Solar Panel Help {Merged}

DaveInwood1988

Hi,

I recently moved into a property that already has a solar panel system installed. I have had no experience or instructions of the system. 

We have a Elster A100C meter/inverter installed. Am I right in saying that if the light is continually on we are using electricity from the ‘grid’ and if it flashes with a large gap (or is just off) we are using what we produce/selling it back to the grid?

Thank You!

Dave

Hasbeen

DaveInwood1988 said:

Hi,

I recently moved into a property that already has a solar panel system installed. I have had no experience or instructions of the system. 

We have a Elster A100C meter/inverter installed. Am I right in saying that if the light is continually on we are using electricity from the ‘grid’ and if it flashes with a large gap (or is just off) we are using what we produce/selling it back to the grid?

Thank You!

Dave

You might get more advice on solar in this part of the forum:  Green & Ethical MoneySaving

Some instructions in link?  LINK

DaveInwood1988

Hi,

I recently moved into a property that already has a solar panel system installed. I have had no experience or instructions of the system. 

We have a Elster A100C meter/inverter installed. Am I right in saying that if the light is continually on we are using electricity from the ‘grid’ and if it flashes with a large gap (or is just off) we are using what we produce/selling it back to the grid?

Thank You!

Dave

Ectophile

An Elster A100C is just the meter.  The inverter is somewhere else, often in the loft.  Or maybe even hidden on the back of the panels if you have micro-inverters.

A steady on light, or a steady off light means you're not generating anything.  A flashing light means you are generating.  The faster it flashes, the more you are generating.

That tells you nothing about whether you are net importing or exporting.  To see that, you would have to check your main (import) meter as well - you should have two electricity meters.

For example, say your system is generating 1kW, but you have a 2kW tumble dryer going.  Your generation meter will be flashing to show you are generating, but you'll still be pulling in 1kW from the grid, so your main meter should also be flashing (or spinning if it's an old meter).

maximoose94

DaveInwood1988 said:

Hi,

I recently moved into a property that already has a solar panel system installed. I have had no experience or instructions of the system. 

We have a Elster A100C meter/inverter installed. Am I right in saying that if the light is continually on we are using electricity from the ‘grid’ and if it flashes with a large gap (or is just off) we are using what we produce/selling it back to the grid?

Thank You!

Dave

If it's registered under FIT then you should have a separate generation meter somewhere - ours is next to our electric meter.
Our smart meter IHD shows what we are generating currently as the figures go down to minus to show overall load. Failing that, there are several little devices you can get to create your own IHD for the solar meter to show current generation. 

Hexane

The meter and inverter are rarely the same thing. My inverter is (very vaguely) about three feet tall by 18 inches wide by 6 inches deep. My generation meter is about the size of a small hardback book. My inverter and generation meter are next to each other, but it's possible for them to be in different places, for example some people put the inverter in the loft.

It's possible that what you are looking at is a generation meter, which won't "know" whether you are importing from or exporting to the grid. Your electricity meter (a separate object) will "know" that, but its readings may or may not be used to calculate any FiT payments that you may or may not be getting. And the lights on it may not be as meaningful as you think (for example they might flash when it's importing but also flash when it's exporting).

It's also possible that you are indeed looking at the inverter and that it has lights that flash in that manner; but again the inverter wouldn't normally "know" whether you are importing or exporting.

My generation meter has lights that I believe are on steady when my PV system is generating no power, and flash intermittently when it is generating power.

It's also possible for your household to fluctuate rapidly between importing and exporting. For example if I'm consuming 1kW right now and generating 3kW, then I will be exporting 2kW. But if the sun goes behind a cloud then suddenly I will be generating 500W and importing 1.5kW. Then back again when the cloud passes. But then consumption going up to 4kW for a few seconds or minutes if a very thirsty appliance kicks back in.

ElephantBoy57

How old is your house, when were the panels fitted, this will have a large bearing on your feed-in-tariff rate.

My panels were fitted four years ago, so my tariff only pays around 5p per unit. All of my meters and equipment is in the loft.

I know I use the electric from them during the day, but they only generate a small amount, which would be for all the standby lights and fridge, putting the kettle or washer on would likely go over the amount generated.