Solar Panel EBS bill help.

chuckles1

Hi,

As part of a recent renovation, we got solar panels installed in April / May. The size of the array was 5.53kw (14 panels, with an inverter and 10kw battery).

I also get an esb bill for €400 for june / july based on actual readings (our first since builders left and we moved in in May. This seems very high. We have large house 3000sq ft but it's been A2 rated. Underfloor heating with a hear pump that's been off as well for the two months.

Does this sound right?

Thanks for any help.....

10-10-20

Hi! How many units were consumed over that period and what rates are you paying for those units per tarrif (ie day/night, smart metered with three tariffs...)?

TerraSolis

This sounds very high but is definitely possible on a consumption basis. It's also equally possible that there's something amiss with your Solar + Battery System - for example a CT clamp flipped the wrong way around. Does your system have an app or display of the energy flows to/from grid and the battery etc. that you can share pictures of?

Do you charge any electric vehicles?

Electric Aga?

Is your heat-pump heating your hot water as well as the heating or do you use an immersion?

chuckles1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038125#Comment_121038125

992 units @ 39.7c

chuckles1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038293#Comment_121038293

Have an electric car but only just got so not a factor, as only charged up once so far

heat pump doing the hot water

no electric aga, just standard double oven (hardly being on) and induction hob....

chuckles1

Also, so far in august the panels have generated 271kw.....that sound low as well, they are on a south west facing roof.....?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038377#Comment_121038377

I'm at 150kWh in August and I have 1.9kW of installed panels with shading. I'd have expected you to be around 600kW or there abouts.

10-10-20

What is your inverter saying about the battery? Do you see it discharging during the night and morning? Does it fill up at all?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038342#Comment_121038342

That works out to be about €393 so assuming your meter isn’t counting inaccurately the usage is probably correct.

its prob too early to tell if the panels are working effectively or not just yet since it’s just one billing cycle since installation (and they were installed sort of midway through).

If you don’t see any noticeable difference in cost (or it continues to rise) I’d have the contractors and/or the ESB out for a looksy.

jkforde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038377#Comment_121038377

this seems low, unless you've known bad shading on the panels, but I'd try & get the solar contractor in to check everything. btw, do you not have night rate to charge the battery at night?

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038377#Comment_121038377

August hasn't been great. I have 704.88kwh this month (up until today) from a 7.4kwp south-facing array. I did 1.2mwh last August for context. When you say your bill was €400 for June/ July - are you talking about a 60-day approx billing cycle? If so, that would be decent based on a 3000 sqft home (considering the dull weather). Our home is about 2400 sqft, A2W etc and the bills would be around €120- €150 per month (€250 - €300 per cycle)..

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038377#Comment_121038377

For the same size system I'm at 650kWh on a S-SW roof, so 271kWh sounds very low

You need to be keeping an eye on the battery and your usage, when the battery is being charged, discharged and when you're importing electricity

I'd also recommend taking a look at your electricity plan, there might be a better rate than the 24 hour rate out there

Also, check your bill to see if you got credited for export

Jnealon

Very low generation from that set-up.

I have a small 6 panel 2.4kW south facing system mounted on a pergola, at a lower than optimum angle and it's on 210kWh for August

Call the installer back, one of the strings might be down among other things, also ask if they sent in the NC6 form

RoboRat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121038876#Comment_121038876

Definitely look at a day/ night rate. If you have a battery, you can load shift and charge the battery at the cheaper night rate, and then use it during the day. So, if you're using 30kw during the day at say €0.47 per unit and your night rate is €0.23, you would save €2.40 per day/ €16.8 per week / €72 per month... it all adds up :-)

chuckles1

thanks for all the comments. A few questions for the installers then, they are due to set me up on an app in the next day or so so hopefully will be able to figure some of this out.....