Question on Solar Panels (fitted to house)

piersuk

We have recently moved into a rented property which has solar panels fitted by the owner when built about 7 years ago.
we have made enquiries with the owner who tells us that they aren’t registered and currently they are not feeding electricity into the network up they are happy for us to make enquiries to so we may be able to benefit from the energy.  

However, is this a straightforward process and are there pitfalls to working this problem through?
No doubt I will need to provide some more information to you clever folk but right now I’m not sure what that information is 😁.
Thanks.

[Deleted User]

It is unlikely that the owner will be able to register the panels for FIT or export payments as so much time has passed. Are you saying that the panels are off Grid? I doubt that this is the case and I would expect all surplus energy is going to Grid. The owner can register the panels for SEG payments (Octopus Energy presently pays 5.5p/kWh.) if you are only renting the property, then this not something that you can do. To get SEG, the owner will have to provide the MCS Certificate and in some situations a copy of the DNO approval for the installation. As a renter, you just get the benefit of the free energy produced by the array.

Ectophile

If they are not registered for FIT payments already, it's too late.  The scheme has closed.

If they are generating, then they are exporting power to the grid.  But nobody is measuring it, and nobody is being paid for it.  But it means you get free electricity whenever it's sunny.

piersuk

Thank you both, I knew I would be the case we would have limited capability as renting, but it satisfies me to know that they are likely reducing consumption costs. If I have read that correctly?

[Deleted User]

Yes, if the sun is out then the panels will be generating power. As this power is at slightly higher voltage than the Grid, then any home demand will be satisfied firstly from the panels and if demand exceeds generation with the rest from the Grid. Clearly, if there is no home demand, it all goes to the Grid. Average homes can only use 25 to 50% of the solar power: there is only so much washing; hoovering that needs to be done.

piersuk

[Deleted User] said:

Yes, if the sun is out then the panels will be generating power. As this power is at slightly higher voltage than the Grid, then any home demand will be satisfied firstly from the panels and if demand exceeds generation with the rest from the Grid. Clearly, if there is no home demand, it all goes to the Grid. Average homes can only use 25 to 50% of the solar power: there is only so much washing; hoovering that needs to be done.

Thanks Dolor

Thats really helpful.  I’ve just found a switch above the fuse box marked PV, which is on, that’s switched on so guess we’re all good.  

Thanks 

Ectophile

If you can find the inverter (it's probably in the loft), then there should be a display on the front telling you what it's doing.  On a sunny day, it should be generating quite a lot of power.  On a cloudy day, it may be very little.

But after 7 years, there's a chance it has gone wrong and isn't working at all.  The early inverters were rubbish.

But I don't suppose it's worth clambering into the loft every time you're thinking of turning on the washing machine.

BedrockFred

If yours are the same as ours yes the inverter is in the loft, we also have a meter in the garage and it has a flashing red light the faster the light flashes the more elec they are generating

piersuk

Thanks I’ll go hunting tomorrow... really appreciate the reply 

Petriix

If they didn't register them then they've missed out on £thousands in FIT payments. It's possible that they were installed under a rent-a-roof scheme and someone else is receiving the FIT payments.

Double check that nothing is turned off between the panels and the consumer unit: my system has isolators on both strings on the DC side of the inverter then a switch inside the CU itself.

It might be worth your while buying a cheap CT clamp monitor to see when you are generating enough to run appliances. First thing is to check whether the inverter is powering up and if the generation meter is ticking up.