Solar Battery Plans - enough?

Newbie_John

Bimbly said:

As no one really wants to actually answer my question, just tell me stuff I already know, I'm going to stop watching this thread.

Well, your original question was if your logic is OK that your plan will allow you to save money.
Yes, you'll be paying less each month - but I'm not convinced it will be enough to break even ever.
And as this is forum about saving money - I try to look at bigger picture, rather than just monthly bill.
If you said you want to be "greener", more independent from price fluctuation or simply doing Agile as hobby - then yes, it all sounds good 

Nick_Dr1

Bimbly said:

I have 3.24KWp solar system consisting of 12 x 270w PV panels. When they were installed in 2017, a battery wasn't recommended. I'm now planning to get a battery installed. I've gone for 6kwh because, at £4.5k installed, it'll be paid for by a recent windfall. And it was recommended by the installers. Now I'm thinking - is the battery big enough?

My logic is, during the winter, I can charge it up on cheap tariff overnight. Then, if needed, I can top up mid-afternoon to avoid drawing from the grid at peak (Octopus Agile tariff). So even if an overnight battery charge won't last all day, I'll be saving money on the bill.

Last year, I used 2,640kWh from the grid. In the darker winter months, it averaged 7-9kWh per day. But usage next year is unknown as I'm due to get a hot tub to help my aching back (only a smaller 3-seater, but decent well-insulated model).

My logic is, it's probably only three months of the year in winter when electric use is that much higher. And, as I say, I can charge up the battery twice in 24hrs over that period. Also, if I get this installed and decide to add to the battery capacity, I can. The installers said the cost of the initial install is a lot higher because of the infrastructure, so adding more battery is not so expensive.

That seems logical - right?

Seems like you are happy enough with your logic and decision. Asking anyone to confirm it is unsurprisingly called confirmation bias.
As you have seen, there are other opinions. From your comments to these alternative opinions, I'd say you have answered your own question.

FWIW, so much depends on your own priorities, and so many other unknowns, such as the price of electricity in the future. The real unknown for me would be the energy consumption of the hot tub. Its going to be large, but whether that is significant to you is only a question you can answer. I suspect its going to dwarf any electricity bill savings, but you seem quite capable of doing the sums and deciding if the extra cost is worth it to you.