No benefit from solar panels

geofflocke

Hello

In 2013 we have 12 x solar panels and inverter fitted.

We have undertaken a weeks’ worth of meter readings and solar panel readings in August 2017. Attached

In addition we have cross checked the electricity bills since the system was fitted in December 2013. This confirms that our bills have not altered since the solar panel fitting.

We have done some testing over the weekend – I have videoed the tests. We did the following

• Turned off all the electricity, with the exception of the single pump running the septic tank
• Tested at midday with full sun on the 12 x Sunpower solar panels
• Confirmed the system was generating videoing the OWL monitor
• Videoed the electricity meter going forward before the electricity use in the house was turned off
• Showed the meter still going FORWARD, after all items were turned off in the house.

Our summary of this is that the inverter or the meter are not working – who is responsible – the electricity supplier or the solar inverter fitter?

To this end we have failed to benefit from the panels since December 2013, when the panels and inverter were fitted.

System

geofflocke wrote: »

Hello

In 2013 we have 12 x solar panels and inverter fitted.

We have undertaken a weeks’ worth of meter readings and solar panel readings in August 2017. Attached

In addition we have cross checked the electricity bills since the system was fitted in December 2013. This confirms that our bills have not altered since the solar panel fitting.

We have done some testing over the weekend – I have videoed the tests. We did the following

• Turned off all the electricity, with the exception of the single pump running the septic tank
• Tested at midday with full sun on the 12 x Sunpower solar panels
• Confirmed the system was generating videoing the OWL monitor
• Videoed the electricity meter going forward before the electricity use in the house was turned off
• Showed the meter still going FORWARD, after all items were turned off in the house.

Our summary of this is that the inverter or the meter are not working – who is responsible – the electricity supplier or the solar inverter fitter?

To this end we have failed to benefit from the panels since December 2013, when the panels and inverter were fitted.

You are unless your system is covered with a warranty. Your FIT contract has nothing to do with your supplier. They may, or may not be, paying your FITs on behalf of the Government. EDF pay my FITs but they are not my electricity supplier. Read the documentation that came with the PV Solar array.

Was the installation properly registered when it was installed; if not, then I fear following a Regulation change that you might lose out. If it is registered, then the FIT payer normally asks for meter readings every 3 months.

Quote: Leeds Solar have just become aware that on 10th March DECC slipped in a Statutory Instrument that takes effect today (31st March 2016) that results in the following urgent issue.

All existing renewable energy installations with an MCS certificate issued before 15th January 2016 must submit their Feed-In Tariff application by 31st March 2016 or they will never be able to claim any Feed-In Tariff or Export payments.


This issue is not mentioned in any Ofgem guidance as there have been no updates since the legislation was drafted, but it has recently been added to the Energy Saving Trust Fed In Tariff guidance page, copied below

A requirement for customers to have applied by 31 March 2016 at the latest if their installation has a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate issue date and commissioning date of 14 January 2016 or earlier. This applies to all MCS technologies under the scheme. Unquote

House_Martin

Is the separate FIT meter recording usage for you OK ? Possibly the fridge freezer and fridge were still on making the electric meter go forward a little.
Only the old analogue meters are easily seen to be advancing, in fact many of the old Sangamo type meters will do you a favour and make the meter go backwards as well as crediting the FIT meter.. digital meters cannot go backwards

Cardew

You would be better posting your query in the Green and Ethical section of this forum. That is where the Solar PV experts contribute.

ajbell

Is your generation meter recording a daily increase?.

JC_Derby

geofflocke wrote: »

Hello

In 2013 we have 12 x solar panels and inverter fitted.

We have undertaken a weeks’ worth of meter readings and solar panel readings in August 2017. Attached

In addition we have cross checked the electricity bills since the system was fitted in December 2013. This confirms that our bills have not altered since the solar panel fitting.

We have done some testing over the weekend – I have videoed the tests. We did the following

• Turned off all the electricity, with the exception of the single pump running the septic tank
• Tested at midday with full sun on the 12 x Sunpower solar panels
• Confirmed the system was generating videoing the OWL monitor
• Videoed the electricity meter going forward before the electricity use in the house was turned off
• Showed the meter still going FORWARD, after all items were turned off in the house.

Our summary of this is that the inverter or the meter are not working – who is responsible – the electricity supplier or the solar inverter fitter?

To this end we have failed to benefit from the panels since December 2013, when the panels and inverter were fitted.

Please can you clarify what you mean by bills haven't altered?do you mean the bill hasn't reduced or your usage hasn't decreased?
you also need to cross check the bills PRIOR to the installation to get a correct reading/cross reference....Just checking those after the installation is not going to give a true representation as to what is or isn't happening.


In response to this

geofflocke wrote: »

Our summary of this is that the inverter or the meter are not working – who is responsible – the electricity supplier or the solar inverter fitter?

To this end we have failed to benefit from the panels since December 2013, when the panels and inverter were fitted.

You don't know which one isn't working, therefor it is impossible to say who is responsible.
if your meter is faulty which seems a reasonable assumption from the limited information posted...then that is the responsibility of the supplier. To that end you mentioned turning off all the power..was that at the consumer unit, or do you have an isolating switch after the meter and before the consumer unit? If you do please run the test again with the isolator switched off so no power gets to the consumer unit. Does the meter still run on?
Have you spoken to the supplier about getting you meter checked - be aware if they install a check meter and your meter is found not to be faulty you will be charged a fee....
Sorry if this seems a little blunt, you have definitely done some good investigation so far, but I think you need to be a little clearer on a few things as mentioned above.

JC_Derby

one last thing.....the meter test...it needs ALL equipment turned off. not just everything in the house...septic tank pump and everything need to be isolated.

matelodave

Personally I would have been monitoring my supply, bills and meter readings from the day when they were installed so I'd know what they should be doing and when. Regular monthly monitoring would have shown any anomolies or stange behaviour within a few days or weeks of it occuring.

Havng a detailed look some four years after they were installed makes it difficult to know if they've ever worked properly or when they started not working properly.

Have you got records of past bills and readings?

System

To be clear, most people with a PV solar array will have 2 meters: one for supply and the other showing the amount of solar energy that has been generated. If it is the inverter or the generation meter that isn’t working, then the risk sits with the homeowner who might have recourse to his/her supplier or the supplier’s insurer depending on what is in the contract regarding a warranty. If it is the supply meter then this is a matter for the supplier. PV generation will not cause a Supply meter to advance: it may, cause a Supply meter to turn in reverse. This needs to be reported to the supplier. Like others, I am still not sure what the OP is concerned about. Even without a generation meter, I know that my electricity supply consumption has fallen by over 1200kWhs a year just by looking at old bills.

Cardew

As the FIT payments have not been mentioned, my assumption was that the OP has an incorrectly installed Rent - a - Roof system. If so then the Rent a roof company need to fix the problem.