Random Renewables Thread

bullit_dodger · 01-05-2026 02:26PM

Good video on the state of renewables….

(8286) The best climate news all year - YouTube

Although it's not saying everything's rosey, for once not a totally pessimistic outlook on how we're doing. Great to see that the US are a crowd of gowls as usual. (My Limerick roots showing :)

ECO_Mental · 01-05-2026 08:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124435073#Comment_124435073

Plenty of places... In Australia for example you can sign up to a VPP scheme (virtual power plant) the supplier controls your battery/inverter and they charge and discharge your battery based on demand. You can make up to $20 per kWh at very high demand spikes although this is not that often but looking at videos you can make a nice bit of money. Octopus energy in the UK do something similar.

graememk · 02-05-2026 09:04AM

Stuck thread poke #1

ricimaki · 03-05-2026 08:37PM

Curious if anyone has GoodWe equipment, and their general thoughts? The ESA system looks almost identical to the Sigenstor. Installer mentioned its fairly new to the market, and is now their recommendation for everyone.

I am seeing a GoodWe ESA system (5kW inverter, 1x 8.3kW Battery - 8.0kW usable) coming in around €1600 cheaper than an equivalent Sigenstor system (10.0 Battery, 8.7 kW usable) with the exact same type and quantity of panels. They are different installers, and will be getting even more quotes next week, but curious if anyone has good or bad experiences with GoodWe, and in particular if anyone has the ESA system?

Edit - should add, GoodWe system itself includes automatic changeover switch (Built into the system by default). Sigen Gateway or manual changeover switch not included in that quote.

discostu1 · 04-05-2026 05:35PM

I'm afraid O don't have an T subscription

magicbastarder · 05-05-2026 08:32AM

a colleague in the UK recently got two quotes for solar - and the prices quoted were a bit eye watering.

8 panels, 5kWh battery - £8.8k and £9k were the two quotes. over €10k!

and thinking about it, the lower of the two quotes may have been for 6 panels.

bullit_dodger · 06-05-2026 01:26PM

I knew we were pretty bad, but didn't realize we were the worst in Europe.

Source - Electricity price statistics - Statistics Explained - Eurostat

ELM327 · 06-05-2026 01:29PM

I doubt anyone is paying 40c/kwh. My day rate is 29c and 13c or so at night.

josip · 06-05-2026 01:38PM

Why are Netherlands and Luxembourg's other taxes shown below the X axis?

Are they subsidies?

ELM327 · 06-05-2026 01:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448004#Comment_124448004

Credits I assume

graememk · 06-05-2026 01:42PM

Netherlands often have negative prices when there is high wind/solar.

But yeah where are they getting an Average of 40c.

24 rate is about 30c

If then you look at day night, if your on day night, ideally your average rate should be below 24 hr rate.

Who's then paying the above 40c to take the average up to 40.

Vizzy · 06-05-2026 02:02PM

Cost per unit+VAT+standing charge?

magicbastarder · 06-05-2026 02:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124447982#Comment_124447982

i think the calculation is based on total cost - so the service charges would be included in the calculation. still sounds too high to me though.

ELM327 · 06-05-2026 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448099#Comment_124448099

My supply charge works out at 2.5c per kwh given my usage (c 1200kWh per month on average). I wonder how they calculated 40c (and, as its an average, who tf is paying MORE than 40c to bring the average up!)

magicbastarder · 06-05-2026 02:15PM

How Much Does Electricity Cost in Ireland?

Based on “standard” charging rates from the most prominent provider – Electric Ireland – the usage of the “average” amount (4200 kWh) of electricity a year will result in an annual electricity bill of €1729. (Spring 2026).

(Urban 24-hour rates , Inclusive of VAT PSO and standing charges.)

Electric Ireland charges 34.75c per kWh and a Standing Charge of €251 including VAT.

https://www.moneyguideireland.com/much-average-electricity-bill.html

that's probably the most expensive option from EI? with no new customer discount.

josip · 06-05-2026 02:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448116#Comment_124448116

My mother was paying 67c per kWh in 2025.

ELM327 · 06-05-2026 02:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448143#Comment_124448143

I'm sorry but that's ridiculous.
Making an assumption but I assume she's on a pension? Crazy. Certainly not representative of the market.

I'm literally buying 4 kwh for what she's paying for 1!

josip · 06-05-2026 03:45PM

Sorry, yes. I was a bit disingenuous with my post 🙂

She's an OAP, but moved into residential care at the end of 2024. So her house is rarely occupied but bills still have to be paid.

She was on a rate of 32c per kWh with the ESB. I say ESB because that's who she was with all her life, never/wouldn't change.

812 units consumed in 2025 and bills of €551.79

bullit_dodger · 06-05-2026 03:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448256#Comment_124448256

To be fair though here, there's a lot of ignorance out there in the marketplace. Of course the people reading this would by nature tend to be well informed of prices/plans/technology to make sure that none of us would be paying €0.40/kwh, but I'd guess that there is a LOT more people than you know paying well over the odds. Thinking of my 95 year old Dad who never checks what he could save by switching as it's "too much trouble to fill out the forms" <sigh>

Even myself, when I was humming/hawing about leaving SSE and moving to Energia last year, I was out of contract for a bit and paying €0.395 at the time. Granted with solar/battery/etc, in my case the number of units I purchased at that rate was virtually zero, but yeah, I can see a fair few bods forking over money needlessly.

witnessmenow · 06-05-2026 08:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124447982#Comment_124447982

4 out 5 people don't move provider annually, so I wouldn't be surprised what they are paying!

graememk · 06-05-2026 09:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124448994#Comment_124448994

I havent moved, Nor have my parents, But we've definitely renewed!

bullit_dodger · 06-05-2026 10:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449099#Comment_124449099

I know your on a good plan there Grame, so makes sense to renew :-)……but a lot of people out there I suspect don't even know what plan they are on, if you asked them.

deezell · 07-05-2026 08:12AM

Its worth looking at this again. My flat rate is 24.22c per unit, but my monthly bill averages out at 37.2c per unit consumed on a typical month of 273 units. All the charges, levies and tax add an additional 53% on the cost of the actual consumed electricity.

Screenshot_20260105_065620_Adobe Acrobat.jpg

Compared to a 2 monthly bill from 42 years ago, consumption was £38.61, charges £6.35, so an equivalent per unit rate increase of about 17%. Monthly consumption of this bill almost the same as now at 264 units.

So in that time, a typical modest consumer is paying 53% in extras compared to 17% in the past, and the ESBN have just been approved yet another levy on existing consumers to pay for data centre and increased customer infrastructure. This capital cost should not have anything to do with our bills, it should be borrowed and paid for by its projected return in investment.

It's obvious the ESBN are creaming low usage customers if average rates are 40c, plus, and this would appear to be a method of offsetting the reduction in consumption by pv owners. Like a supermarket taxing someone for growing their own veg, or charging a key on your grocery bill to fund a new supermarket somewhere.

ELM327 · 07-05-2026 08:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449622#Comment_124449622

I think that's interesting. My supply charge is ~2.5c per unit and yours is 37.2

This is the problem with supply charges. There shouldn't be a standing charge, just sell per unit. Of course, there is no reason for a supplier to actually do that.

graememk · 07-05-2026 10:14AM

Standing charges tend to penalise low use.

Sometimes you may be better off with a higher rate and a lower standing charge.

But there is a lot less difference between the suppliers in standing charge.

josip · 07-05-2026 11:03AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449870#Comment_124449870

But is the standing charge an arbitrary number?

I thought that all the standing charge revenue was ringfenced and went to Eirgrid/ESBN and was used in the maintenance and development of the national grid. Or is that naïve me again?

Why don't people accept that a standing charge is necessary? Electricity is not like petrol or milk that you can buy go somewhere and buy/fill a container. Shared, expensive infrastructure is needed to deliver it. And thanks to our housing layout and social distancing, we've a very expensive grid to maintain.

magicbastarder · 07-05-2026 11:09AM

the standing charge varies by price plan though. for example, i'm on the EI EV plan and the standing charge is higher than a standard 24 hour plan.

bullit_dodger · 07-05-2026 05:21PM

Came across this breakdown which I found interesting.

Why is electricity in Ireland so expensive? | bonkers.ie

Personally, I've no issue with Data centers. More the merrier as far as I'm concerned, however, as opposed to the way it's been, I'd be making them pay for whatever grid upgrades are needed. If google/apple/microsoft needs 100Mw of power, sure, then let them fund the developement of that generation not just buy the power from existing sources, increasing the strain on the grid.

It's also interesting that the supplier gets <10% of the bill

graememk · 07-05-2026 05:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124449998#Comment_124449998

It's what the suppliers charge, the pso levy is ringing fenced and separate,

ESBN do charge an amount (it's listed on a pdf on the ESBN website somewhere)

But the standing charge is set by the supplier. That includes any ESBN charges. They could make it zero and roll it all into the unit charge but then that would make their unit rates higher than others.

Small number good, big number bad...

whosedaddy? · 15-05-2026 05:05PM

just saw that on rte.ie

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2026/0424/1569962-energy-renewables-ev-solar-panels-considerations-planning/

in there is a section about Battery safety.

What about solar battery safety?

In 2024, for safety reasons, our neighbours in the UK updated their solar battery regulations to discourage the placement of solar batteries inside the home itself (such as in attics, lofts, bedrooms, escape routes etc). A detached garage or outside wall is the safest location. Be sure to hire a quality installer using quality products who is familiar with and follows the regulations and best practice.

Instead linking to PAS63100 for residential solar storage systems, the url points to uk gov page about guidance on Health and safety in grid scale electrical energy storage systems! (Grid scale = >1MW) :-)

At least he says it’s “discouraged” (and not banned) to put batteries inside in the UK.

Random Renewables Thread

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How Much Does Electricity Cost in Ireland?