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

anitainjune

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

The way to maximise electricity cost savings with E7 is as you correctly put it, to maximise your usage during those 7 hours at night, and minimise it during the day.

Adding a solar system into the mix effectively changes the 'cost' of electricity during the day, because at least some if not all of your house's electricity needs will be met by the panels in good weather, for some parts of the day. This means that sometimes your (import) electricity meter(s) will not be increasing, as the power from the panels will be sufficient to power your home.

On some days though, irrespective of season, you'll make hardly any electricity. Other days, you may make 10x as much power as on a rubbish day and depending on the size of the system could be generating more than 3kW at the optimum time of day. That's enough to have multiple appliances running at the same time, but on less sunny days it's better to spread out the appliance start times to ensure you aren't importing electricity to make up for what the panels can't provide (eg when an evil cloud sails by).

In summary then, on a good day you can either run your appliances:

(i) for free (or nearly free) during the daytime if the panels are kicking out a decent amount of power
(ii) cheaply at night (during E7 hours) using E7 rate electricity
(iii) expensively during the day on 'daytime' rate electricity (but your panels might reduce the effective cost even on an overcast day, as they will provide some power - about 10% of what they would do on a perfect blue-sky day). When it's dark but outside of E7 times, you're burning cash at the highest rate when you use electricity.

To maximise your savings, try to use electricity when (i) applies first, then (ii) and only when you have to (iii).

Thank you what you say sounds logical and I'm grateful its in plain english.

Cardew

Whilst I freely admit that if I had PV I would be something of a 'nerd' in trying to maximise my in-house consumption, I just wonder how much extra money would be saved by 'working at it' rather than just putting on appliances around midday.

Less than £20 a year IMO

EricMears

If you put too many appliances on 'around midday' you'll be buying power at 10p or so per unit and you'd very soon spend £20 doing that.

Not a huge amount of work to estimate how much power each major appliance needs and make sure that total usage is below generation output whenever possible.

Have to agree though that it wouldn't be worth spending £1000+ on a device to ensure you did this.

Doc_N

Cardew wrote: »

Whilst I freely admit that if I had PV I would be something of a 'nerd' in trying to maximise my in-house consumption, I just wonder how much extra money would be saved by 'working at it' rather than just putting on appliances around midday.

Less than £20 a year IMO

Spot on - and I say that with around 18 months' experience. It really isn't worth all the hassle trying to achieve some kind of PV 'perfection'. You won't manage it, and you need a life!

A bit of experience and a degree of commonsense should enable most people to maximise the use of the 'free' power, without turning their lives upside down in the process.

Cardew

EricMears wrote: »

If you put too many appliances on 'around midday' you'll be buying power at 10p or so per unit and you'd very soon spend £20 doing that.

Not a huge amount of work to estimate how much power each major appliance needs and make sure that total usage is below generation output whenever possible.

Have to agree though that it wouldn't be worth spending £1000+ on a device to ensure you did this.

I wasn't suggesting that you put on appliances just to 'use up' electricity(e.g. hot water etc)

However if the washing machine/dishwasher/dryer NEEDED to be on, then stagger them around midday and if the sun ain't shining - so be it!

Actually it is quite difficult to estimate appliance power consumption. Not overall consumption but at any given period.

e.g Typically a washing machine might use 0.6kWh on a cycle, but on the heating cycle it will be using 3kW for a few minutes.

albyota

or control it automatically......like wot we do

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3480495

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50147671&postcount=998

don0301

Cardew wrote: »

I wasn't suggesting that you put on appliances just to 'use up' electricity(e.g. hot water etc)

However if the washing machine/dishwasher/dryer NEEDED to be on, then stagger them around midday and if the sun ain't shining - so be it!

Actually it is quite difficult to estimate appliance power consumption. Not overall consumption but at any given period.

e.g Typically a washing machine might use 0.6kWh on a cycle, but on the heating cycle it will be using 3kW for a few minutes.

gotta love a guy anti PV, and not having PV 'educating' those that have

rather than talking nonsense....:D

how about putting on those items, when the sun is shining and your generating??

or in your 'educated and informed world' that only happens midday?

where do you get 3 kW from? an Industrial one?

Martyn1981

Blimey, you guys are up late. Doesn't anyone on social media have a life? (get it?)

Wow Albyota, that's some set up you've got. Lots of money, or have you been recycling and bodging it gradually? Any chance of a full description / explanation somewhere.

For switching stuff on, I tend to rely on weather forecast, then Mk1 eyeball. Google is your friend!

Many years ago my friend 'converted' his house to run on Bluetooth (I think) so he could log on from anywhere and switch stuff on / off. Presumably for those at work, this would be possible via upto date weather reports.

One day at a time, one lesson at a time. As I always say, it's all fun, when the sun's shining.

M.

albyota

Mart, its quite an easy set-up, I bought the leisure Battery £85 from a caravan shop, and the Pure sine wave inverter from Maplins £120 i think, already had a battery charger, disconnected lighting circuits from main consumer unit, put them in to separate CU, so battery charger, charges the battery during the day from mains and / or Solar PV, and at night powers the CFL and LED lamps for a good 3 or 4 hours. I also got this http://www.reuk.co.uk/buy-REUK-SUPER-LDR-DUSK-DAWN-RELAY-CONTROLLER.htm LDR from RE-UK, connected through a 16Amp latching time delay off relay and voilla, when the light /sun is good and panels are at a good output, the relay latches for a 20 min (adjustable) period, I run the heat pump during late morning early afternoon to do a tank of hot water.

eager to get some sensible discussions on here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3748067

Martyn1981

albyota wrote: »

or control it automatically......like wot we do

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3480495

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50147671&postcount=998

Fancy one of these? Check out the tiny ickle battery on page 2

http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/02/japan-combines-solar-storage-to-beat-blackouts/

Probably have to sell the car (or wife!) to afford one.

M.