SteveW86
Head Pro
How much would it cost to install panels to provide enough energy to run the average 3 bed semi house?
Solar panels , would you ?
- Thread starter spongebob59
- Start date
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Prob 10k with a small battery to store the excess for use during the night
cliveb
Head Pro
It's not that simple.
Solar panels produce the bulk of their energy precisely when you don't need it - during the day in summer.
Adding a battery to run the house in the evening only solves the issue during the summer.
Our modest 3.7kW system will produce about 4000 units a year, and we only use about 2600.
But we still need to import most of our electricity during the winter.
Mudball
Assistant Pro
budget about 8-12k depending on your situation... also dont expect to be completely off grid. (you may still need gas for your heating/cooking purposes)
The ROI also shoots up if you have an EV
It is also reliant on which energy provider & fuel you use.... Octopus is probably the best option out there
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
If you size your battery right you can integrate it to octopus agile and it will programme to charge when electric is most cheap (sometimes they pay you) and then your house runs very cheap
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Did a quote on octopus just to get an example
£9599
The brilliance of having a battery is you can join their agile tariff and programme it to follow octopus agile API which would then in turn mean you could fill it up cheap and use to see you through
For example tomorrow early morning is between 5-10p a kw the battery would fill up then and wouldn't let you draw when the price is 35p a kw during the peak
That sorts your winter , summer the panels do the work etc. but you can program the battery to follow agile octopus outgoing and sell for profit but also can just use everything you produce
cliveb
Head Pro
Yes, sounds like a good way to go. Maybe just having the battery is all you need. The country currently has a problem with lack of storage for renewable electricity, so perhaps making domestic batteries an attractive deal is one way to get there.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
They have slashed the vat to 0% on battery only now and the brilliance of a battery is you can move it with you. Don't get me wrong it would cost to do so. Sparky either end and for example mine is 130kg or something stupid. Yet it is possible so they are a good option for people for whom moving is a potential issue
Mudball
Assistant Pro
We r getting EV charging station as part of our Solar. The package includes a ‘Project EV’ 7Kwh charger. I have been looking it up and seems to have good reviews. However I think this model is un-teathered. It has a good cable locking mechanism.
We don’t have an ev yet but we will get one in 2024.
Should I insist for a teathered option?
How do I get standard cable
#EVNoobie
We don’t have an ev yet but we will get one in 2024.
Should I insist for a teathered option?
How do I get standard cable
#EVNoobie
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
All EVs on the market right now and planned use type 2 cables
I have a tethered just because it's easier. Believe it's 7.5m so it reaches most points on my driveway
I could have got without but then you have to faff about with the cable in the mornings rather than just role up and store by the charger
larmen
Head Pro
Submitted the stuff for Octopus Outgoing now. I guess they won’t get around it in the next couple of weeks, but it isn’t really export weather either.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Yeah you most likely will be waiting a few weeks but you have picked the best time to sign up to it as you won't be wasting the export as you will be using it.
cliveb
Head Pro
It seems to depend on how quickly your local DNO assigns an export MPAN. I was lucky, they did it in a few days for me, although Octopus warned me it could be weeks.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
December's bill is in
The worst month for solar ofc (producing 62 KW)
Bill £80.66
Export paid to me £0.27
Total usage 720.8kw
Cost without set up £214.34
Saving this month £134.01
Total savings in year 2 (may onwards) £1584
The worst month for solar ofc (producing 62 KW)
Bill £80.66
Export paid to me £0.27
Total usage 720.8kw
Cost without set up £214.34
Saving this month £134.01
Total savings in year 2 (may onwards) £1584
larmen
Head Pro
How did you get to £134 saving in 62kW generated? Battery charging on cheap versus peak?
Mudball
Assistant Pro
If i know correctly, if you are on Octupus plan, they export during the day rather than story... so u get good prices on export. They fill battery during cheap night fares.. clever tech
larmen
Head Pro
Yes, but he stated before that he doesn’t export from battery.
cliveb
Head Pro
Quite so. Given that he was paid the grand total of 27p for export during the month, we can be sure that he exports next to nothing.
Presumably he's charging the battery from solar and overnight, to use during the day/evening.
If the panels have only generated 62kWh and he's used 720, then he must have imported 658 and paid £80 for it.
Assuming that £80 includes the standing charge of let's say £15, then he's managed to get his import at an average of about 12p/unit.
So he must be on an Agile or Go tariff.
Stating that without the system he'd be paying £214 for the electricity is a bit cheeky - that's based on the price cap of 27p.
But he could easily be on a Tracker tariff and be averaging about 18p. So the savings are not quite as high as claimed.
But that said, given he has very high usage, then the solar and battery is definitely worth it.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Wouldn't say it's cheeky at all. Trackers are only good when prices are ok. Could easily be paying what is it £1 a kw or whatever the cap is? Not worth the risk
@larmen my night rate on go is 9p a kw my day rate is 31p
I could use the 31p as a figure but I do the price cap as that's the average for the UK
I charge my battery to full every night and on the main it lasts me all day . Few days here and there is doesn't but in the main I can get through until 00:30 when 9 starts again
cliveb
Head Pro
Depends on how risk averse you are.
Over the last year, the Tracker price in my area (South West) has been above the cap on about 6 days (back in Jan 23). Highest price was 32p on one day, other high prices were between 28 and 30p. For the other 355+ days of the year it's been under the cap, usually quite significantly.
(Come to think of it, the price cap back in Jan 23 might have been above 32p?)
So I reckon you need to be REALLY risk averse to avoid it.
But each to their own. You are clearly on the best tariff for your usage pattern, able to charge the battery and your car at 9p.