Forums

Search with Wattson
Forums
Sustainable Sidetra...
Solar Photovoltaic ...
Solar Power Output ...
 
Notifications
Clear all

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!

[Sticky] Solar Power Output – Let’s Compare Generation Figures

 
Page 20 / 28
Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
Last Post by Toodles 2 weeks ago
335 Posts
37 Users
139 Reactions
47.2 K Views
RSS
 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Reputable Member Member
Joined: 9 months ago
Posts: 252
02/01/2026 1:23 pm  

@toodles 

You are lucky you don’t have nosy and interfering neighbours. If I so much as approach a TPO tree with a pole saw I get them taking photos of me. We have a massive horse chestnut on our boundary that was suffering from the newly invasive horse chestnut miner moth. So I hoisted a pheromone trap into the tree to try and limit the damage, the next day I had the planning department knocking on my door to investigate.



   
ReplyQuote
Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Famed Member Contributor
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2711
02/01/2026 1:27 pm  

@papahuhu They came to ‘axe you’ what you were up to?


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
👌
1
ReplyQuote
Majordennisbloodnok
 Majordennisbloodnok
(@majordennisbloodnok)
Famed Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 1760
02/01/2026 1:56 pm  

Posted by: @papahuhu
↑

@toodles 

You are lucky you don’t have nosy and interfering neighbours. If I so much as approach a TPO tree with a pole saw I get them taking photos of me. We have a massive horse chestnut on our boundary that was suffering from the newly invasive horse chestnut miner moth. So I hoisted a pheromone trap into the tree to try and limit the damage, the next day I had the planning department knocking on my door to investigate.

I can't help but feel the answer to that is to do a daily "adjustment" to or "investigation" of that pheromone trap. After a few days of the same report from your neighbours, I'd imagine the planning department'd become a little slower to pop round. Crying "Wolf" can work in your favour....

 


105 m2 bungalow in South East England
Mitsubishi Ecodan 8.5 kW air source heat pump
18 x 360W solar panels
1 x 6 kW GroWatt battery and SPH5000 inverter
1 x Myenergi Zappi
1 x VW ID3
Raised beds for home-grown veg and chickens for eggs

"Semper in excretia; sumus solum profundum variat"


   
ReplyQuote



 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Reputable Member Member
Joined: 9 months ago
Posts: 252
02/01/2026 2:37 pm  

@majordennisbloodnok 

Lot of retired folk round here, unfortunately for them and me, with nothing better to do. If I really wanted to get rid of the trees (or perhaps the neighbours too 😀) a couple of copper nails is all it would take.



   
ReplyQuote
Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Famed Member Contributor
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2711
02/01/2026 2:48 pm  

@papahuhu Driven into their feet?!


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
ReplyQuote
Transparent
 Transparent
(@transparent)
Famed Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 3157
02/01/2026 3:03 pm  

@editor - here's my take on your December generation figures:

image

Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
👍
1
ReplyQuote



 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Reputable Member Member
Joined: 9 months ago
Posts: 252
02/01/2026 3:13 pm  

@toodles I was thinking along biblical lines, I’ve got some fence posts that would make a sturdy cross. I could put it in the front garden to remind the others.



   
ReplyQuote
 Sheriff Fatman
(@sheriff-fatman)
Reputable Member Member
Joined: 1 year ago
Posts: 222
02/01/2026 3:21 pm  

Full year 2025 figures per the Sunsynk app are 4,326kWh PV generation and 1,594kWh of export.  The system was installed in December 2022, and the 2023 PV generation of 4,425kWh remains the best figure achieved, but I'm at 97.8% of that total and I have a general expectation that the system will become less efficient with age, so it could be that plus weather variation that are potential causes.  We have tree shading in the garden due to mature trees with TPO's on them, so the production will always be compromised to an extent.

The export figure of 1,594kWh is (only just) the highest one yet, vs 1,549kWh reported in 2023.  Octopus have paid me for 1,710.94kWh of export, so Sunsynk seems to be under-reporting the figure, presumably as it doesn't register the background trickle of constant export that I believe is a protection built into the system, but it at least provides me with a consistent comparative figure.

There's no forced discharging built into our configuration.  We simply charge the batteries overnight on the Intelligent Go 7p rate and let the system discharge the excess during the day at 15p when the batteries are full from solar recharging.


130m2 4 bed detached house in West Yorkshire
10kW Mitsubishi Ecodan R290 Heat Pump - Installed June 2025
6.3kWp PV, 5kW Sunsynk Inverter, 3 x 5.3kWh Sunsynk Batteries
MyEnergi Zappi Charger for 1 EV (Ioniq5) and 1 PHEV (Outlander)
User of Havenwise (Full control Jun-Dec 2025, DHW only from early Dec)
Subscriber to MelPump App data via CN105 Dongle Kit


   
ReplyQuote
Mars
 Mars
(@editor)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4519
Topic starter 02/01/2026 3:23 pm  

@transparent, excellent observation... my issue with batteries is still the massive capital expense... I'm still struggling with the maths. Maybe in the next house when we have a smart meter.


Get a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps

Subscribe and follow our YouTube channel!


   
ReplyQuote



Transparent
 Transparent
(@transparent)
Famed Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 3157
02/01/2026 3:49 pm  

You could relocate a storage battery to a new house if you wanted to!

Although Fogstar seem to no longer offer DIY Assembly options,
battery enclosures with the Jikong BMS (2A active balancing) are available from sellers on Alibaba, for as little as $320 (+carr +VAT)

image

The LiFePO₄ cells are available from the same suppliers, and are often supplied from stocks already in EU warehouses.
That reduces shipping costs and time.

The overall cost for the enclosure and a set of sixteen 314Ah cells should be around £1680 incl carriage and tax.

Unlike buying from AliExpress, you should directly contact sellers on Alibaba and ask for 'a package deal'.
They can give you various options for both delivery times and for who does the import paperwork.

'DOD' means that the Supplier handles all the administration, and includes UK taxes, which they pay to HMRC on your behalf.

 


Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
ReplyQuote
Mars
 Mars
(@editor)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4519
Topic starter 02/01/2026 3:54 pm  

@transparent, this is where my DIY inability hampers me... would definitely consider the cheapo route and install myself, but don't have the skills 🙄 

Not sure there's any electricians around here I'd trust to do this for me... hmmm.


Get a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Heat Pumps

Subscribe and follow our YouTube channel!


   
ReplyQuote
 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Reputable Member Member
Joined: 9 months ago
Posts: 252
02/01/2026 4:01 pm  

@editor 

i can’t believe you run a heat pump without being on a time of use tariff. I’m sure your power bill would make my toes curl. 



   
😂
1
ReplyQuote



Page 20 / 28
Forum Jump:
  Previous Topic
Next Topic  
Related Topics
Topic Tags:  solar PV (10) , solar production (3) ,

Currently viewing this topic 5 guests.



Share:

Join Us!

Worth Watching

Latest Posts

Members Online

Click to access the login or register cheese
x Powerful Protection for WordPress, from Shield Security PRO
This Site Is Protected By
Shield Security PRO →