Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

Martyn1981

silverwhistle wrote: »

Just out of interest, what do you estimate your percentage of personal usage? I've just had an informal quote (no site visit possible yet) and the payback estimated 25% personal usage. I reckon I could do better as I'd be part-time/semi-retired and able to time my major usage but I'd be interested in other's experiences (immersion or not!).

@ silverwhistle, hiya, I agree with all the comments you've been getting. But would just like to add that the installer seems pretty honest. Some might work out your leccy savings by multiplying your import rate (12 - 15p?) by the whole estimated generation, or just lazily claim 50%.

I reckon around 30/35% is fairer, and for a 2.5kWp system with you home in the day, you could get higher - but even this has to be balanced against your apparent low use. Best to estimate low, just to avoid fooling yourself over huge savings when making the decision to invest. Any extra savings then become a bonus.

@ the anoraks!

5.34 O's (29.8kWh's) yesterday.

Import meter has only gone up 17 since the start of May. :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM

Mart.

sly_dog_jonah

Been away for a couple of weeks and need to crunch through the numbers on our GEO Solo PV to work out the daily performances, but between 22nd April to 3rd May we generated 195.4kWh (average 17.8kWh/day or 4.81 'O's). Pretty sure that is the highest average over 11 days we've ever achieved.

It's not been bad since we got back either:
Friday 17.8 kWh
Sat 16.5 kWh (ImmerSUN: 8 kWh)
sun 19.6 kWh (ImmerSUN:12 kWh)
Mon 23.7 kWh (ImmerSUN:12 kWh)
Tues 24.3 kWh (6.57 'O's) (ImmerSUN: 11 kWh)

My Meter Readings App is estimating May generation of 612.1kWh for May (38% higher than last year) if we keep up generation at this rate, which of course is highly unlikely!

Hot water hasn't been on since we got home Friday, and was already piping hot thanks to the ImmerSUN.

KevinG

Another good day yesterday, 12.05 kWh, and continuing the year on year comparison - first week of May 2012: 19.10 kWh; 2013: 74.31 kWh, 289% higher. But it seems the party has now ended.

The_Green_Hornet

silverwhistle wrote: »

Just out of interest, what do you estimate your percentage of personal usage? I've just had an informal quote (no site visit possible yet) and the payback estimated 25% personal usage. I reckon I could do better as I'd be part-time/semi-retired and able to time my major usage but I'd be interested in other's experiences (immersion or not!).

I have a very small system (1.32 kWp), and I am at home all day, but even so during March I only used 54% of what was generated, during April I only used 38% and so far during May only 26%.

Unless you are using high energy appliances all day (which in my opinion defeats the object of trying to be green, ethical & money saving) you are going to struggle to use a fraction of what you generate, especially during the summer months.

silverwhistle

Oscargrouch wrote: »

I have a 2.5 kWp system and my usage of Pv was as follows this year:- (SNIP)

That's exactly what I was looking for, thanks. I'd already seen the Wattson/Optiplug combination the other day but actual experience is useful.

My own solution to use more would be to make another brew. You don't normally use 3kw kettles in Italy unless you want to trip your system.. Perhaps an arc light or two to bring on the seedlings?

If I can avoid firing up the gas boiler for hot water in the summer months that should help extend the boiler's life. Perhaps an electric scooter is a possibility.. a Nissan Leaf sadly, is not!

Thanks all.

Incidentally Martyn, on the question of financial returns I've been unable to move a small cash ISA whilst I've been abroad. With QE, asset and general inflation and a pitiful return on the ISA the return on PV is not absolutely critical. I'd rather like to say 'blow you' to my bank. MY SSE shares are doing well though.. :-)

phsci

silverwhistle wrote: »

Just out of interest, what do you estimate your percentage of personal usage? ....... I reckon I could do better as I'd be part-time/semi-retired and able to time my major usage but I'd be interested in other's experiences (immersion or not!).

You may be able to beat 25% but don't underestimate the difficulty of matching your usage with fluctuating production caused by passing clouds. The last hour has been dreadful for me as you can see from the attached screen shot summarising my net production (Varies from 589 watts to 3717 over the hour). Many appliances of course that you may choose to switch on to take advantage of a sunny spell, e.g. washing machines, also have a fluctuating load over their operating cycle.
[Edit: I should say my software plots production as negative values so the graph is "upside down".]

[Deleted User]

23kWh yesterday

shafeeq

5.71 kwh 1.90 O's today

Oscargrouch

silverwhistle wrote: »

That's exactly what I was looking for, thanks. I'd already seen the Wattson/Optiplug combination the other day but actual experience is useful.

My own solution to use more would be to make another brew. You don't normally use 3kw kettles in Italy unless you want to trip your system.. Perhaps an arc light or two to bring on the seedlings?

If I can avoid firing up the gas boiler for hot water in the summer months that should help extend the boiler's life. Perhaps an electric scooter is a possibility.. a Nissan Leaf sadly, is not!

Thanks all.

My kettle element blew the other day so had to use a Travel kettle; takes longer to boil, but never overlaps generation. I use the OptiPlug on an Oil Filled radiator; calibrated to the 1.2kW setting; that keeps the lounge area nice and warm for when the first one returns. Talking about emmirsion heating for water, take a look at http://www.diykyoto.com/uk/aboutus/optimmersion although more expensive than others, from what I understand, it diverts any surplus power (irrespective of rating) to hot water heating; part of the Opti family...

Back to the office:-

May generation (not my) so far 40.8 O's
67.5% of my usage came from PV.
49.9 of PV generation I used in the home.
During May I have used 84.62 kW (with the heater running)
My supply meter has registered 28 kW.
Current saving = 72.76%

Generation today was 3.6 O's....

Martyn1981

Only 2.24 O's yesterday, looks like the amazing weather is over for a week or so, back to more normal 'stuff'. Still ..... 195kWh's in 8 days ain't bad!

Mart.

Music has a theme today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BmEGm-mraE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpYBT0XyvA