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

scrumpy5

JenR8 wrote: »

Scrumpy5 - When our pv installer called to fix something he mentioned that there was now available a system that had solar pv on the top and thermal underneath. The solar thermal had the effect of cooling the pv panels, making them more efficient. There's a slight loss of heat to the thermal part, but interesting development.

now that sounds like a plan!
anything else you can tell me?:T

John_Pierpoint

This idea has been floating about for a year or two now.

It might be worth waiting until the solar thermal part qualifies for the renewable heat initiative (to be set at a 6% annuity?).
(Only 15% of the energy in the sun light turns into electricity when it hits PV panels)

ChrisJD

themaverick1953 wrote: »

I have a Kaco inverter 4020 - so presumably not?

The kit that is available for that inverter, which is what I have, involves a circuit board added within the inverter, connected to a Powador-Log, which is a small external unit. This has a USB socket into which a Wi-Fi dongle plugs. You than have a digital picture frame which receives the signal and cycles round a selection of graphs - current output, last 36 hours, last month, last year... If you have anything which will receive WiFi (laptop, desktop, phone) then you can see the same graphs, via your browser. You also need this communication to configure graphs, set FIT rate etc.

However, this costs about £500.

You can also (though Kaco themselves don't really seem to support it) download historical data onto a USB stick and, after using a freeware conversion utility, examine and analyse it using software of your choice.

You can read about it in the "Monitoring and Software" brochure at
http://kaco-newenergy.de/en/site/service/downloads/produktinfos/index.xml

John_Pierpoint

themaverick1953 wrote: »

OK but I will have to go outside in the cold and wet to open the leccy cupboard door to do this? No way of remotley getting it in the comfort of my own home?

I found a posting on the web from someone who had rigged up something to count the red flashes, complete with picture and wiring diagram.:rotfl:

Your meter sounds like mine - have you proved that it STOPS counting anything when you are exporting?
Mine displays decimals of a kWh

John_Pierpoint

Did anyone else listen to this programme at lunch time yesterday.
It was a fairly long report about renewable electricity generation.

They reckon there are 1000 installations a week at the moment [demonstrating my theory that the AVERAGE skill level of each installer is probably falling]

I spotted two factual errors, that demonstrated the journalist was having difficulty keeping up with the rest of the class.:rotfl:

Today they should be doing heat pumps.

paidinchickens

hi I am new to these boards so hello everyone.
Hubby and I spent 6 months having loads of quotes etc and finally took the plunge yeahhhhh. Was quoted £14 000 by Tesco but finally got a company round who promised to beat any quote and long story short we had an install cost of £7 100 which I thought was quite a good saving. The only problem we have had so far (installed March) was N power saying there is a backlog to get through and we should hear soon.

Hubby is in the RAF and so we had the panels fitted so when he comes out in 2yrs 8months :T we should have cheaper bills.
I am not technically minded that is hubby's job lol but we have a solar panel widget thing in the window which tells us what is going on and he broadcasts the announcement every evening to who ever will listen......even the cats, Yes we are sad also!

I thought this board was a good idea so thought I would have a look through, some good ideas but a little over my head in places lol

Dishwasher goes on in the morning 9ish, water 12, washer in the afternoon if sunny of course!! I packed in work last year so most cleaning and ironing is done in the day, if the sun is not out neither is the ironing board!!! things that need charging are also done in the day. Is there any other things I could be doing??

zeupater

paidinchickens wrote: »

..... Dishwasher goes on in the morning 9ish, water 12, washer in the afternoon if sunny of course!! I packed in work last year so most cleaning and ironing is done in the day, if the sun is not out neither is the ironing board!!! things that need charging are also done in the day. Is there any other things I could be doing?? ....

Hi

To decide whether/when to plan to do the washing etc you might find the following site useful ...... http://www.meteoblue.com/apps/pointsolar ..... feed in your details & it will produce a generation forecast for the next 6 days. Once you have the forecast add the URL to your favourites, this will save you inputting the data every time you want to see the forecast ......

Those more technically minded might want to include the output graph in a webpage, however, for security, take care with the accuracy of the location as it will identify exactly where you are if published ....

HTH
Z

John_Pierpoint

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Did anyone else listen to this programme at lunch time yesterday.

Today they should be doing heat pumps.

Well I got that wrong !

It was mainly a short item about sticking your gas boiler exhaust through a Sterling engine. The boiler has condensing boiler efficiency.

This makes your boiler into a Combined Heat & Power.

Biggest problem was making the set up sound no louder than a big fridge. (Source The man from British Gas.)

Cost £7K

FiT only 10p a unit.

Well I've looked into the Baxi offering and I would add:

Small electrical output.

Life of the external combustion engine ? I don't know. Crude versions have been used on farms for 100 years? Will it become noisy as it wears? Call it 15 years?

Closing thought: here comes the fuel cell in 5 years time??

zeupater

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

.... Closing thought: here comes the fuel cell in 5 years time?? ...

Hi John

You might want to review the timescale after a little reading ..... http://www.cerespower.com/

HTH
Z

John_Pierpoint

Let me know how you get on with yours in five year's time.

Remember the bureaucrat's prayer: "Please God don't let me be first...........".:D

Solid-oxide fuel cells produce exothermic heat from the recombination of the oxygen and hydrogen. The ceramic can run as hot as 800 degrees Celsius. This heat can be captured and used to heat water in a micro combined heat and power (m-CHP) application. When the heat is captured, total efficiency can reach 80-90% at the unit, but does not consider production and distribution losses. CHP units are being developed today for the European home market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

I see that Ceres claim the technology comes from Imperial College.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/interactivemap
Perhaps I will live long enough to see a great British break through become a world class industry.

I wonder if there is any connection with another Ceres operating out of Boston and inspired by the Exxon Valdez Alaska oil spill?

I wonder why they both share a name with the Goddess of corn production.