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

EricMears

Cardew wrote: »

Who conned you?

I believe I raised the issue of costs and stated '2 cups will cost under a penny'

If my 'back of a fag packet' maths are correct that 0.1kWh is sufficient energy to raise 1 litre of water by 90C.

My tea cups are 0.25 litres not 0.5 litres.

Somebody - I know not whom and also can't be bothered to scroll back a few pages - certainly used the phrase "a fraction of a penny".

Not being a smoker, I don't have acces to either side of a fag packet but did run it through Excel and got an even lower figure. But of course that didn't allow for the thermal mass of the kettle itself or of using some of the latent heat of vapourisation to produce enough steam to trigger the switch-off relay. It's much easier to time how long the kettle takes to boil and calculate energy consumption that way - that can be done with simple mental arithmetic - no Excel, no fags.

grahamc2003

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Had you composed this as carefully as you expected it to be read, you would, no doubt, have quoted the difference as £25

It was composed carefully, and I did mean £250.

Sheesh Kernel, you're one of the more sensible on here - I think this board is beginning to affect you!

Kernel_Sanders

grahamc2003 wrote: »

It was composed carefully, and I did mean £250.
Sheesh Kernel, you're one of the more sensible on here - I think this board is beginning to affect you!

I think so too!
Apologies.
I think I am also getting confused, just like the person you addressed this to:

grahamc2003 wrote: »

The £25 me and Cardew are discussing isn't the £250 savings you are talking about - I think you or someone else made the same comment last time around, where it was answered.

In fact I have trawled through Cardew's posts and am unable to find it! Cardew?
Anybody?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.php?searchid=122383661&pp=25&page=4

sly_dog_jonah

New record day today with only a couple of significant cloudy periods. Thought the bell curve might be of interest. (-36deg azimuth, 3.7kWp, 45deg inclination) The y-axis is kWh per 15min period, so multiply by 4 to get average power per period.

grahamc2003

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

I think so too!
Apologies.
I think I am also getting confused, just like the person you addressed this to:

In fact I have trawled through Cardew's posts and am unable to find it! Cardew?
Anybody?
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/search.php?searchid=122383661&pp=25&page=4

Not sure exactly what you are asking, but Cardew's post is referenced in his post above posted at 13:19 today.

The point being made is that the £25 (my estimate, I've just noiced Cardew mentions £20 not £25) is an incremental saving, and the person talking about £250 is talking about a total saving (I think). So someone (Eric?) is comparing apples with oranges.

Cardew

Martyn1981 wrote: »

I don’t know why you want me (and Seagull) to disagree with Doc N. I’ve already responded to him. He pointed out that trying to maximise the use of generation should not become an obsession. I agree with that,

What Doc N posted was:

Spot on - and I say that with around 18 months'
experience.

i.e. he agrees with my post.

Yet you disagree with everything I say - no doubt on a point of principle; rather than any objectivity.

You can't have it both ways;)

don0301

Cardew wrote: »

I haven't 'implied' anything of the sort.

It is surely valid to opinion that buying and using a 500w kettle to save minimal amounts is not worth the bother.

I believe the inherent difficulties in manually matching demand to supply make the savings you suggest impossible to achieve - even for the most diligent 'solar watcher'.

P.S.
I find it strange that you 'thank' Doc N for saying the same as myself, but seemingly disagree with me!

It's so funny, time and again you 'lecturing' people with solar panels (not having them) how they don't work, or 'how' they should manage them, or 'how' discussing it on a thread titled 'how do i make the most of them' and having been told several times to 'take it somewhere else' you persist with your nonsense? most people here, are learning and discovering, and enjoying. are you really that anti cos your big mansion is listed and you can't have? why are you so anti?

shoo? it just doesn't work does it?

ps thanks for subsidising my FiT

John_Pierpoint

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

Have been able to use dishwasher and washing machine for free already, and now going to get some fresh air to cut the grass before getting a casserole on the slow cooker this afternoon.

OMG, I've shot myself in the foot twice. I'm cutting my grass with a petrol mower - so that is 66% tax rather than 0% cost from tax subsidised PV panels.

Seriously thought has anyone found a well engineered, easy to use electric mower of about 2kWp ?

I have tried two to get away from the hassle and maintenance problems of a petrol mower:

A big "Wolf" brand one. I was good cut low to the ground and had a roller at the back to make stripes. Unfortunately DW did not understand that plugging three extension leads together and leaving one mainly still on its reel is not clever, and burnt out the motor.

In tried the largest hover mower, but DD managed to burn that one out, so it was back to petrol.

Martyn1981

Cardew wrote: »

What Doc N posted was:



i.e. he agrees with my post.

Yet you disagree with everything I say - no doubt on a point of principle; rather than any objectivity.

You can't have it both ways;)

You’ve quoted the wrong post, we were talking about #1985, and your response:

Cardew wrote: »

Exactly.

It costs less than a penny to boil enough water for two cups of coffee - with no assistance from solar PV.

If you use a 2kW or 3kW kettle, as opposed to a 0.5kW kettle, it will 'use up' all your excess generated electricity most of the time.

Is it really worth the bother to save small fractions of a penny when boiling water?

Even when attempting to use a washing machine to take advantage of solar the savings will be tiny. Unless you have a very old machine, most wash cycles use 0.4kWh or 0.6kWh with the majority of that used in a short burst with a 2.5kW or 3kW heater - which solar often will not 'cover'.

You would probably save more by turning off freezer or fridge overnight.

It’s amusing how little you think PV generates. My fridge and freezer will overnight consume about 1kWh. One day, late last Aug when I was still learning and thus monitoring import, wifey and I managed 2 washing machine loads, one tumble dryer load, one dishwasher, slow cooker (5 hrs), vacumned car, mowed lawns (40 mins), baseload, and general daytime tv and pottering. Import went up by 1 unit from 7am to 7pm.

I also note that you are trying a ‘salesman’ trick, by reducing potential savings into pennies and fractions of pennies. You should be aware that our bills are made up of pennies and fractions of pennies, but it all adds up fast. Low energy bulbs save only tiny fractions of a penny each use, yet over a year they can together save £30 or so.

I’ve had PV for 8 months and find it neither a chore nor hard work to get more out of it. In fact it’s already becoming second nature, and is still remarkable fun. If at any point it stops being fun, or un-rewarding I’ll follow Doc’s advice and move on to something else.

Is this sadly what you have been reduced too. Unable to persuade people not to invest in PV, you now have to spend your time trying to persuade said users from maximising the benefits of their systems?

It’s only a suggestion, but instead of wasting your time telling me (and others) not to try to achieve all of the potential benefits of my PV system, perhaps you should think about getting your own system to not use fully, yourself?

Or, to borrow the words of the greatest rock band ever (oh bit controversial!).

“Your only validation, is in living your own life,
A vicarious existence, is a ******* waste of time.”

Smile, it's gonna be a sunny day today, time to start on the 2nd megawatt hour.

Mart.

Martyn1981

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

OMG, I've shot myself in the foot twice. I'm cutting my grass with a petrol mower - so that is 66% tax rather than 0% cost from tax subsidised PV panels.

I have tried two to get away from the hassle and maintenance problems of a petrol mower:

John, have you thought about getting one of the 'petrol mower' style big electric mowers. My father has one that is motorised and has a heavy roller. He only has a medium lawn, but it gets a lot of water as there is a culvert buried somewhere underneath, and it grows at an astonishing rate (6 inches in one week!). Mowing is one of the best parts of PV as you only really ever mow when the sun is nice.

I can ask him for the make if you'd like, though I suspect there are probably a few makes and models out there?

Mart.