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

orrery

My daughter has bought a house that has solar PV (an Ikea system, but that's a whole other story ...).

I tried to order an Owl (or similar) energy monitor (Wireless box showing power consumption/generation, with a CT clamp sensor) - I use one on my own system. Sadly, they no longer seem to be in production and I can't find anything similar.

Her Secure Liberty smart meter has no customer display, so I can't use that.

Anyone know of a CT clamp unit still available (and I don't mean the £150 esoteric systems) or still in stock anywhere, or an alternative solution?

gefnew

I use this and is very good on the supply side so would do on the solar side.
Onzo Wireless Smart Energy Monitor Brand new surplus stock | eBay

Reed_Richards

I have Ikea solar PV but "Ikea" subcontracted the installation to an installer in my region so I don't know how similar they all are.  Mine came with a Goodwe inverter that connects to my WiFi so I can see instantaneously what it is doing.  It also logs its readings so I can review what it did earlier in the day or on any past day.

@orrery, perhaps your daughter already has the necessary monitoring facilities and just needs to connect to them?

orrery

gefnew said:

...I use this and is very good on the supply side so would do on the solar side.

Thanks - ordered one!

orrery

Reed_Richards said:

I have Ikea solar PV but "Ikea" subcontracted the installation...
@orrery, perhaps your daughter already has the necessary monitoring facilities and just needs to connect to them?

No, sadly. It was installed locally by Engensia (now gone) and has Santerno inverters x2. One has failed and I'm replacing it with a Solis that has WiFi, but the one for the other side of the house is still working.

It does have some form of Engensia network monitoring in several boxes, linked to a diverter box (all or nothing - relay output). It has had the power disconnected, so presumably has a problem - the previous owners "know nothing".

Oddly, the system has 36 panels so must have cost more to make and install, with x2 battleship inverters, and other antiquated monitoring (which looks hand made with 3rd party modules in a metal box and multi-core signal cables all over) than the £5k Ikea charged.

The Santerno is gross. Massive, multiple PC boards, massive toroidal transformer, 6 huge electrolytic capacitors - it was outdated when installed (it was installed a year after mine, which has a modern transformerless high efficiency inverter). It took two of us to lift it down from the wall.

Did someone ask if a house increases in value if solar PV is installed ... ?

themaverick1953

I was one of the first in my part of Yorkshire to get spv and got something like 53p per unit, cost was £14k. We left 6 years ago and I get regular grief from the other half about it 2/3 times a year.

Is it worth getting now? We have several different rooves faing SSE ESE and WNW.

[Deleted User]

themaverick1953 said:

I was one of the first in my part of Yorkshire to get spv and got something like 53p per unit, cost was £14k. We left 6 years ago and I get regular grief from the other half about it 2/3 times a year.

Is it worth getting now? We have several different rooves faing SSE ESE and WNW.

Costs appear to have increased: supply versus demand, with installers looking to make money to cover what they have lost during COVID. I had a 6.5kWp Array and a PW2 installed 22 months ago and,  even without FIT payments, I believe that I made a good decision. 

I save 4000kWh/year import and export 2000kWh/year. We are ‘off grid’ for both gas and electricity from March through to September. At today’s prices, I will break even in 10 years time.For simplicity, I am ignoring the EV savings (the bulk of my EV charging is from solar PV).

My advice - put up as much PV solar as you can. Even with my sized array, my average in December is just over 100kWh.

themaverick1953

Presumably if getting solar now it makes senser to get batteries at the same time?

tomkaier

It makes sense to get batteries at the time of solar install, if you want batteries - the tax would be 5% when purchased with a new solar installation, but 20% VAT if purchased separately. This currently drops to 0% VAT as part of the government incentive.
However, depending on who you ask, the argument *for* batteries isn't as clear-cut as for solar PV. Depending on which system you choose, you can calculate the maximum value you can extract per charge/discharge cycle (1 cycle) - if you assumed a £1 per cycle saving over grid usage, and the 9.5 kWh battery lasts 6,000 cycles, then you can do the math depending on what your installer charges you. I personally felt I'll never be able to truly quantify how it also 'feels' to use most of my own energy (i.e. save into battery when there's abundant solar generation) without trialling with a decent battery myself; leave aside that you can make use of agile export tariffs when they pay most, and cheap import timings if the battery isn't full (e.g. 0-4am).

themaverick1953

Are you in the States?