Export tariffs - FIT, SEG, Octopus Outgoing Agile

Alnat1

Worth importing to fill the battery in the morning and then sending it back at the peak? Or simpler to to not fill the battery at all (because of loss on in/out) and use grid if needed (battery has 22% left at 8am) and export maximum I can at other times?

It's a dull damp day and I need to put a couple of loads of washing through, possibly tumble dry them and also the dishwasher needs running. Too much energy maths to work out the best method to fit all that in.

Exiled_Tyke

If you are on Agile for export, at the moment with export prices almost always above import prices (if that is the case for you). Then you are better exporting as much as possible and not bothering with the battery for personal consumption. Consumption should then be timed not for periods of PV production but instead for periods of lowest export prices (if the system is producing) or anytime when you are not producing.  

If at anytime consumption is more expensive than the export you can get, then you should be looking to avoid paying that rate either by having adequate electricity stored to get through that period.  However, as you point out, you need the difference in rates to also account for the round trip losses.    However the difficulty is in controlling the battery and ensuring you are drawing from the grid when you want to and not using the battery.  Don't forget that any use of the battery leads to denigration and so is added cost. 

I'm not aware a a system that allows you to export from the battery. But if you can that's a whole load more working out to do. 

Alnat1

There are time settings for "forced discharge" so it must be possible with my Lux hybrid. The setting it doesn't appear to have is times to fill the battery, I can only change the rate (in % 0-100) of how fast it fills.

It's all still very new to me, March install, and not really explained in detail by the installer. He did say to give him a ring if I got on a cheap overnight tariff and he'd go through the import to battery set up but no EV yet so haven't gone that way.

Exiled_Tyke

Interesting. For my Solax I can't find a force discharge. However to force charge overnight the setting is bizarrely called 'Force Time Use'. When I select that I then get the time settings appear.  I can set two charging periods a day. 

Magnitio

Due to the high rates, I decided to charge the battery from the grid overnight and then discharge at peak in the evening:

It also meant that I was exporting everything from early morning when the rates were also high.

QrizB

Magnitio said:

Due to the high rates, I decided to charge the battery from the grid overnight and then discharge at peak in the evening:

It also meant that I was exporting everything from early morning when the rates were also high.

Good work!

I'm going to count this as a feature of Octopus's tariffs, rather than a bug.

NoobSolar

That is my point exactly. Should I change from my current deal to Octopus Import and Outgoing Agile?

Current deal British Gas 29p/kwh

Octopus 39p/kwh

Octopus outgoing currently around 35p plus

My export seems to be about half my total generation. In June 27th  to July 27th it was 410 kwh export which would have netted me how much??

I realise that historically prices are lower for export, typically around 6.5p. But these global contexts are not going away soon. And anyway isn't the price going up anyway?

QrizB

NoobSolar said:

That is my point exactly. Should I change from my current deal to Octopus Import and Outgoing Agile?

Is your BG deal a fixed rate, or SVT? If fixed, for how long?

How much electricity do you import in a year? And how muich do you export (if you know)?

Spies

81p tomorrow at 5:30pm 

NoobSolar

QrizB said:

NoobSolar said:

That is my point exactly. Should I change from my current deal to Octopus Import and Outgoing Agile?

Is your BG deal a fixed rate, or SVT? If fixed, for how long?

How much electricity do you import in a year? And how muich do you export (if you know)?

Dear QrizB;

My BG deal is just the standard rate we have found ourselves on when bulb went bust; it is price cap protected, but that changes soon anyway.

I have worked hard tonight to try and establish some estimates, as my system was only installed in Feb and we have only had SEG since late June.

I anticipate importing aboout 1700 KWH of electricity next year, mostly, of course, in the winter; and I imagine I will be exporting something in the region of 2318 KWH.  Please see my image of estimates - critiques welcome. The only data that is accurate and no estimated in this chart is for June, July and August (so far). The minus figures for iboost denote the fact I'd have to use gas to heat the cylinder.

My impression here is that I would have to buy, over the next year, 1700 KWH at a MINIMUM of about 39p a KWH and no doubt very much rising; therefore costing £663 apart from standing charge; and my export, if it was to stay high above 20p average, over the year, would be £463. 

What are Octopus' current rates? If I went to Octopus Agile, what do you think my costs and SEG would be?

C'mon, everyone, analyse my !!!!!!.