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

nobby1963

So I was there about`s ish Jonah,

We used to be Bristol until we moved to Devon in June last year.

sly_dog_jonah

nobby1963 wrote: »

So I was there about`s ish Jonah,

We used to be Bristol until we moved to Devon in June last year.

Indeed you were nobby. Hope you're enjoying the cream teas.

Back on topic, I submitted our EDF quarterly reading on 17th Sept, and got a PDF remittance advice emailed today (20th) advising of payment within 5 working days. :T:beer::j

MarioBalotelli

I've been with E.On FIT for a year and have had one payment in January. Since then I've emailed about 10 times but have had no response. Today I phoned, got through very quickly and spoke to a very helpful woman who investigated and told me my payment up to March was on its way. Should get April to July in October apparently as I'm still being moved on to the new system.
My advice if you're having problems is to phone - don't bother with email.

sammyz1

So I got panels installed just before the price changes. They received the application on Feb 28th 2012. (Thank God for Royal Mail Next Day and Tracking)

I signed the contract on June 26th (day before my birthday), and on the contract it stated to send in my first reading on August 28th 2012.

Rang in on the date. Nice lady on the phone took my reading and said it'd take around 2 weeks to get my payment.

It's been 23 days and I've heard nothing from them. No email, phone call or letter.

Since reading all the complaints in this thread 23 days seems like nothing, but... I forgot to ask the lady when I should send in my next reading.

Is it 6 months, 4 months, or 3 months?

I'm with E.ON btw, :eek:.

John_Pierpoint

3 months...........

It is a good idea to check you generation daily as it is possible that your inverter might decide to turn itself off during the day time as well as overnight.

Addicts thread here:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/55979797#Comment_55979797

sammyz1

You answer one question, cheers for the prompt reply, but give me another to think about...

What's an inverter? :facepalm:

sly_dog_jonah

The inverter is the clever bit of kit which converts the DC electricity your panels make into AC which you can use in the home, or export to the grid if you aren't using it all. It's usually located near the panels, typically in the loft.

John_Pierpoint

sammyz1 wrote: »

You answer one question, cheers for the prompt reply, but give me another to think about...

What's an inverter? :facepalm:

It is also the most expensive bit of the kit and likely to cost you (say) £1,000 if/when it goes wrong. Mine is at the top of the "ladder" into an attic room, so I can sit at the top of the "ladder" and admire it. (Or warm my hands on the fins at the top)

I've got one of these (other makes are available) It has a smallish LCD in the middle, which scrolls round continuously, during the day time, reporting about 25 different parameters of performance.

Make friends with your inverter and your generation meter, then you will just know, by looking out of the window, how much "free" electricity is available to you.

sammyz1

I didn't even think about the inverter conking out. Unfortunately the inverter in this house is in a bit of a dodgy place. Inside some self-made alcove cabinets. It's a head banging experience if i want to stare at it.

One thing my brother keeps mentioning is that the thing hums when its doing its job. So nice an early at 5-6am in the mornings.

Since we're currently on summer time and the day time is longer on a hot sunny day, the max it makes is 12, average is around 6-7 if the weather is temperemental. 0-2 on pouring days.

We only have 9 panels on the roof.

We stopped checking it after about a month of having the panels installed. Should start checking again. We're estimated to make around 1860+ the first year. Was on 1155 at 6 months, but winter is here now.

John_Pierpoint

Most PV panel systems are only capable of capturing less than 20% of the energy in the light. Even still the inverter on hot sunny days is giving off appreciable amounts of heat - so make sure you have some ventilation to keep it cool. (the top half in the picture above is an aluminium fin radiator) My one is almost silent, unless I catch it turning on in the morning, when it makes 'fridge switching on noises. It has a small battery that keeps its memory alive during the night.
Obviously, if the generation meter is going up every 24 hours the inverter must be generating some watts of alternating current. Presumably your generation meter is in the meter cupboard ?? Does it incorporate a little red flashing light? One flash per watt generated. I have managed to get my generation meter (and its "garage" additional consumer unit (fuse box)) put next to the electricity company importing meter, which also uses the flashing red light technology. When one of these two meters encounters electricity trying to "go backwards" through it the red light stops flashing and becomes constantly on. So it is easy at a glance to get a feel for what is happening and the ratio of home generation to import. [With "Economy 7" I need to avoid shooting myself in the foot by heating hot water when the sun is not fully on the panels of my nominally 3.6 kW system].

Your system "must" be 9 panels making a single string of direct current input into your inverter - there is just a possibility that something could go wrong with one of the panels, and cripple the performance of all 9. More likely, at this start to the 6 months of low oblique sun, a shadow falling across just one panel might have the same effect. I will soon need to evaluate the effect of the shadow of a fir tree moving across one and then two of my strings between 08:00 & 10:00 GMT. [More fire wood?:D]


We had better get back on track as these postings really belong on the "So now I have a solar PV system how do I make the most of it??? " thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2955406