On-grid domestic battery storage

Zarch

mickyduck55 said:

Zarch said:

EVandPV said:

Was having a look at the Github page on controlling a Lux inverter and it got me wondering if it might be possible somehow to get it to control the amount of overnight grid charging based on the weather forecast for the following day ?? I believe the Powerwall already does this.
Been a long time since I did any coding so I'm pretty out of touch and wouldn't know where to start.
Could see it being using useful particularly during the months when pv generation is not likely to completely charge the batteries.

This is something i've already been talking about with Chris (the man behind the Lux code).  He's been trialling using Solcast to forecast day-ahead solar generation and using that as a guide how to much charge overnight.

All tricky logic though.  Similarly, through my Twitter account (@energystatsuk) i've been mulling the same subject with followers.  There is already work happening, but all very disparate.   People with Powerwalls doing, Chris with his Lux etc.

Needs everyone to come together and make something open-source that will plug-in to various energy tariffs, weather/solar predictions and battery APIs.

If you need any early adopter or testers I would be very interested in taking part

Need more early coders than early adopters!! LOL

chamelion

mickyduck55 said:

Zarch said:

EVandPV said:

Was having a look at the Github page on controlling a Lux inverter and it got me wondering if it might be possible somehow to get it to control the amount of overnight grid charging based on the weather forecast for the following day ?? I believe the Powerwall already does this.
Been a long time since I did any coding so I'm pretty out of touch and wouldn't know where to start.
Could see it being using useful particularly during the months when pv generation is not likely to completely charge the batteries.

This is something i've already been talking about with Chris (the man behind the Lux code).  He's been trialling using Solcast to forecast day-ahead solar generation and using that as a guide how to much charge overnight.

All tricky logic though.  Similarly, through my Twitter account (@energystatsuk) i've been mulling the same subject with followers.  There is already work happening, but all very disparate.   People with Powerwalls doing, Chris with his Lux etc.

Needs everyone to come together and make something open-source that will plug-in to various energy tariffs, weather/solar predictions and battery APIs.

If you need any early adopter or testers I would be very interested in taking part

Side note, what prompted you to go for the 3.5 kwh pylons instead of the more common 2.4? Looks like 3.5 is slightly better price per kwh wise but has a DoD at 80% instead of 90?

mickyduck55

chamelion said:

mickyduck55 said:

Zarch said:

EVandPV said:

Was having a look at the Github page on controlling a Lux inverter and it got me wondering if it might be possible somehow to get it to control the amount of overnight grid charging based on the weather forecast for the following day ?? I believe the Powerwall already does this.
Been a long time since I did any coding so I'm pretty out of touch and wouldn't know where to start.
Could see it being using useful particularly during the months when pv generation is not likely to completely charge the batteries.

This is something i've already been talking about with Chris (the man behind the Lux code).  He's been trialling using Solcast to forecast day-ahead solar generation and using that as a guide how to much charge overnight.

All tricky logic though.  Similarly, through my Twitter account (@energystatsuk) i've been mulling the same subject with followers.  There is already work happening, but all very disparate.   People with Powerwalls doing, Chris with his Lux etc.

Needs everyone to come together and make something open-source that will plug-in to various energy tariffs, weather/solar predictions and battery APIs.

If you need any early adopter or testers I would be very interested in taking part

Side note, what prompted you to go for the 3.5 kwh pylons instead of the more common 2.4? Looks like 3.5 is slightly better price per kwh wise but has a DoD at 80% instead of 90?

Hi they were what was quoted so I just took them.... TBH I probably would have chosen them anyway as I had not noted the different DoD

I have been thinking of storage for many years (been on these forums since 2011, had to create a new account when the new format arrived).. I know it does not fully stack up financially but Im getting on a bit, money in the bank doing little or nothing and in reality this will be paid for from my FIT.. yes I am on a high rate and not because Im "lucky" its because I rushed my install to get it!

System with 4 * 3.5s was about £5.5 K.. I only have 3 installed as passed one onto my son

My system is set to 90% at install which is probably not correct but still had 58% left when I got up this morning so hoping that it will rarely discharge to 10 % when it finally stops raining and we get some sun.  After that pessimistic statement my PV has performed as expected and Februarys generation was almost on target

chamelion

mickyduck55 said:

chamelion said:

mickyduck55 said:

Zarch said:

EVandPV said:

Was having a look at the Github page on controlling a Lux inverter and it got me wondering if it might be possible somehow to get it to control the amount of overnight grid charging based on the weather forecast for the following day ?? I believe the Powerwall already does this.
Been a long time since I did any coding so I'm pretty out of touch and wouldn't know where to start.
Could see it being using useful particularly during the months when pv generation is not likely to completely charge the batteries.

This is something i've already been talking about with Chris (the man behind the Lux code).  He's been trialling using Solcast to forecast day-ahead solar generation and using that as a guide how to much charge overnight.

All tricky logic though.  Similarly, through my Twitter account (@energystatsuk) i've been mulling the same subject with followers.  There is already work happening, but all very disparate.   People with Powerwalls doing, Chris with his Lux etc.

Needs everyone to come together and make something open-source that will plug-in to various energy tariffs, weather/solar predictions and battery APIs.

If you need any early adopter or testers I would be very interested in taking part

Side note, what prompted you to go for the 3.5 kwh pylons instead of the more common 2.4? Looks like 3.5 is slightly better price per kwh wise but has a DoD at 80% instead of 90?

Hi they were what was quoted so I just took them.... TBH I probably would have chosen them anyway as I had not noted the different DoD

I have been thinking of storage for many years (been on these forums since 2011, had to create a new account when the new format arrived).. I know it does not fully stack up financially but Im getting on a bit, money in the bank doing little or nothing and in reality this will be paid for from my FIT.. yes I am on a high rate and not because Im "lucky" its because I rushed my install to get it!

System with 4 * 3.5s was about £5.5 K.. I only have 3 installed as passed one onto my son

My system is set to 90% at install which is probably not correct but still had 58% left when I got up this morning so hoping that it will rarely discharge to 10 % when it finally stops raining and we get some sun.  After that pessimistic statement my PV has performed as expected and Februarys generation was almost on target

Ha I cna imagine you're raking it in with your 2011 FiT rates! You've probably paid for your system many times over by now?! 

EricMears

EVandPV said:

. . .   it got me wondering if it might be possible somehow to get it to control the amount of overnight grid charging based on the weather forecast for the following day ?? 

I think I'd want to see more reliable weather forecasts before I started such use.

mickyduck55

Hi chamelion

Sadly that is a misconception... I paid a LOT for my system, it was obviously no coincidence  that system prices fell in line with the cut in FIT.  Broke even at year 8 as expected so only been in the black for a couple of years.. I do however expect to make a good ROI for the remaining FIT period

EVandPV

mickyduck55 said:

Hi chamelion

Sadly that is a misconception... I paid a LOT for my system, it was obviously no coincidence  that system prices fell in line with the cut in FIT.  Broke even at year 8 as expected so only been in the black for a couple of years.. I do however expect to make a good ROI for the remaining FIT period

Same story here, got in when FIT was at its highest and just before they started cutting it. It only just paid for our system in 2018. 
Best investment we ever made though given the dire situation with interest rates over the past 10 years or so.

chamelion

mickyduck55 said:

Hi chamelion

Sadly that is a misconception... I paid a LOT for my system, it was obviously no coincidence  that system prices fell in line with the cut in FIT.  Broke even at year 8 as expected so only been in the black for a couple of years.. I do however expect to make a good ROI for the remaining FIT period

Ahh that's valid. Prices of installs did fall through the floor... I do forget that! 

mickyduck55

chamelion said:

mickyduck55 said:

Hi chamelion

Sadly that is a misconception... I paid a LOT for my system, it was obviously no coincidence  that system prices fell in line with the cut in FIT.  Broke even at year 8 as expected so only been in the black for a couple of years.. I do however expect to make a good ROI for the remaining FIT period

Ahh that's valid. Prices of installs did fall through the floor... I do forget that! 

Fell by about 50% almost overnight

Martyn1981

mickyduck55 said:

chamelion said:

mickyduck55 said:

Hi chamelion

Sadly that is a misconception... I paid a LOT for my system, it was obviously no coincidence  that system prices fell in line with the cut in FIT.  Broke even at year 8 as expected so only been in the black for a couple of years.. I do however expect to make a good ROI for the remaining FIT period

Ahh that's valid. Prices of installs did fall through the floor... I do forget that! 

Fell by about 50% almost overnight

**Boring Warning** But sometimes nice to see how far we've come.

Very roughly, for a 4kWp system, the figures at the better end, but not the very best deals:
Early 2010 - £15k-£20k
Summer 2011 - £12k
Nov/Dec 2011 - £9k
Mch 2012 - £8k
July 2012 - £7k
Prices then continued down towards about £5k, with a hiccup when the government 'destroyed' the solar industry, but then on again towards and below £5k, with additional kWp costing ~£1k or even less.