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

EricMears

Householders should be able to use as much of the generated power as they want to (or can manage to use); any surplus will automatically go into grid.

The 'rent a roof' schemes have been criticised on these pages as they might have an adverse effect on value of property but those criticisms don't apply to situations such as this where the house is rented and the landlord earns the FIT payments.

Presumably two OAPs would be better situated to make use of the free power than a working couple.

orrery

zee wrote: »

how would it pay panel owner if 80% electric generated was used by householder. any advice appreciated ,2 oap live in house so could ? be a big help towards bills.

It is really difficult to make use of a very high proportion of the solar power. You can probably use about 30% if you make sure that you run appliances, one at a time, whilst the sun is out.
Don't get caught out by trying to use more power than you would normally - for instance, don't try to use electric heating to displace gas or you risk importing costly electricity when the sun goes in instead of using cheap gas.

John_Pierpoint

zee wrote: »

my housing assn. is offering tenants free electricity from solar panels. h/assn. receives payment for each home allowing panels to be fitted free and maintained free. Question ,little details given up to now ,but have found out my house could have 14 panels with output of 3.5Kw is there a percentage of power given to householder and balance onto grid ?
How would it pay panel owner if 80% electric generated was used by householder.
any advice appreciated ,2 oap live in house so could ? be a big help towards bills.

The key to using as much power as possible, when it is free from the panels on the roof, is an easily accessable monitor (I have one on a shelf by the kitchen door fed by blue tooth from the inverter in my attic) PLUS an understanding of how much electricity is used by each different appliance. The most important is the 3kW immersion heater into the hot water tank - do the pensioners have such an arrangement?
(It is possible to fit expensive automated systems that automatically try to dump "spare" generation into the hot water tank/swimming pool when there is (say) more than 200 watts being generated, but I am ruling such installations out in your case). Remember the house is always using a few watts just for appliances on standby, possibly starting with the door bell.
As a back up to the "monitor" (a little postcard sized computer gizmo), my meters are the modern electronic flashing red light variety, where the lights flash once per watt and glow red when electricity is going backwards through them. Pensioner happiness is the generation meter red light going flash flash flash, while the immersion is on and heating (I can hear it) but the importing meter is still on constant red. [That is a situation that cannot happen again until at least next March in my case, with a 3.4 kW inverter on a 30 degree roof facing SE - not even at noon].
So don't expect a pensioner couple to earn more than £100 - £200 a year in saved electricity, though some saving can be made by judicious use of time clocks to turn off the freezer and setting off the washing when the sun is shining between 10:00 & 14:00 GMT
They do understand the difference between GMT & BST ?

John

PS The ability to change attitudes to electricity consumption can save almost as much as using the free electricity. There is a saying, I cannot be be sure it is true, that: If everyone measured the water required into the kettle, we could run all the street lights for free.
There is also the opposite effect - I had a relative who went to her grave insisting that every house (even a modern one with injected cavities) needed an airing cupboard and thus insulating the tangle of hot water pipes round the tank was not allowed.

John_Pierpoint

EricMears wrote: »

Householders should be able to use as much of the generated power as they want to (or can manage to use); any surplus will automatically go into grid.

The 'rent a roof' schemes have been criticised on these pages as they might have an adverse effect on value of property but those criticisms don't apply to situations such as this where the house is rented and the landlord earns the FIT payments.

Presumably two OAPs would be better situated to make use of the free power than a working couple.

There is a recent survey suggesting that PV panels, and the tax subsidy they deliver in the form of tax free FiT payments, are now the deal maker in selling houses in the same way that "double glazing" was in the 1970's.
PV "eco bling" is now head to head with parking arrangements, as cocktail party discussion has at last made it more desirable than a granite worktop.

grahamc2003

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

There is a recent survey suggesting that PV panels, and the tax subsidy they deliver in the form of tax free FiT payments, are now the deal maker in selling houses in the same way that "double glazing" was in the 1970's.
PV "eco bling" is now head to head with parking arrangements, as cocktail party discussion has at last made it more desirable than a granite worktop.

I think the thing with 'recent surveys' is that to correctly guess the outcome of the survey, all you have to do is look at who commissioned it. For example, I expect the association of granite miners survey on the same topic concluded that worktops are still a much bigger selling point than any eco bling. I also expect the conversation in cocktail parties to move onto other topics guided by a new survey from the association of gas liquification practitioners showing liquid nitrogen in cocktails is perfectly safe.

Martyn1981

grahamc2003 wrote: »

I think the thing with 'recent surveys' is that to correctly guess the outcome of the survey, all you have to do is look at who commissioned it. For example, I expect the association of granite miners survey on the same topic concluded that worktops are still a much bigger selling point than any eco bling. I also expect the conversation in cocktail parties to move onto other topics guided by a new survey from the association of gas liquification practitioners showing liquid nitrogen in cocktails is perfectly safe.

Not sure what interest ING Direct have in the UK PV market?

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Times, they are a changing!

Mart.

Mart.

EricMears

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

I had a relative who went to her grave insisting that every house (even a modern one with injected cavities) needed an airing cupboard and thus insulating the tangle of hot water pipes round the tank was not allowed.

I have a wife who still feels much the same ! Our airing cupboard isn't however down in the basement where our well-lagged 'Heatbank' lives but a cupboard in the bathroom where we have the only radiator in the house (don't feel too sorry for us - rest of house has UFH).

cashman_2

Help needed
Can anyone recommend a company who could install battery backup to a 3kw solar roof panels.
I have had these on the roof for a year now and I am looking at trying to get the most out of them.
Looking for something that charges batteries thru the day and can then switch to battery supply as and when I need or want to.
Thanks in advance
Cashman

Cardew

There have several posts on your query.

Batteries of the size you need are expensive, and potentially a hazzard. You also cannot 'dump' the sort of power you will have excess into Lead Acid batteries. Now if you can get hold of a power pack from a Nissan leaf(costing about £8,000?) that might cope.

In any case what would you use the battery power for?

ChrisJD

cashman wrote: »

Help needed
Can anyone recommend a company who could install battery backup to a 3kw solar roof panels.
Looking for something that charges batteries thru the day and can then switch to battery supply as and when I need or want to.
Cashman

Have you done the sums on payback time for this? Batteries of the sort of capacity you would need are expensive and comparatively short-lived. Also, when smart meters arrive, you will only get the export part of the payment for actual exports.

You might be better off simply changing to Economy 7, if you haven't already - do the calculation for your usage pattern.