Solar panel installation & snake oil question.

Solar panel installation & snake oil question.

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Paul Drawmer

4,882 posts

268 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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We have had our 3.88 kWp system installed since October 2010.
At the end of last month, the previous 12 months generation was 3876kWh.

The system faces 175deg, and the roof pitch is 30deg.

We are between Oxford and Banbury.

It would reasonable to expect that a 4kWp system will produce 4000kWh over the year.

By looking at the current FIT rates you will be able to calculate your own generation income. If you have an export meter you will also get paid a small amount for each unit you actually export. If you don't have an export meter, you will get an assumed export of 50% of whatever you generate.

Regarding savings...you cant just deduct what you generate from your existing usage, simply because most of the solar generation will be exactly when you aren't using it.

So you will still have to buy electricity to supply you when you want a lot (winter) and you will feed lots of it back when you don't need it during the long summer days.

I take meter readings every month and run a spreadsheet to show earnings and actual savings each month.
Two people in the house. Always occupied and a wife who likes an elec blanket all year round!! Elec lighting (low power lamps) and elec oven which gets regular use.

Our actual savings each month, calculated from what we actually use,less what we have imported, vary from £5.00 per month in the depths of winter to max of £20 in the summer. Over the last 12 month we saved £139.

Our installation or return financials wont apply because the installation cost was much higher, but so is our export tariff.



anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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The 4kW rating is breakpoint in the fit rate that is paid, for systems above 4kW the rate paid is lower but may even out because more power is generated. You will need to work out whether this will work for you.

Royce44

394 posts

114 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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I'm really struggling to comprehend how lowering the voltage on this "optimizer" will save energy!

Power= voltage x current. Lower the voltage and you increas the current so your power will still remain the same. Or am i misreading that?