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

John_Pierpoint

How much did it cost to install ?

sly_dog_jonah

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

How much did it cost to install ?

Installed cost was £309.75.

legoman62

kfsimpson wrote: »

What alternatives would you suggest I look at? I have waited while the system has two summers to give me an idea of performance, and it is now clear that there is significant excess for five or six months. Hot water seems to be the best way of using this, and having looked at DIY solutions, I prefer to go for a manufactured solution which requires no daily monitoring.

Some to compare..... in no particular order
http://solarimmersion.co.uk/
http://www.sgwooldridge.co.uk/cms/Solarpvswitch
http://www.earthwiseproducts.co.uk/info/solic-200+73.html
http://www.intelligent-immersion.co.uk/
http://www.immersun.co.uk/
http://www.diykyoto.com/uk/aboutus/optiplug

S_D_J's price looks a lot better that yours too;)

kfsimpson

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

Since installation on 20th September 2012 the ImmerSUN has used 1149kWh of our generation to heat water into our 210litre tank via a 3kW immersion element. We are quite high users of hot water as we have 4 people in the house including two toddlers who love a bath as part of their bedtime routine. My wife has also been on maternity leave so that has meant hot water and electricity usage has been higher.

Average per day is 4kWh or 107kWh per month but there is huge variation from winter to summer: 33kWh for Jan 197kWh for May (our best month up to that point) and just over 180kWh for June & July. Gas usage has dropped to:

May: 499kWh (767kWh 2012)
June: 150kWh (410kWh)
July: 80kWh (373kWh)
August: 31kWh (333kWh)

...although those figures are extrapolated from readings taken 5th April, 11th May, 26th May, 14th July, 21st July and just now. The hot water program has been off for months now and only occasionally do we have to boost it for an hour. I've only listed months above when the (gas) central heating has been off as well. We cook with electric so the usage above is purely for hot water.

Wow, the figures look very convincing - exactly what I was hoping for. Definitely looks as if I should get one fitted pretty soon. Thanks.

kfsimpson

legoman62 wrote: »

Some to compare..... in no particular order
http://solarimmersion.co.uk/
http://www.sgwooldridge.co.uk/cms/Solarpvswitch
http://www.earthwiseproducts.co.uk/info/solic-200+73.html
http://www.intelligent-immersion.co.uk/
http://www.immersun.co.uk/
http://www.diykyoto.com/uk/aboutus/optiplug

S_D_J's price looks a lot better that yours too;)

Thanks for these. Have just been looking and the SolarImmersion product looks v similar to an Immersun but cheaper. I hadn't realised there were so many - the installers locally all seem to favour the Immersun.
Amazingly, the £550 was the cheaper quote - the others wanted £670! Both also much less than last summer. I'll definitely be trying to find a cheaper deal, makes you wonder if there's some kind of cartel round here.

silverwhistle

sly_dog_jonah wrote: »

Since installation on 20th September 2012 the SNIP

Thanks. I'm getting an install on Thursday, and as a low energy user I'm not even sure whether I can use all the power in the height of summer, but could I ask for your diversion figures for the other 'shoulder' months, (or even all of them!) as I suspect I could benefit over a longer period.

Edit: to clarify, how much leccy you are diverting to the tank, not your gas usage.

Doc_N

£650 quoted for me for an ImmerSUN
. Not at all sure it's an economic proposition at that price.

sly_dog_jonah

silverwhistle wrote: »

Thanks. I'm getting an install on Thursday, and as a low energy user I'm not even sure whether I can use all the power in the height of summer, but could I ask for your diversion figures for the other 'shoulder' months, (or even all of them!) as I suspect I could benefit over a longer period.

Edit: to clarify, how much leccy you are diverting to the tank, not your gas usage.

Installed 20th Sept, ImmerSUN diverted 38kWh for the remainder of the month. Subsequent months below:

OCT 97 kWh
NOV 57 kWh
DEC 54 kWh
JAN 33 kWh
FEB 61 kWh
MAR 72 kWh
APR 121 kWh
MAY 197 kWh
JUN 184 kWh
JUL 181 kWh
AUG 164 kWh (extrapolated from first 13 days)

silverwhistle

That's very useful s-d-j, and looks like I'll be OK April - September, and a reasonable contribution in October and March.

My home-made bread will also be nice and cheap during the summer without the fuel cost. Once the install is done and I've bought a small freezer (to go under the stairs) it'll be time to go foraging. The blackberries are good this year, and I do like blackberry and apple crumble. Living by the sea, perhaps I can freeze down a few mackerel..

old_grouser

Doc_N wrote: »

£650 quoted for me for an ImmerSUN
. Not at all sure it's an economic proposition at that price.

I bought a SolarImmersion for £249 earlier this year (it now costs £199) and my friendly electrician installed it for about £50. The interface is a bit clunky and it doesn't calculate total diverted power, but it does the job of diverting it sensitively and rapidly, which is what I want in an intelligent switch. Since installation at the end of May we have scarcely run the boiler.
Do your own research, as they say on other sites, but I can confirm that Solarimmersion works.
OG:cool:
3.29 kWp SbyE South Downs
Greetings to druids everywhere