"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

badmemory

I don't know about you but I am feeling just a tad obsessed.  I hope that will die down as I get everything sorted & work out when I need to force import.  I'm feeling a bit at the stage of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.  I can't do much however until I get the smart meter & then get on a suitable tariff.

greenbee

By the time you're on a smart meter you'll know what you're doing. For now you need to watch your generation like a hawk and use as much as possible!

greenbee

I'm currently experimenting with manually discharging the battery to the grid. It appears to work. I'll stop either when it gets to 50%, or when I go into my next meeting (if it looks like it's getting close) or when it gets to the end of the peak period!

greenbee

Getting the hang of the solar (32.8kWh generated today, 14.2kWh exported, including 45% of the battery at peak rate. Trying to make sure that cooking/laundry/DW are used when generation is high. 

Veg plot is producing nicely (although it, the greenhouse, and the patio pots need a lot of watering at the moment, and I'm looking after next door's greenhouse and patio pots until tomorrow lunchtime... I must go and water them again in a minute before doing my own pots (beds are currently being watered via soaker hose, although there are two not yet connected and three more that haven't had it installed). Lots of plants to go in the ground, but it's too hot, so I'm keeping them in gravel trays.

Picked cucumbers, beans, strawberries and two tomatoes after work, so had cucumber soup for supper.

Carpenters are making very slow progress (they came over for AN HOUR today (4.30-5.30). If they'd stayed for another hour they could probably have finished what's left. Driving me nuts... and they haven't take their rubbish away, so it's getting in my way.

Decorator, on the other hand, is a joy. He reckons he'll finish the spare room and ensuite tomorrow, and then do the sitting room Wed-Fri. He's happy to help me shift the furniture (although I must move the pictures and easy stuff before then). So I can spend Saturday putting it back together before all my visitors arrive on Sunday. He's going to do the summerhouse, porch, and cart shed before the end of the summer - and then he's busy until end-Dec/New Year.

Next week is tree people. Then nothing more planned - so I need to talk to electricians and plumbers about the next bits. And only book them when I know when the flooring and decorating can be done so I don't have stuff hanging around for ages cluttering the place up.

Haven't done much in the garden today (too hot, had visitors before work), but I do need to get the fly screen up on the last set of patio doors. I opened them earlier today and now realise how much of a difference the fly screens on the other doors have made!

redofromstart

It has been the day of flies here.  I didn't think of closing the fly screen though. 

PennysIntoPounds

The amount of stuff you get done is so impressive (and really quite shameful for me!)

greenbee

redofromstart said:

It has been the day of flies here.  I didn't think of closing the fly screen though. 

It's amazing how much better it works when you close it! I now leave mine closed all the time - the cats can open them and (mostly) they close behind them. I just need to work out fly screens for the windows - the handles sticking out is part of the problem, but also working round the blinds and the fact that all but two windows are wooden and painted, so not really candidates for velcro as it'll be obvious when they're not up. Magnetic stuff might work better if it can be painted so its not so noticeable. 

I didn't get the last one up this evening, as the watering (mine and next doors) took ages. Plus I picked lots more veg, which I'll need to freeze tomorrow. 

badmemory

I only generated 22.9kwh today & exported only 3.1.  My nightmare users are DS shower which uses over 20% of the battery plus all the generation plus almost 2kwh from the grid.  In fact it seems to be pretty much the only amount that we are currently using from the grid.  Then the dishwasher & then the tumble drier. This is a real learning curve.  Still smart meter next Tues & then even more to learn.  They say you should never stop learning but I certainly never thought I would be learning about this at 78.  Just think the panels are pretty much certain to outlive me at 25 years but hopefully not the batteries (12 years).

I was talking to a friend about it earlier today & he said well you've got it installed now just turn it off, meaning the tracking site.  Like that is going to happen!  Definitely having fun here & of course I have a spreadsheet!

Sorry for the hijack.

greenbee

I haven't got a spreadsheet yet @badmemory! But the app is giving me plenty of info and I can download data. I'd quite like to look into home automation systems to see what more I can do to optimise usage, but don't want to get too obsessive! Once your smart meter is in and you get paid for export hopefully you can subsidise DS's shower!

I've just bought another solar panel for one of my security cameras so I don't' have to get a ladder out to get it down and charge the battery. I think I'll swap another one over for a model that takes a solar panel as well and put the battery one where it is easier to deal with. I probably don't need all the cameras I've got, particularly now I don't travel for work so much, but as I have them I'd rather use them.

And I've finally finished the (current) irrigation system for the veg plot. As the decorator is here I have to get up and do things in the mornings. So after I put the fly screen up on the garden room doors I went out and spent an hour or so getting the connections worked out and the last of the soaker hoses in. I need to top the new beds up with compost to hold the hose in place (no shortage of compost) so I can remove the staples I've used to pin them down for now, and then I can start planting the last three beds up. New batteries are on order for the solar programmer which adapts the amount of water delivered based on the amount of sunshine, and I also need a new splitter for the outside tap as I finally got the old one out and it's leaky so the best option seems to be to replace it. If I run the hose down the side of the garden it can connect to the currently unused tap on the side of the garage, which will clear all the hosepipe off the patio and lawn. 

Bedroom and bathroom are looking good - should be finished today and then we're on to the sitting room  

rtandon27

Greenbee - I am in awe of the progress you are making with the house! - My standards must be much lower 😂😂😂 - I'm pleased if we get one home improvement thing done a month!