Record breaking 2022 for Solar 28 November 2022 at 11:38AM edited 28 November 2022 at 11:38AM in Green & ethical MoneySaving 29 replies 1K views

jimjames

Has anyone else found that 2022 has been a record year for solar generation? Previously 2020 was the best from the last 11 years but we've now beaten that with a month to go so even if the sun doesn't shine at all for December then 2022 is still the highest for the last 11 years. If December is average we'll have got 3500kWh from our 3kWp panels which I think it probably hitting close to the maximum that is achievable in the UK. Panels certainly aren't yet showing any signs of reduced output although annual variability is maybe more than the expected decrease.

How has everyone else done this year?

Chris_Type_R

I believe it's been a pretty good year. 

It's been the best year for our install (which went in 2011). For us the improvement is largely attributable to a neighbour removing a tree Dec 2021. We did make a few other changes too. We're 60% up on 2021 - happy with that.

Martyn1981

One of the best for us. Projecting 4,700kWh, with 2015 coming in at 4,747kWh, and 2020 at 4,831kWh.

Worst year (full year with both systems) 2017 4,188kWh.

ispookie666

A close second for me (depending on how dec goes) , 2018 was my record year. Caveat, I have two panels which are a bit degraded and the output is off by 10-30% depending on temperature.  

Waywardmike

Same story for us.  Even if there's a total blackout for December we've beaten every other year.  November is the first month we haven't exceeded PVGIS this year.

If we get the expected for December we'll be at 120% of PVGIS.

Exiled_Tyke

Yep. A close second to 2020 for me also right now.  I'm around 20kwh off which I would normally do easily but how much longer will the foggy gloom last? .   2018 should have been my best but I had an optimiser down for 3 or 4 months

QrizB

Yes here, too. Might well reach 1kW/Wp, which is remarkable considering my less-than-ideal orientation and location.

Coastalwatch

Afraid a six week inverter drop out has thwarted the opportunity here to record the best annual return, currently sitting at 8890 kWh's.

Best year to date 2020 at 9910 kWh's.

Had the missing weeks and the coming December achieve average output then total for this year would amount to 10028 kWh's. December average for here is 231 kWh's.

70sbudgie

Thank you for this. My panels only went up January last year, so I only have 2 years of data to compare, the first missing January generation. It is currently 4.18MWhr vs 3.01MWhrs, which seemed a huge variation and had me wondering what was going on, especially when this year's peak daily production was less than last year's.

All your comments have reassured me that it is just annual variations.

Chris_Type_R

Exiled_Tyke said:

Yep. A close second to 2020 for me also right now.  I'm around 20kwh off which I would normally do easily but how much longer will the foggy gloom last? .   2018 should have been my best but I had an optimiser down for 3 or 4 months

The 2 week forecast for my area does not make use of any yellow graphics  

inspectorperez

jimjames said:

Has anyone else found that 2022 has been a record year for solar generation? Previously 2020 was the best from the last 11 years but we've now beaten that with a month to go so even if the sun doesn't shine at all for December then 2022 is still the highest for the last 11 years. If December is average we'll have got 3500kWh from our 3kWp panels which I think it probably hitting close to the maximum that is achievable in the UK. Panels certainly aren't yet showing any signs of reduced output although annual variability is maybe more than the expected decrease.

How has everyone else done this year?

2022 is the 2nd best year for me after having 16 south facing panels installed in 2011. It is only marginally short of the best year in 2015 which produced 3,678Kw. Had it not been for a poor November, 2022 would have been the best.

In money terms it is the best, producing an income of £2,275 compared to next best of £2,013 in 2020. For comparison, 2015 produced a money income of £1,873.

So far I think these figures have proved to me that up till now there has been no apparent degredation in panel performance (January 2022 was the best for a January month since installation) and the FIT tariff was an exceedingly generous one from a customer perspective.