Intelligent Octopus Flux annoyance

debitcardmayhem

Is it just me but IOF keeps switching Eco mode off when solar is good for charging the battery, but they insist on exporting leading to a loss of c5% converting from DC to AC .

Does anyone else find that irrational?

QrizB

What model of charge point do you have?

I have an Ohme and don't think I have an Eco mode.

debitcardmayhem

QrizB said:

What model of charge point do you have?

I have an Ohme and don't think I have an Eco mode.

None , I’m talking IOF + battery not IOG 🚙😎

QrizB

debitcardmayhem said:

QrizB said:

What model of charge point do you have?

I have an Ohme and don't think I have an Eco mode.

None , I’m talking IOF + battery not IOG 🚙😎

Oops, sorry, not sure how I misread that!

NedS

debitcardmayhem said:

Is it just me but IOF keeps switching Eco mode off when solar is good for charging the battery, but they insist on exporting leading to a loss of c5% converting from DC to AC .

Does anyone else find that irrational?

My battery doesn't have an ECO mode so not sure I fully understand your question.

Irrational? In what respect? You have to remember Octopus control your battery for their benefit (and reward you handsomely for that privilege). They really don't care if you incur 5% conversion losses, they care about using your battery for balancing the grid etc.

When thinking about the (irrational?) 5% conversion loss, consider the ~50% or ~100% extra you are being paid for that export versus standard SEG rates.

debitcardmayhem

NedS said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Is it just me but IOF keeps switching Eco mode off when solar is good for charging the battery, but they insist on exporting leading to a loss of c5% converting from DC to AC .

Does anyone else find that irrational?

My battery doesn't have an ECO mode so not sure I fully understand your question.

Irrational? In what respect? You have to remember Octopus control your battery for their benefit (and reward you handsomely for that privilege). They really don't care if you incur 5% conversion losses, they care about using your battery for balancing the grid etc.

When thinking about the (irrational?) 5% conversion loss, consider the ~50% or ~100% extra you are being paid for that export versus standard SEG rates.

Take today , my panels generated 5 kWh and topped my battery up, but Octopus wants me to export all of that and then later fill my battery with 5.25 net 5 from the grid, so they can export it at peak times, less 5% loss . Yes the export this morning is at 23p but the import costs 23p less 5%, that 5% is wasted as heat over 10kWh i.e. .5kWh . That’s what I mean as irrational, like the folks on agile using electric because it’s negative. 

I think it’s irrational wasting 0.5 kWh for keeping my outside warm.

Edit ECO means the system solar first, then battery. switch it off and it uses grid and exports solar, battery doesn’t get charged.

NedS

On IOF, my Tesla would typically discharge down to 20% in the evening peak, then sit at that level all the following day, exporting all excess solar, until around lunch/early afternoon where it would charge up when there was most solar on the grid ready to discharge again at 4pm. Occasionally it would charge from the grid overnight if there was excess wind on the grid.

I never had an instance where it discharged more than one cycle per day, and discharge only ever occurred at peak rate. If it tried to discharge during the day rate, I would just increase the backup reserve setting to 100% until 4pm to prevent it (with a Tesla you can temporarily override some of the Octopus control if you don't like what it's doing)

debitcardmayhem

You can overide it with Givenergy too, but there eight tentacles resetting it at various times and also reset the reserve to 20% too. Then when it hits 20% it goes to grid at peak times when my dinner hasn’t finished cooking. 

As I said it’s an annoyance, but have to live  with it or keep at it . 

Qyburn

debitcardmayhem said:

Is it just me but IOF keeps switching Eco mode off when solar is good for charging the battery, but they insist on exporting leading to a loss of c5% converting from DC to AC .

Surely you're going to incur that DC to AC loss at some point anyway, whether the power goes straight out of the inverter, or whether it goes via the battery for use later.  The only way it wouldn't, would be if you never use the energy stored in the battery.

pete-20-11

Qyburn said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Is it just me but IOF keeps switching Eco mode off when solar is good for charging the battery, but they insist on exporting leading to a loss of c5% converting from DC to AC .

Surely you're going to incur that DC to AC loss at some point anyway, whether the power goes straight out of the inverter, or whether it goes via the battery for use later.  The only way it wouldn't, would be if you never use the energy stored in the battery.

For those with a hybrid inverter, I can see the point - although it's the other way around!

AC (charge) to DC battery and then back to AC again (export)

Or Solar DC (to battery DC) to AC (export)

That said, as others have said, the tariff is a great rate and it's the same price to import as it is to export (including adjusting for VAT which is only on the import). So if people want that tariff they have to put up with the strange decisions it makes. As long as overall it is making them money, then great. 

NedS

debitcardmayhem said:

You can overide it with Givenergy too, but there eight tentacles resetting it at various times and also reset the reserve to 20% too. Then when it hits 20% it goes to grid at peak times when my dinner hasn’t finished cooking. 

As I said it’s an annoyance, but have to live  with it or keep at it . 

It makes no difference if it exports all the battery at peak rate and then imports some electricity back in at the same rate, or if it exports less and saves some for cooking dinner. The net amount of export at peak rate is exactly the same because the import and export rates are the same. The only thing you can do to affect the result is to use less electricity (and thus export more) by cooking dinner earlier or later (or eat salad).