Voltage variations.

[harry]

Since I had the PV array, I have been able to monitor how the voltage varies on the mains. (It has a volt meter.) Amazing. We run from 250 volts to 262 +volts (at that point the gadget switches off and sulks.) So I don't know the upper limit. Highest voltages appear at weekends of course.

I have not once seen 240 volts, one would think things would be fixed to run plus or minus, not all plus.

Then I got to thinking, what a cunning way to make money. Bump the volts up a few percent, we all use more electricity they make more money. Millions countrywide when you think.

How is your voltage? If you have means of checking.

Also I wonder if this has a bad effect on the life span of our appliances? (A lot are rated at 220V I notice these days.)

[Bill Taylor]

Mine is nominally 233v. Over the last 2 weeks the minimum was 220 and the maximum 242.

Supply should not exceed 253v even if you are a micro-generator. Tell your supplier and the should arrange for the voltage to be reduced, possibly after having monitored the supply for a few weeks.

[The Natural Philosopher]

OTOH he PV meter may be badly calibrated

[harry]

There is a Kwh meter on the inverter and it does not agree with the "real" meter. It shows less. One would think if it was showing a higher than correct voltage, it would show more (KWh than the "real meter". that is).

I have been monitoring the effect of stuffing current back into the mains. I think at maximum output ( 3.88Kw), it causes the mains voltage to rise by around three volts.

[Andy Wade]

so 3 volts over 16 amps, near enough, gives a little under 0.2 ohms. That's an entirely plausible and very typical value for the mains impedance at the supply terminals. That will be predominantly resistive

- just the resistance of the mains cable from the substation and your service cable. Applying I^2*R shows that about 50 of your nice solar watts are just heating up the ground.

[Bob Minchin]

Provided it has been registered by the generation meter it does not matter how much is wasted. Such stupidities arise under FIT!

Bob

[harry]

No that is incorrect. Most/all of the power I generate is used by my nieghbours. This reduces the load on the grid and the power/current supplied from the power station and hence increases efficiency. Instead of the power being transmitted for miles, it's only a few yards. Savings can be as much as 2%.

[tony sayer]

In article , harry scribeth thus

the country Harry;?...

[Doug Paulley]

Sunday afternoon, it's running at 236 to 237v.

I understand the UK tolerance specification was 240V RMS +/-6%, i.e. approx 226-254v. Now, however, following harmonisation across Europe it is 230V+10%, -6% i.e. approx 216-253v.