Solar panels , would you ?

[PJ87]

November's bill landed this morning

Total usage last month 822.8 kw which is up on last month

Billed cost £85.72 (including standing charge)
Export paid to me £0.27 (using 99.9% my solar)
Cost if I didn't have this system (based on today's price cap of 27.93p a kw £242.40

Months saving £156.95

 

[larmen]

Are you pumping out during this evening saving session?

We don’t have feed in ye so we are not. But it looks like they pay £4 a kWh above normal export, which at those times is likely 0 anyway,

 

[PJ87]

Are you pumping out during this evening saving session?

We don’t have feed in ye so we are not. But it looks like they pay £4 a kWh above normal export, which at those times is likely 0 anyway,

I'm not no, I don't have grid export set up on the battery. I don't know if it's wired so it can't do it or if it's not been activated on the settings

Either way Im not lol

Shame could make a bit more but then I'm happy to just tick over with the savings Im getting

 

[cliveb]

Are you pumping out during this evening saving session?

We don’t have feed in ye so we are not. But it looks like they pay £4 a kWh above normal export, which at those times is likely 0 anyway,

I thought this evening's saving session was about reducing import - nothing to do with export.

 

[larmen]

I thought this evening's saving session was about reducing import - nothing to do with export.

Maybe it depends on the tart if people are on? There are screenshots on Twitter where people posted about export. And at £4 it might be worth pushing one battery cycle into the grid on a few occasions.

I just finished topping up the battery so we will be 0 imports for those 90 minutes, but battery usually carries a little into it so I don’t expect to save that much.
Yesterday I charged a little during the time to move the baseline up, in addition to charging my scooter batteries in the window as well.

We got 98p last time, but the base to that contained a time before the panels were up.

 

[PJ87]

I thought this evening's saving session was about reducing import - nothing to do with export.

No it's both, reduce use but encourages battery users to dump there kWh into the grid as it reduces stress on grid

 

[cliveb]

No it's both, reduce use but encourages battery users to dump there kWh into the grid as it reduces stress on grid

Oh right.
The notification I got from Octopus didn't say anything about that.

 

[PJ87]

Oh right.
The notification I got from Octopus didn't say anything about that.

It's in the terms somewhere

£4 per kWh I believe was the figure.

So people are charging their batteries before the saving session and then dumping the max they can

I don't have it set up but my export limit is 3.6kw an hour so works out £14.40 I could make and only pay £1.12 for that electric

Minus ofc what you lose in efficiency

But still would be over £12

 

[larmen]

I thought with your Tesla wall you might get close to £40, didn’t think about the throttle effect.

 

[PJ87]

I thought with your Tesla wall you might get close to £40, didn’t think about the throttle effect.

I only have permission for 3.6kw export, as I'm on a looped supply with next door, they also would only upgrade me to 80 amp fuse rather than 100 amp

Both can be fixed by running a new supply to the house. However I'm not entirely sure it's free (some will) and my meter would be moved outside (which is fine just would prefer to avoid)

I'd rather wait until I really need more amps then upgrade to 3 phase supply

I believe on the limit I'm on the dno may only approve one powerwall aswell. Even though it's limited to 3.6kw out (total) some DNOs will just so no , others allow it as the limit is there .

In my dream world I get solid wall insulation, 3 phase supply, second powerwall, heat pump then an induction hob and ditch the gas

However that's many many years away

 

[larmen]

The 98/99 thing. We still waiting for our paperwork to get paid for export, but right now it’s not worth chasing as we don’t even cover us for the day.

Scaffolding is supposed to come down tomorrow, then after that we they can add the last 2 panels to the conservatory roof and sign off the whole installation.

 

[cliveb]

The 98/99 thing. We still waiting for our paperwork to get paid for export, but right now it’s not worth chasing as we don’t even cover us for the day.

You probably should confirm that it's in progress. I was told it can take the DNO up to 8 weeks to process the application and issue the export MPAN, so the sooner they start the process the better.

(As it happens my MPAN was issued within about 10 days, but I might have been lucky)

 

[larmen]

You probably should confirm that it's in progress. I was told it can take the DNO up to 8 weeks to process the application and issue the export MPAN, so the sooner they start the process the better.

(As it happens my MPAN was issued within about 10 days, but I might have been lucky)

I think I am referring to the MCS certificate. The DNO thing must be done already because the inverter is live.

 

[cliveb]

I think I am referring to the MCS certificate. The DNO thing must be done already because the inverter is live.

Oh right. The installer should have given you the MCS certificate straight away (well, as soon as you paid the final balance).

The fact that the inverter is live isn't the issue. Right now, if you have any excess generation then it's being exported and you aren't being paid.
The DNO need to issue an export MPAN before you can register to be paid for export.
The application for the export MPAN will be initiated by whichever company you're getting the export payments from.
And of course, you can't apply to them until you have the MCS certificate...

So you really need to insist the installer delivers the MCS certificate asap.

 

[larmen]

Cold day today, batterie hardly taking any charge. At some point we even exported solar to the grid, but irrelevant amounts. About 6p worth, just under 0.5 kWh total. Just weird seeing teh blue lien above 0.

Tried to charge for an hour to go 0 kWh grid for the saving session, I don't think it pulled in enough to get us through. Usually 30 minutes is enough, but we only charge at 250 watt instead of 1.6kW as I did the last 2 times.
But then, we have outdoor swimming in 30 minutes an don't be in the house. But the misses is getting ready for a christmas party, I bet sh ei going to use the hair dryer.

Scaffolding now rearranged, Monday the last 2 panels go on and we get sign off for the MCS certificate.

 

[Rlburnside]

Oh right. The installer should have given you the MCS certificate straight away (well, as soon as you paid the final balance).

The fact that the inverter is live isn't the issue. Right now, if you have any excess generation then it's being exported and you aren't being paid.
The DNO need to issue an export MPAN before you can register to be paid for export.
The application for the export MPAN will be initiated by whichever company you're getting the export payments from.
And of course, you can't apply to them until you have the MCS certificate...

So you really need to insist the installer delivers the MCS certificate asap.

My panels have been up and running for two months, I’ve only noticed any power being exported twice and wondered how/ when I got paid for that.

Not that it matters as it’s next to nothing ,I’ve never received a MCS certificate from installer.

 

[cliveb]

My panels have been up and running for two months, I’ve only noticed any power being exported twice and wondered how/ when I got paid for that.

Not that it matters as it’s next to nothing ,I’ve never received a MCS certificate from installer.

Even if you don't think it's important now, it could be in the future.
You really should insist that the installer supplies your MCS certificate.

 

[larmen]

November data is in, but of course no bill yet. Octopus measures from the middle of the month which is very annoying. Bulb was more usable there taking data from the last day of the month.


You can clearly see when you guys helped me to work out the immersion heater issue. Of that we saved about 100 kWh in the 2nd half the month.
That probably is 50% of the savings, solar making up the other bit.

On Monday, Tuesday and then a random day between Friday and Sunday I am pushing 3 kWh into the electric scooter.

 

[Rlburnside]

Even if you don't think it's important now, it could be in the future.
You really should insist that the installer supplies your MCS certificate.

Ok thanks I’ll speak to my installer next week.

 

[Mudball]

@pauljames87 (or others)... how big are the cables coming from the panel to your battery/inverter setup? We need to re-felt the top of the garage next month. I can ask the chippies to cut a hole or a small pipe so that they can put the cables thru it. It is easier to do now rather than cut it after they have sealed it