I seem to recall reading something about getting higher power feeds to some domestic property was not always straightforward - thus limiting maximum load to a few kW?
In those circumstances, being able to supplement with your own power at a time of high demand (i.e. after sun down) might be handy.
You get paid for the electricity whatever you do with it, use or export. So people put a lot of effort into using it so reducing electricity imported.
They could break down. No-one knows the lifespan/economics of these things
ity you generate. So, if you plug a lamp into the mains and shine it on the panels can you use 'normal priced' electricity to make 'FIT electricity ' perhaps. Maybe you need to plug it in next door...
The PV panels are only 11%-15% efficient so it won't work.
Given the fairly feeble amount of power available from solar arrays in the UK it hardly seems worth it. Although if what I read about some Italian supplies is true, then it may make more sense there. Especially as any time shifting will incur additional conversion losses in an already dismally inefficient process.
you generate. So, if you plug a lamp into the mains and shine it on the panels can you use 'normal priced' electricity to make 'FIT electricity' perhaps. Maybe you need to plug it in next door...
It's much easier to take an extension cable next door, make DC off the mains, and feed that in to the control circuitry. Or so I've heard rumoured...
Andy
If you had a little solar panel - say calculator size, you could use it to monitor the live level and modulate what you feed in accordingly. Then flog the solar panels on the roof for an immediate return on your capital while retaining the FIT payments ;-)
icity you generate. So, if you plug a lamp into the mains and shine it o n the panels can you use 'normal priced' electricity to make 'FIT electrici ty' perhaps. Maybe you need to plug it in next door...
So, prepared to conjecture and circulate rumours?
Dunno why you come up with this drivel. I make as much power as I use. From your position of ignorance I see you don't realise that PV panels work more efficiently when located in places where it's cold.
Do you need subtitles for the hard of thinking?
So what you are saying is that you don't use much power...
Which has what to do with the price of fish?
Let's spell it out for you...
You spend a shed load of money to install PV kit that can at best yield say 2kW for some of the day. This would be a non economically viable exercise in the current market, were it not for the fact it allows you to dip your snout into the subsidy trough. So if you are looking for an investment that extracts money in a non progressive way from those in society least able to pay, then that's pretty neat investment.
Now you spend another shed load of money for a product that allows you to store some of this energy (and waste some of it). Later, when the sun has gone down, you can retrieve some of it (and waste yet more), all so that you can avoid purchasing quite as much through the wires attached to the building.
Now if you were totally off grid, or for that matter were highly restricted in the amount of power you can draw from the grid (a situation I alluded to above - most Italian properties only have 3kW feeds) then there is some merit to this scheme. As a result one might conclude the extra convenience and flexibility is worth the expense.
However we are not talking about off grid situations, or restricted supplies, but we are discussing here in the UK with its feeble sunshine, and nice fat 60A+ incoming mains for pretty much anyone who wants one.
So you buy one, and now if you have a fully metered PV system that means you forgo some of the trough gobbling available for flogging your unwanted energy to jo public at a time of day when he does not really need it, and could buy it much cheaper elsewhere, for a price well over the odds. Instead you use it yourself later.
Now there is good an bad in this system. In theory its quite nifty - you shift your solar generation to a time of day its more useful, and jo public does not require quite as much anal lubricant this week since you won't be having him over the back of the couch quite as often. The down side of course being it will involve a few more conversions and hence waste more energy to paid so dearly to capture in the first place, and will ultimately never pay back the cost unless there is another opportunity to get your snout in that I have missed?
So in summary, this is what most folks would call a "silly idea" for grid connected UK dwellers, so based on previous experience you probably think its great.
Clearly you are barking mad.
Your very first statement is wrong,it develops 4Kw peak. Last year it generated 4Mwh of power which was more than I used. I try hard not to use power. If you can't do this, then tough shit, be prepared to pay the price. I was an early installer when the panels were expensive, the rates offered then for power were to incentivise people. The present rate is much less. £0.15/Kwh
I am "flogging my energy" to the public at the time when commerce and industry is using it, ie during working hours. The cost of solar panels has fallen. Most owners will get their money back in around five or six years as will I. If you were too dopey to see financial advantage then tough shit. The installation of solar panels is in every political parties agenda/manifesto. They are to everyone's benefit long term. Every country in the world is installing them. If you can't see this you are truly thick. If you can't get it into your head that the cost of energy will double in the next five years, you are truly thick. If you can't see that PV electricity panels don't have energy costs after manufacture, you are truly thick. The reason the government is getting private individuals to install PV is because the country is broke. Also micro- generation capacity can be installed without needing to enlarge the distribution infrastrucure.
The food you eat is subsidised. The buses you ride on are subsidised. Your children's education is subsidised. The NHS is wholly subsidised. Now go and take some medication and lie down. Turn the light off. Relax.
It develops whatever you are prepared to pay for.
Yes we realise that...
incentivise them to do something mostly pointless.
get it down to £0.00 and it will be better...
So not during the peak demand hours in the early evening then?
Without the subsidy?
4MWh sounds like under £500 worth of electricity to me.What does a 4kW setup cost these days £15k?
No I fully see the individual panel owner's financial advantage. Just no national energy security advantage, no ecological advantage, and no financial advantage for the bulk of energy consumers who don't have subsidy gathering systems.
Says something about politicians I guess.
How do you figure that? Just means we need to pay for our national generation capacity several times over.
We need to pay for conventional fossil / nuclear capacity to meet 100% of our domestic requirements, and then pay again for additional solar capacity. Then pay again for additional investment in the grid to support the integration of intermittent sources like PV.
It might even make sense in some of them.
I guess that would place you somewhere akin to the intellect of plankton then...
Partly the result of funding vanity PV projects no doubt...
Actually they have very substantial energy costs after manufacture. What about the spinning reserve needed to render their output safe to use? What about the grid infrastructure upgrades required (and all the service costs associated)?
Interesting logic...
Have a think about that for a moment.
Hmm, now where does that subsidy come from?
Buses? how quaint.
Do you have a point?
You could argue these things have a purpose. Lots of PV brings as many (if not more) problems than it solves...
I may just do that...
The cost of the 4Kwp array is around £5,000 now. When I had mine is was £14,000 There are several peaks throughout the day.
Lots of things are subsidised. You are benefiting from ones which don't benefit me no doubt but I don't whinge about it.
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