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

themaverick1953

Rosemary_Jane wrote: »

Hi, I've recently had a system installed; described on this thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/755261

It's a 3.96kWp system, mounted horizontally.

25-end of May (7 days); 113.72kWh
June (30 days): 552.51kWh

highest day 28.12kWh; but the lowest (on the 5th June) was only 2.95!!!

happy so far, averaging 18.417kWh a day in June.

Really glad to have found these threads.

Can anyone tell me how long the FIT providers generally take to process the applications? TIA

Rosemary

MIne took around a month. We were told we could register at any time and they would take the meter reading from zero - not true. They take it from the day you contact then (to get zero registered you have to do so withing 5 days). Lost £100.

ChrisJD

jack_pott wrote: »

If the energy monitors are not sensitive to the phase of the current as you say then they are measuring the apparent power and NOT the true power. This seems highly unlikely as is would defeat much of the point of the monitor.

Apparent power = VI = product of voltage and current in VA.

True power = VIcosφ = rate at which energy is moved in Watts. The energy is what you're paying for.

The type of monitor which uses a clamp-on current transformer only has access to the current, not the voltage, and is unable to determine the direction of flow, and certainly not phase angle.

Rosemary_Jane

themaverick1953 wrote: »

MIne took around a month. We were told we could register at any time and they would take the meter reading from zero - not true. They take it from the day you contact then (to get zero registered you have to do so withing 5 days). Lost £100.

Thanks.

I have applied to SSE (recommended by the installers as usually quite quick, and also my supplier), and the application form says they'll pay from commissioning figure - zero - provided that you notify them of your intention prior to commissioning, either in writing, or by email, which I did.

R

Ali_W_2

We are just starting to look into getting solar panels. Does anyone have any advice on where to start looking? We live in SW Scotland and are wanting to buy the panels outright. Thanks :j

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Ali_W wrote: »

We are just starting to look into getting solar panels. Does anyone have any advice on where to start looking? We live in SW Scotland and are wanting to buy the panels outright. Thanks :j

Welcome to MSE. This thread is aimed at people who already have panels.

For an introduction, have a look on the main site:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels

square-eyes

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

There is something very important you need to understand about how the monitor works. The monitor measures the electrical current in the wires. This current can flow in either direction. When you are importing its measuring what you are taking in from the grid. When you are exporting it measures what you are putting back into the grid.

The key thing is that the monitor can not tell the difference between importing and exporting.

On a sunny day your OWL monitor could be reading 300w - how do you know if this is import or export?

A simple way to tell is to briefly turn something on that will use around a few hundred watts and see if the reading goes up or down.

E.g the monitor reads 600w

You turn on a 100w light

If the reading goes up to 700w you are importing

If the reading goes down to 500W you are exporting

As an ideal your monitor should be reading as close to zero as you can get it, this means you importing and exporting as little as possible.

Hope that helps!

I have an OWL monitor and since installing Solar PV you can't trust the reading during daylight hours. I emailed the manufacturers and they said that the probe on the Owl cannot tell the difference between current drawn for the grid or current generated from your solar PV or both combined. There is a way of wiring up an Owl using two probes and getting an electrician to change your wiring but the cost would put me off. Lucky for me I have a Sunny Boy 2500HF which has a bluetooth transmitter built in. The free software is available from the SMA website. My PC has bluetooth so it links to the inverter. It provides realtime and historical graphs of your actual generation and can store historical information on your PC. I am sure Owl or other monitor companies will develop a monitor that copes with Solar PV systems if there is a great demand from the public.

square-eyes

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

If we are to assume that arctic weather conditions could bring daytime winter power cuts in years to come, what are the chances that solar PV systems could generate enough electricity to at least keep the central heating boiler working?

If your Solar PV system is connected to the grid then it will stop working if there is a power cut. If you are off-grid then it will continue to work but wiring it in to the boiler and pump to take over in case of a power cut will be difficult and expensive.
Buy a few logs for those cold winter days.

ChrisJD

square-eyes wrote: »

I have an OWL monitor and since installing Solar PV you can't trust the reading during daylight hours. I emailed the manufacturers and they said that the probe on the Owl cannot tell the difference between current drawn for the grid or current generated from your solar PV or both combined. There is a way of wiring up an Owl using two probes and getting an electrician to change your wiring but the cost would put me off. Lucky for me I have a Sunny Boy 2500HF which has a bluetooth transmitter built in. The free software is available from the SMA website. My PC has bluetooth so it links to the inverter. It provides realtime and historical graphs of your actual generation and can store historical information on your PC. I am sure Owl or other monitor companies will develop a monitor that copes with Solar PV systems if there is a great demand from the public.

So, you can still only calculate export by comparing your two displays?

I believe the Wattson monitor is able to use two detectors and make the appropriate calculations, but this can depend upon exactly how the cabling has been run. Perhaps it is worth having the PV and domestic consumption feeds split on all installations, since it may well not cost extra if done at that time; mine was anyway for technical reasons.

Cardew

square-eyes wrote: »

If your Solar PV system is connected to the grid then it will stop working if there is a power cut. If you are off-grid then it will continue to work but wiring it in to the boiler and pump to take over in case of a power cut will be difficult and expensive.
Buy a few logs for those cold winter days.

However if it is off-grid you don't get FITs

teachergirl

Hello everyone. VERY busy time at work so I am just about keeping up with reading the posts but not having time to post. Hi Jackieblack production as follows:


March Expected 274 Actual 347 126%
April Expected 378 Actual 576 152%
May Expected 429 Actual 621 145%
June Expected 418 Actual 531 127%

So far I am very pleased with my production. January and February were below target but I am over expected production in total so far. I expect to get nearly £800 this quarter and as someone said earlier I too am going to put this into my mortgage acount to reduce my repayments. Although I confess to having spent the mopney in my head at least three times.;)
I hope to become mortgage free by christmas this year and then I am going to put my FIT money in an account to help pay for my kids Uni expenses.
To the poster who asked about TESCO I did have my panals installed with them and the only problems I actually had were with the Mark group who tried to run my cables across the middle of my utilty ceiling and made a mess. Tesco did offer to come and look and repair the damage but it was close to Christams and I could not be bothered.
Looks like another sunny day today:j