Estimated bill savings from solar panels

charles_b_2

SkySi said:

Thanks all!  From the sounds of it the savings stated in that article are hugely underestimated.  From all of your examples it sounds like I should be saving several times the maximum amount stated in the article.  I'd be interested in where the author got their figures from.

Our electric usage is high so I'm not expecting to fully cover the usage in winter but if it can cover the majority of the summer electricity and a decent chunk of the rest it'll still be well worth the investment for us.

I look at it from the perspective that the batteries are a buffer in the summer to maximise your usage of solar, and mostly avoid importing expensive grid energy. What you export to the grid is your other 'virtual battery' so that you can import in the winter from the savings made during the summer months. If you are clever you can schedule charging to take advantage of the time of use tariffs available and pay the least amount (or even get paid to use grid energy).  I'm going to attempt to use home assistant to automate all this for me ( my Autumn/Winter project!)

EcoScruples

That's a full years revenue from 2023 for my system (export plus incoming avoided) 
Set up details in signature 

Over 25 months I've averaged £125 pm which makes a ROI period of 7 years at the current pricing.

Qyburn

How did you manage to get so much in October? From a relatively small system as well. Would be interesting to see the figures in kWh.

EcoScruples

Qyburn said:

How did you manage to get so much in October? From a relatively small system as well. Would be interesting to see the figures in kWh.

There was an error in the app when changing the tariff prices so that bar isn’t relevant to the final figures, I just can’t get it to go back to what it should be in the app.

subjecttocontract

We have a 3.6kw array in sunny Essex. Projection for the year :-
* Export payments @ 15p per unit = £250
* FIT payments = £220
* Energy bill savings = £250
TOTAL saving =£720 pa

Spies

Got mine installed in Nov 21, savings are calculated by using the average unit rate on my bill * amount I used myself, as I'm on agile this is regularly below SVR by some margin but I was on tracker for a time to further complicate things around Oct to Feb of this year

Also utilising negative pricing on agile pulls my average down!

2021 (nov & dec) 

cost savings £12.07 SEG £2.68

2022

cost saving £361.52 SEG £457.79

2023

cost saving £284.96 SEG £259.42

2024 (so far)

cost saving £110.76 SEG £193.53

Total 

£1,682.74

Left until system pays for itself £3112

Qyburn

Ours was just installed right at the end of May, but June and July have left us with a net credit of £190 vs expected bills of around £130 for the two months. August should hit around 600kWh exported. Maybe a bit more. Then it's going to be downhill all the way, I don't expect to cover even 30% of our use in Dec and Jan given there's not much more than 6 hours of daylight.

Coastalwatch

Qyburn said:

Ours was just installed right at the end of May, but June and July have left us with a net credit of £190 vs expected bills of around £130 for the two months. August should hit around 600kWh exported. Maybe a bit more. Then it's going to be downhill all the way, I don't expect to cover even 30% of our use in Dec and Jan given there's not much more than 6 hours of daylight.

Yes indeed, we all "suffer" with higher consumption in winter and lower PV generation. Several of us mitigate it by investing in Ripples wind turbines, when generation in winter from them ramps up. Yes, it's another investment but securing the wholesale price of your energy for twenty plus years at circa 2.5p/kWh is not to be sniffed at. We were fortunate in discovering Ripple at their first raise by taking part in Wales and then also their second at KirkHill, which has just come on line. While Whitelaw Brae is still open for investment!

Once that comes online in two years or so time then we should cover all our consumption for each and every month throughout the year. Something I've wanted to achieve since going for renewable energy only some six years ago.

On an annual basis consumption is already surpassed by that we generate, its just those dark winter months which are more difficult. But it appears to be working out very well presently so worth giving the Ripple model some consideration!

S'funny how there always seems to be more questions than answers. 

But, I've discovered they are there to be taken advantage of, and hopefully you will get there much quicker than the six years it took us.

What a journey!

Qyburn

Coastalwatch said:

Yes indeed, we all "suffer" with higher consumption in winter and lower PV generation. Several of us mitigate it by investing in Ripples wind turbines, when generation in winter from them ramps up. 

What I'm hoping is that each good Summer months will pay for a bad Winter month. For example June made a surplus of just over £80 (export credit minus usage and standing charge). That should cover a Winter month even with no generation.

I need to look at Ripple again. It didn't look too compelling at first glance, £1,900 to get an estimated annual 2,700kWh. If that pays 2.5p that's only £67.50/year or a touch over 3.5%. I read it correctly there's no income until the wind farm goes live, expected to be in two years.

Heedtheadvice

...and there are lots of other green investments one can make. Some of which give you a divi of about 10% per annum immediately. Like all investments there is risk associated with them.