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

Reed_Richards

1961Nick wrote: »

The DOD is likely to be limited by the inverter to 80% or possibly 85% on later models. 4.8 kWh will be more like 4 kWh which might not be enough to overcome the peak tariff period.

My inverter will let my battery go down to 10% SOC so my DoD is 90%, which is why I suggested 90% of 4.8 kWh.

1961Nick wrote: »

4.8 kWh sounds like 2 x Pylontech US2000 Plus batteries? If so, the maximum recommended current, at 50A combined, will give about 2.4kW charge/discharge. Is that enough to make best use of a 6 kWh array?

I am not sure I understand this point either but my thinking is that you need enough battery capacity to see you through the "night" (i.e. the period of at least 12 hours when the panels are not producing significant power).

philologus

They are Lux batteries with a 3,600w charge/discharge rate so should be OK.
The DOD is 80% so 3.8k available.
I used 7kWh a day average in the three months Oct -Jan so as long as I'm careful about when I use power I should manage OK.
I can add another battery later if required but they are a bit expensive so that's unlikely. (About £2,000)
I'm going to make a list of what appliances are used in the house and, once the smart meter is installed, I'll check what each uses with a view to reducing power use when the sun isn't shining.

George

sondheimsoc

We had panels installed in 2011, paid for with my husband's redundancy payment.
We have now reluctantly decided that after 31 years of living here it's time to move on and downsize.
Ages ago we got a letter asking if we wanted to sell our future Feed in Tariff payments. It sounds a good idea but....I wondered whether anyone knew anything about this idea, if it is possible, legit and problem free?
Thanks
Lynne

theboylard

lynnechapman wrote: »

We had panels installed in 2011, paid for with my husband's redundancy payment.
We have now reluctantly decided that after 31 years of living here it's time to move on and downsize.
Ages ago we got a letter asking if we wanted to sell our future Feed in Tariff payments. It sounds a good idea but....I wondered whether anyone knew anything about this idea, if it is possible, legit and problem free?
Thanks
Lynne

If you sell on the future FiT, then when you do sell the house you had better make very sure the future buyers are aware they will receive zero income, and that the panels are not even theirs (as you will have sold off the rights to the panels)?!

You had also better make sure that the future buyers are aware before even putting in an offer, or else it could end up getting legal and messy.

A bit blunt, but if you are considering selling, then the PV setup, including any future FiT payments, should stay with the house.
Who would buy a house with panels, if they weren't going to receive the FiT?
If I was that buyer, and I liked the house, once I'd learned that the panels may well offset some of my electric import, but I would receive nowt for export or any of the FiT payments, then that would be grounds for me going in low, or maybe even asking you to remove the panels?

As an early adopter, you should have a very good FiT rate.
If your house is marketed properly, explaining the benefits of solar PV in plain english with quarterly income statements from your FiT provider, then you should be able to recoup some of the future payments within the sale price.
But it's unlikely you'll get it all?

Reed_Richards

I spent November 2017 to July 2018 looking at houses. A few had solar panels and they were marketed very badly; nobody mentioned the financial benefits except as a quick throwaway remark.

Since I am pro solar, I would have been put-off by a house where the panels belonged to somebody else. That would mean that I got no benefits and also that I could not install my own solar panels.

Reed_Richards

philologus wrote: »

The DOD is 80% so 3.8k available.

My solar panels reached break-even with the house internal consumption at about 7am this morning. By this time the SOC of my battery had fallen from 100% to 37%. It's a 6.5 kWh battery so I used 4.1 kWh. Between October and March (i.e. before the solar panels) I was averaging about 8 kWh per day as we don't heat anything with electricity (other than cooking).

sondheimsoc

theboylard wrote: »

As an early adopter, you should have a very good FiT rate.
If your house is marketed properly, explaining the benefits of solar PV in plain english with quarterly income statements from your FiT provider, then you should be able to recoup some of the future payments within the sale price.

Thanks, I've had 4 valuations and none of the estate agents were remotely interested in the solar panels and their benefits and none felt that they added any value to the house.

KevinG

lynnechapman wrote: »

Thanks, I've had 4 valuations and none of the estate agents were remotely interested in the solar panels and their benefits and none felt that they added any value to the house.

Ridiculous really but that's what the evidence suggests, e.g. https://www.which.co.uk/news/2017/07/do-solar-panels-affect-the-value-of-your-home/

Just 8% of estate agents said they thought solar panels increased property value. But 17% said that solar panels decrease its value.

The benefits seem to be offset by those who think they are an eyesore.

zeupater

lynnechapman wrote: »

Thanks, I've had 4 valuations and none of the estate agents were remotely interested in the solar panels and their benefits and none felt that they added any value to the house.

Hi

I find it odd that they would say that unless specifically asked, however, the question at hand wouldn't relate to solar being there or not, it's the effectively the difference between solar installations that are owned vs ones which effectively subject any new owner to comply to a form of lease contract with all of the legal implications that may apply ... for example, who becomes responsible for maintenance, access or removal & replacement costs if/when roof material access is required ... add in responsibility for insurance, final removal, disposal & making good costs along with early break clause costs if at any stage (and fro any reason) the owner no longer wants PV on the roof and there's plenty of scary legal points to make any potential buyer far more wary of making a decent offer on a property with 'sold FiT benefits' than if the benefits accrued to the owner ...

I'd suggest the decision option in question is one that should be left well out of reach of a bargepole if based on maximisation of financial return ...

HTH
Z

orrery

zeupater wrote: »

Hi

I find it odd that they would say that unless specifically asked....

You mean, "...and you'll get a cheque for £2,400 per year for the next X years".


Sounds a positive to me.