Solar panels question.

fletcher1985

Hi I’m buying my grans bungalow which has solar panels. In the loft there is a box and it shows what is coming in. Is there anything we can buy to put on the main living level that will show what’s coming in and what we are using so we can make the most of the solar panels.

Grenage

Many inverters support uploading to the web and viewing on an app. 

grumpy_codger

Do you not have a separate meter for the generated energy?

fletcher1985

grumpy_codger said:

Do you not have a separate meter for the generated energy?

I’m going over later so I will take some pictures of what is there and upload it here.

WIAWSNB

Google that model and see if it has WiFi connectivity, or can be added.
There are also 3rd party meters that can clip to the power cables and provide this into.
If you have a hot cylinder with immersion, then an auto diverter will send all surplus generation to heating your water. Immersun, iBoost, etc.

fletcher1985

This is what’s in the cupboard at the moment 

Peter999_2

The stecagrid 3600 does have an ethernet port, but not wifi.   Have a look and see if there is a network port on it or a ethernet cable coming out of it somewhere.     If there is the port with no cable, you could either run a cable from it to downstairs, or an easier option would be to setup a Wifi bridge (using something like a TP-Link TL-WR902AC).

You could also use a powerline socket like the TP link ones to use the network over power cables.   However, this does all depend if you have a power socket somewhere in the loft.

One you get it on the network you could use something like Home Assistant to integrate the reading.

grumpy_codger

fletcher1985 said:

This is what’s in the cupboard at the moment 

You seem to have two meters. I think the top one is for the generated energy

https://tewltd.co.uk/product/emlite-single-phase-wifi-smart-meter-ema1-az-wifi/

Keep_pedalling

Was this a system your gran purchased herself, or is it one of those rent a roof schemes where someone else gets the feed in tariffs?

jennifernil

fletcher1985 said:

Hi I’m buying my grans bungalow which has solar panels. In the loft there is a box and it shows what is coming in. Is there anything we can buy to put on the main living level that will show what’s coming in and what we are using so we can make the most of the solar panels.

When we had our system fitted some 12/13 years back, the installer wanted to put the inverter in the loft, which we did not think was the best idea.  Instead we had it put in the cupboard in the hall where all the consumer units are situated.  We can easily see what is being generated without checking the inverter as we have a clamp  type  device that sits in the lounge.   We also have a device that can divert surplus production to heat our hot water cylinder.

However when we got a smart meter we switched to metered export for which we get paid 15p per kWh, so we now use gas to heat the hot water.  The export payment is in addition to the FIT for what we generate.

My OH likes to have all this information the devices provide, but I just look at the weather.  If the sun is shining I put on the washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher if there is stuff to wash.  But otherwise I am not too bothered, as in…….if the dishwasher is full, it goes on when it needs to, if clothes need washed they get washed.

Our FIT payments plus export payments are more than enough to cover our gas and electricity bills.

vic_sf49

The in home display gadget, that came with my smart electric meter, shows me that level of info.

Without solar, it'd just show you what you were using right then and there, but with solar, mine shows what I have "spare"; so what is being generated, minus what is being used.

Pylon with the arrow, means 435w of "spare" electric. 

And as I'm with Octopus, and got a free octopus mini, it shows the figure in the app too.

Currently I have 573w spare right now.... 

There's probably lots of other options, but you might want to ask on the Energy forum. Lots of people over there with solar, and expert knowledge.

Edited = paragraph spacing.