Solar panels or stick to overnite cheap rate

[Mike01Hu]

Hi again all.
Seems soon we will be able to get a £0.60p per hour saving on our electricity bill when charging the car overnite ( So Energy)
We are likely to do 8,000/10,000 a year maximum.
We have a Zappi 2, 7A charger
Prior to getting the car had considered some minimal solar charging to top up during the day.
Any thoughts on the minimum charge/ solar panels I could use to make it worthwhile, or stick to low eV charge rate

Solar only makes sense if you also have battery storage with it. If you charge during daylight on a very bright day, the max you will get will be about 90% of your solar panel rating and, depending on your solar inverter, you may still use grid power to cover what your inverter can't deliver. My inverter can deliver 5kW from the panels and storage batteries, but the car uses 7kW so the extra 2kW comes from the grid, so I'd suffer the daytime tariff. I charge overnight where the inverter delivers its maximum from the battery storage and the rest comes from the grid at the nighttime tariff. I have Zappi plus 4kW panels and 18.2kWh of storage. The 18.2 is reduced to about 14kWh to maximise battery life. Smarter systems can use only what the panels and storage can deliver and not use the grid or you could have an off-grid solar system. If you've got a large roof area, you can fit more panels. Remember, the winter months from mid-October to mid-March are poor for solar energy and overnight charging is best; of course, if you have battery storage, you can charge those too and save energy for daytime purposes.

 

[MikeN]

With Utility Warehouse, apart from the initial cock up where they changed over the billing but forgot to change the metering, am happy with my 8.6p overnight rate.
Especially as I can run my dishwasher, washer, and tumble dryer overnight as well. Also shower if I get up early enough.

 

[Rabmc]

Hi again all.
Seems soon we will be able to get a £0.60p per hour saving on our electricity bill when charging the car overnite ( So Energy)
We are likely to do 8,000/10,000 a year maximum.
We have a Zappi 2, 7A charger
Prior to getting the car had considered some minimal solar charging to top up during the day.
Any thoughts on the minimum charge/ solar panels I could use to make it worthwhile, or stick to low eV charge rate

I've got 16 solar panels, about 3.6kw output, and they can charge my 44.5kw ZS at approx 7mph from the Granny charger when the sun is strong and in the right position. But won't take type 2 7kw. Although the panels can run the house during the day in summer they don't do as well in dull winter weather. They are a good long term investment but if it's just to charge your car the £5000+ cost is a bit steep

 

[Spinynorman]

I’m with the 8 legged beast for my home energy so would it make sense for me to get the charger installed by them and use one of their tariffs as well
already on current spec smart meters as they were installed in March

I did this - around January 2022. Cost was par for the course @ £799 but they had a few problems with their sub-contractors. The first one was fine - just the install of an isolator but had problems at the 100A fuse end. - eventually completed it and went. When the Zappi installer came, he managed to get the outside install done but when fixing to the mains had a short in the fuse connection - left me to get the network guys in to fix it, who TBH came very quickly @ 22:00 on the day and said it was just a loose connection. Octo then had problems getting another contractor in but it was eventually fixed to my satisfaction and worked first time. So only 7/10 for them overall I’m afraid…

 

[Spinynorman]

Solar only makes sense if you also have battery storage with it. If you charge during daylight on a very bright day, the max you will get will be about 90% of your solar panel rating and, depending on your solar inverter, you may still use grid power to cover what your inverter can't deliver. My inverter can deliver 5kW from the panels and storage batteries, but the car uses 7kW so the extra 2kW comes from the grid, so I'd suffer the daytime tariff. I charge overnight where the inverter delivers its maximum from the battery storage and the rest comes from the grid at the nighttime tariff. I have Zappi plus 4kW panels and 18.2kWh of storage. The 18.2 is reduced to about 14kWh to maximise battery life. Smarter systems can use only what the panels and storage can deliver and not use the grid or you could have an off-grid solar system. If you've got a large roof area, you can fit more panels. Remember, the winter months from mid-October to mid-March are poor for solar energy and overnight charging is best; of course, if you have battery storage, you can charge those too and save energy for daytime purposes.

Yeah that’s my next step to get a PV + Battery set up as the VAT would be favourable if bought together. I work from home now for the forseeable future so makes sense. Problem is demand is high now and prices due to go ballistic…

 

[GeoffJ]

Hi again all.
Seems soon we will be able to get a £0.60p per hour saving on our electricity bill when charging the car overnite ( So Energy)
We are likely to do 8,000/10,000 a year maximum.
We have a Zappi 2, 7A charger
Prior to getting the car had considered some minimal solar charging to top up during the day.
Any thoughts on the minimum charge/ solar panels I could use to make it worthwhile, or stick to low eV charge rate

I have 16 solar panels (maximum 4Kwh but typically the max I get is 3-3.5Kwh). One point to bear in mind is that unless you have a device that will limit the charge being consumed to the maximum being generated by the panels at the time, the excess amount will be charged at your normal electricity supplier's rate. I normally use the free PodPoint chargers at my local Tesco (about a 5 minute walk from home). I had the solar panels installed long before I bought my MG5 and occasionally top up or balance the cells when the sun is shining but otherwise use the Tesco chargers. I doubt it would be cost effective to install solar panels just to charge your MG, but you may be able to make a case for installing solar panels to reduce electricity taken from the grid for your whole household.

 

[Fokmg]

One advantage about having solar panels is whatever the B******* throw at us you are able to charge your car at a reduced rate beteween the months of February to October. This month I have been running on free power for 80% of the time.
Like Evs. solar power systems have improved and reduced in price over the last 10 years and the more people who have solar power system the less dependant we are on oil and gas.
If any government had balls they would make it a condition of planning to install such systems on all large warehouses and new builds?
I accept that we need sun but even in wet Wales my small system generates 3.6 M.watts every year.
Wind is also helping and with a bit of battery storage we have a chance of making a lot of our power needs.
I accept times are very hard but it is the lack of control of energy sources that is one of the main causes of our current situation? But difficult times sometimes focus the mind and imagination.

 

[Tim Falkiner]

Is the money back thing with So a fixed amount. If you shifted your dishwasher or washing machine to the night slot you wouldn't save any more but with another supplier all your overnight use is at a lower rate.
We are getting solar panels and batteries in August.

Just one thing about the battery, I understand it is not a good idea to use it for charging your car if you can help it as it cycles the battery. See 15:44 Solar Batteries 101, Part 3: Owning A Battery System

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

My overnight rate - which goes from midnight to 8am - costs me 0.11€ plus vat and does pretty-much all I need.

My EV consumption works out to 14 kw per 100 kms.

Oh to be in France or Belgium! My relatives in Antwerp get off peak elec from 9pm till 7am and all weekend. My pathetic Ecotricity offers midnight till 7. Your stated Kw per 100m is pretty amazing - equiv to almost 4.5m/Kwh. I have had above 4 but on Fr motorway driving in early June we hit a sustained headwind from Antwerp through Lille and down into the Pas de Calais. 3m/Kwh. We also 'discovered' that despite a charging borne (terminal) in Montreuil sur Mer rated at 24Kw the MG is limited to 7 because it cannot use 3 phase. That means that it's got to be the 50+Kw DC chargers on the motorways in France for serious replenishment.

 

[Jonny M]

I've got solar panels, I get paid 58p kwh production, British gas charge for electricity used is 27p kwh, so I just charge my HS Exclusive from the mains in the day.

 

[FrankHedrix]

My overnight rate - which goes from midnight to 8am - costs me 0.11€ plus vat and does pretty-much all I need.

My EV consumption works out to 14 kw per 100 kms.

EDF tempo ?