Grid Connected PV Solar

Smashee

Hiya,

I'm just wondering if anyone has installed a grid connected PV Solar Electricity system in their home? I've read that they're expensive to intall and have read a few posts that say that the energy created doesn't balance out this cost but I'd really love to hear from someone who has actual experience with them.

With a bit of help from Uncle Google, I found a company in Cork who has installed this product in homes in Ireland so there must be someone out there who can share their experiences!?!

Thanks a mill guys

heinbloed

I checked the issue for Irland myself since I'm interested as well.There is no renumeration for electricity fed into the grid by small scale producer, Ireland being the only country in the EU putting the largescale producers under absolute state's protection.The EU directive demands the oposite. Our recently promoted head of the SEI did everything to stop this EU directive becoming Irish law.He was worth the money.The input in financial terms into ANY small scale electricity production is therefore not viable, there won't be any amortisation in financial terms.No pay-back time will ever be achieved. Seen from the enviroment point of view i.e.how much dirty grit energy is saved(replaced) compared to the energy needed to install a PV device this ratio is 1:4. For each kWh invested into PV about 4 kWh can be fed into the grid.At the moment.With productivity increasing/prices(grey energy!) for PV power going down year after year this ratio will become better.For medium to large scale PV power plants investment costs are about €3,500 per kWp (kilo Watt potential= 1 kW generated under optimum situation).For private installations (ca.1kWp) the costs are around €4,500 . There is no sign from the official SEI that the situation here in Ireland will change.I got that it writing two weeks ago.Energy supply (and energy conservation as well) is a Mafia bussiness.Politic and policies are made to satisfy vested interests and the vested players are making sure they have the right decision-makers in the job. All it would need is a signature by the minister:"ESB Network must guarantee equal entrance to the grid for every electricity producer.Signed...". This is how it is done in other countries. Renumeration for connection costs and for kWhours will have to be payed by the gridowners, their costs re-imbursed to them by charging the polluters/CO2 and nuclear radiation emittors.It's as simple as that.Third world countries like Morocco are implementing this very sucessfull system. According to the IEA (payed with Irish taxpayer's money for their expertise!) this is the only profen sucessfull system (tested in Germany and other countries sucessfully since 10 years or more) to get the change to renewable energy fully done in time.

Smashee

Thanks for your comments. Jeez, that's totally mental ... you'd think with the Greens voted into government this year that they would've put systems in place for this to change. I think it's ridiculous that there's an opportunity to power your home naturally without the use of fossils and it all comes down to politics. Sad.

I just have one more question. I'd be looking to install this system as a power source for geothermal. Maybe I'm looking at this too simply but let's say the cost of installing the PV system is in or around €4000 (not sure if I'm being overly optimistic?!) and this system creates free energy to power my heating and hot water system. I've read a post that says it would take 71 years to be renumerated but I'm confused. If your ESB bill is €400-€500 (I've even read one post that said it was €700) in the winter months with geothermal ... let's say that's 2 bills ('cos they're every 2 months or so) @ €500 and let's add in another €500 for the rest of the year that's a total annual ESB spend of €1500 ... so would you not break-even on the ESB versus PV in about 2-3 years? Tell me if I've gone completely off the wall with this 'cos I'm confused!

heinbloed

Why do you think "the greens" are responsible for your behaviour?You're an adult person and therefore responsible for what you do.Unless a court has declared you mentally unfit....(smiley).Seriously:A PV generation of electricity should be used imideatly, not being stored. As all electricity. Storage losses are enormous, depending on the method (battery?) and the efficiency of transmission these can be easily 50%within 24 hours. This has to be taken into the account as well.Pumping water power plants are considered efficient when losing only of 70%!The battery has a limited lifetime, energy cost will ocure when replacing and recycling it.Heatpumps work 24 hours a day when used efficiently but in winter, how efficient will a PV source be then,when combined with a heatpump?A PV plant is though a very efficient source of energy when running the pump of a solar thermal installation. When the sun shines it has a job to do.And when the sun doesn't shine it has nothing to do anyhow. Avoiding the usage of dirty peak hour electricity.Avoiding thermal sensors and avoiding a grid connection , fuses, expensive external cables etc, electrician wages,..The company AMK (Switzerland) is selling these systems, they were developed by EU21. I'm using one myself, it is extremly efficient. PV is next to nuclear and fossile fuel the most expensive form of electricity generation. Don't waste it.

mrhappy42

Smashee wrote: »

I just have one more question. I'd be looking to install this system as a power source for geothermal. Maybe I'm looking at this too simply but let's say the cost of installing the PV system is in or around €4000 (not sure if I'm being overly optimistic?!) and this system creates free energy to power my heating and hot water system. I've read a post that says it would take 71 years to be renumerated but I'm confused. If your ESB bill is €400-€500 (I've even read one post that said it was €700) in the winter months with geothermal ... let's say that's 2 bills ('cos they're every 2 months or so) @ €500 and let's add in another €500 for the rest of the year that's a total annual ESB spend of €1500 ... so would you not break-even on the ESB versus PV in about 2-3 years? Tell me if I've gone completely off the wall with this 'cos I'm confused!

I would like to this for the same reason, i.e generate just enough to drive the geothermal system. I don't want a windmill. What options exists and is the payback then not 4 years like stated above?

No6

Smashee wrote: »

Thanks for your comments. Jeez, that's totally mental ... you'd think with the Greens voted into government this year that they would've put systems in place for this to change. I think it's ridiculous that there's an opportunity to power your home naturally without the use of fossils and it all comes down to politics. Sad.

I just have one more question. I'd be looking to install this system as a power source for geothermal. Maybe I'm looking at this too simply but let's say the cost of installing the PV system is in or around €4000 (not sure if I'm being overly optimistic?!) and this system creates free energy to power my heating and hot water system. I've read a post that says it would take 71 years to be renumerated but I'm confused. If your ESB bill is €400-€500 (I've even read one post that said it was €700) in the winter months with geothermal ... let's say that's 2 bills ('cos they're every 2 months or so) @ €500 and let's add in another €500 for the rest of the year that's a total annual ESB spend of €1500 ... so would you not break-even on the ESB versus PV in about 2-3 years? Tell me if I've gone completely off the wall with this 'cos I'm confused!

Definately over optimistic I think, I asked a supplier of solar PV for the approximate cost of an installation for a house at the energy show earlier in the year and I was happily informed it was around 15K

heinbloed

To No6:Maybe you have asked him what he likes to sell to you?Make sure you know what you want.