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

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  • furndire
    furndire Posts: 7,308 Forumite
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    edited 25 January 2012 at 5:06PM
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    If someone is contemplating getting PV - The one thing I wish I had done BEFORE I got my panels in was to monitor every day & evening use for a few months.

    As it happened for myself, it wouldn't have worked (re faulty meter) which the panels eventually showed up - but apparently that is supposed to be a rare occurence
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,356 Forumite
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    jamesingram wrote: »
    Sorry,... still if you have the time ... :D

    Yep, i agree with above they wont/dont work
    I lend mine out to friend, and customers, no good now we've got PV ....
    Hi

    Depending on what you want to do and the cable configuration of particular systems they can/do work well for monitoring spot usage/generation, proving to be acceptably accurate for what we use it for .....

    We monitor household load with ours and simply compare the displayed Power consumption with the Sunnybeam generation monitor in order to quickly assess what capacity is available for other loads, but it could just as easily monitor generation by simply relocating the sensor.

    HTH
    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
  • orrery
    orrery Posts: 809 Forumite
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    zeupater wrote: »
    We monitor household load with ours ...

    Where have you managed to connect it? I'd guess most people would have theirs connected at the main meter, so the reading is always ambiguous as you can't tell usage from export.
    4kWp, Panels: 16 Hyundai HIS250MG, Inverter: SMA Sunny Boy 4000TLLocation: Bedford, Roof: South East facing, 20 degree pitch20kWh Pylontech US5000 batteries, Lux AC inverter,Skoda Enyaq iV80, TADO Central Heating control
  • jamesingram
    jamesingram Posts: 301 Forumite
    edited 25 January 2012 at 5:31PM
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    I had mine on the live conductor at the company head , i couldn't quite figure out what it was registering ?
    where do you have yours, I've a free SSE one and some older electrisave ones.
    what i'd really like to see is import usage as was pre PV
    I presume i'd have to get it round the lives conductor of the other circuits post CU , pre PV MCB to see this.
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,356 Forumite
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    furndire wrote: »
    If someone is contemplating getting PV - The one thing I wish I had done BEFORE I got my panels in was to monitor every day & evening use for a few months.

    As it happened for myself, it wouldn't have worked (re faulty meter) which the panels eventually showed up - but apparently that is supposed to be a rare occurence
    Hi

    I agree ... it's much better that everyone understands their usage and tries to reduce usage before even contemplating pv, this likely being best achieve with a clamp-type monitor ..... we've saved more energy consumption through understanding what was using power and taking appropriate actions than pv alone would save .... it's so much easier and cheaper (/free) too ....

    HTH
    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,828 Forumite
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    furndire wrote: »
    If someone is contemplating getting PV - The one thing I wish I had done BEFORE I got my panels in was to monitor every day & evening use for a few months.

    As it happened for myself, it wouldn't have worked (re faulty meter) which the panels eventually showed up - but apparently that is supposed to be a rare occurence

    You are 100% right. hopefully a few people thinking about PV might read this.

    By complete chance my Aunt got a free monitor from Swalec and she gave it to me, so I had a play for 2 months before PV arrived. It did actually teach me a lot, though useless under 200w.

    Don't do it anymore, but when system went in in Aug (2.4kWp 9th, then 1.2kWp around 24th), I recorded the import reading every morning and evening as the system switched on, and off (6am to 7/8pm ESE system). Invaluable, consumption in August dropped from 50 per week to 20 units.

    Sorry if this is boring, but consumption was roughly 6 per day weekdays, and 10 per day weekends when all the washing etc was done. Dropped to 2.5 and 4.5 respectively (on average).

    Noticed that most days the import only went up 1 unit (some days 0, but probably close to 1) during generation. Favourite day, was one where we ran the washing machine twice, tumble dryer once, dishwasher, 40 mins mowing lawns, plus computers and telly. Only 1 on the import, but we did stagger each item, and nothing big crossed with the tumble dryer.

    As there's only wifey and I, we are able to choose when to put things on, and consult weather forecast. Appreciate that people with big families can't always leave a full washing machine or dishwasher for a day or two.

    Lots of fun, how boring am I?

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW). Two A2A units for cleaner heating.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,356 Forumite
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    edited 25 January 2012 at 5:52PM
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    orrery wrote: »
    Where have you managed to connect it? I'd guess most people would have theirs connected at the main meter, so the reading is always ambiguous as you can't tell usage from export.
    jamesingram wrote: »
    I had mine on the live conductor at the company head , i couldn't quite figure out what it was registering ?
    where do you have yours, I've a free SSE one and some older electrisave ones.
    what i'd really like to see is import usage as was pre PV
    I presume i'd have to get it round the lives conductor of the other circuits post CU , pre PV MCB to see this.
    Hi orrery / jamesingram

    Have a look at the exchange of posts from #324 to about #340 on this thread from last year .... (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=43216258&highlight=henley#post43216258) .... when we had our system installed I insisted that the configuration was to include Henley blocks and tails in order to prevent the issues which many post regarding split clamp-sensor monitoring. I cannot understand why installers do not anticipate the requirement to monitor both load and generation along with future developments in automated load switching and configure the cable layout accordingly.

    HTH
    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
  • jamesingram
    jamesingram Posts: 301 Forumite
    edited 25 January 2012 at 7:43PM
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    zeupater wrote: »
    Hi orrery / jamesingram

    Have a look at the exchange of posts from #324 to about #340 on this thread from last year .... (http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=43216258&highlight=henley#post43216258) .... when we had our system installed I insisted that the configuration was to include Henley blocks and tails in order to prevent the issues which many post regarding split clamp-sensor monitoring.
    HTH
    Z
    Of course silly me , this flu's making me stupid.
    Yes if Pv isolators in it's only little unit with it's own tail , then easy enough.
    I wired mine straight into a mcb on the main board.
    I might switch it about for a bit of monitoring fun and stick its on its own 2way CU.
    zeupater wrote: »
    I cannot understand why installers do not anticipate the requirement to monitor both load and generation along with future developments in automated load switching and configure the cable layout accordingly.HTH
    Z
    Well, cost/speed/profit as ever , not cheap henley blocks etc., why fit unless requested or setup creates necessity
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,356 Forumite
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    jamesingram wrote: »
    .... Well, cost/speed/profit as ever , not cheap henley blocks etc., why fit unless requested or setup creates necessity
    Agree, but there would be an opportunity available to at least offer the customer the option if they cover the cost. Additional materials would be around/below £50 but there are added advantages in this layout ....

    HTH
    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
  • don0301
    don0301 Posts: 442 Forumite
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    img0233je.jpg

    I can't believe my system generates so much in the winter :)

    time to put the kettle on, for free :j
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