Solar PV Hints, Tips & Troubleshooting

The toothless CRU are inviting consumer submissions on Incentivising the Uptake of Smart use tarrifs as per the attached link. https://www.cru.ie/publications/27534/ Even their low key promotion of this consultation and the passive nature of the consultation process would almost make you believe they don't really want to hear from us but have to be still seen to be engaging in some sort of contrived consultation process.

As I said in my own submission, the bottom line currently is that Smart tarrifs are prohibitively expensive to the vast majority of consumers and that Smart meters cannot farcically currently accomodate those wishing to avail of the tarrif structure available through Day/night meters. Until such time as that changes and that there is a much more stratified tarrif band structure (suggest two hour intervals) with a pricing structure with at least one free electricty time band and a subsequent ratio of 1:10 between highest peak tarrif and lowest charged band, then there is little chance of effecting major changes in consumer behaviour.

7% takeup is laughable.

I would have no problem taking a smart tariff if there was an equivalent 9 hour overnight rate. I currently pay 7.5c from midnight to 9am, on the 20th of July when that fixed deal runs out the best options are 14c or 19c for the night rate. I use about 500wh a day on day rate (inverter balancing and delays I assume) so the day rate doesnt matter to me. The best options on MCC12/16 smart meter tariffs are either a 9 hour window with a rate higher than my current day rate or an equivalent price but only a 2-4 hour window which is not sufficient. For winter I need 9 hours night rate.

@ELM327 where did you find the 14 cent night rate. I was comparing suppliers earlier but missed that one. The 19cent I came across.

rates are incredible at the minute. Half thinking of going to the default energia rate for a few weeks to see if tariffs improve but……

im not a smart meter but thank you @con747 i did find the other one that I think @elm327 was referencing and that would make sense for me. We are a high night time usage house in winter so the 14 cent rate even with the higher standing charge would save us about €300. Still have energia until end of august so tracking them at the minute but the Flogas offer if available then would be by far and away the best belie for us. The standard offer they have on the website is €200 euro better than anyone else in its own.

crazy numbers when I put it all in the spreadsheet at the minute. Thank Christ for solar though last bill from energia was €10.

The maths is pretty simple for it. Most here know their usage. Set up an excel sheet stick it the rates multiplied by your used units for the year and add the standing charge take away the fit and the lowest wins.

If you have high night usage then flogas standard online day night or the mace offer make absolute sense.

Some folks have realy really really bad credit. If they have burned a few suppliers in the past they may need to put a deposit in just to get a connection. The alternative is you use your credit as a landlord to set them up with a good account - and charge them monthly... do u really want that hassle? I have freinds who do it with houses full of tenants - me - no interest in doing that. People need to do it themselves, establish good credit - be smart with their own money.

But yeah i hear ya - what percentage of people dont look at the electricity costs at all??

You didn't! I meant I am brutal at maths that's all.

I think it's always DC on first before AC on.

I don't think the shutdown order makes much difference

That was answered in a similar posting here for you:

Day #2 with PV so new to this. Have a Solis 6kW Hybrid inverter, no battery. not sure if it is setup correctly as the readings don't make much sense to me. As my PV output from the array increases, the house load increases and shows I'm exporting very little. Also tonight with no PV, it shows I'm exporting to the grid and when I turn on the kettle, my export increases. I checked the CT clamp and direction of arrow is towards the fuse board. The CT is connected to a power meter in the fuse board and seems to read ok and the correct direction. But the inverter is interpreting this input from the CT like it's the wrong way round. Is there any settings in the inverter that could affect the polarity of the CT at the fuse board? Or anything else I can check?

As I said new to this and will get the installer on the case but would like to understand it myself a bit too.

Is it possible to take that plan with a smart meter?