Anyone with Solar PV ?

A friend of mine is considering it.

So can you answer a few questions.

1 How many kwP have you installed, and how much to get installed and when was it installed ?

2 what's your daily household consumption ?

3 how much have you exported ?

4 How many kwh a year do you generate ? surely you keep track ?

5 Are you getting the feed-in-tariff and how much is it ?

6 are you glad you got it ? and why did you get it ?

7 does it work for you ?

Thanks

Anyone ?

2011

It is quite rare to see PV panels used in Ireland due to a number of factors including:

1) Very large capital cost.
2) Pay back - in general it will take a very, very long time (if ever) to break even
3) Recession.
4) AFAIK the rate for the feed in tariff is poor compared to other countries such as Germany.

2011

2011 wrote: »

It is quite rare to see PV panels used in Ireland due to a number of factors including:

1) Very large capital cost.
2) Pay back - in general it will take a very, very long time (if ever) to break even
3) Recession.
4) AFAIK the rate for the feed in tariff is poor compared to other countries such as Germany.

Depends on how much electricity you use.

Even a 3 kwp system has huge potential, in winter you might generate 2-3 kw/h per day, however in summer this could be as high as 20-30 kwh per day and including the feed in tariff.

Solar is a lot cheaper installed than wind.

Energy prices are going up, we were promised reduced energy bills with wind energy but that's now proved they were lying as they are companies and their only interest is sheer profit and the more profit the better.

My partners parents in Germany have 13kwp and can generate up to 70 kwh a day in good conditions which is enough for electric driving range of 250 miles.

They send all the excess to the grid and buy it back in the winter for the storage heating.

It will be interesting to see how it works out for them. The feed in tariff is a lot higher though about 4 times higher there but they pay a lot more for electricity.

They paid 20K to have it installed for 13 kwp.

2011

Deleted User wrote: »

Depends on how much electricity you use.

Even a 3 kwp system has huge potential, in winter you might generate 2-3 kw/h per day, however in summer this could be as high as 20-30 kwh per day and including the feed in tariff.

Solar is a lot cheaper installed than wind.

Energy prices are going up, we were promised reduced energy bills with wind energy but that's now proved they were lying as they are companies and their only interest is sheer profit and the more profit the better.

My partners parents in Germany have 13kwp and can generate up to 70 kwh a day in good conditions which is enough for electric driving range of 250 miles.

They send all the excess to the grid and buy it back in the winter for the storage heating.

It will be interesting to see how it works out for them. The feed in tariff is a lot higher though about 4 times higher there but they pay a lot more for electricity.

They paid 20K to have it installed for 13 kwp.

If it is such a good deal why do you think that it has not caught on (for domestic installations) here?

I would expect that the capital cost in Germany is far less, and as I pointed out the Germans are offered a far better feed in rate. Therefore it makes far much more sense in Germany.

If I had €20k to spend on making my Irish home more efficient I certainly would not spend it on PV panels, and I don't think I am alone.

BrianDug

As 2011 has said it is not a good idea financially, I performed a study in the past and the payback was negative.

2011

2011 wrote: »

If it is such a good deal why do you think that it has not caught on (for domestic installations) here?

I would expect that the capital cost in Germany is far less, and as I pointed out the Germans are offered a far better feed in rate. Therefore it makes far much more sense in Germany.

If I had €20k to spend on making my Irish home more efficient I certainly would not spend it on PV panels, and I don't think I am alone.

Indeed, I tried to convince them when they were renovating the house to spend the money on insulation, ie external insulation. But I think he thinks he's make a profit, well and good if they do.

However I do believe most Irish people believe that solar pv just won't work here, and I'm not convinced (yet ) that it won't.

We spend about 500-550 a year in electricity which isn't enough to justify the jump. However I would like if I could generate enough surplus in summer to cover the cost of storage heating in winter.

Wind turbine installation is extortionately high in Ireland. You're talking 15K for a 3kw turbine, though that could generate a lot of energy more than solar. A hybrid system of wind and solar would be best.

Outkast_IRE

Lot more clear sky in many parts of Germany too in comparison to the cloudy conditions we get quite often for long periods, makes a difference to solar.

Yes, clear skies help but I still wouldn't write off solar pv for Ireland.

wait4me

I saw this baby in Malmo last week. Its called the Giraffe Not cheap either!

2011

Deleted User wrote: »

Yes, clear skies help but I still wouldn't write off solar pv for Ireland.

I think you will have to unless it suddenly becomes far more financially viable

The numbers simply don't add up.

wait4me

wait4me wrote: »

I saw this baby in Malmo last week. Its called the Giraffe Not cheap either!

No certainly not cheap, 6000kwh a year is not bad.

2011

2011 wrote: »

I think you will have to unless it suddenly becomes far more financially viable

The numbers simply don't add up.

What's a 3kwp set up installed for these days ?

At my consumption it wouldn't be worth it. I use about 2400 kwh per year. average 6.5kwh per day.

2011

Deleted User wrote: »

No certainly not cheap, 6000kwh a year is not bad.

Not bad, it's terrible.

Even at €0.20 per unit it is only €1,200 per year.
I would also imagine that 6,000 units is more aspirational than realistic.

That's 2.5 times my yearly needs, or do you mean the cost to buy compared to kwh generated ?

How many kw was the Giraffe anyway ?

2011

Deleted User wrote: »

do you mean the cost to buy compared to kwh generated ?

Yes

minzabud

Not really relative but in working as a solar installer in Australia doing commercial and domestic installations, mostly 5kw on houses, the cost of materials has dropped dramatically in the last year almost half of what it was, German manufacturers getting modules made in Asia now, 6k will get you a 5kw system over here, almost half the cost of 2 years ago and modules are more efficient now at 250w each.

Yeah 40K is mad, I wonder what a 3 kwp solar set up would cost installed here ?

Wind turbine installations are mental expensive in Ireland. Though the cost of energy is rising and if you can heat your house with the turbine covering most of the cost, I suppose it pays for itself over 15 years then after that your energy costs would be very little.

minzabud

minzabud wrote: »

6k will get you a 5kw system over here, almost half the cost of 2 years ago and modules are more efficient now at 250w each.

The cost has dropped a lot, but Ireland is a rip off and getting contractors to do proper quality jobs at reasonable costs is very difficult.

No one has told me yet what a 3 kwp or 5kw p would cost installed in Ireland, at 6 grand it would be a no brainer.

dathi

northern company on done deal selling 2kw system for 3500 sterling

peter65

After a lot of searching I just got my 6.5kwp installed 2 weeks ago. Very happy with the system so far, but worse time of the year to see returns. One thing I did learn was the amount of cowboys there are installing. It's scary how little I would need to do to become a supplier of the systems. Out of 8 companies that called only 3 actually made it into my house. The 'driveway interview' didn't go well for the other five. ROCK payments make a big difference to the pay back

Well done Peter.

What rate are you getting for excess to the grid ?

It will be interesting to know what you generate in a year so keep us posted.

Yeah there are so many cowboys out there, what problems did you encounter?

May I ask what the system cost ?

ted1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The cost has dropped a lot, but Ireland is a rip off and getting contractors to do proper quality jobs at reasonable costs is very difficult.

No one has told me yet what a 3 kwp or 5kw p would cost installed in Ireland, at 6 grand it would be a no brainer.

Why would you say that?
The payback period would be brutal.
Probably 20 years or so. The increase on duty on PV cells coming from china isn't going to help reduce the costs.


As regards installers there's not much to it, mount them facing the right direction, link them up and connect them to an inverter, they really are plug and play modular systems.

ted1

Peter , your up north right?
So will have very different REFIT than most people

Stoner

ted1 wrote: »

Why would you say that?
The payback period would be brutal.
Probably 20 years or so. The increase on duty on PV cells coming from china isn't going to help reduce the costs.


As regards installers there's not much to it, mount them facing the right direction, link them up and connect them to an inverter, they really are plug and play modular systems.

ted1 have you installed any in domestic applications, if so have you a link to the kit you used?

I'd prefer the heat pipe system myself, but a small PV system to drive the pump might be something that was cost effective if it could be run from a battery charged by PV, but once again i don't think this should be cost effective, but I'd rather use the power then sell it back and buy it back at a much higher rate.

[QUOTE=Stoner;88032350
I'd prefer the heat pipe system myself, but a small PV system to drive the pump might be something that was cost effective if it could be run from a battery charged by PV, but once again i don't think this should be cost effective, but I'd rather use the power then sell it back and buy it back at a much higher rate.[/QUOTE]

Do you mean solar hot water panels ?

I think solar PV has a lot more potential than hot water solar. At least the excess you can send to the grid, but you have more potential from PV.

In winter the heating heats the water, so you would take a long time to get a pay back.

Stoner

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Do you mean solar hot water panels ?

I think solar PV has a lot more potential than hot water solar. At least the excess you can send to the grid, but you have more potential from PV.

In winter the heating heats the water, so you would take a long time to get a pay back.

Heat pipes are quite efficient and used a lot here. You don't really get much back for the electricity you generate from PV. Using the energy at source is good IMO, but have you used a decent domestic PV kit ?

Stoner

Stoner wrote: »

Heat pipes are quite efficient and used a lot here. You don't really get much back for the electricity you generate from PV. Using the energy at source is good IMO, but have you used a decent domestic PV kit ?

Ah I get it "heat pipes" I thought we were talking about solar hot water panels that you usually see on the roof.

Heat pipes, as in geothermal ?

I've been in houses that have had it installed and they were unhappy with electricity bills being so high ?

maybe they are better today, or maybe the installer is the problem or both ?

NO I've not used a Solar PV system but solar pv dies work in Ireland. Maybe not as good as spain but over 20 years it would save a lot of money especially the more you use, for me with my 2000 average kwh yearly sage it may not be so good, but 2kwp over 20 years would make a big difference.

Energy prices are going one way and despite all the promises of wind energy making bills much cheaper bills are not going down.

For Ireland a hybrid system of solar pv and wind would be best.

Solar and wind can also power the geothermal system.

Don't forget you get paid for any excess you send to the grid.

If you generate only 500 watts over 6 hours in winter that = 3 kwh, that's just under half my daily average as calculated by the energy monitor. In summer that would be 7 kwh generated from just 500 watts being generated !

A 3 kwp system would have good potential 5kw much more.

ei9go

I suggest you have a look at this link

http://tramoreweathercam.com/weather/

This station has a device for measuring the amount of watts hitting the sensor.

Just checking now and the sky is clear but there is only 58 watts per square meter being detected.

If you watch you will see a peak between about 11 am and 2 pm and after that very little energy.

Solar PV is only practical when the government pays grants and subsidies which is why you see houses all over England covered with PV panels.

freddyuk

ei9go wrote: »

I suggest you have a look at this link

http://tramoreweathercam.com/weather/

This station has a device for measuring the amount of watts hitting the sensor.

Just checking now and the sky is clear but there is only 58 watts per square meter being detected.

If you watch you will see a peak between about 11 am and 2 pm and after that very little energy.

Solar PV is only practical when the government pays grants and subsidies which is why you see houses all over England covered with PV panels.

1. There is no sun so that is why there is very little solar radiation being measured. The fact it is seeing a small amount of watts proves the point that in very low light levels the solar system will still output some energy in the form of DC electricity. Multiply that by say 30 m2 for a 5kw system and you will have around 300 -400watts of free power which will keep many homes ticking over. Once the light levels rise then you can switch on the heavy loads.
2. Of course maximum energy will be seen between 11am - 2pm. On any day if conditions remain stable.
3. The UK is not exactly covered in Solar panels. Compared to Germany it is insignificant. I know that is not exactly what you said but the cash benefits are no longer a real attraction, it is more about investing now to inflation proof your energy bill. Companies are still investing in solar as the returns are attractive when you get free power and can offset the capital cost against your tax liabilities.

My partners parents generated in just under a year 11,000 kWh with a 13 kwp setup, I don't think that was bad, but he said it was a bad year for sun in their part of Germany.

As I said just 500 watts being generated has the potential to generate 3kwh in winter per day and 7 kWh per day in summer just form 500 watts, add to that a 1 kw wind turbine and you could find yourself outputting far more than you'll ever consume.

Question though how many kWh installed will give you 500 watts on even a cloudy day. ?

There are so many variables but still solar has good potential and outputting the excess to the grid earns you some money.

freddyuk

It is not kWh but kw installed. So 5kw installed will give you at full chat maybe 4.8kw mean. The problem is a cloudy day can be cloudy bright or cloudy dark and it is the amount of light getting through that counts. I would be disappointed if on the worst possible Irish dank dark day I was not getting 200-300w from 5kw. On a bright cloudy day that goes up of course to maybe 800 - 1kw. It is very subjective unless you measure the actual light level in w/m2.
I have a light meter but not the sophisticated data logging to correlate that information sadly.
Where you array is sited will have an affect too.

No I meant 500 watts generated from whatever kwp is installed.

What people need to concern themselves about mainly is the output for a year not the output on a few cloudy days, there are bright days too. And we got very long summer days.

If I had the space a turbine and solar would be best but wind turbine installations are outrageously expensive in Ireland. Though the output could be far greater.

You got to think long term.

freddyuk

Quote: Question though how many kWh installed will give you 500 watts on even a cloudy day. ?
Unquote.

This was your question???

I gave you an answer to that question...... and I corrected your terminology. If you give out the incorrect terminology you may be confusing the issue for people who are trying to learn how the solar works. I hope I have clarified a little bit.

freddyuk

freddyuk wrote: »

Quote: Question though how many kWh installed will give you 500 watts on even a cloudy day. ?
Unquote.

This was your question???

I gave you an answer to that question...... and I corrected your terminology. If you give out the incorrect terminology you may be confusing the issue for people who are trying to learn how the solar works. I hope I have clarified a little bit.

No you're right Freddy, I was confusing myself.

Still up to 1 kw on a cloudy day isn't bad, that's about 5-7 kWh a day, but it's the mix of cloud, sun and daylight over the year that matters.

It will be interesting to get your first years report so keep us posted.

Actually have you any data for say, yesterday ?

freddyuk

3kWh according to my wife. Also done 3 today so far but there has been a little brightness earlier.

That's not back at all, that's half my daily average, perhaps you'll get another kWh.

Be interesting what's generated in the year.

Best of luck with it anyway.

ted1

Stoner wrote: »

ted1 have you installed any in domestic applications, if so have you a link to the kit you used?

I'd prefer the heat pipe system myself, but a small PV system to drive the pump might be something that was cost effective if it could be run from a battery charged by PV, but once again i don't think this should be cost effective, but I'd rather use the power then sell it back and buy it back at a much higher rate.

No, not personally but I have studied installations and seen whats involved.
I'm just about finished a MSc in energy management solar was one of the modules we took.

Sorry Freddy, I mixed you up with peter who got his solar installed 2 weeks ago.

http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/cmaps/eu_cmsaf_opt/G_opt_IE.pdf

The site above calculated that a 1 kwp system installed in Ireland generate 900 kwh a year. So a 3 kwp would generate 27 kwh. My yearly needs are around 2372 kwh.

A 5 kwp system should generate around 4500 kwh, though this would be almost twice what I use/

What if I output the excess to the grid ? you see isn't the feed-in-tariff only 9c/kwh ?

So that means I am giving the ESB cheap energy for half what they charge me for it ?

If I had an electric car for instance I would send to the grid during the day, the excess, and buy back at night for about 9c/kwh which is about what they would pay me for the excess. So in that sense I would benefit a lot more. meaning it costs me nothing for what I buy back.

The ESB becomes your gigantic cheap battery.

So how would it fair out if you are not on night rate, ?

Doesn't that mean that what you generate in excess during the day you got to buy back for 9c/kwh ? so you loose, but it's better than nothing.

peter65

The biggest problems I found were
1) workmanship. Cowboys will just sit the tiles back onto the cables and frame brackets. I found only one firm who cut out the grove from the back of the tile just to make it fit back naturally. Sounds a simple thing to do but multiple it by 50/60 tiles and it adds on a day immediately. The firm I used took four days to fit and the owner had to come back as he wouldn't commission until he got a sunny day.
2) over estimated potential kwh that my system would produce - a bit of honest goes a long way and being told it'll produce x amount of kwh when the calculations shows that it physically can't really pissed me off. A lot of companies send sales people instead of installation men to potential costumers and that's a big mistake in HMO
3) quality of the frame- again less brackets = quicker installation time = more profit. Mine were fixed every 2nd rafter because of my exposed location. One company believed every 4th rafter would suffice.
4) quality of the inverter - this is the biggie. Get this wrong and the best system in the world will suffer

The panels didn't really bother me as a bit of research shows up the poor makes quite quickly. Companies were declaring that one day was enough to fit, install and commission my system. In this time of year thats max 7 hrs of daylight. Well I have seen the one day installation jobs and OMG.

My excess goes back at 5.5p not great but the firm installed a system that diverts the excess to my Emersion to heat my water. Works out a lot better.

I get 17.4 for each unit I produce. If i use every unit, I save another 14.4p that I would pay PowerNI. So I'm looking at about a 32p saving if I don't export to the grid.

I don't know a whole pile about these systems, but I know enough about what to avoid if that makes sense

peter65

I also have the a solar panel and wood pellet combo system which is now 7 years old and my fuel bill for 600L of hot water with underfloor heating is between 1100 - 1200 yearly. In 2006/7 my fuel bill on oil for 300L HW and heating was £2045. It's true, in winter their not doing much but I found that from about May onwards I can just heat the tank at 7am for 30 min and the panels will keep it topped up all day eeven if heating is needed

ted1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/cmaps/eu_cmsaf_opt/G_opt_IE.pdf

The site above calculated that a 1 kwp system installed in Ireland generate 900 kwh a year. So a 3 kwp would generate 27 kwh. My yearly needs are around 2372 kwh.

A 5 kwp system should generate around 4500 kwh, though this would be almost twice what I use/

What if I output the excess to the grid ? you see isn't the feed-in-tariff only 9c/kwh ?

So that means I am giving the ESB cheap energy for half what they charge me for it ?

If I had an electric car for instance I would send to the grid during the day, the excess, and buy back at night for about 9c/kwh which is about what they would pay me for the excess. So in that sense I would benefit a lot more. meaning it costs me nothing for what I buy back.

The ESB becomes your gigantic cheap battery.

So how would it fair out if you are not on night rate, ?

Doesn't that mean that what you generate in excess during the day you got to buy back for 9c/kwh ? so you loose, but it's better than nothing.

The max they will buy is 3000 kwh @ 9c.
That's 270 euro a year.

What's the true life span costs of PV, including the cost of upfront payment, maintenance, repair etc? What's the actual life span?
What's the real efficiency of PV?
What's your baseload, regardless of your yearly consumption, you need to see when your using it Vs when PV is at its best? You'll find you still need to import.

Why export at 9c and pay more per kwh? Why not dump it into a storage heater in the winter and into the immersion during the summer.

I've looked at studies and PV or micro wind in Ireland doesn't make economic sense, hence why it's not really promoted.

ted1

ted1 wrote: »

The max they will buy is 3000 kwh @ 9c.
That's 270 euro a year.

Wow ? is this for real ? this kind of makes the whole think pointless.

So in other words, they are ripping people off ? if they don't have to import oil and the person takes on all the installation of solar they turn around and have the cheek to offer an offensive half the price.

So if a 3kwp can provide just about my needs, it's hard to know how much of that I could actually use and how much i would have to pay if i'm giving them more for free.

ted1 wrote: »

What's the true life span costs of PV, including the cost of upfront payment, maintenance, repair etc? What's the actual life span?
What's the real efficiency of PV?
What's your baseload, regardless of your yearly consumption, you need to see when your using it Vs when PV is at its best? You'll find you still need to import.

The best panels today are up to 40% for commercial use but you and I get the 17% or so efficient, then there are losses in the inverter. However if it;s cheap enough it's not such an issue.

The system is maintenance free.

ted1 wrote: »

Why export at 9c and pay more per kwh? Why not dump it into a storage heater in the winter and into the immersion during the summer.

Yeah that would make more sense however in the winter you generate a lot less when you need more so not really something you can do, this is where a wind turbine would be better.

ted1 wrote: »

I've looked at studies and PV or micro wind in Ireland doesn't make economic sense, hence why it's not really promoted.

It's looking less likely, but it just seems really typical that the ESB can buy the electricity for half the price we pay for it if they don't have to generate it or pay for gas/oil etc.

There's no way in hell i'll export to them for free after my 3000 kwh would be used.

Renewable has a lot of potential in Ireland even solar not to mention helping to create jobs, and keeping some money in the country after the fact most of the materials come from outside the country.

They will pay full rate for commercial wind farm owners and screw the little guy, worst thing is we have to subsidise these wind farms and get nothing in return.

peter65

peter65 wrote: »

2) over estimated potential kwh that my system would produce - a bit of honest goes a long way and being told it'll produce x amount of kwh when the calculations shows that it physically can't really pissed me off.

How much were you told you'd generate per year ?

You only have the system recently installed so isn't it too early to know ?

IS what you were told you'd generate anything like the figures i posted above ?

freddyuk

peter65 wrote: »

The biggest problems I found were
1) workmanship. Cowboys will just sit the tiles back onto the cables and frame brackets. I found only one firm who cut out the grove from the back of the tile just to make it fit back naturally. Sounds a simple thing to do but multiple it by 50/60 tiles and it adds on a day immediately. The firm I used took four days to fit and the owner had to come back as he wouldn't commission until he got a sunny day.
2) over estimated potential kwh that my system would produce - a bit of honest goes a long way and being told it'll produce x amount of kwh when the calculations shows that it physically can't really pissed me off. A lot of companies send sales people instead of installation men to potential costumers and that's a big mistake in HMO
3) quality of the frame- again less brackets = quicker installation time = more profit. Mine were fixed every 2nd rafter because of my exposed location. One company believed every 4th rafter would suffice.
4) quality of the inverter - this is the biggie. Get this wrong and the best system in the world will suffer

The panels didn't really bother me as a bit of research shows up the poor makes quite quickly. Companies were declaring that one day was enough to fit, install and commission my system. In this time of year thats max 7 hrs of daylight. Well I have seen the one day installation jobs and OMG.

My excess goes back at 5.5p not great but the firm installed a system that diverts the excess to my Emersion to heat my water. Works out a lot better.

I get 17.4 for each unit I produce. If i use every unit, I save another 14.4p that I would pay PowerNI. So I'm looking at about a 32p saving if I don't export to the grid.

I don't know a whole pile about these systems, but I know enough about what to avoid if that makes sense

The MCS issue comprehensive guidelines for installing PV and any installer should be registered. I think that covers NI also. If the installer is not registered walk away. Saying that under the UK MCS scheme you can have one registered installer and sub contract 100 installers under you who are not registered thus you sign the certificates and the monkeys do a terrible job of installing. That is a farce. These are the ones employing salesman most often. If you ask to see previous jobs done by the firm then that is your best guarantee. There is no excuse for having a bad install. Do your homework.
Cutting nibs of the most common tiles takes a minute or two. A 5kw system will need about 36 fixings but manufacturers give the specifications. That will be a couple of hours to nib the tiles. Even handing them down to the ground. Taking the grinder up to the roof will cut the time down. Really this is not difficult to do. It is just easier not to do it if you really don't care.
All cables should be secured to the rails and not touching the roof to avoid chaffing in the wind. It takes a bit of time and scraped knuckles but it is worth doing.
No reason not to commission a system unless the weather is so dark the inverter will not fire up. You should have tested the panels already on the ground. Do the math and confirm everything is connected correctly by the output achieved. Again not difficult.

There are approved (and legally required in UK) standards for calculation. Use this to confirm the estimated output.
Salesman are there to sell on commission they will not be around in a year to face the consequences. Only talk to an installer.
Fixings are required by the manufacturers specifications - minimum 1m spacing.
Inverters are not that different as they all have to comply but backup and warranty is more important as they are the second most expensive bit of the kit. You will need to replace at least once.
Panels are pretty hard to assess without detailed knowledge so not sure how you assume this. Good suppliers will offer the panel test results but 99% of customers will never ever know or ask.
Your cash benefits are way above current English but you should not invest solely on cash benefits now the best deals have gone. Consider how you change your usage patterns to make best use of the free power and only export what you cannot use.
If you have a fully proportional immersion controller then you will have paid a lot of money for that so that needs to be included in the payback.
The most difficult part of a solar install is the design. Most companies these days use an online designer tool and have no clue about how the system works or how little issues affect the total output. One TV aeriel can wreck output calculations.
And don't dismiss a small business as these are often much better than the nationwide operators. Each job to a small business is a bridge to the next one.

ted1

In fairness commercial night rate can be as low as 4.7c so there buying it for less. All of a sudden your price if 9c is fairly expensive to them.
The words maintenance free scares me. Love to see what a few years if bird poop, hail stones, string winds, etc do to a panel.

https://www.electricireland.ie/ei/residential/price-plans/micro-generation-scheme.jsp

Even if the commercial night rate is less they will be buying a lot more than 3000 kwh. so that is completely out of balance.

peter65

I agree with Freddie about the smaller company. In The end the smallest firm provided the best product and service. The immersun controller allows me to run two units from the excess power (eg an Emersion or a storage heater). I can alternate between which I want as the primary unit. At the minute I have it set to the storage heater. The firm included it in their price. The design was critical because of my location. all manufactures have minimum requirements but every site is different. The minimum standards are usually set for ideal locations and conditions.

peter65

peter65 wrote: »

I agree with Freddie about the smaller company. In The end the smallest firm provided the best product and service. The immersun controller allows me to run two units from the excess power (eg an Emersion or a storage heater). I can alternate between which I want as the primary unit. At the minute I have it set to the storage heater. The firm included it in their price. The design was critical because of my location. all manufactures have minimum requirements but every site is different. The minimum standards are usually set for ideal locations and conditions.

Diversion to storage heating is fine but you'd have to generate a lot during the day to supply the storage heating, but I guess the point is using whatever you generate yourself.