Generation for August

Hi, just a quick query, I take meter reading at the end of each month (sad ... I know but I like to know whats going on) and the generation for August = 212kWh, this is less than half what I have normally generated in August since 2012. I know weather wise August was pretty poor. My generation for the last six months, since February have been 133kWh, 236kWh, 372kWh, 516kWh, 545kWh and 633kWh for July so the 212kWh for August seems well out.

My system is made up of two strings 7 and 8 panels totalling 3.82kW and a quick check on the inverter shows both strings are working ................ perhaps August 2023 was a really bad month.

Has anybody else found August to be a really bad month?
Thanks
F.
«13

Comments

  • Alnat1
    Alnat1 Forumite Posts: 2,816
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    edited 7 September at 5:17PM
    Whereabouts in the country are you? Seems the north had poorer weather than the south and maybe east worse than west. I got 488kwh generation compared to 627kwh last year in South Yorkshire.

    Yours sounds more extreme, maybe a panel failed?
    Barnsley, South Yorkshire
    Solar PV 5.25kWp SW facing (14 x 375 Longi) Lux 3.6kw hybrid inverter and 4.8kw Pylontech battery storage installed March 22
    Octopus Agile/Fixed Outgoing and Tracker gas
  • EricMears
    EricMears Forumite Posts: 3,160
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    FWIW,  my Aug generation was 5% below PVGIS (which should be an average of last 30 years) although Aug2022 was 20% above PVGIS so a simple comparison of 2023 with 2022 would suggest a drop of something like 25%
    NE Derbyshire.4kWp S Facing 17.5deg slope (dormer roof).12kWh of Pylontech batteries with Lux controller BEV : Hyundai Ioniq5
  • michaels
    michaels Forumite Posts: 27,500
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    Sounds like something is broken to me, our August was above average.  Does your inverter have an app that you can track generation?

    How about looking at September is going - should be about 130+ based on your July.
    I think....
  • Freepost
    Freepost Forumite Posts: 215
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    edited 7 September at 5:37PM
    Location is west Yorkshire and over last 5 years the lowest for August has been 380 in 2021 with a max of 474 last year, so the 212kWh is a real nose dive.

    As I mentioned both strings are working so if a panel had gone down wouldn't the complete strig stop working? I thought the panels were wired in series, please correct me if my knowledge is incorrect.

    The inverter is pretty old now, its an Aurora Power One, installed November 2011 which I had to repair about 4 years ago when the relays had to be replaced, since then okay .......... I'm not aware of an app but perhaps I'm living in the dark ages;-)

    At the moment, it's a little overcast and String one has an input of 198V @ 4.5A and String 2 has an input of 224V @ 4.5A.

    Thanks.
    F.
  • QrizB
    QrizB Forumite Posts: 11,447
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    My August was pretty poor, too. I'll try to provide some actual numbers later tonight.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Go elec & Tracker gas / Shell BB / Lyca mobi. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 30MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs.
  • Heedtheadvice
    Heedtheadvice Forumite Posts: 2,343
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    edited 7 September at 6:41PM
    My August and July each was 470kWh about 25% down on June-not sure about last year!). From 4kWp panels South facing. Located NW UK
  • zxzxzx
    zxzxzx Forumite Posts: 3
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    Southwest UK, south facing, 4.8k - August down 10% on July. My first year so nothing else to compare with.
  • Chris_Type_R
    Chris_Type_R Forumite Posts: 172
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    Freepost said:

    The inverter is pretty old now, its an Aurora Power One, installed November 2011 which I had to repair about 4 years ago when the relays had to be replaced, since then okay .......... I'm not aware of an app but perhaps I'm living in the dark ages;-)
    Replacing the inverter and getting some monitoring with it seems a no-brainer, if you can do the swap yourself. I picked up a brand new (other) 3.6kW Solax inverter not long ago off eBay for about £300. 

    Depending on your ability you could measure voltages on the strings to try and diagnose.
    Central Beds, 2.02kWp (9 x 225W) south facing with some morning shade, installed 2011 (£7.16/Wp). Tigo monitoring/optimisers on all panels, Growatt MIC 2000 TL-X Inverter and Solar iBoost installed 2022. (4 x 415W + 6 x 405W garden experiment connected to SunSynk 3.6 hybrid inverter & 2 x 5.3kWh SynSynk batteries) (4 x 405W panels queued to go somewhere)
  • Freepost
    Freepost Forumite Posts: 215
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    QrizB said:
    My August was pretty poor, too. I'll try to provide some actual numbers later tonight.

    I'd appreciate that but only when you get a mo.

    Thanks
    F.
  • Freepost
    Freepost Forumite Posts: 215
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    Freepost said:

    The inverter is pretty old now, its an Aurora Power One, installed November 2011 which I had to repair about 4 years ago when the relays had to be replaced, since then okay .......... I'm not aware of an app but perhaps I'm living in the dark ages;-)
    Replacing the inverter and getting some monitoring with it seems a no-brainer, if you can do the swap yourself. I picked up a brand new (other) 3.6kW Solax inverter not long ago off eBay for about £300. 

    Depending on your ability you could measure voltages on the strings to try and diagnose.

    I don't want to put money into the system unnecessarily because I have to move house in the next 6 months, sure, if the inverter is not working then of course I will replace it but not for the ability to monitor it with an app, although £300 for an Inverter seems a very good price .... having had a quick look on eBay there are some excellent prices for Inverters and if I was staying it would be worthwhile, my FiT is until Nov 2036 and should provide a pretty good income over that period.

    Thanks
    F.

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