Joining the Renewable Heating Hub forums is completely free and only takes a minute. By registering you’ll be able to ask questions, join discussions, follow topics you’re interested in, bookmark useful threads and receive notifications when someone replies. Non-registered members also do not have access to our AI features. When choosing your username, please note that it cannot be changed later, so we recommend avoiding brand or product names. Before registering, please take a moment to read the Forum Rules & Terms of Use so we can keep the community helpful, respectful and informative for everyone. Thanks for joining!
Advice on improving self use for solar energy generated?
Hello there, I've been thinking about exploring solar panels, day/night tariffs and maximsing self use. Any tips on how one can improve self use of solar energy, especially for appliances and EV charging -- rather than importing from the grid. Any one here that has done this well? Happy to connect offline if easier.
Really depends if you get paid for export and how much you get paid per kWh.
We don't get paid. So will talk about my case.
Without a battery anything more than 3.2kW you end up exporting quite a bit in summer. Unless you dump to immersion and hot water. Even in NE Scotland and quite a bit of shade we didn't really pay for hot water in summer.
We then added another 3.6kW PV and 13.5kW battery, ASHP and moved to E7.
According to our weekly reports our summer average cost per kWh used is about 4p and Jan Dec was 20p kWh driving a heat pump (we had 2 weeks at -9 also).
Battery is best way to self consume. We still use immersion diverter. Last cylinder heat was yesterday at 4am, next one will be tomorrow morning (so 48hrs). Which is good as we have had a poor solar day today, so didn't use the battery to heat DHW. We still import, mainly due to a pretty poor summer, on average 4 to 5kWh. But that includes running ASHP on cooling mode, MVHR, sewage treatment plant fan our base load is around 17kWh.
I've been on Octopus Agile ToU tariff for 10 months now. I have an EV but don't use it a lot, so this is the best tariff for me (No ASHP. Gas DHW & CH). Annual consumption ~5MWh.
I had solar panels (5kWp) and battery (13.5kWh) installed on 1st July and have paid only standing charges since then, saving approximately £80 in 6 weeks. I've exported 380kWh to the grid so far but not been paid for it (waiting for the DNO to get their finger out!), nominally worth £57.
Come winter, I'll be playing tunes on the battery, charging at cheaper overnight rates, so improving on what I achieved last winter without a battery.
- 26 Forums
- 2,700 Topics
- 63.3 K Posts
- 1,707 Online
- 7,107 Members
Join Us!
Installer Finder
Degrees of Separation
Latest Posts
-
Can DNO change a G99 export allowance once approved?
I have a Solar/battery system with an approved G99 expo...
By AndrewJ , 2 hours ago
-
RE: Electricity price predictions
Chinese manufacturing has the ability to be very good q...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 6 hours ago
-
RE: Air source heat pump roll call – what heat pump brand and model do you have?
Forum Handle: GotGordon Manufacturer: Samsun...
By Gotgordon , 17 hours ago
-
RE: Summer heat is becoming the new winter cold in the UK. What are you doing about it?
@ian33a I am not easy with sleep either unfortunately…....
By MK4 , 18 hours ago
-
RE: Renewables uptake near you
In a village of under 40 houses...Conservation Area. I'...
By Tim441 , 1 day ago
-
RE: Home Alone with Home Assistant (previously A Beginner's Guide to ASHP Monitoring)
Great news, @bontwoody.
By Majordennisbloodnok , 1 day ago
-
Haier R290 Super Aqua Monobloc. Output capacity tables.
As I mentioned in my introduction post, I've been consi...
By Singlespeed , 1 day ago
-
RE: Air to air bus grant installer anywhere
I am consistently told by aircon folks (ie air/air) tha...
By EtchedPixels , 2 days ago
-
RE: What is possible with FIT, SEG, Hate Pumps and Batteries?
Thank you, everyone, for your replies. Our FIT provid...
By ian33a , 2 days ago
-
@mk4 And of course, the panels are less productive due ...
By Toodles , 2 days ago
-
RE: GivEnergy inverter tripping due to over-voltage?
I'm trying to get clarity on exactly when the inverter ...
By Tim441 , 2 days ago
-
RE: Samsung Heat Pump – Can't Activate TW2 Pipe Sensor (for Delta T Control)
Autocorrupt seems to be working overtime.
By Majordennisbloodnok , 2 days ago
-
RE: Vehicle-to-Home with a Heat Pump: Is the Technology Ready and Which EV Should I Buy?
I looked into that wallbox a bit more off the back of t...
By Majordennisbloodnok , 3 days ago
-
RE: Say hello and introduce yourself
@jandp awesome system I hope it works out well.
By Judith , 3 days ago



