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

Plot_Vendor

Hi all,

Re my previous post ...

Plot_Vendor wrote: »

... I'm looking to remotely monitor my panels - can anyone advise what I'd need to do this? Ideally I'd like to do this via my smartphone, but I'd accept a PC solution.

7.577kWh yesterday; however, due to clouds, I'm only reading a measly 0.25kWh at present.

sly_dog_jonah

Plot_Vendor wrote: »

Hi all,

Re my previous post ...



... I'm looking to remotely monitor my panels - can anyone advise what I'd need to do this? Ideally I'd like to do this via my smartphone, but I'd accept a PC solution.

7.577kWh yesterday; however, due to clouds, I'm only reading a measly 0.25kWh at present.

If you look back at your original post, there were a number of replies IIRC, but the discussions have moved on somewhat.

You didn't specify which OS your smartphone is? Any web-based monitoring system should work on any modern smartphone, depending on usage of Flash or Java applets. If you want an App, then iPhone or Android options are available for certain setups.

I don't have the need to remotely view the generation though, so can't help you further.

John_Pierpoint

Foggy/misty here in Saff Essex.
300 Watts with a graph that looks like a flat topped door wedge - we've been on the flat bit for over 2 hours.
1.5 kWh so far

Martyn1981

I'm a little surprised by today's generation, not the total, but the kW's. I must still be in winter mode (well there are 3 weeks to go I suppose) but the weather outside looked all day like 600W, but generation was 1 to 1.2kW. I guess the shallow panels are slowly coming on line.

Not wishing to lecture, and my panels have a greater variance due to shallow angle and ESE, but a monitor really does come in handy for a quick guide on what, and how much to switch on.

Roll on high angle sunshine.

Mart.

EricMears

seagull09 wrote: »

He said "you're not like most people who just put them up and claim the (FIT) money. You actually want your panels to perform as well as they possibly can, and be as efficient as possible. It makes a nice change"

But of course if you make panels work as well as possible at best efficiency you will generate more hence collect more FIT payments.

GaryMo_2

seagull09 wrote: »

You actually want your panels to perform as well as they possibly can, and be as efficient as possible. It makes a nice change"

That's a little odd. Does he mean most of his other customers are not bothered if their panels don't perform well?

It's all down to the customers understanding of their system. If they don't fully understand it then the salesman didn't do his job correctly.

GaryMo_2

seagull09 wrote: »

If that makes sense

Yes, perfect sense. I'm looking to extract every little drop from my system!
Quite happy with 29kWh from the past two days, hopefully that's a sign of a good month to come.

don0301

I keep thinking about a solution to adjust the panel angle twice a year.

anyone else?

GaryMo_2

don0301 wrote: »

I keep thinking about a solution to adjust the panel angle twice a year.

anyone else?

Yeah, 45 degree's in winter and 30 degree's in summer would be great.

EricMears

don0301 wrote: »

I keep thinking about a solution to adjust the panel angle twice a year. anyone else?

For absolute maximum performance, you need panels mounted on a steerable array where the thing points Eastward (or thereabouts) at dawn & slews round to Westward at dusk. Panel inclination also changes from steep at dawn to shallower at noon & back to steep at dusk and of course the inclination at noon would be around 75deg in Dec and 30deg in June (depending on exact latitude of course). One such array would be a 'permitted development' but the multiple ones you'd want for a full 4kwp would require planning permission.

It sounds an attractive idea to jack up the top of your roof mounted array in the winter and lower it in summer. However, the permitted development rules only apply to panels fitted a small distance (off the top of my head I think its 100mm) above the existing roof surface and anything else would require planning permission. Two other snags are that having panels at an angle to the roof surface would increase wind resistance so you'd very likely lose them in a winter gale and if you tried to minimise that effect by tilting panels individually they'd probably shade each other.