Solar panels….?

[Ming the Merciless]

im currently using 9p per hour according to my smart meter and according to the meter, including the days standard charge, ive used £1.47 in leccy

if i keep on with the 9p an hour then thats around 2.50 for the day.........but i got an air cooler running downstairs for the mrs and the dog

Just looked at mine and it averaged £1.63 a day for electric for last full month. Looks like this month will come out less at current run rate.

 

[MrGrumpy]

I agree, my son had a similar issue. He did a creep and load test, ie turned everything off and went away for a few days, came back to find meter had increased. Suppliers have instructed an electrician who will piggyback another meter to check things out.

Interesting

 

[Gillstay]

Likewise, however I’m going to have to find out what the large users of power are and see what I can do as currently with nobody at home we are away on holiday I appear to be using approx 7kWh a day

Clean the back of your fridge and freezer.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Clean the back of your fridge and freezer.

Yer assuming the coils are visible .

 

[Alex321]

Yer assuming the coils are visible .

They will be after you've cleaned them

 

[Tom B]

Just to put the 7kwh in perspective

2 kids 2 adults ... 6.2Kwh per day average.

While away "the house" running the fridge freezer, smoke alarms, router, network switch, sky box, and a few lights in timers is using 2.1kwh rising to 2.2KWh when the temp rose.

Electric oven and grill. Gas kettle.


Edit. Just checked back to when we was away in Feb and the house actually used 3.1Kwh. I can't think what we left on differently. But I'm going to find out.

 

[Alex321]

Just to put the 7kwh in perspective

2 kids 2 adults ... 6.2Kwh per day average.

While away "the house" running the fridge freezer, smoke alarms, router, network switch, sky box, and a few lights in timers is using 2.1kwh rising to 2.2KWh when the temp rose.

Electric oven and grill. Gas kettle.


Edit. Just checked back to when we was away in Feb and the house actually used 3.1Kwh. I can't think what we left on differently. But I'm going to find out.

Possibly the pump for the central heating (assuming the heating is gas powered)? Most systems have a "frost protect" setting that means even when you have set the heating and hot water to OFF, it will come on for short periods if the temperature falls low enough for there to be a risk of frozen pipes, and will circulate the hot water.

 

[neil_merseyside]

A few questions if anyone knows.

Can solar panels be mounted solely from outside?
We have a loft conversion so roof is purlin and rafters, and so loft is plasterboarded to within about a metre of outside walls - so some room for cabling in remaining eave space, but actually lots of space in a loft cupboard for equipmen (if that goes near panels and not the meter?).

How good do house electrics need to be?
We have rather eclectic electrics, it is all pvc but 80% old colours (no lighting earths etc) has a 16th edition board I think (plastic case split load RCD) and all fed by an ancient whole house 100ma RCD (be called an ELCB back in the day?) oh and a mini slave board that was once the E7 circuit I think.

I could invest a future pension lump sum into panels, but not enough to rewire and decorate as well....

 

[Alex321]

A few questions if anyone knows.

Can solar panels be mounted solely from outside?

The panels and equipment (Inverter etc.) certainly can. Ours were.

They did run one cable through the loft and out through the gable end.

We have a loft conversion so roof is purlin and rafters, and so loft is plasterboarded to within about a metre of outside walls - so some room for cabling in remaining eave space, but actually lots of space in a loft cupboard for equipmen (if that goes near panels and not the meter?).

Ours is connected to the mains at the meter, no wiring inside the house at all. Apart from the one cable mentioned above - and I~ think they only did that so that it would be neater.

How good do house electrics need to be?
We have rather eclectic electrics, it is all pvc but 80% old colours (no lighting earths etc) has a 16th edition board I think (plastic case split load RCD) and all fed by an ancient whole house 100ma RCD (be called an ELCB back in the day?) oh and a mini slave board that was once the E7 circuit I think.

AIUI, if you can take power from the grid, you will be able to use solar. By the time it meets your house system, it is the same 230V AC as you get from the grid.

I could invest a future pension lump sum into panels, but not enough to rewire and decorate as well....

Shouldn't be necessary.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Just to put the 7kwh in perspective

2 kids 2 adults ... 6.2Kwh per day average.

While away "the house" running the fridge freezer, smoke alarms, router, network switch, sky box, and a few lights in timers is using 2.1kwh rising to 2.2KWh when the temp rose.

Electric oven and grill. Gas kettle.


Edit. Just checked back to when we was away in Feb and the house actually used 3.1Kwh. I can't think what we left on differently. But I'm going to find out.

Plan on some investigative work , as it seems very high for not being at home ? ! Hope it’s not a dodgy smart meter !!

 

[Gillstay]

A few questions if anyone knows.

Can solar panels be mounted solely from outside?
We have a loft conversion so roof is purlin and rafters, and so loft is plasterboarded to within about a metre of outside walls - so some room for cabling in remaining eave space, but actually lots of space in a loft cupboard for equipmen (if that goes near panels and not the meter?).

How good do house electrics need to be?
We have rather eclectic electrics, it is all pvc but 80% old colours (no lighting earths etc) has a 16th edition board I think (plastic case split load RCD) and all fed by an ancient whole house 100ma RCD (be called an ELCB back in the day?) oh and a mini slave board that was once the E7 circuit I think.

I could invest a future pension lump sum into panels, but not enough to rewire and decorate as well....

or if that panels dont suit you you could save energy with solar hot water, or / and a Mixery hot water tank. Thenit may suit your budget better.

 

[Tom B]

Possibly the pump for the central heating (assuming the heating is gas powered)? Most systems have a "frost protect" setting that means even when you have set the heating and hot water to OFF, it will come on for short periods if the temperature falls low enough for there to be a risk of frozen pipes, and will circulate the hot water.

Zero gas use and I don't think the house got that cold.

Plan on some investigative work , as it seems very high for not being at home ? ! Hope it’s not a dodgy smart meter !!

The encyclopedic memory of the missus informed me I that I left 80w (4x18w) of bike shed lights on while we was away. That and extra burn times of outside lights and and a not as strict switch off regime prior to leaving would cover it. I think.

 

[kipster]

I've recently had solar installed (7kw) and batteries (10kw), also installed a solar immersion heater.

We are quite heavy on electric usage, 4 adults (Inc one student) and getting a self consumption figure of 16kwh-18kwh a day. I think that includes the charging of the batteries and the hot water from solar.

When I measured usage before solar we were about 12-15kwh a day, but heating the water from gas.


I've got something importing 0.2kwh from the grid at 4:30am each day, but other than that we are running the whole house off of solar/batteries and exporting anything from 18kwh-30kwh a day to the grid.

I'm waiting on all the certs and will then sign up for a SEG tariff and get a little bit of money for the export.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Your usage is mirroring mine . Interesting what the difference solar is making. Of course being in the central belt of Scotty land . Day light is an issue during those wintry months . However our roof aspect is perfect I’d say .

 

[jowwy]

The panels and equipment (Inverter etc.) certainly can. Ours were.

They did run one cable through the loft and out through the gable end.

Ours is connected to the mains at the meter, no wiring inside the house at all. Apart from the one cable mentioned above - and I~ think they only did that so that it would be neater.



AIUI, if you can take power from the grid, you will be able to use solar. By the time it meets your house system, it is the same 230V AC as you get from the grid.



Shouldn't be necessary.

lots more people started to fit batteries and inverters to bypass through the grid in case of power cuts, so they can keep using the solar or battery back up.....