From US's NPR News: "Easy-to-install solar panels that plug into regular outlets are gaining popularity as Americans worry about rising energy costs. These plug-in or balcony solar panels can reduce a homeowner's or renter's utility bill right away."
This led me to:
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I have no intention of installing solar panels on my thatched roof, but these sound interesting. I can imagine the Electric supply people throwing their hands up in dismay, though, if the connections are not up to snuff.
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A
Andy Burns
Apparently balcony solar is popular in Germany, and the UK is "considering allowing it", the contentions bit is allowing power *out* of a 13A plug, even if it does anti-island quicker than you can pull the plug out.
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You could add panels if you wanted, or more battery and just charge it on cheap rate tariff, what about the sums?
After April, for each kWh used it would save (27p - 6.5p) = 20.5p/day, my non-car usage is 6kWh/day, so a system with two add-on batteries would be £2,400
saving 6 * 20.5p = £1.23/day, payback period over 5 years, probably clapped-out batteries by then, not worthwhile? I doubt adding four of their 200W solar panels would change the economics much ...
It can only supply 800W when grid-tied, so can't fully power kettles/ovens/showers so you'll part pay at utility company rates for those.
T
Theo
That site was never selling 'plug in solar' - you had to hardwire it via a FCU, but it was selling DIY solar rather than paying a 'solar' company to install it.
The new thing is that in Germany especially you can buy a couple of solar panels and an 800W microinverter from the middle aisle of Lidl, strap them to your balcony and plug them in (German balconies often have a power outlet already there). The inverter will immediately shut off if unplugged so there's no shock risk.
There's currently a research project about how to ensure these are safe with UK electrics. Should report in the next couple of months:
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The problem with DIY solar is you don't get paid for export if your installer isn't MCS approved[*], which means a pricey installer to do it. I'm hoping 'plug in' means there's a way to bypass MCS for DIY installs. The idea of actually feeding power via a plug is not such a big deal if you can wire a new circuit or a FCU. It remains to be seen whether the 800W microinverter limit will exist in some way, or if you can DIY hardwire a conventional inverter.
Theo
[*] in theory Octopus will allow without, but you have to pay them £250 for an inspection - and you're then stuck with Octopus
T
The Natural Philosopher
The corrupt establishment's efforts to make electricity so expensive that even solar panels seem to make sense is not something I would rely on long-term.
If Reform kick Milliband into touch, it will be frack baby frack, and nuclear as fast as Rolls Royce can build it.
Electricity should halve in price in real terms in the next decade. And without subsidies 'renewables' will simply evaporate.
T
Theo
In Germany, 215 quid gets you 900 Wp of solar panels and an 800W microinverter. Just plug it in and go:
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indeed from Lidl:
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If you live in let's say Birmingham with a south facing balcony, that will generate 745kWh per year (931kWh per kWp of capacity*0.8kW inverter; in reality the 900Wp panels will generate slightly more but peak summer may be slightly clipped by the
800W inverter limit):
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Let's say your energy price is 10p/kWh. If you can consume all of that energy it'll save you £74.50 per year, ie payback is 3 years. Even if some of it goes to 'waste' as export because you aren't consuming it during the daytime, the rest will cover much of your baseload (fridge, router, appliances on standby, charging battery powered devices, etc), and the 'waste' will likely cover the baseload of your neighbour.
As the people of the USA are finding out, when you depend on globally-priced fuel (oil and gas), it doesn't matter that Texas is full of oil wells because drivers are still paying the global price of $100+/barrel when they fill up, even if the oil was pumped from down the road. The same goes for any UK-sourced gas - it won't reduce the place of electricity one jot if it's sourced from the North Sea rather than imported.
The above solar system is a commercial proposition - no subsidies.
Theo
T
The Natural Philosopher
It would reduce balance of payments deficits though. And its not true to say that gas produced offshore would necessarily be as expensive as gas delivered by tanker through the straits of Hormuz.
As it stands gas in the current crisis is around 12p/kWh which is way less than electricity from 'renewables' at 35p/kWh+.
Nuclear coming in at 9p or less makes solar panels (like menstruation), a bloody waste of f****ng time.
J
Jethro
or
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However I immediately ignore sites that can't put a f****ng number on their "amazing" deals. It is invariably the hallmark of scamsters. Along with running a business on a "gmail" address ...
J
Jethro
Having gas central heating seems a bit unfair in the current situation.
Octopus have reduced my DD payments for the second time in 12 months.
S
Spike
I’ve just had a nice email from them saying that from April the prices in my fixed contract will be reduced!
Apparently this works because they bought my energy supplies in bulk at the start of the contract, but what’s happening is that the some of the cost of the renewables subsidies is being replaced by general taxation.
What we need now is an end to renewables subsidies altogether rather than hiding them under the burden of general taxation.
T
The Natural Philosopher
+1
J
John Rumm
What like this?
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