Upgrade to existing 2011 solar panel system?

EricMears

pip895 said:

We have been toying with getting a new array fitted + a battery but there is no room on the roof so we would be looking at a set in the paddock- not sure how practical that would be though.

Perfectly feasible - though bear in mind you might need planning permission - it's only roof mounted ones (and not in all circumstances) that can claim deemed permission.  However building a 'stable' (even if you don't have a horse  ) would give you an extra bit of roof (carefully designed to point in right direction) to install panels.

Solarchaser

I had a digital meter which went faulty, they replaced it with a "new" spinny wheel one.
I say new... a spark pointed to the dom of 1982, this was around 2013.
When the panels went in, I seen it spin backwards a few times.

Ectophile

The spinning disc meters with a ratchet can go back a short way before they hit the back stop and start making alarming grinding noises instead.

JKenH

My panels were installed in midsummer about 6weeks after the meter was read. Being a good lad I informed my electricity supplier I had the spinning disc type but by the time they were due to change the meter it was showing less than my previous reading so I had to switch the panels off for a couple of days to allow it to catch up.

mickyduck55

EricMears said:

mickyduck55 said:

I thought the spinny back meters were illegal... wish I had one LOL

Some 'spinning wheel' meters had some form of ratchet to stop readings reducing.  Older models probably didn't and even those that had them might fail..

They're not actually "illegal" and it's the owners responsibility (not customer's) to detect and swap any that act that way.  No doubt it's terrific fun trying to decide what a fair correction would be.

To keep it secret over high generation times and before meter reading you could run a couple of 3kW electric bar fires in the garden to ensure the reading was higher that last time

EricMears

JKenH said:

My panels were installed in midsummer about 6weeks after the meter was read. Being a good lad I informed my electricity supplier I had the spinning disc type but by the time they were due to change the meter it was showing less than my previous reading so I had to switch the panels off for a couple of days to allow it to catch up.

Switching panels off must have meant a reduction in FIT payments !

You could of course have just charged the Leaf a lot and invited a few friends along to charge theirs as well.  Maybe running as many heaters as you could find would have helped too

JKenH

EricMears said:

JKenH said:

My panels were installed in midsummer about 6weeks after the meter was read. Being a good lad I informed my electricity supplier I had the spinning disc type but by the time they were due to change the meter it was showing less than my previous reading so I had to switch the panels off for a couple of days to allow it to catch up.

Switching panels off must have meant a reduction in FIT payments !

You could of course have just charged the Leaf a lot and invited a few friends along to charge theirs as well.  Maybe running as many heaters as you could find would have helped too

It did, I lost about 30kwh - £2 approx. I didn’t have the Leaf in 2018 unfortunately. 

jimjames

EricMears said:

mickyduck55 said:

I thought the spinny back meters were illegal... wish I had one LOL

They're not actually "illegal" and it's the owners responsibility (not customer's) to detect and swap any that act that way.  No doubt it's terrific fun trying to decide what a fair correction would be.

When the electricity supplier is changed regularly I'm guessing that it would only be the current one that would be bothered. I've never looked closely enough to check if it was going backwards but if I did I might spot it Certainly in no rush at all to get a smart meter.