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I'm driving on sunshine (whooah)!

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135

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    #62
    micks_address
    Registered Users Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭micks_address


    on the my energyi account web portal charging sessions you can download your data to csv.. it has a column for Green Energy Delivered (kwH)

    Only have my system since last November - 202.58kwh generated from solar. which i suppose you can say is *.1265 if i charged between 2am and 4am, 46 cents if i charged during the day, probably 65/70 cents if charged on the road. Even if i price if at 30 cents kwh then it works out around 60 euro in free fuel. To be fair its only since mid May ive seen the potential to charge the car significantly. I've 7kwp - 4 south east, 3 north west. Last few days ive been averaging kwh generated per day.. exporting close to 30kwh.. but the car is full and im not driving it much..



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    #63
    micks_address
    Registered Users Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭micks_address


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120640320#Comment_120640320

    what kind of air conditioner did you get?



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    #64
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,587 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    Bought a phev last week and got a zappi in last Friday

    I'm getting about 50% on solar charge and the rest on night rate

    Drove 600 km in the week we've had the car. Only 100km of that used petrol.



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    #65
    Mantis Toboggan
    Registered Users Posts: 17,789 ✭✭✭✭Mantis Toboggan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120640452#Comment_120640452

    Is there an app for the panels go see how much they are generating/exporting?

    Free Palestine 🇵🇸



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    #66
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659834#Comment_120659834

    Yeah most brands of inverters have an associated app which can give you that information

    I have a Sofar inverter which uses the Solarman Smart app. It's.....functional, does what is expected of it

    Like all good apps made in China the first thing it requests was my GPS location, so I promptly denied that and set my address to the Fastnet rock 😂

    Otherwise it's fine, although my chief complaint is how slow it is to update, usually the data is 5 mins old or more

    The MyEnergi app for the Zappi charger is more useful IMO since it's much quicker to update data. The one major drawback is that it can't see the status of my solar battery, it just assumes all the power coming from the inverter is from the panels, whereas it could be entirely coming from the battery

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #67
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,371 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120658584#Comment_120658584

    A portable yoke. It's decent. A bit loud to have it in a small room with you, but does the job cooling a room down. Slight PITA is venting out the window

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085P191B4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details



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    #68
    micks_address
    Registered Users Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭micks_address


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662723#Comment_120662723

    thanks thinking of picking something up.. its a how likely is the summer to be hot like last august question.. if you ran it on the landing for few hours each evening with the windows closed would it help? two story 4 bed semi.. last year we ran a large fan with a basin of ice but not sure it made much difference. also what kinda of power does it use? have solar/battery so can offset it probably..



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    #69
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    Data for May is in, had to do some commuting early in the month which ruined my statistics, but I still managed to do well enough

    Solar charging: 135.2kWh

    Grid charging: 43.97kWh

    Solar percentage: 75%

    Charging cost at 14.53c/kWh: €6.39

    Average electricity price (cost/grid+solar): 3.57c/kWh

    I'm going to track mileage and consumption more accurately from now on, but I've got some estimates for May

    Distance travelled: 800km

    Indicated consumption: 20kWh/100km

    Actual consumption (incl losses): 22.4kWh/100km

    Distance travelled on solar only: 600km

    Average cost per km: 0.8c/km (not a typo, less than 1c/km 😁)

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #70
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,814 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Looking at my May charge log, 513.28kWh was "Green" on the Zappi, with 8.5% Zappi to EV losses and range of 400kms on full charge (easily achievable on our Kona/M3) that's 3,092kms from the Sun last month.

    I also charged the odd night from the battery (which was exclusively charged from the sun) which the Zappi would consider grid and that was another 385kms after losses

    My stuff for sale on Adverts inc. outdoor furniture, roof box and EDDI

    My Active Ads (adverts.ie)



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    #71
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,371 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662745#Comment_120662745

    It makes some difference, but wouldn't cool a house. Also landings are inconveniently positioned away from windows to run the exhaust out of. I use it to cool the bedrooms. It's a little bit of a chore having to run the exhaust and seal the windows. Pulls about 800w I think.



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    #72
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120668813#Comment_120668813

    I was thinking of getting one of these and putting the exhaust tube through the attic hatch temporarily. It should be well enough ventilated to get rid of the warm air

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #73
    eagerv
    Registered Users Posts: 4,466 ✭✭✭eagerv


    Just checking my last two months (April and May) billed usage. Only used 99 units day and 807 night. (30c/8c). April was fairly cloudy down here.

    Only have a modest 4kW system, with a 4kWh battery, facing SW. 2 EVs (approx 17k each pa) with very little charging away from home.

    Can't complain..🙂



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    #74
    Mantis Toboggan
    Registered Users Posts: 17,789 ✭✭✭✭Mantis Toboggan


    Lads is it recommended to get a battery with Solar?

    Free Palestine 🇵🇸



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    #75
    micks_address
    Registered Users Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭micks_address


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690601#Comment_120690601

    well if you have an EV.. it has a battery.. which you can send excess solar to.. some cars are bi directional which would allow you run the house from solar.. the main advantage of battery storage is to be able to import electricity on cheap tariffs at night and use that to cover the house usage during the day.. if you look at the maths its hard to cover the cost of the batteries..



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    #76
    Mantis Toboggan
    Registered Users Posts: 17,789 ✭✭✭✭Mantis Toboggan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690665#Comment_120690665

    A1 thanks

    Free Palestine 🇵🇸



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    #77
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690601#Comment_120690601

    I've found the battery to be hugely beneficial, I don't have to watch the solar output constantly to try and figure out when to turn the washing machine on

    Even with the EVs the house battery is still useful. The way I think if it is like this, every kWh of solar put into the car is worth around 14c, but every kWh you avoid of day rate is worth 33c. So better to use the electricity for the house

    Having said that, the situation is a bit different if you have a smart meter since you'll actually get paid for the amount you export, so it isn't necessarily a loss to export power

    Also there's no rule that says you need to get the battery at the same time, we got ours about 2 months after getting the panels installed and SEAI grant paid. Just make sure the installer knows your plan ahead of time so they can design the system correctly

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #78
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,814 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120690601#Comment_120690601

    It's debatable, check out the Renewables forum, some will say it's only worth it with DIY AliExpress battery setup (including me)

    My stuff for sale on Adverts inc. outdoor furniture, roof box and EDDI

    My Active Ads (adverts.ie)



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    #79
    silver_sky
    Registered Users Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭silver_sky


    Battery is helpful for load shifting during winter months. I charge the house battery up on the EV rate.



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    #80
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,371 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    26% green charging in 2023. May was all but 100% (which while I only charged from solar I somehow still put a few kWh from the grid into the car).



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    #81
    DaveyDave
    Registered Users Posts: 6,217 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662745#Comment_120662745

    Just to add more feedback on this. I recently got an AC unit from B&Q for €390. I live in an A3 house and it gets up to 28C inside. Our bedroom is West facing and is hit by the sun all day from 12-8pm plus there's very little breeze on that side of the house most days.

    They're intended to cool one room and I imagine it would be a pain to move the exhaust duct out the window of each room. In saying that it does work, ours cools our large bedroom by 2C in as little as 15 minutes and I'm not even using the window seal kit so the room isn't air tight. Best off just using it on the rooms that get the most sun in the evening. It's loud so you probably wouldn't want to sleep with it on in a bedroom, might be ok in the landing as it isn't on constant, if you set it to a modest temperature it will just come on sporadically throughout the night.

    They're not perfect but better than nothing.

    Post edited by DaveyDave on


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    #82
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,103 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Link to that unit, @DaveyDave ?



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    #83
    DaveyDave
    Registered Users Posts: 6,217 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120707844#Comment_120707844

    Plenty of them in stock at my local B&Q, there's a cheaper one there with mixed reviews although I believe user error is probably the issue.

    The duct on them is quite short if you're not putting it right beside a window, I got a 3 meter extractor fan duct for a tenner in my local hardware shop and I'll join them together.

    https://www.diy.ie/departments/goodhome-malay-9000btu-local-air-conditioner/5063022060280_BQ.prd




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    #84
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,814 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120696431#Comment_120696431

    Most diverters will keep the minimum charge going for example, 30seconds while waiting for a cloud to pass. So if you were charging from solar and dense cloud brings your generation down to 300w then your diverter e.g. Zappi will force grid import for 30seconds to bring you up to minimum charge rate (think 1.4kW).

    This will happen throughout the day and add to a few kWh in a month

    My stuff for sale on Adverts inc. outdoor furniture, roof box and EDDI

    My Active Ads (adverts.ie)



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    #85
    ELM327
    Registered Users Posts: 21,672 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120709262#Comment_120709262

    Cheers, you should have gotten a referral bonus from B and Q lol , just bought one for the office.



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    #86
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,371 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120709352#Comment_120709352

    But my battery should be covering that cloud cover.



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    #87
    Busman Paddy Lasty
    Registered Users Posts: 835 ✭✭✭Busman Paddy Lasty


    On Eco+ yes, not sure about Eco++, getting 98% green by using Eco+, little boost on first connection seems to come from grid every time. Are you using either of the Eco settings? Eco++ might have you starting and stopping with each start pulling 7kW for a moment.



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    #88
    slave1
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,814 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120712301#Comment_120712301

    Not necessarily, I have my Zappi set to not use my battery when in either ECO or ECO+ mode, it will only feed in during FAST sessions. I have an AC coupled battery so can do this, if you have a hyrid I am unsure of the setup there

    My stuff for sale on Adverts inc. outdoor furniture, roof box and EDDI

    My Active Ads (adverts.ie)



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    #89
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users Posts: 11,049 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120712301#Comment_120712301

    I think if you set the export margin to 0W then it can drain the DC battery. Problem is I think it might not stay within the available sunlight and could drain the battery very quickly

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



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    #90
    Black_Knight
    Moderators Posts: 12,371 ✭✭✭✭Black_Knight


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120712813#Comment_120712813

    Yeah, that's a thing alright. Tbh, these days I've just been putting the zappi on eco, so no export margin fiddling involved



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    #91
    Mantis Toboggan
    Registered Users Posts: 17,789 ✭✭✭✭Mantis Toboggan


    Do you need to have a smart meter to sell back to the grid?

    Free Palestine 🇵🇸



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