Heating ideas

[Deleted User]

lancunian said:

Hi,
Back again.
As I mentioned earlier, I am having solar panels installed soon.
They look as though they will come with a battery for storage.
How does this work if I go for the Octopus tariff for example?
Does it sell back what is not used once the battery is full? 
What happens in winter with higher usage and less daylight?
Does that mean no excess is fed back to the grid?
I also believe you have to have a smart meter, they seem to not have a good reputation on this forum.
Are they worth getting just so I can benefit from a feed-in tariff.
Sorry for all the questions, really want to make sure I get things right.
Thanks.

If you are having an AC battery fitted, then your DNO has to approve the installation and it may impose a total export limit based on your local Grid infrastructure. For example, if you have an array which is capable of exporting 5kW and a battery then has a similar export output then, ideally, you would want an export limit of 10kW or more.

If, for example, your DNO set an export limit of 7.5kW then on a bright sunny day you could end up with 5kW export from your battery and solar limited to a maximum export of 2.5kW. Your solar inverter will manage this for you.

That said, not all batteries allow for export to the Grid. For example, Tesla Powerwall 2 battery owners cannot initiate export. This has to managed by Tesla via a plan operated by Octopus Energy. Clearly, Tesla will initiate export from the battery when electricity prices are high and recharge the battery when Grid demand is low and prices are low. There are some benefits from the Plan but not worth going into here.