niallers1 wrote: » @wexfordman Do you have a clothes line out the back. This would save you using the dryer as much. I find i'm using the line and just finishing them off in the dryer for half an hour. I'm soooo domesticated these days , constantly doing the clothes wash and dish washer . My wife thinks it's brilliant:D They should advertise solar PV as a labour saving device for the ladies:D
wexfordman2 wrote: » :-) But if we use the clothes line, we waste all that free energy. I think the drum might wear out actually :-)
sligo_dave wrote: » Could you PM details of your PV supplier please? Thanks
johnjacob wrote: » Is anyone diverting to unused solar leccy to heat the hot water say instead of using a battery for the excess? How would that works vs say solar thermal collectors?
Evd-Burner wrote: » You mustn't have read any of this thread. Lots of people are doing it, a lot of people are doing both, filling the battery first and then diverting to water. Only thin is that the payback on diverting to water is long as you need to divert 4mwh just to break even on the diverter!
unkel wrote: » Indeed. But it's more like 10MWh before break even. One kWh used to heat water with gas or oil costs €0.05 A diverter costs about €500 installed 500/0.05 = 10,000kWh Nice day for the solar anyway. For hours on end I was producing >3kW today. In the next few days I'm coming up to 1MWh produced in my 3.8kwp system that was only installed in February :cool:
unkel wrote: » Decide what you want to do / how much you want to spend. And then just bite the bullet, Aiden. I doubt you'll regret it and you'll be doing the right thing. For yourself and for everybody else.
niallers1 wrote: » today on the way out to work I put the Immersion on bath and left it on all day (I know, crazy or what) .. didn't use anything from the grid.
gally74 wrote: » Signed today. 3.6 kw solaredge
niallers1 wrote: » Good man, well done. We're you tempted to go for 3.9kw or 4.2kw to get max grant?
unkel wrote: » I like your style niallers1. In a similar experiment I'm going to charge my EV from my solar from about 10AM tomorrow and see how that goes
rolion wrote: » You will not be able to fully charge frpm PV...you lose the money compared with charging at night rate.
unkel wrote: » Not necessarily. On a cloudless (but slightly hazy) day like yesterday, where my production was a steady >3kW for hours on end without dipping below it, I could have charged my car at 6A or even 10A without ever buying from the grid. No, not from 0-100%, but I think I have only ever charged from 0-100% once in the well over 2 years I have the car... And even on a mixed cloudy / sunny day if you charge say two thirds of the time on PV and one third of the time you have to buy from the grid at the expensive day rate, it is still cheaper than charging at night rate overall
rolion wrote: » You will not be able to fully charge from PV...you lose the money compared with charging at night rate.
rolion wrote: » Just went in to my mobile app for my charger and found that i can adjust the charging rate / output amperage !
unkel wrote: » Just plug in as usual with my EVSE. End point of my charging cable is literally centimeters from the charger in my car for maximum convenience. Why would I bother using a granny cable? Limiting the current from within the car alright. Can't remember what settings I have, but I know the minimum is 6A. Currently the base load of the house is about 1.4kW so that would be ideal if like today I will produce >3kW steadily for hours on end (tiny bit hazy now and then but no clouds), so I should charge 100% from PV and 0% from the grid
unkel wrote: » Not quite sure about the Leaf, but in most EVs you can adjust the charging rate / input amperage from within the car too!
BobFedora wrote: » Glad i read this - long time reader first time poster! i'm getting quotes in at the moment. my intention is to put in solar pv, divert excess to hot water (which in itself will rtequire a new HW cylinder) and, going forward to charge the electric car that i reckon will be purchased in the next 12 months (waiting for me diesel to die...) i thought with one of those fancy zappi chargers i'd be good to go with EV charging? the car is left at home twice a week so could daytime charge. thanks to all have you that have posted useful/interesting information here.