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

tomkaier

Clearly not 

QrizB

gefnew said:

Nice to see someone else with a BG minim still in use!

Doc_N

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.

Similar situation here.  £14k installation in 2010, which paid for itself completely (even allowing for interest on lost capital) around 2017. Contract was with Tesco, who subcontracted it to Enact Energy. They did a great job, quality installation with quality materials - the German-made SMA inverter's still going strong, though it must now be on borrowed time. Avoiding having it installed in the usual hot places probably helps - it's nice and cool in the garage.

Had the panels cleaned recently, for the first time, and I'd guess that it's increased output by around 15% - a lot of lichen!

70sbudgie

Has anyone else looked into FIR (far infrared) heating? It can also be referred to as high efficiency electric heating. It seems to be something that is used more for commercial residential buildings (like high end flats), but it is available for domestic properties. 

I have been looking into it for rooms in my house where the usage doesn't necessarily reflect the central heating usage. For example in the lounge where we have a wood burner and the home office that only needs heating when my husband or I are working from home. 

I did some calculations to compare cost with the (hugely oversized) hot water radiators in our lounge and found that unless gas is ~54% or greater of the kWhr price of electricity, then the hot water radiators are cheaper per hour. However, I think the savings would come from not needing to use it as often. And of course, on cold, bright days, the PV panels would provide some, if not all the energy.

I am interested whether anyone else has looked into this and if so, what are your thoughts?

tomkaier

Have looked but similar to you - it’s a margin call I thought. 

70sbudgie

I bought a 350W panel (with feet) and trialled it in the home office. I have to say, it was really nice to not be cold when trying to think! The next step is to get a bigger panel to trial in the lounge. If it works, I'm trying to persuade my husband to remove the radiator.

I haven't done it yet because summer didn't seem like the right time. Though the weather over the last few days has had me rethinking that!

tomkaier

Problem I have with FIR is that solar generation is at its weakest when you need the FIR the most 

70sbudgie

tomkaier said:

Problem I have with FIR is that solar generation is at its weakest when you need the FIR the most 

This is the problem with any electric heating unless it has some sort of storage. The benefits of FIR is that it is generally more efficient, so requires lower electricity input, but the main benefit is that it provides localised heating, therefore is significantly more efficient for heating large living areas (assuming the people that want to be a comfortable temperature aren't at opposite ends of the room).

orrery

tomkaier said:

Problem I have with FIR is that solar generation is at its weakest when you need the FIR the most 

 

and is only 100% efficient ... ? A heat pump would be 300% efficient.

I have a convector radiator in the hall on the second channel of my solar diverter - it makes a good contribution in spring and autumn, but is a waste of time in winter* and has to be turned off in summer.

* except then we are away and don't need the hot water from the diverter, then the rad will provide a low level frost protection function for the house.

Reed_Richards

70sbudgie said:

Has anyone else looked into FIR (far infrared) heating? It can also be referred to as high efficiency electric heating.... 

But only by marketing types who don't care about telling porkies.  All direct radiant heating is bound by the laws of physics to an inverse square law of efficiency.  If you are one metre away you get X amount of heat, 2 metres away you get X/4, 3 metres away it's X/9 etc.  So anything claiming to heat the person not the room only works if the person remains very close to the heat source. 

I suppose you could focus the FIR and move the lens around to track the position of the person in the room, that would give you better than inverse square drop-off.  But they don't work that way and if they did it would still only work for one person at a time.