Solar energy - Feed-in Tariff payment delays - your experiences?

KenS

Martyn,

Thanks for the link to that site. It is quite interesting. Any tips on what I should fill in for the inverter efficiency percentage?

:beer:

Doc_N

All very interesting, but isn't all this getting just a little off-topic, and more appropriate to one of the other solar threads?

kevin6666

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Panel direction was on my application (EDF), though the roof pitch wasn't. Roof pitch will make quite a difference as to when generation occurs (winter or summer), but only has a small effect on annual total. For south facing systems, the pitch (20 to 50 deg) has hardly any effect on annual totals.

If by like for like, you also mean side by side, then there should be very little difference between two systems of similar panel and inverter sizing. I appreciate that it only takes a few miles of separation to throw up differences, due to weather, but as yet I haven't heard anyone complain that PVSpot is out (unless of course they are having problems with their system).

If anyone is experiencing a 10% difference to a like for like system in their neighbourhood, then they'll need to find out what the problem is, unless of course they are the +10% party, in which case they can just sit back and enjoy.

Mart.

Just glancing through the big 6 Apps forms then it only appears EON ask for direction and none pitch so it does leave the majority in difficulty when working out suitable reading tolerances. And lets face it once again that's customer provided info so they could put anything they want. Frankly the big 6 aren't bothered if people do fiddle their readings as the bill is just picked up by joe public. Which yet again is what's wrong with FIT. Shouldn't have been introduced until there was sufficienty clever 'SMART' metering in place that's installed and owned by the suppliers.

I'd like to see a major shake up where only Export Payments are made and any savings come from a lower electric bill but I guess that way no one would have had PV fitted..why? Because they don't make economical sense unless good old joe public foots the bill.

Martyn1981

KenS wrote: »

Martyn,

Thanks for the link to that site. It is quite interesting. Any tips on what I should fill in for the inverter efficiency percentage?

:beer:

Because I've got 2, I just left it as default, but having googled your auto sig. I got this:

http://www.solardesigntool.com/components/inverter-grid-tie-solar/Diehl%20AKO/3800-S/specification-data-sheet.html;jsessionid=FB659F9291306714757547CA740DEAF8

so maybe just take their word for it and enter 94.6%

Have fun Mart.

KenS

Thanks Martyn!

Martyn1981

kevin6666 wrote: »

I'd like to see a major shake up where only Export Payments are made and any savings come from a lower electric bill but I guess that way no one would have had PV fitted..why? Because they don't make economical sense unless good old joe public foots the bill.

Hence the need for subsidies around the World to artificially speed up the point of viability.

If you check out this thread, you'll find all aspects of FITs talked to death, including the increasing financial viability.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3731587

In Spain next year they are planning to build an unsubsidised solar farm, which is the toughest level of viability, since it needs to meet wholesale prices, not retail.

Even in poorer countries such as India and S. America, PV is now cheaper than diesel for off-grid generation - takes about 7 years for the diesel costs to outweigh the higher PV start up costs.

In the UK we are probably just about at the point that larger installs 20kWp+, with 90%+ consumption (supermarkets, retail stores, fast food etc) could begin to become viable, though these will of course be sites more southerly based. However, with only a 20% difference from top to bottom of UK, a similar drop in costs, would open up viability to such medium sized installs across the UK.

Regarding PV meter fraud, I appreciate your concerns, and comments, but I remain unconvinced that there is any serious fraud taking place.

Edit: Sorry should have said, that I agree that better metering would be very useful, especially to help monitor progress, and to get some 'real' numbers on export. M.

Mart.

The_Green_Hornet

kevin6666 wrote: »

Just glancing through the big 6 Apps forms then it only appears EON ask for direction and none pitch so it does leave the majority in difficulty when working out suitable reading tolerances. And lets face it once again that's customer provided info so they could put anything they want.

As with the Generation Meter information, the MCS Certificate (a copy of which is sent with your FIT application) contains Estimated Annual Generation and Declared Net Capacity so the customer is not providing the info the approved installer is when they register your system.

I think you are trying very hard to look for problems that don't actually exist.

rogertr7

My dealings with EDF, had my 3KW system installed on 1/11/11 by BCL renewable which went very smoothly all in a day, it then just took four months before I had all my paperwork from BCL to arrive. Due to EDF not receiving my email i had to resend my details again on 30/11/11 and then I had quite a few emails but no fit number given to me. I made a formal complaint by email on 6/3/12 informing EDF that I will be taking my complaint to the Ombudsman. That moved EDF into giving me my FIT meter number and all on 19/3/12. I submitter my readings and had my first payment into my bank by the 25/4/12. After reading the terms and conditions it mentioned that I had to submit a second reading with 30 days of the first one which I did on 25/4/12 I then received my second payment on 1/5/12. It all appeared to be working smoothly now with quick payments and online meter readings great. My only question is can I change my energy supply for my house electricity and leave my fit payments with EDF as I would not want to change that as I can image the hassle it will generate.

Doc_N

rogertr7 wrote: »

.......... My only question is can I change my energy supply for my house electricity and leave my fit payments with EDF as I would not want to change that as I can image the hassle it will generate.........

You shouldn't have any problem with that. I switched away from e.on to Scottish Power some time back, but the FIT payments stayed with e.on - too much hassle to move them.

margin

kevin6666 wrote: »

There has been suggestions of the power companies deliberately withholding payments to make money (interest) but it's absolutely not true as it's a drop in the ocean to the big 6.

The difficultys have come from the mass demand caused by the goverment putting waaaaay to high Tariffs then putting deadlines on registering for them. Over the next 2 quarters I'd start to expect a far smoother ride as the IT systems start to come up to speed and the customer base stabilises.

That's a very specific prediction. You don't happen to work for one of the utility companies by any chance ?