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

zeupater

larkim wrote: »

YEs, I've noticed that about microwaves before; a bit of a con really, where you think turning it down will have a similar effect to cooking something more slowly on a hob / in an oven. All it does is blast it with microwaves for a few seconds, then nothing other than a bit of spinning around, then blast again.

Do more expensive makes actually modulate the power outputs?

Matt

Hi

We have a Panasonic microwave with inverter technology ... I believe this does exactly what you describe as opposed to cycling on/off.

HTH
Z

grahamc2003

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

I tried heating my lunch in the microwave at a lower wattage than the normal 750W. However our microwave simply duty cycles the magnatron to create the effective power requested (ie on for 15sec, off for 30sec, average power 250W). Fortunately the PV was making in excess of 2kW so it didn't matter, but something to watch out for with 'low power' settings on devices and appliances.

As I write this, we've just broken through our record generation at 3:15pm. 15.8kWh and still going strong at 1.05kW currently, despite quite a lot of clouds marring the blue sky this afternoon. Our previous best days were 15.7kWh on the 11th Feb and 22nd October. :j

The power quoted for microwave ovens is the power in the microwaves. The power consumed is quite a bit more. So an 800W oven wll consume around 1200W (to make 800W of microwaves). As you say, it pulses those 1200W if you want the effect of a lower than max power.

sly_dog_jonah

grahamc2003 wrote: »

The power quoted for microwave ovens is the power in the microwaves. The power consumed is quite a bit more. So an 800W oven wll consume around 1200W (to make 800W of microwaves). As you say, it pulses those 1200W if you want the effect of a lower than max power.

Yeah I'd noticed that with the light, fan, rotating plate and magnatron inefficiency our microwave sucks the best part of 2kW (according to our OWL) to generate 750W of useful heat. It's was bought Dec 2010 so hardly that old. In the interests of naming and shaming its a CDA MC60 model.

raider

I posted about the lower wattage kettle a couple of months ago. Guess it went unnoticed with all the unnecessary noise in this thread

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50140465&postcount=994

orrery

raider wrote: »

I posted about the lower wattage kettle a couple of months ago. Guess it went unnoticed...

No it didn't. Not everyone reads all the forum all the time and - hey, good ideas are worth repeating!

Martyn1981

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

I tried heating my lunch in the microwave at a lower wattage than the normal 750W. However our microwave simply duty cycles the magnatron to create the effective power requested (ie on for 15sec, off for 30sec, average power 250W).

We get the same effect with the induction hob. Once the pan is boiling, you turn the power down to keep a simmer. The contents 'fizzes' for a few seconds, then settles for a few more, rinse and repeat. Quite fun to watch, but not PV friendly, unless, as you say, generation is greater than the whole. Still, at worst, it contributes a bit.

Mart.

Kernel_Sanders

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

I think that is what I will do too, but there is an opinion in teh car wash business that says washing up liquid contains traces of salt??? So one should use special car wash liquid ?

Good point. How about cheap frequent use hair shampoo?

EricMears

raider wrote: »

I posted about the lower wattage kettle a couple of months ago. Guess it went unnoticed with all the unnecessary noise in this thread

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=50140465&postcount=994

I don't think I'd discovered the thread then - but I wasn't actually claiming it to be a 'radical new discovery'. It's just one of the many small things I'd have thought we all did already.

Great day today ! Over a kw by 8:30am - so breakfast coffee came from free hot water.

Peaked around 3kw at midday (4kwp system - S facing but very shallow roof) and totalled 17.2kwh.

Pumped rainwater from basement to attic header tank so lavatory flushing will be free of charge for a couple of days. Whole house got vacuumed using free electricity then did a free load of washing.

All that and promise of earning almost £8 !! :T

Similar forecasts for tomorrow (so guess it will actually be 100% cloud all day )

EricMears

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Originally Posted by John_Pierpoint
I think that is what I will do too, but there is an opinion in teh car wash business that says washing up liquid contains traces of salt??? So one should use special car wash liquid ?

Good point. How about cheap hair shampoo?

I don't think the salt in detergents would matter all that much - it should be in solution rather than loose crystals and hopefully you'd rinse well afterwards to avoid it crystallising out later.

Kernel_Sanders

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

Yeah I'd noticed that with the light, fan, rotating plate and magnatron inefficiency our microwave sucks the best part of 2kW (according to our OWL) to generate 750W of useful heat. It's was bought Dec 2010 so hardly that old. In the interests of naming and shaming its a CDA MC60 model.

A cheap plug-in monitor is far more accurate than an OWL, and will show exactly when the magnatron is functioning because the wattage shoots up on the LCD display. Mine cost £5.99 from Aldi or Lidl years ago and it's still going strong. Shows amps, volts and even the cumulative total in fractions of a kwh for that socket. Also works for any 13amp max. appliance (apart from my 0.5w night light; too low to register!)