Circular reasoning (Rolfe's solar energy system)

[johnb80]

Excellent And you can look forward to longer, sunnier days over the coming months too, unlike most of us!

Really? We’re in August already, surely the sunnier days will be reducing and daylight hours reducing as we head towards Autumn?

 

[MG Clive]

Really? We’re in August already, surely the sunnier days will be reducing and daylight hours reducing as we head towards Autumn?

Yes I agree, I think the best is behind us now.

 

[salty]

Yeh, but he's from, Australia.

 

[MG Clive]

Yeh, but he's from, Australia.

Oh well spotted that man, don't we fell silly now.

 

[johnb80]

A friend of mine has just had a 15 panel solar (6.6kWp) installation including a 10kWh battery.. £8.4k total.

Inverter capacity is also relevant.

She also has a heat pump on the octopus Cosy tariff. When she switches to the Flux tariff she will be able to import cheaply at night, 10p I think, and export at up to 40p/kWh during the peak period.
Whats not to like?

Is flux set times and rates? I get my energy from Tomato, off peak at 5p and sell to Scottish Power at 12p all what I don’t use.

 

[johnb80]

Oh well spotted that man, don't we fell silly now.

Nope, you can’t see location on a phone screen.

 

[mikgle]

Inverter capacity is also relevant.


Is flux set times and rates? I get my energy from Tomato, off peak at 5p and sell to Scottish Power at 12p all what I don’t use.

Yes, the peak time is 4 - 7pm. Can't remember the cheap time but it will be early hours with a standard rate in between. The 3 rates depends on postcode.
I'm on Octopus intelligent go and its 7p cheap for 6 hrs, 26p standard rate for the other hrs and 15p export at all times.. my total energy bill averages around £60 / month, but I also earn about £800 p.a. in export and FIT payments. So costing me zero over the year, not bad considering we also run two EVs but it has cost several thousand in equipment. Mind you the solar panels have just about paid for themselves after 10 years.

 

[Tangoed Man]

I started with solar and battery.

Then it made sense to get an EV to use the surplus summer electricity. So I got the wall charger by the same company as the solar inverter and battery so it would all work seamlessly together.

Looking forward to getting a heat pump as well, but wife is hesitant.


About £13,400 was the cost for our solar (16 panels), battery and car charger (plus backup power facility). A lot of money but it will pay back in about 9 years depending where energy prices go. Solar panels last at least 25 years so you'll get the money back.

Would it increase the value of your house to have them?

Here's a coincidence - Garydoessolar has just released a video on how to calculate future solar savings:

But you NEVER get the money 'back'. Stop treating like a lump sum investment - where you DO get the money back. The money saved each year is about the return on a good private investment fund, but at least at the end of that you get back the capital on top.

 

[mikgle]

But you NEVER get the money 'back'. Stop treating like a lump sum investment - where you DO get the money back. The money saved each year is about the return on a good private investment fund, but at least at the end of that you get back the capital on top.

Not necessarily, you are taking a risk on the stock market and you may not get back what you put in. However the sun always shines. In addition I have significantly reduced my contribution towards climate change and pollution.. not sure what cost you put on people's lives but there you are!

 

[mikgle]

And if you REALLY wanted a good return then don't buy (or sell) the car and get an electric bike!

 

[salty]

Nope, you can’t see location on a phone screen.

You can, if you press his, forum name. I only use me phone. Simple's.

 

[mikgle]

Not necessarily, you are taking a risk on the stock market and you may not get back what you put in. However the sun always shines. In addition I have significantly reduced my contribution towards climate change and pollution.. not sure what cost you put on people's lives but there you are!

And i AM getting my money back, at an annualised rate of about 10.8%. This will increase as electricity prices increase.
I haven't even included the savings im getting from running an ev as opposed to a fossil fuelled car but you can add a further 10% return on that too. How much do you get back by buying fossil fuel for your energy and transport from the big oil companies? Nothing, only pollution.. and its costing a fortune, in more ways than one.
We all have a choice in how we spend our money, I've chosen one way others will choose another, each to their own.

 

[Everest]

Really? We’re in August already, surely the sunnier days will be reducing and daylight hours reducing as we head towards Autumn?

LOL.. @decrep's Location: Mandurah Western Australia....

I did say "And you can look forward to longer, sunnier days over the coming months too, unlike most of us!" You didn't think me with all my solar panels would get that wrong, did you

Edited to add, IIRC you can see location on mobile in landscape format.

 

[Everest]

But you NEVER get the money 'back'. Stop treating like a lump sum investment - where you DO get the money back. The money saved each year is about the return on a good private investment fund, but at least at the end of that you get back the capital on top.

Not again

Post in thread 'Bad month for solar generation'

Jan 6, 2025

You have no ROI because you do not get back the lump sum invested. The costs are still about £500/year plus the amortised capital write off plus inverter replacements.

I disagree. ROI = Net Investment Gain/Cost of Investment x 100. My Net Investment Gain (money not spent on buying power) is approx 0.25 of the Cost of Investment, per annum, taking into account interest lost on capital.

Degradation will almost certainly be more than than 0.5% per year.

What is your reference for that? It doesn't concur with my experiences & observations and not from top-tier panel...

• Everest

 

[johnb80]

You can, if you press his, forum name. I only use me phone. Simple's.

Every day a school day, thanks for that.

 

[johnb80]

But you NEVER get the money 'back'.

But you do in effect, and you still have the hardware. I will reach that point in around another 2 months. After that, it will be an excellent ROI.

Stop treating like a lump sum investment - where you DO get the money back.

NO, I will view it however I want.

The money saved each year is about the return on a good private investment fund, but at least at the end of that you get back the capital on top.

You hope, just wait until Rachael Reeves gets her mits on it. How can you say the amount saved each year is around the same as the return on a private investment, mine is certainly better than that.

So, from my point of view, solar and battery is a great investment and you DO get your money back, in my case, under 6 years.

 

[decrep]

What do you use to charge the car?

It's an iStore charger, not quite integrated into the system yet, apparently the istore guys are still working on the interface.

 

[decrep]

Excellent And you can look forward to longer, sunnier days over the coming months too, unlike most of us!

It's not just longer sunnier days, As the sun angle changes to more overhead, the after noon shade from the neighbours trees, will no longer reach the panels. This should make a huge difference as most of our panels are on the West facing roof.
We should be able to run the A/C all arvo and into the evening on solar.

 

[Archev]

It's not just longer sunnier days, As the sun angle changes to more overhead, the after noon shade from the neighbours trees, will no longer reach the panels. This should make a huge difference as most of our panels are on the West facing roof.
We should be able to run the A/C all arvo and into the evening on solar.

Just apply that old mathematical formula
A/C +C/S=A/C+++.
(where C/S = chainsaw)

 

[decrep]

unfortunately there's heavy fines here for doing that sort of thing. We're very limited on what we can do on our on block, let alone elsewhere.