Solar Panel Guide Discussion

Cardew

EricMears wrote: »

Funnily enough, I've just spent the afternoon doing that.

Well, not exactly that. My immersion heater is (I think) a 3Kw job and I've just rewired it through a 110v 'site transformer' which should turn it into a 750w (or thereabouts) version. I shall also include a 'shunt lead' that will bypass the transformer so that I've still got the 3Kw option on very sunny days.

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Doesn't doing all that electrical work qualify you to be locked up in HM prison;)

Presumably you turned up the thermostat on the immersion heater? won't do any harm to have it really hot as long as no kids likely to scald themselves.

EricMears

Cardew wrote: »

Doesn't doing all that electrical work qualify you to be locked up in HM prison;)

Presumably you turned up the thermostat on the immersion heater? won't do any harm to have it really hot as long as no kids likely to scald themselves.

No. Technically speaking, I haven't finished building the house and I started doing that before "Part P" was invented. It would therefore be perfectly proper for me to all the electrical installation work. And indeed I consider myself a 'competent installer'.

But in fact none of the work really comes within Part P - The 110v transformer simply plugs into a 13A socket and the minor rerouting of the immersion feed wire doesn't count as a 'new installation'.

Immersion heater thermostat is set at 90deg C. Oil fired boiler is only trying to heat the cylinder to 65 deg C. I have a 'HeatBank' rather than a conventional cylinder so no fear of scalding: water in the cylinder is fed to a heat exchanger where it's used to heat mains pressure water then goes through a mixer valve before delivery to sink.

Anyone with a more conventional plumbing setup probably wouldn't be able to work at that sort of temperature but could still arrange for a gas boiler to stop heating water early in the day and let free electricity heat to their maximum safe temp.

ronlizpatsimon

Summer is here! (average 60% clear sky)

22 kw generated

EricMears

Re-appearance of this thread prompts me to update on performance of my 110v immersion heater conversion.

Alas, very little to report ! Very few days lately when I've had an un-needed energy surplus. Yesterday would have been a good day to test - except that I had a load of washing, a dishwasher cycle and some cooking.

Had it going for a couple of hours this morning. Tank temperature did indeed rise by around 10deg C - though since the measuring point is via a second immersion thermostat pocket it can't really be said to be a fair measurement (for all I know, the heat generated might have stayed exactly where it arose and rest of tank not benefit at all). However, it was indeed consuming 750w and that must have gone somewhere.

cashman_2

Hi all
Does any body know online, where there is a calculator for checking how much money you should receive from your fit payments, mine was installed 9th nov 2011. Meter reading was 672 at end march and was started at 27.
Cheers cashman.

Martyn1981

cashman wrote: »

Hi all
Does any body know online, where there is a calculator for checking how much money you should receive from your fit payments, mine was installed 9th nov 2011. Meter reading was 672 at end march and was started at 27.
Cheers cashman.

Hiya, don't know of an on-line calculator, but you can multiply the pre April units by 44.85p (43.3FITs + 50% of 3.1p export), and the post April units by 47p (45.4p + 50% of 3.2p).

For pre April, and subtracting the 27 units, you should get 645 * £0.4485 = £289.28 (approx).

Edit: KevinG - beat you!

Mart.

KevinG

cashman wrote: »

Hi all
Does any body know online, where there is a calculator for checking how much money you should receive from your fit payments, mine was installed 9th nov 2011. Meter reading was 672 at end march and was started at 27.
Cheers cashman.

It's pretty straightforward, just multiply the number of units by the generation rate plus half the export rate. Prior to April 2012 this amounted to 44.85p per kWh (it's now 47.0p). So, in your case, 672-27=645*£0.4485=£289.28.

Edit: nice to know we agree!

peterpiker

Hi, Without me reading the last 75 pages of this.
Can someone in breif tell me whether or not having solar panels fited to my home will be cost effective.
I am in the process of building my home. It will be gas with UFH on Ground floor. There is a heat transfer system to be installed and the house will be very well insulated.
the back of my house is a southerly facing as possible!!
So the question is are they worth it...?

Cardew

peterpiker wrote: »

Hi, Without me reading the last 75 pages of this.
Can someone in breif tell me whether or not having solar panels fited to my home will be cost effective.
I am in the process of building my home. It will be gas with UFH on Ground floor. There is a heat transfer system to be installed and the house will be very well insulated.
the back of my house is a southerly facing as possible!!
So the question is are they worth it...?

Welcome to the forum.

This thread is about Solar electricity generation(PV) not 'solar thermal' - which produces Hot water for baths/showers etc.

Solar PV costs up £8,000 and gets a subsidy(FIT) for all electricity produced. Provided your house is suitable you could get a return of £600 - £800 depending on a number of factors. However it cannot be self-installed and get the FIT. In August the level of subsidy drops.

If you intend having a Combi Boiler, you need to be aware that Solar Thermal requires a Hot Water tank. It can be self installed but the savings if you have gas a very small - and mostly in summer.

peterpiker

Cardew wrote: »

Welcome to the forum.

This thread is about Solar electricity generation(PV) not 'solar thermal' - which produces Hot water for baths/showers etc.

Solar PV costs up £8,000 and gets a subsidy(FIT) for all electricity produced. Provided your house is suitable you could get a return of £600 - £800 depending on a number of factors. However it cannot be self-installed and get the FIT. In August the level of subsidy drops.

If you intend having a Combi Boiler, you need to be aware that Solar Thermal requires a Hot Water tank. It can be self installed but the savings if you have gas a very small - and mostly in summer.

Thank you.
Do you know does the scheme (FIT) extend to N.Irl as well as mainland UK ?