Selling to the electrical grid

CIAN247

Ive been trying to find a few threads which will answers a few questions i have about selling electricity back to the national grid.

Firstly, what are the requirements?

Whats the minimum output you must have?
Can any particular form of renewable energy be used?
How much per unit will they pay?

Are many people doing this?

Thanks.

Cian.

Del2005

The SEAI has all your answers.

AFAIK they aren't buying electricity yet even thought it's all set up, read an article about it recently but can't remember where.

quentingargan

CIAN247 wrote: »

Ive been trying to find a few threads which will answers a few questions i have about selling electricity back to the national grid.

Firstly, what are the requirements?
The connection must be via an inverter which conforms to EN50438 with some country specific settings for Ireland. There are a few of these available for wind, PV and micro-hydro applicatoins

Whats the minimum output you must have?
There isn't a minimum, but the inverter will set you back over €1k so you need it to be worthwhile

Can any particular form of renewable energy be used?
I don't know about CHP but wind, solar and hydro are all OK

How much per unit will they pay?
The first 3,000 units exported to ESB in any one year get paid 19c per KwHr. Above that level it falls to 9c per KwHr.

Are many people doing this?
Last time I looked there were about 400 in total around the country. People I've worked with had no hassle with ESB. You apply initially giving the details of your inverter (look up microgeneration on the ESB website for the application form). If they don't respond within 2 weeks, that means you're good to go. When the system is intalled, you need the system signed off by a spark with RECI or equivalent. It may take a few months for ESB then to install the two way meter.

freddyuk

Actually they do write to you to confirm you can go ahead after you have completed the NC6 and provide them with the signed wiring installation confirmation from a qualified electrician.
What no one actually says is who is responsible for checking the EN50438 certification. My investigations revealed that it is up to the customer to NOT install any non conforming equipment. The installer /electrician is only obliged to sign off the wiring not the equipment. ESB have no brief to check certifications.
Quite a bizarre situation as it is down to the unqualified homeowner to be responsible for the equipment.(and the lives of contractors working on the grid system).
Unless anyone knows different?

quentingargan

freddyuk wrote: »

Actually they do write to you to confirm you can go ahead after you have completed the NC6 and provide them with the signed wiring installation confirmation from a qualified electrician.
What no one actually says is who is responsible for checking the EN50438 certification. My investigations revealed that it is up to the customer to NOT install any non conforming equipment. The installer /electrician is only obliged to sign off the wiring not the equipment. ESB have no brief to check certifications.
Quite a bizarre situation as it is down to the unqualified homeowner to be

I'd say it is an evolving situation. There are more bizarre things as well (see below). But the form does ask you the question; "Are interface protection settings as per Table 1 in “Conditions Governing the Connection and Operation of Micro-generation?" - They also ask for the model number of the inverter. Our application was the first for the type of inverter we were using, and they asked us for a copy of the test certificate. It may well be that once they have a cert for that inverter model, they don't ask again.

The national variations stipulate stricter than normal voltage and frequency limits - limits that Eirgrid doesn't always manage to match on the grid itself. In such a case, the inverter won't work because the grid is outside the limits that Eirgrid itself imposes on microgenerators:rolleyes:. It is worth monitoring your voltage and making sure it is within the limits.

freddyuk

Oh wonderful! That it something I had not considered.The Inverter model will not have been approved before mine so they definitely are not asking for certification. It will be an expensive investment if the grid does not keep their end of the bargain. We have had a lot of upgrading of the grid going on so i hope that this will not be an issue.
Thanks for the heads up on that though.

quentingargan

freddyuk wrote: »

Oh wonderful! That it something I had not considered.The Inverter model will not have been approved before mine so they definitely are not asking for certification. It will be an expensive investment if the grid does not keep their end of the bargain. We have had a lot of upgrading of the grid going on so i hope that this will not be an issue.
Thanks for the heads up on that though.

I heard of one case where the wind turbine installer found grid voltage at 260V. On that occasion, I was told that they were verbally given consent by Eirgrid to re-rate the inverter and remove the EN certification so that the turbine could be used. So it might not be the end of the world, but it does beg the question of why Ireland has its own national variations to the EN50438 standard. This puts an extra burdon on inverter suppliers and reduces market competition, because many inverter suppliers couldn't be bothered doing that for a market of 4m people.