Solar PV Hints, Tips & Troubleshooting

irishchris

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764074#Comment_117764074

Jeez since joining flogas for electricity there have been nothing but price rises. 8.5% in march then 12.5% in June, now 18% 2 months later! This is increases for both electricity units and also standing charge. So in essence in last 5 months their electricity rates have gone up 39%!!

It's a flippin joke and questions have to be asked of the regulators incompetence in this regard.

I'm just glad I have gone big on solar and will go more so now at these continued increases. I get that wholesale prices are going up but really...39% in 5 months. So the cheap rate I signed up to is now more expensive than the most expensive smart meter rates. I will be leaving this contract and switching over to bord gais smart meter free Sunday plan as even with their increases their night rate will be nearly half of the 24hour flogas rate whilst their day rate will also be 25% cheaper than Flo new rate. This is before you add in the Sunday hours of free electricity and battery charging time that day too.

Rant over

worlds goodest teecher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117763527#Comment_117763527

So what is a decent rate these days and from whom? I am in contract on a 24hr tariff at 18.19 incl vat (this is a recent increased price despite being in a contract). As I have PV, but no battery I feel that a day/night meter is the way to go, but only on the right tariff. I compared this with Bonders offers and didn't think that it was "scandalous".

worlds goodest teecher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764493#Comment_117764493

Correct me if I am wrong, I am not an expert, but I was told that you needed the smart meter in order to measure what you are putting back on the grid.

worlds goodest teecher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117764677#Comment_117764677

My supplier told me that there were two types of Smart Meter. 24 hr and day & night, they had two different tariffs.

worlds goodest teecher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765299#Comment_117765299

They told me something different this morning. They told me that the Smart Meter had the capability to switch between day and night. My head is spinning.

KCross

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765598#Comment_117765598

There is only one smart meter really. It gathers your usage data (in 15-30min intervals) and sends it back to HQ for billing. Its then up to the providers how they aggregate that data up and bill you for it.

For the initial roll out of the smart meters the providers only supported a 24hr tariff eventhough they had the data to implement a day/night tariff.

As we move forward here every provider should be offering an option of at least a 24hr tariff and a day/night/peak tariff.

Under the hood though, all the smart meters are the same. Supporting the various tariffs is nothing to do with the smart meter itself... its the backend billing systems that the providers have that determine the tariffs that are provided. All the smart meter knows how to do is record your usage (import and export) and send it to HQ for processing.

worlds goodest teecher

Thanks.

I know it looks like we are getting off topic here but my query was about grid tied solar pv and the best meter to have, just incase anyone was wondering.

worlds goodest teecher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117765756#Comment_117765756

ESB Networks landed yesterday to install day/night meter, two days after requesting it. I asked him if he has smart meter with him, he did. Had that installed instead. He was honest with me and said that they really don't know a lot about them yet. In his opinion the day/night/peak was only a gimmick. It is up to the provider what tariffs that they are offering. I hope the very least that comes out of this is that we don't lose out by going with the smart meter. If the PV is covering our daytime usage it may be worthwhile changing to day/night/peak and but zappi on timer for night, but it may not either. Come the winter the pv will not be producing much at peak time.

DrPhilG

I'm preparing to barricade the doors to keep the smart meters out...

SD_DRACULA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776316#Comment_117776316

No need you can turn it down apparently.

Did your new battery ever get past 30% this month? 🤣

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776588#Comment_117776588

Put nearly 10kWh into it today so far.

SD_DRACULA

🤬 Dublin so...

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776779#Comment_117776779

Lol, not often sunny Donegal wins that battle.

SD_DRACULA

Haven't seen the sun in 7 days straight, just came out about 5 mins ago 😁

On the plus side 100% usage and no export either

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117776758#Comment_117776758

10.8 so far today with 3.24kw

MAULBROOK

Power cut at the moment so I got the finger out and wired in the back up to a socket.

Happy day running of battery power, it only took 2 years for me to bother my arse.

No problem boiling a kettle with the BYD batteries. now the 7kw of storage is paying off.

The than talking to the wife.

Now how long will be till I wire in a proper indoor socket for it, god only knows.

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777488#Comment_117777488

What inverter is it?

MAULBROOK

Solis 5kw same as yourself if I remember rightly

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777547#Comment_117777547

Yeah same one.

Is wiring up the backup easy? I must do the same. I wouldn't need to run much off it, I'd be happy with the Internet, TV and sky box lol.

SD_DRACULA

It's literally just wiring a socket at one end and the other end goes into the AC backup port on the inverter if I recall

MAULBROOK

If you can wire a plug then its away you go.

The plug under the inverter is tricky to get off. You will need a small screwdriver to gently push back a tab on the plug and then pull it out. Push in the two gray tabs on the side of the plug and it should come apart.

NobodyImportant

Hi,

Having a Hybrid PV Solar installed soon with a 5kw battery. During the darker months, is it possible to set it up to charge during the night from the cheaper night rate and discharge during the morning? Or am i mixing up products here? Its a Solis hybrid invertor.

Thanks,

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117802660#Comment_117802660

I did it last year and it worked out very well. I have an extra 3.5kw on the way so I will be up to 10kw storage for the coming winter.

Get your installer to talk you through it. AND TAKE NOTES

bullit_dodger

I don't have one, but I'd imagine most (all?) inverters support this model of charging at night with the cheap rate, and then using it during the day, when the rate is higher.

usservice.ginlong.com/support/solutions/articles/36000245193-11-of-20-time-charging-mode

Most of the time (8-9 months of the year) it's fairly obvious.

In summer months.... you want to fill your empty battery from the solar panels during the day - not from the night rate. And in the dark of winter it's also fairly obvious that.... you want to fill your batter from the night rate, as there will be little no/sun.

Where it gets "tricky" to decide is in the months like (say) October, where you might be able to fill your battery from the panels if it's a nice sunny day, but the next day you may get little from the sun, so you would be better off using the battery with night rate. For this you need to either decide to just grab the night rate from (say) Nov1 to March 1st, or get more sophisticated by either looking manually or building automation around the forecasts from Met Eireann.

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117802834#Comment_117802834

Lets keep this one simple, from Nov to March is grand. Set it and forget it.

bullit_dodger

Nothing wrong with that - nor is there anything wrong with improving things, but yeah, before you say it.....it's very marginal improvement.

SD_DRACULA

Anyone know if you can get a day/night meter if already on smart one?

I assume it is a no but the smart tariffs are major garbage and FIT won't happen for some time if at all so the smart meter is absolutely pointless.

Should have went for day/night instead :(

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803598#Comment_117803598

You can always try!

millb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117803598#Comment_117803598

The Smart Meter supports all tariffs. Day / Night would be a tariff set by a supplier. They will have variations like weekend, peak hours, off peak and v cheap (Eg 2 to 4am) . Old meters will be phased out.

MAULBROOK

We have to drop the SMART in meter if you cant. Smart meters have just started and its confusion central.

Make the call and find out is my only piss poor suggestion.