hot water diverter and later EV

allthatIcando

Hello, 

We have a fairly large solar PV system with lots of excess (when the sun shines) receiving SEG. We want to add an iboost or Eddi or similar to heat our hot water which currently uses Mains gas. We don't have a battery system at the moment.

I am not sure what to go with - we will buy an EV later so want to potential to add the EV charger in the future. I am not sure whether there are other systems that can automate or sequence using the excess energy or whether we should buy the myenergi Eddi (out of stock at the moment, I am on a wait list) so that we can add other components of that integrated system later on when we get an EV. Can this be done with an iboost too? Or other diverters? Any thoughts?. 

mcn99

I have an iboost since feb. , it works well.....BUT

There is no way of accessing the data or controlling it remotely that i know of, it is the only system that i cannot monitor the data. They have a buddy gadget you can buy, but again u cant get access to your data, so its a waste of time

It has a current CT on your output, you can configure it to come on once you start exporting x Watts, it defaults to 100w i think

So in hindsight i wouldn't recommend an iBoost, if you want to monitor /control the device in your own software

Heedtheadvice

IMHO,

The Zappi is a great smart EV charger. The Eddi made by the same company integrates with the Zappi and is an updated diverted similar to the Immersun that was made by the same designers that are Myenergi.

The Eddi/Immersuns are more than simple diverters that can smartly divert excess generation to more than just an immersion heater.

The Zappi copes with several CT current monitors to ease good integration with diverters and AC battery chargers as well as smart charging.

I am very happy with  a Zappi/Immersun combination allowing priorisation of EV charging if and when desired. If stating from scratch I would have had an Eddi. I am on FIT with deemed export.

However with SEG and new Tarrifs etc the case for a diverted is less compelling so you should consider all aspects of what is possible before deciding which hardware to go for and whether to bother with diverting at all into a hot water cylinder. I think I still would but I have not looked at it in detail! Others have.

Alnat1

I'm with Octopus on Agile/Agile Outgoing. The SEG rates are so high (averaging around 50p/kWh this last week) that it's definitely not worth the expense of installing a solar diverter for me at the moment.

We don't use a lot of hot water, it's mainly for showers as we have a dishwasher, so cheaper for me to use  4kWh of gas each day and let the excess solar earn me more back.

I'll maybe rethink if/when prices fall.

Solarchaser

My vote would be eddi, I'm also waiting on one, since May.
Latest update is mid September. Breath not held!

The zappi is really good, as is the app, it's what pushed me to go for the eddi

allthatIcando

Alnat1 said:

I'm with Octopus on Agile/Agile Outgoing. The SEG rates are so high (averaging around 50p/kWh this last week) that it's definitely not worth the expense of installing a solar diverter for me at the moment.

We don't use a lot of hot water, it's mainly for showers as we have a dishwasher, so cheaper for me to use  4kWh of gas each day and let the excess solar earn me more back.

I'll maybe rethink if/when prices fall.

Thanks for the replies. I'm with failed provide Bulb so only receiving the relatively modest rate for SEG (and the price per unit gas we are now buying at is much higher than the export SEG we can get). I did look at Octopus Agile but it only seemed to make sense if you have a battery / EV and we don't have either of those at the moment (no plans to get the former and we cannot afford an EV yet). Plus failed Bulb's rates have stayed a bit cheaper for us than moving to Octopus. We also still use peak time elec as our solar panels face south and east so we are losing power after 5pm. The diverter is a relatively more modest outlay that we could make use of at the moment, as we have a lot of excess power and will continue to except in mid Winter.  

NoobSolar

State the rates here for bulb and octopus. Then research the outgoing agile rate. I think you will find you are incorrect in assuming it is best to stay with failed bulb.

allthatIcando

NoobSolar said:

State the rates here for bulb and octopus. Then research the outgoing agile rate. I think you will find you are incorrect in assuming it is best to stay with failed bulb.

I don't know for sure as outgoing Agile is complex. I would have to work out both the costs of any peak time elec I might use and what I would make from SEG but I don't think I can export much between 4-7pm when I assume Agile customers on SEG make the best returns by selling their surplus as 1) I don't have a battery and 2) my solar panels face mainly east (some south), so are not producing much by late afternoon even in mid summer on a sunny day. 

I would assume that people making the most from Octopus Agile outgoing SEG also have a battery so they can sell at that time?

My kids return from school at that time and we tend to use any power being generated, and probably some mains power too. My feeling was Agile only worked well for people who can sell electricity at that peak time (or maybe people who have an EV they charge overnight when tariffs are very low). Neither of those work with my set up at the moment. 

I am happy to be proved wrong or hear from anyone who thinks Octopus Agile SEG works best even without a battery / car charger / producing surplus later in the day?

QrizB

allthatIcando said:

I am happy to be proved wrong or hear from anyone who thinks Octopus Agile SEG works best even without a battery / car charger / producing surplus later in the day?

I am not an Agile customer (I import on Go which means I can't have Agile Outgoing).

Today, the lowest export price on Agile Outgoing was just under 40p/kWh in the early afternoon:

 https://www.energy-stats.uk/octopus-agile-outgoing-export-southern-england-2/

The price was much higher all morning, when SE-facing panels will have been generating strongly.

Yes prices were even higher on the evening peak, but compared to a typical SEG rate you'd still be making a lot more work Agile Outgoing.

Alnat1

My panels are all SW so I do get plenty of export at evening peak, although as the nights are drawing I'm having to adjust, no dishwasher run after dinner now.

I generally leave my system alone to do it's thing and I've only been filling the battery from the grid/forced discharge to grid in last few days while export prices have been so high. It's fun to play with now and then but a bit of a faff to do it regularly just to make a couple of quid extra.

My hope is that over the year the exports will pay for the imports. 

NoobSolar

I think much might depend on looking at the actual rates currently available and the global issues that influence the price. If they are likely to stay above 35p a kwh, then presumably it is best to have outgoing agile in most circumstances.