Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

legoman62

Cold and windy here. 1.6 O’s 

Merlin139

Not a surprise to anybody I suspect, but this will be the worst year for Solar PV.

220 kWh down on my worst year in 2016 and 700 kWh down on my best year in 2022

September ended 60 kWh below PVGIS estimate and 2nd worst September out of 11 years.

Saturday I spent the day on the roof jet washing under my panels to remove a build up of Pigeon Poop!. Took the opportunity to was all the build up of lichen and dirt.

Yesterday back up on the roof and set about Pigeon proofing my panels. I had contacted a few of companies and got various quotes from £600 to £1500. On top of this I needed to shell out £1100 for scaffolding around two sides and back of the house. One side involved scaffolding over the garage attached to the side of the house.

I was given the name of a company from a friend of my daughters and discovered that her father had his panels, cleaned, pigeon poop removed from underneath and pigeon proofed. This had cost him £6K!

I do own a triple ladder that will extend to 12.5 metres so this did help, along with another shorter ladder.

I looked on the well know shopping website and found sets at various prices. I chose to purchase individually, the following:

1 of: Solar Panel Guard Clips, 35 mm Nylon Solar Panel Wire Fence Fasteners Fence Panel Clips Animal Guard Fastener Clips for Solar Panel Bird Wire Pigeon

1 of: Basics Straight Cut Aviation Snip

1 of: PG 30m PVC Coated Black Solar Proofing Bird Mesh To Control Prevent Protection Barrier To Stop Pigeons Nesting Under Solar Panels

This came to a total of £82.93

Around a total of 10 hours work including preparation, snipping and folding. Around 2 hours was actually spent on top of the roof. 

A good feeling at the end of the day. 

If any work is required on or under any of the panels then I would need to purchase more clips and fasteners and go back on top of the roof.

Martyn1981

Currently projecting 93% for October, and the weather forecast for the next week is very grey.

Coastalwatch

With the inverter showing but a few Watts generation now, todays score is 1.66 O's.

pete-20-11

Just 0.56 Os today 

Alnat1

2.29 O's today, not complaining.

Planet Barnsley is having an OK October, 133% of where we should be so far this month.

Merlin139

4.3 O's today. 2nd best day of the month.

Passed 50% of PVGIS at the start of the day. 

legoman62

2nd best day of the month here too. 2.8 O’s👏

Qyburn

So pretty much halfway through October in our first year, with only Jun to Sep to compare. Do you guys typically cover all your use in October? Or enough of a surplus to cover standing charges as well as import?

I was working on the crude idea that each good month pays for a bad one, so for example July pays for December, August for November etc. PVGIS estimate says we'll only cover around 30% of our December use, but so far production has been a bit higher than their month by month forecast.

pete-20-11

This'll be my first October with the new panels (the old ones were a token effort installed by the builders). 

Currently, for October, I'm -9 kWh usage and £4.11 cost (including SC and vat). 

Let's not talk about the gas boiler. 🤣

Over the last 11.5 months, my electric is -790kWh (-£246 inc import VAT, or -£30 after SC+VAT). 

So yeah just about seems to cover it. Then there's some dosh for saving sessions, free electric credits etc. Circa £40.