Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

shavy65

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Hiya Dave. Mirrors & PV is a subject that comes up on the Navitron forum quite often. Usually with some tongue-in-cheek comments.

This article was recently posted, with some concerns about wind-loading!

http://magpi.techjeeper.com/The-MagPi-issue-22-en.pdf

Mart.

OK, I don`t know about anyone else, but the main obstacle I encountered before installing PV was my wife due to the fact that solar panels just aren`t aesthetically pleasing...only appears to be a problem for women in my experience. I don`t think anyone can really honestly dispute this, although some arrays do look more satisfactory than others.
Although after checking out that link Martyn.....the average array now looks like the work of Michelangelo! Those mirrors are something else hahaha!

Dave_16

Martyn1981 wrote: »

@Dave, as nigel says, things in Spain are not good. I've been following the story for a couple of years. It's a disaster, and hard to believe!

PV prices are pretty low in Spain, and generation is around 50%+ more than in the UK, so it got very popular, very fast. Then it hit a level, where even without FiT it was viable, so the leccy providers panicked.

FiT was removed, export stopped being paid for - still PV went up - so the leccy companies worried about market share, managed to get a ruling (currently being challenged by the EU) that all PV owners had to pay a fee to 'dump' their excess onto the grid. This was based on whole generation, not export, and was (when I last looked) €0.07/kWh, making own use PV more expensive (cost of kit, plus fee) than importing leccy.

Possible solution is to go off-grid (with batts), something that is viable(ish) in Spain, but, by co-incidence there is also a piece of legislation that potentially fines you for 'stealing sunlight'. This could be as high as €30m ........ that's not a typo.

Nice to know that our leccy companies aren't that bad ....... in comparison?

One to watch, will be PV in the southern US states. Similar generation levels to Spain, but currently PV costs are a lot higher than Spain (Germany, UK etc) as they went for subsidies based on supporting capital outlay, not generation, so didn't encourage cost reductions/competition like the European FiT schemes. Expect the leccy companies in those states to start panicking soon as prices keep falling, and installs keep rising. They are already trying to impose monthly fees for PV'ers to support grid costs (though PV is seen as helping to lower costs, as it balances out A/C daytime peaks).

It's all fun and games ..... till someone loses an eye.

Mart.

Thanks Mart

What a shame that the Spanish government have gone down that route, and it also goes to show how big companies can influence governments, (and we call the large 6 here) it don't surprise me at all that the Spanish government reneged on the deal as they do what they want anyway regardless of anything from the eu.

Dave

legoman62

6.25 O's or 25kWh yesterday:D

Looking good today too. Need some big numbers ...still down on May PVGIS at the mo:)

Dave_16

shavy65 wrote: »

Hahaha please post photos of this if you do decide to go ahead with it.....wait, was this tongue in cheek or not????! :silenced:

Hi
No not tongue in cheek at all its since having the panels and more so my Geo monitor that the tick (free leccy) comes on in the morning but has gone off by 1700, but the sun is still high and bright.

I have a small space where a pulley system may fit but there are issues regarding securing the mirror array as it would be close to a fence and my conservatory.

I know glass cuts out uv light but I'm assuming that reflected light is of the same consistency of direct sunlight.

On nice days like yesterday (no wind) I could lift the array but if its windy at I leave it down. If the array was weighted correctly it should be easy to lift and gravity would lower it.

I'm going to look on that navitron forum later.

Dave

Martyn1981

nigelpm wrote: »

Thanks for that interesting piece Mart.

Shocking to read all that - I must admit I thought the initial reason for removal of the FiT was because the government were in so much debt.

Hiya Nigel. Apologies for the waffle, I usually try to keep it to the 'Solar in the News' thread, but just to clarify, you are right. Spain now has a massive leccy subsidy debt (€20bn possibly?) as they invested heavily in renewables. Portugal did similar, and both struggled after the world economy collapsed.

So Spain got caught from all sides, and slashed FiT rates, they've also done some retrospective 'naughties'. But what upsets me the most, is the way the leccy companies have managed to attack unsubsidised PV, when that became viable, without any support. It's a bit like growing your own veg, but then having to pay Tesco a fee. You couldn't make it up.

It's a real shame, as Spain was the European country to watch for unsubsidised demand side PV ....... but I don't think any of us anticipated the fight back that the supply side would launch.

A friend on the Navitron forum lives in Spain, and has given me lots of background on all of this. At first I didn't understand why he always referred to the supply companies as the Spanish Leccy M***a (MSE won't allow the word, but just think DeNiro/Pacino). Now I understand why.

Anyone that is interested in the Spanish situation, here's the Navitron thread, which contains quite a lot of news articles (stephendv lives in Spain):

Legalised fraud in the Spanish energy reform

Mart.

Oscargrouch

Dave_16 wrote: »

Oh and do the Spanish have anything like the FIT.
Dave

This was the start of the story of Spain
http://www.csp-world.com/news/20130713/001121/spain-kills-feed-tariff-renewable-energy

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Nice to know that our leccy companies aren't that bad ....... in comparison?

It's all fun and games ..... till someone loses an eye.

Mart.

Not that bad yet; perhaps would be a better phrase. Don't tempt providence.....

Ageing_Stick_Insect

Record generation here yesterday of 24.284kWh resulting in 6.4 Os.

asturdy2

22.52 for me or 6.2 O's

Oscargrouch

asturdy2 wrote: »

22.52 for me or 6.2 O's

Gee Wizz, was that by 11:35 today.......:eek:

Just managed my Hawaii as I write, could be another record by end of generation today.....

asturdy2

Oscargrouch wrote: »

Gee Wizz, was that by 11:35 today.......:eek:

Just managed my Hawaii as I write, could be another record by end of generation today.....

sorry should of made it clear that was yesterday, today should be similar.