Green & ethical MoneySaving

I have been considering a PnP solar system I'm not super worried about pack back time, possibly a bit of a vanity project for myself or trying to dip my toe into solar. Obviously, payback would be good, but not my main drive. I'm disappointed that PnP solar does not accommodated batteries! I was considering an EcoFlow…

Im contemplating a 10 panel solar pv, 15kwh battery and 5kwh hybrid inverter. Ive got my quotes and researched the component parts so am not looking for comments that 'you're better using this make' etc, etc. Ive no intention of getting a heat pump and getting an EV is very unlikely. As Im nearing 70, the faster the…

Smart home tech provider Hive has admitted it's aware of a problem that's seen some customers unable to connect their electric vehicle (EV) chargers to the Hive app. While you CAN still charge your car if you're affected, you CAN'T use the app's features, such as scheduling to charge your car when it costs less. The fault…

Sorry if this has been done before, but I thought it would be useful to have a simple comparison of people’s systems and their typical yearly figures. My system 2 × 400 ESE 4 × 400 W WNW Solis S5 2.5kw inverter Installed August 2022 My average yearly figures Generation: ~1,700 kWh Export: ~1,160 kWh Import: ~2,070 kWh…

Hi all, just wondering if it would be worth adding to my system or not. Either a battery or extra panels. My current system consists of 4x west facing 400w panels and 2x east facing panels. With a solis inverter. I have a flat roof which could possibly add 4 panels, but I'd be concerned with the extra weight on the roof.…

Am going to install solar panels and battery storage within the next 6-12 months. I know virtually nothing about it. Where do i start to look about this? Current situation is a large detached house, on the east of Scotland ( near Edinburgh) but only 2 adults, me and OH. House is 3 storeys, built around 25 years ago, with a…

In an attempt to maintain harmony on Martyn1981’s Green, Ethical, Energy issues in the news thread, Mart and I have agreed that I will no longer contribute to that thread but instead start a separate thread which Mart has agreed not to participate on. The intention of the thread is that green energy issues can be discussed…

On 27/8/2026, the permitted development right permitting the installation of solar equipment on a house, block of flats or building within the curtilage was updated. A couple that stood out: In the case of plug-in solar, any part of the solar equipment should not be installed on a wooden wall, balcony or enclosure, or any…

Being absolutely sick of the up and down energy market I decided to take action. Using all the fantastic tools and advice give by Martin I set off in search of an answer. Having an East to West facing roof I though I couldn't have solar panels, but I can!! I got a quote for 12 panels, 6kW inverter and a 10kWh battery for…

Seems like a sensible way to reduce hot water heating costs without going with a heat pump for the entire household. I wonder if any users/ owners are out there? https://www.ariston.com/en-uk/products/heat-pumps/air-source-heat-pump-water-heater/nuos-plus-wifi-uk/

Thought I'd start a new thread for the Lux battery controller as suggested on the battery storage thread. To kick it off, I notice there is an entry on the web portal stats under "history data" for battery temperature (tBat°C) but mine just shows zeros. There's also entries for max and min cell voltage but again, no…

Are these really much better for the environment they still have electrics? Any recommendations? How long do they last? I find some electric toothbrushes only last a few months and I only use them twice a day.

As of 27th of August it will become law that you can plug in an 800w micro inverter with attached solar of up to 2000w into a standard UK power socket. This law change only applies to plug in devices that generate from solar only and does not extend to any device which stores electricity for later use (aka plug in battery)…

This may be useful to know for the ethnical consumer. A colleague last year mentioned various travel websites they use to buy cheaper train tickets. When I looked into them I found almost all are owned by Chinese entities and/or with HQs based in China/HK

This discussion was created from comments split from: Is solar battery storage worth it?.

I have 4.4 kWh solar array and Solis inverter, I have Solax AC inverter and triple 5.8 kWh battery, I would like to change from the standard Octopus Go to Inteligent, unfortunately despite requesting the Solax battery is not blinded from the new OHME Pro EV charger. I am considering a Home Assistant Green which apparently…

My Powerwall 3 was installed in October 2024 and, until last May, has been brilliant. I'm on IOG and, apart from a Christmas, we've only been buying electricity at the cheap rate (Currently 8p per kWh). Last May, although I really didn't need to, I decided to update the app with the current Octopus pricing. The app had…

We are thinking of biting the bullet and getting solar panels installed, plus battery/batteries. We have one EV, will be getting a second when my wife changes car next year. We have a relatively new boiler, so thinking about a heat pump further down the line. A picture of the house is above - we're in South East Scotland…

I have an 8-panel solar PV system installed in 2012 with an SMA Sunny Boy inverter. The system has apparently not generated since around 2018. Engineer 1: Inspected the system around the inverter/loft area. Measured approximately 2.4V on the PV strings. Said the inverter was probably not the fault. Suspected a fault…

We are just starting to go down the road to Solar and have had this quote which I would welcome comments and opinions on please. At the momemnt we are on a standard tariff but would explore alternative options to complement solar. No EVs at present and no immediate plans in that regard. Main use of the electricity is a…