SOLAR PV - Real world figures
Discussion
Does anyone have a real world set of numbers for the difference solar PV has made to their electricity usage?
The system that has been specced up for us is expected to generate 4060kw/h per annum. Our usage is c. 6500 kw/h per annum. What we don't use will be diverted to the immersion coils in the hot water cylinder (which is gas fired ordinarily). So I am assuming that we will use the full 4060kw, but some of that usage will replace gas rather than electricity.
What I'm wondering is how much of our 6500 could we generally expect to substitute with what has been generated by the PV? Apart from night time usage, I guess there will also be peaks in the day, or dull days, when we will still rely on the grid.
Roughly speaking I'm thinking half of our usage will be replaced with the PV.. and the other half will still come from grid. That seems to be the benchmark set by the industry, can anyone advise differently?
Cheers,
Klive
The system that has been specced up for us is expected to generate 4060kw/h per annum. Our usage is c. 6500 kw/h per annum. What we don't use will be diverted to the immersion coils in the hot water cylinder (which is gas fired ordinarily). So I am assuming that we will use the full 4060kw, but some of that usage will replace gas rather than electricity.
What I'm wondering is how much of our 6500 could we generally expect to substitute with what has been generated by the PV? Apart from night time usage, I guess there will also be peaks in the day, or dull days, when we will still rely on the grid.
Roughly speaking I'm thinking half of our usage will be replaced with the PV.. and the other half will still come from grid. That seems to be the benchmark set by the industry, can anyone advise differently?
Cheers,
Klive
Hi chaps, thanks for the replies.
Interesting Pterdodrama that yours is 25% over specced but still falls 10% short of the forecast figure. I'm in a supposedly sunny part of the UK as well (South Devon) so have been given relatively high forecasts.
I'm leaning towards the conclusion that between winter months, times where our demand is over and above what the PV produces, evening use and dull summer days.. that actually the dent we make in our 6500kw/h might not be as substantial as I hoped. The payback very much depends on how much of our electricity usage we manage to replace with PV. Running the inevitable excess to the immersions is really a distant 2nd best (6500kw/h of electricity is worth somewhere approaching £900 whereas 6500 kw/h of gas is more like £200).
If I knew I would be in this house for 10 years it would be a no brainer..
Interesting Pterdodrama that yours is 25% over specced but still falls 10% short of the forecast figure. I'm in a supposedly sunny part of the UK as well (South Devon) so have been given relatively high forecasts.
I'm leaning towards the conclusion that between winter months, times where our demand is over and above what the PV produces, evening use and dull summer days.. that actually the dent we make in our 6500kw/h might not be as substantial as I hoped. The payback very much depends on how much of our electricity usage we manage to replace with PV. Running the inevitable excess to the immersions is really a distant 2nd best (6500kw/h of electricity is worth somewhere approaching £900 whereas 6500 kw/h of gas is more like £200).
If I knew I would be in this house for 10 years it would be a no brainer..
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