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

larkim

Don't be daft, surely you save more if you are with the most expensive electricity supplier!!



Matt

EricMears

I'm familiar with the 'Emma' unit - but was quoted well in excess of £1000 to include one in my installation. Since my maximum possible annual saving would be a couple of hundred pounds and the likely saving less than £100, it made no sense at all.

All you'd really need is a good way of measuring present usage & generation and transferring to a computer which could then operate a relay when surplus power hit a threshold. Presume the 'Emma' price tag must include a new dedicated computer to do that but I can't find anyone selling the kit to fit to an existing computer.

antonbarac

All users of solar panels should have a radio monitor which tells you exactly what you are producing, minute by minute. Then all you need to know is how much energy each of your devices use, eg slow cooker 258 watts, oven 2.5 Kwatts. It is then very easy to decide what you turn on and when. We turn on the dishwasher at about 11 am and follow it with the washing machine at about 12.30 pm. However, the biggest enemy are the clouds. On dull days you may not be able to do anything.
However, the solar panels, even on a dull day will run your freezer and fridge with no problem.
On really good days, when prodcing more than 1.5 Kw, turn off the central heating and use a 1.2Kw electric heater in the main living area. This uses excess energy which would normally go to the grid and you would lose it.

Cassie_Cat

We have had PV for over a year and have been really pleased with the FIT received and money saved. Haven't read all the replies but be careful how you measure your current useage. We had a monitor fitted to our meter but when PV started generating it added the generation to current useage. Also we used to have economy 7 but changed to a single rate as it was cheaper and we increasingly used power during the day

colbabs

If you keep your consumption indicator next to a small consumption item like a reading light. So you can momentarily turn it on, then if the reading goes up, you are importing, if it goes down, you are exporting .

derekoak

I do not have solar panel but my son has 3.9Kw array. I expected that the panel would produce most electricity when there was maximal solar insolation. It appears not. May,June July and August are not as good as you might expect. I think this is because over 25 degree c solar panels are less efficient.
Perhaps in the future PV arrays will be water cooled and the warm water used for preheating domestic hot water. It struck me that it might be worth experimenting with misting the panel with cold water on hot days to see if the generation improves?
Does anyone know if this idea is true or has anyone done it?

rw268

Hi Guys, I've had a 3kw system installed and up on my roof for 2 months now - South facing at 40deg on the Isle of Wight. I have generated 24 kw in the first month and 36 kw in the second (Dec to Jan and Jan to Feb). I appreciate this will get better as the days get longer and we have more sun etc. But do these figures seem comparible to other users experiences?
Any information would be appreciated

davidanddeirdre

Re the last two posts, definitely something wrong.
1. Re peak summer, our 1.75 kW system c. 40 degrees slope faces slightly E of SE produced by far the largest total in June last year (249 units) which was about 65% of what it would have been with continuous sun (estimated). The other months mentioned were also good.
2. Same system produced 49kW in the 31 days of January this year and 39 in December 2011.
Have you guys got any partial shading? That would be the most likely culprit.

auntyange

Hi

I'm new to the Solar Panels posts as our system was only installed 7/2/12 so I've been watching with interest how much we can generate.

I read on one post that NPower can be very slow to accept your paperwork but I've sent it recorded delivery and the only way they'll know my electric meter is going backwards is by accepting the form so when they come to change the meter I will know they have the forms:p.

Our best day so far has been today (8.1 kWh from a 3.92 Kw System which faces south in North Yorkshire)

I have noticed that some people are trying to work out a more reasonable kettle - we have a superkettle which holds up to 3 Litres of water at almost boiling point and uses 45 watts or 700 watts when more cold water is added to fill it up.

If you google Superkettles from Newtonz Ltd they are on there, we have had this for 4 years now and it is great and the meter still goes backwards:D.

Still learning the new terms for the solar pv so if I have got anything wrong no offence.

Hoping for a sunny day tomorrow to beat our personal best.

Angela

lanstrom

auntyange wrote: »

Hi

I'm new to the Solar Panels posts as our system was only installed 7/2/12 so I've been watching with interest how much we can generate.

I read on one post that NPower can be very slow to accept your paperwork but I've sent it recorded delivery and the only way they'll know my electric meter is going backwards is by accepting the form so when they come to change the meter I will know they have the forms:p.

Our best day so far has been today (8.1 kWh from a 3.92 Kw System which faces south in North Yorkshire)

I have noticed that some people are trying to work out a more reasonable kettle - we have a superkettle which holds up to 3 Litres of water at almost boiling point and uses 45 watts or 700 watts when more cold water is added to fill it up.

If you google Superkettles from Newtonz Ltd they are on there, we have had this for 4 years now and it is great and the meter still goes backwards:D.

Still learning the new terms for the solar pv so if I have got anything wrong no offence.

Hoping for a sunny day tomorrow to beat our personal best.

Angela

Hi Angela,

Welcome to the forums and don't forget to join the MSE Team on PVoutput ... http://pvoutput.org/listteam.jsp?tid=338

Look forward to seeing your outputs