will depend on your business case. Do you prefer exporting as much as possible, or storing as much as possible for your own use.
I think I would prefer storing as much as possible. My reason being is what you use you don't need to import. You'll always export at a cheaper price than what you import. It would be a shame from my point of view to export as much as possible to benefits of whatever best export tarif there is, and then import it back at a higher price. Therefore, for me, I am not considering the money I could get from the export as part of my business case and Return On Investment calculation. If I do export something and get something out of it it will be a bonus.

The days of the Assumed 50% usage have gone.

 

[binky]

Here is what my uncle sees on his system (even though he has not currently signed up for any scheme as far as I know)
View attachment 13751

I suppose the choice will depend on your business case. Do you prefer exporting as much as possible, or storing as much as possible for your own use.
I think I would prefer storing as much as possible. My reason being is what you use you don't need to import. You'll always export at a cheaper price than what you import. It would be a shame from my point of view to export as much as possible to benefits of whatever best export tarif there is, and then import it back at a higher price. Therefore, for me, I am not considering the money I could get from the export as part of my business case and Return On Investment calculation. If I do export something and get something out of it it will be a bonus.

The days of the Assumed 50% usage have gone.

Interesting, my choice would be self use first to avoid buying from the grid, and if there was some money for what gets exported, it's a bonus.

50% self use was a myth, most people who work used more like 30%. Those at home all day use more, and batteries have changed the whole plot.

 

[Bob Smith]

Interesting, my choice would be self use first to avoid buying from the grid, and if there was some money for what gets exported, it's a bonus.

50% self use was a myth, most people who work used more like 30%. Those at home all day use more, and batteries have changed the whole plot.

I see we have one thing in common. Same strategy

I do not know how they decided on the 50% but this was good for me.
I have a device to heat my water
I have (probably not the best investment) electrical under floor heating in my conservatory

In winter I rarely export.

One thing that surprised me is that in 2016 when I got my system installed I could have also purchased batteries and still benefited of the 50% rules.
I rang my FiT provider to see how/what I could install in term of PV; inverter, batteries without impacting my FiT and they say that if my existing panels were going to charge the batteries I would lose the export tariff. I did not say anything but I thought afterward why? If I was able to have batteries in 2016 without affecting the export tariff, why now?

Any idea?

 

[binky]

I see we have one thing in common. Same strategy

I do not know how they decided on the 50% but this was good for me.
I have a device to heat my water
I have (probably not the best investment) electrical under floor heating in my conservatory

In winter I rarely export.

One thing that surprised me is that in 2016 when I got my system installed I could have also purchased batteries and still benefited of the 50% rules.
I rang my FiT provider to see how/what I could install in term of PV; inverter, batteries without impacting my FiT and they say that if my existing panels were going to charge the batteries I would lose the export tariff. I did not say anything but I thought afterward why? If I was able to have batteries in 2016 without affecting the export tariff, why now?

Any idea?

You will still be generating leccy at the same rates and getting the 50% export based on that figure. FiT providers do monitor what you generate and can get sulky if anything is 'wrong' ie not what they were expecting to see, however, nothing would change from their point of view. Batteries would not change any of that, although in 2016, the batteries were probably not worth fitting.

 

[Slateral]

Octopus Agile export rates for today - not that high every day though and there will be little or no export in the wintertime - make leccy hay while the sun shines!

 

[Bob Smith]

Octopus Agile export rates for today - not that high every day though and there will be little or no export in the wintertime - make leccy hay while the sun shines!

Thanks Slateral, this is informative. This means that it is possible to sell at a higher price than the import price.

Please can you please tell me, when you need to import what type of tariff do you get?
I have the feeling that such Agile scheme could be OK if you were to export most of the electricity generated. If you export only the excess after your own usage + batteries (+ maybe hot water), you will not be selling enough to compensate the higher price you'll get when you need to import.
Is my assumption correct?

 

[Bob Smith]

Octopus Agile export rates for today - not that high every day though and there will be little or no export in the wintertime - make leccy hay while the sun shines!

If I am not mistaken this is SolisCloud app. Do you have a solis inverter?

 

[Slateral]

If I am not mistaken this is SolisCloud app. Do you have a solis inverter?

Hi Bob, yes it is a Solis hybrid inverter. I have only been on the Agile tariff for a week so no bill has yet been generated, however I believe the import cost is around 35p/kWh and varies - see this website(www.octopusreferral.link/octopus-energy-agile-tariff) for details and a link to the energy-stats website that shows historic and current cost data.
Interestingly and confusingly, 2 different support personnel advised that the import tariff was the standard variable capped tariff - I queried that with a third who confirmed it was the higher Agile import rate- so they seem confused themselves. The first bill will be revealing.
This last seven days I have imported no more than 3kWh a day (total 8kWh) and have exported 121. The weather has been exceptionally good, of course, so it won’t last, but right now I should have paid for the standing charge and be making a few bob

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

My installation was finally completed yesterday and appears to be working as intended.

Is there a device that I can include in the system to detect exported power and then divert it to my neighbours through an extension lead or something?

I don't want the greedy energy companies, who pay a fraction of what they charge, to have any of my excess power and rather give it away for free to private individuals than the energy companies sell it to them at an extortionate price.

Let's patent the idea, design it and put energy companies out of business, or at least force them to lower their prices to compete

 

[Murdoch]

Is there a device that I can include in the system to detect exported power and then divert it to my neighbours through an extension lead or something?

not that I'm aware of and that could be very dangerous as the adjoining home could be on a different phase

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

not that I'm aware of and that could be very dangerous as the adjoining home could be on a different phase

Yeah, could be very dangerous, but I'm not talking about a DIY job, I am talking about coming up with an professional consumer product that's "plug and play" and will allow homeowners to share excess energy with their neighbours and vise versa (if they also have solar) rather than being forced to sell it at reduced price to energy companies for them to rip off consumers.

Is Dragons Den still running

 

[Murdoch]

Yeah, could be very dangerous, but I'm not talking about a DIY job, I am talking about coming up with an professional consumer product that's "plug and play" and will allow homeowners to share excess energy with their neighbours and vise versa

Adjacent homes are often on different phases - this would be very dangerous.

 

[Cr4zySmurf]

Adjacent homes are often on different phases - this would be very dangerous.

Okay, thankyou.

 

[Gian]

Okay, thankyou.

Actually a great idea , I am sure there is a way but it's that sitting down on forums and searches to find a solution .

 

[Geoff1946]

Could possibly be done on the DC side if someone designed inverters which could communicate and exchange excess power?
Then again how many people have neighbours who could agree to such schemes?