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

Martyn1981

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

That is no more pedantic than correcting someone for stating that the distance between London and Brighton is 50mph.

Steven Wright joke: Cop pulled me over for speeding, he said 'don't you know the speed limit is 50 miles per hour?', I said 'I know, but I wasn't going to be out for that long!'.

If it's any consolation, Eric caught me out too regarding the panel angle first and last thing. My first thought was that he meant steep, not shallow, but I can see exactly what he means now, short of pointing the panels directly at the rising or setting sun, it's better to grab the diffuse light from the 'solar vault' above. Good point.

Mart.

Martyn1981

What if this cloud affects generation in Essex?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-17177035

Burning wood pellets, smoke from renewable fuel. Would that be the very definition of ironic?

Add that cloud to the one over Twickers on Saturday and ........

(stop it now Martyn, nobody likes a gloater)

M.

EricMears

Martyn1981 wrote: »

What if this cloud affects generation in Essex?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-17177035

I guess the rest of us will all stop feeling quite so jealous !

jackieblack

Martyn1981 wrote: »

What if this cloud affects generation in Essex?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-17177035
Burning wood pellets, smoke from renewable fuel. Would that be the very definition of ironic?

More than 50 miles away from here and the wind is blowing in the other direction

Doc_N

EricMears wrote: »

I guess the rest of us will all stop feeling quite so jealous !

I think there are more than enough reasons not to be jealous of anyone unfortunate enough to have to live in Essex.

Used to be OK a long, long time ago until the Londoners started moving out (we used to live there once upon a time) but it's pretty horrendous now. The A12 has a lot to answer for!

I'll happily put up with a litttle less sunshine for a lot more peace and quiet, and freedom from Estuary English.

EricMears

Doc_N wrote: »

I think there are more than enough reasons not to be jealous of anyone unfortunate enough to have to live in Essex.

My uncle used to live in Grays and I certainly never envied him that ! However, there are some nicer bits of Essex - nestling against the Suffolk border - where winds from Tilbury are no doubt heading.

jackieblack

EricMears wrote: »

there are some nicer bits of Essex - nestling against the Suffolk border - where winds from Tilbury are no doubt heading.

Fortunately, the wind is not blowing this way at the moment

John_Pierpoint

In the last few years we have had 4 major fires.

A warehouse full of fitted kitchen type furniture next to the N.end of the Dartford tunnel went up in flames and closed the M25 - total chaos.

Some time before Christmas someone filled an empty pit with xxx,000 tonnes of wood chip - for recycling you understand;)
The xxx is very debatable and I am not sure of the density of wood-chip, presumably it floats.
It burnt for weeks as "pouring in enough water to kill the fire would have contaminated the ground water" - so where was the foam?.

Now we have something similar taking out the electricity supply to 1,600,000 homes.

Let me share a little secret with the Essex fire brigade. when I was a boy if you made a hay stack with damp hay, even though you thatched its roof, it could spontaneously catch fire from the build up of heat in the stack.

Damp wood can do the same thing.


http://www.guttridge.co.uk/news/images/x_2798_800469853_0_0_14001058_300.jpg

John.

Actually our "best" fire was Buncefield


It all started to drift as as strata of blackness towards Essex.
We had three sunsets that evening as the sun slid down through the layers of black soot, only to reappear under the layer before falling into the next layer etc.

Then a gentle breeze blew the whole lot in the direction of Southampton as shown in the satellite photo.

Today has been grey an miserable, though mild 1.99 kWh a personal record on the low side.

I cannot see Tilbury for the mist and have not smelt a thing - I think the wind is drifting towards Kent or SE London - as shown in the BBC news story.

edwink

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Edwink, are you still out there? Did anything happen today? Were they Steca inverters (my guess in last post)? Are you winning yet?

Mart.

Hello Mart

Just to update you I have just received an e-mail from SMA regarding the suitability of a single inverter with 2 roof pitches.

They said "We would always advise when selecting an inverter, with 2 different orientations to use either 2 smaller inverters or an inverter with 2 mpp trackers.

When I spoke with the Technical Officer at our solar company he said "that they would change the Sunny Boy 2500 for an Sunny Boy 1200 and 2 stacker 500 inverters.

What do you think? It has left me a little confused!!!!

ED

Kernel_Sanders

Martyn1981 wrote: »

If it's any consolation, Eric caught me out too regarding the panel angle first and last thing.

But I haven't accepted that he did!
I am maintaining that in early winter, the only time that the sun would appear be 'over the horizon' north of an east-west line through your array would be well before sunrise (and consequently long after sunset), therefore negating his perceived advantage for a flatter roof.
Over to you, Eric!

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

I topped 11 kwh for he first time yesterday with a 23° slope (3.92 kwp array). What did you achieve?

I got precisely half that figure today, Eric. Was yours also halved?