So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it???

teachergirl

hi equaliser123 yes due south and 3.96kWp system. I am really loooking forward to summer. Where I live we have one of the lowest rainfalls in the whole of England . Now obviously this does not equate to sunshine but I am quite hopeful that it might just produce more than average.
Oh cardewthank you for my gold star, I shall wear it with pride:o
My dishwasher is an AA and has a very short 30 minute wash which quite often surfices. I will check but my washing machine is a huge old dyson beast that holds up to a kingsize duvet. When I have used both and watched the monitor it seems to use more(it has a contra-rotating drum....don't know if that makes a difference.) It does vary during the cycle I know but my dishwasher really doesn't seem to make much of a dent at all....I will have to look more closely so that I can report more accurate figures.(Will have to wait until Friday though as it is my day off.)

jackieblack

Re the FIT increase from 1st April, looks like the 41.3p will increase to 43.3p and meter readings will be required 31st March otherwise will be pro-rata'd
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainabili...ages/fits.aspx

dobbers

Assuming that you have a working PV setup, how is the FIT payment you generate paid to you? I take it you read the generation meter and send off the readings to the electricity supplier - so how often do you do this? Once a week or once a month etc.

Then how does that generation of of 41.3p per unit get paid to you? Is it taken off your electricity bill by the electricity supplier or do you get actual money paid back to your bank account if you have a direct debit set up with them?

Same for the 3p per unit exported as well.

dobbers

jackieblack

My FIT is paid by E-ON (not sure how others do it) and I send in a reading (by 'phone or email) every 3 months, they send me a statement showing the payment due to me (41.3ppkWh generated and 3p x 50% of kWh generated) and the payment goes into my bank account a few days later.

teachergirl

hi there. Hasn't the weather been dull and miserable? So far my newly installed solar panels have produced below what is expected.:( However my little weather predictor on my Ipod touch says that this week is going to be much better:)

In half term I waited and waited for a sunny day to do the washing....what a great excuse:D

[Deleted User]

I love this sunny weather. The solar panels raised the tank temperature to 43 degrees and the inverter was constantly showing over a kw and the rainwater tank is almost full, so ideal to do a long wash today with free water and almost free electricity. Got our first fit payment a couple of weeks ago .

jackieblack

teachergirl wrote: »

hi there. Hasn't the weather been dull and miserable? So far my newly installed solar panels have produced below what is expected.:(

Totally! Jan and Feb have been distinctly disappointing:(

teachergirl wrote: »

However my little weather predictor on my Ipod touch says that this week is going to be much better:)

Fingers crossed !:D

teachergirl wrote: »

In half term I waited and waited for a sunny day to do the washing....what a great excuse:D

Trouble is if I wait for a sunny day everyone runs out of clothes!

easilyparted

Heat pumps are best used in conjunction with underfloor heating coils, therefore are only practical in a new build. It is not practical to use them as replacement for conventional boilers and wall mounted radiators.
The Centre for Alternative Technology will give details, but please send them a donation, or become a member.

free_juice?

jackieblack wrote: »

Totally! Jan and Feb have been distinctly disappointing:(

Much more fun to quote numbers. My new system down here in the constantly gloomy SE achieved 95% of prediction in January, 82% in February and 67% so far this month.

Please cheer me up by posting your worse figures.

jackieblack

Don't have monthly prediction figures to work out a %, but my 2.22kWp system produced 50kWh in Dec, 65 in Jan and 71 in Feb