FIRE Girls Pension Diary - Aim High & Dream Big

QrizB

whole home backup box

That sounds a bit like a Fox ESS system? (All the manufacturers have their own terminology, Tesla call it a "home gateway" or somesuch.)

In principle I could add a similar thingy to my battery but I've not bothered yet!

SarahB16

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156876#Comment_82156876

That's helpful to know, thank you, so if I'm understanding it correctly on top of you paying for the physical battery to store the electricity you also had to pay for the: 'Critical load backup board and earth spike £780 and whole home backup box £630'.

I always assumed that if you had solar panels and a battery you would be OK if there was a power cut but it seems you need pay extra like you did.

NormalNorman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156762#Comment_82156762

Not far from where I live there is a massive development on a former power station site. All the power comes ashore from wind turbines into what will be a massive grid level battery housed in multiple buildings. It makes me wonder what the future holds for electricity pricing.

Firegirl

Yes, that’s right @SarahB16. I was so glad I asked the question because although it was a costly question it gives me peace of mind.

@NormalNorman thats mad isn’t it. My husband is really trying to get my kid into renewables. Not sure my son is to keen but I think it would be a great career because I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

SarahB16

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156895#Comment_82156895

Octopus Energy are trialling something very similar. I do think there will be more micro grids in the future.

Hopefully this link works:

Octopus & gs8 unveil UK’s largest ‘Zero Bills’ community with revolutionary microgrid | Octopus Energy

Firegirl

I’ve never heard of this! Surely this is the future. I wonder how energy companies will make their money though🤔

NormalNorman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156900#Comment_82156900

Yeah, bizarre to think one of my friends was a highly paid engineer at this coal power station which is now a renewable site offering completely new careers. The way my brain works is at one point in history you have massive fire boxed which are like a glimpse into hell to peaceful batteries.

NormalNorman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156537#Comment_82156537

Of course I’m not against pv, heat pumps etc having done it all before. I would do it again depending on circumstances just not in this house as nothing to save. If I was all electric or displacing oil and lpg then different story. Don’t have a car either. Even have close relatives that are MCS :)

barnstar2077

My biggest concern with solar is fire risk, batteries failing etc.

I remember Walmart in the US had a series of fires after installing systems in their stores (8 fires so far!)

If I win the lottery and have the chance to build my dream home, I will build storage for everything electrical away from the house and just run a cable over.

SarahB16

@barnstar2077 says: My biggest concern with solar is fire risk, batteries failing etc.

Based on what I've heard and learnt so far I do think microgrids as part of new housing developments may be the answer.

The energy from the solar panels is shared across the housing development and instead of small individually owned batteries to store your own energy there would be c.3 larger communal batteries across the housing development but away from people's homes (so avoiding the fire risk).