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Are solar panels pointless?
Apparently it can take a minimum of 14 years to break even. Do they even last that long? Does their efficiency also not deteriorate over time? (Plus how do you keep them clean?!) But once installed the technology is 'fixed' at that point in time. And tech moves fast. There you will be in at least a decade with old tech,…
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inverter and battery EDIT: Alternative to lux?
EDIT[See later post as cannot yet find lux]Obviously supply of hardware at present is difficult and demand for all renewables is high because of fuel price rises.However there is huge amount of knowledge and experience on this board....so... Can anybody suggest potential suppliers for a Lux 3600 AC charger/inverter? I have…
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Calculating solar potential
Hi is there somewhere I can work out if my roof is suitable for solar and rough potential generation? i was hoping there might be a tool somewhere to take into account roof shading etc too? Many thanks!
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Scottish Power Feed in tariff
I sent my reading to SP on 1st July via an e mail and photograph as per their instructions. Received e mail on 20th accepting reading and stating money would be paid by end of month. 1st August no money so contacted SP to be told that due to an error on their behalf my account had been suspended. Told I would have to wait…
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Inverter has died ' Options '
we have a 9 year old 16 panel 4kwh system paying 21p FIT , one large inverter in the attic. facing SSE but shaded, it has stopped working, we have an extended warranty of sorts ( bad workmanship ) , but the insurers still arranged for an inspection. it has died. the options. 1. replace like for like, 2. micro inverters on…
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Solar Install lead times
What are people experience of lead time from order to install at the moment? I paid the deposit for an install 1st June and am still waiting for an actual install date. Fitter said that there's just no stock of panels or batteries in the UK right now, so everyone is waiting.
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Solar i-boost - ignored for Energy Performance Certificate
Curious to know if anyone who has a solar i-boost and has had an EPC done had the i-boost disregarded and what reason may have been given? My assessor appeared to not know about the i-boost and said he cannot take it into account. The Certificate issued said we could improve our rating if we heated our water by solar (at a…
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Export to neighbour
With the price of leccy going up and forecast to hit 50p/KWh I might actually set up an export meter for my neighbor and charge 10p/kWh. Anyone know the logistics behind this and what would need to be done? Of course this is a scouting mission.
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Solar PV Export meter
I've just had solar PV installed. I've noticed than my old meter had a solid red light, which I guess means I'm not using the grid electric, now it's darker it's flashing. But the generation meter they've installed does this look correct? The arrows are on "import" surely I should be exporting to the grid.
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Solar PV to heat water for central heating
Just an idea because I don't use all that I generate. I have underfloor heating with a system boiler (gas) and a hotwater tank that is heated by both the system boiler and the solar PV. So the question is could I have a 2nd hotwater tank installed, heated by the solar PV that would feed into the underfloor heating system?
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Solar monitoring
I'm getting a 2.4kwh system installed over east and west on Monday. This is all new to me. How do you monitor what your using and is there a way of triggering say a smart plug to turn on washing machines and dishwashers when the panels reach the best output?
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Scottish Power have refused my Feed In Tariff reading (and I am not alone)
I tried to send my FIT reading 90 days following my last reading and it was refused for being "higher than expected" the site then directed me to a page via a link which resulted in an error 404 message. The other option was to send an email with a clear photograph of my meter. I followed the advice and got no…
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Solar battery - more out than in?!
Hi all, New to the solar world and enjoying all the new and exciting stats that are now available to us, however we don't really understand one thing in the following summary: How is it possible that our 'To Battery' charging total is less than our 'From Battery' discharging total? I don't think I've gotten the numbers…
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RCD trip
Hi Hopefully someone with some electrical knowledge can help please, since my installation of the solar panels I am having issues with one of my appliances triggering the RCD when it draws significant electricity, the dishwasher after 30 mins triggers the RCD, no MCB is triggered. It's really strange as my whole house was…
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Solar and MCB
My curiosity was peaked following the recent discussion about RCD trips and went looking at my Consumer unit. My consumer unit is split into two 1. Most of the house and Solar2. Battery and EPS along with auto changeover contactor. I have a 6.6KWp solar install split over 4 roofs and have seen a peak generation of 5300KW,…
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EV charging parsimony
I am aware that fast charging can shorten battery life if engaged with excessively. But can you tell me - is it the case that the slower the charge, the better the benefit for the battery? If so, this be an added benefit to 'solar only' charging. Secondly it would appeal to a particularly old-fashioned, daddish part of my…
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Best way to find solar installer in North West
Starting to consider solar power install next year at some point and my facebook page seems to be inundated with solar panel 'sponsored links' however not knowing anyone who's had it installed and no one on our estate has it yet (only 24 houses so not huge), where is the best way to find installers and associated reviews…
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Scottish Power blocking solar installation
Hi all, I'm new to this but would like to share my experience today of dealing with Scottish Power. We have recently been exploring having a solar panel set and battery combo installed at our house, and although several installers say "its not a problem" I contacted Scottish Power (our provider) to double check. what they…
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(Another) Battery options - Solar with ASHP and EV to follow
Afternoon All, I've read through quite a few of the forum posts and found a lot of useful info/tips (and I've a fair idea of who to avoid...), but I'll continue to ask in case anyone has gone through the same/has useful thoughts/hints/tips; I have a 16kW LG Therma V ASHP recently installed (to replace old Firebird Kerosene…
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Solar Energy - Feed-in-Tariff
For those who have already had Solar Panels at home and generating solar energy feeding back to the grid, has anyone been thinking about why the energy companies selling their energy to the public at 3 times the normal price but we are selling our energy to them (the energy feed back to the grid) at only 15p per kWh? I had…
