Wil

Think this needs some pics please!

I looked up NiFe batteries and found the below: https://www.rpc.com.au/solar-news/disadvantages-of-nickel-iron-batteries.html While hydrogen sounds fun, I’m not sure I’m up for constant gassing and topping up.

I’m blessed with the space to put them, so that’s not an issue. Keeping them conditioned at the right temp might be more of an issue though. Given my base load of 400W I use 9.6kWh per day when I’m on holiday, so that just wouldn’t do for real life. The instant UPS I understand (require to be) is a function of the Tesla PW2 and when I have 2 I get 10kW continuous, 14kW peak output. Realistically, it’s only peak winter when both ASHPs and anything else is running that I consume over 10kWh so happy to have the grid backup at that point. The Tesla deal of 24p/kWh in 24p/kWh out does look pretty interesting. If it saves me money to the point where it pays back in less than the 10 years, why would I mind? Basically where I’m getting to is putting the batts in and then maximising the rest of my PV. Perhaps even oversizing a bit and limiting to 3.68kW export. The issue I have with 3phase, is that without buying a whole system up front, or going incredibly complex with Victron equipment, I can’t see a way to have expandable storage which can balance an imbalanced charging/ discharging situation. The gateway looks like nirvana in terms of a single box controlling all phases and after that it’s just a case of adding PWs . Systems like the squirrel pod look great but add cost for the same storage. The UPS system Nick linked looks really good, but comes plus install costs (I have no way to zero rate the VAT) and I’ve no idea how 4 inverters will cope with 3 phases(although it is mentioned in the description)! I believe this is it, the DNO accepts that I can export up to 11kW of solar at any one time (balanced across the phases) therefore how do they know if it’s coming direct from PV or from the batt. I believe you have to show the DNO letter when signing up to the Tesla tariff, so this sets the limit for what they can pull from your batts/ overall system at any point.

For the really cheap version, pin up one of the LED curtain type lights to a painted board. Or go nuts and drill the holes in the board and push the individual LEDs through it. Hezbjiti 600 LED Curtain Lights, 6m x 3m Curtain Fairy Lights 8 Modes String Lights Mains Powered, Connectable Waterproof Window Lights for Indoor Outdoor Bedroom Wedding Party Gazebo Garden Backdrops https://amzn.eu/d/89YHL5b No recommendation on the above, just something you could use to push the individual LEDs through a marine ply board to create the effect. The RGBW LED tapes round an island would give a great effect too.

Well you lot aren't helping- so many other options to think about and no clear path to what's right. I went on Octopus' website tonight to play around with the Tariffs. they offered me to fix my bills. at 78p/kWh day and 49p/kWh night. If that's reality in October (or better than the reality) then the payback is starting to tumble. Nick, that system looks great, but with AGM you only get 50% DoD right? so the 48kWh immediately becomes 24kWh of battery right? and I assumed that by EoL commercial batteries, you mean the 12V type to build into banks, or did you mean the LI packs coming out of vehicles? Yes, this is the conversation I had with the installer who assures me 'it's a grey area' when the DNO says no export. I can't make the battery export, but I also can't stop it if balancing or doing a Tesla tariff.

Interesting as an option, but as I'm due VAT, it makes the Squirrel Pods £16,800, so a whole £250 more then having someone install and certify. I was under the impression each PW could discharge at 5kW sustained, 7kW peak? WPD have written and confirmed I can have 11.04kWp of generation and battery units (nil export) can be connected. Which my installer seems to be taking to mean infinite batteries as long as they don't export. Given that I can self consume it all a lot of the time and save it for a rainy day on others, this doesn't seem to be a drawback unless there's some sort of decent FIT for installed systems suddenly appearing.

But wouldn’t that be the case with any cells I chose? If I cycle them on offsetting for 10 years, that’s all I can expect from them? So I’d need to install that 26kWh of capacity for under £10k to break even at current rates. As mentioned before, it’s not all about breaking even though. What I probably should look at is, what’s my option after 10 years- can I directly swap the cells in the PW or do I have to start from scratch. Hopefully by then V2G will be a functioning beast and I won’t need much home storage.

Cost the difference of E7 and day at 18p/kWh or price the day unit of electricity at 18p/kWh?

Responding to an earlier question around Solics, I have the solic diverter which is great, but overheats in the electrical cupboard and self-limits the amount it puts into the immersion resulting in occasionally not diverting as much as it could. I need to find a way to move it to somewhere where it doesn’t overheat. Otherwise it’s been excellent and has paid for itself in around 2 years. I also have a Shelly 1PM in parallel (previously a simple timer) so that I can boost the DHW or run it for a couple of hours at E7 to make sure the DHW is in place for the morning. Seemed like the easiest way of diverting but retaining the ability to boost/ timed DHW without pressing the green button on the front of the Solic.

I have a EZ-VIZ doorbell (and a couple of Shelly 1’s to control my gate) in direct line of sight, outdoors, about 40m from my nearest AP (a UniFi LR disc). It’s constantly reporting cr4p signal and it regularly goes offline if it rains. If I could hardwire it, I would every time. I just think the design of the doorbells compromises the antennae and most are designed for distances like yours, within the coverage of a single Wifi network. Sorry that doesn’t help much, but until you’ve experimented by moving the UDR to the inside of the door (probably easier than moving the doorbell?) then it’s going to be hard to identify the culprit for interference.

It’s complicated. 🙂 I have 3 phase. Self installed 5kWp solar on phase C (along with House and most loads). Two massive 3phase ASHPs and a couple of 3ph bits of kit lying around which are very sporadic use. So net metering is currently a part of my life. I’ve just never been sure that my Elster A1140 meter is actually set up to do it. I have approval (or rather G98 gives approval) for 3x3.68kWp but this still doesn’t cover a single PW, let alone 2. @Nickfromwales Can you declare what your kit cost would be for the Iconica strings and AGM storage (if you were buying on the open market rather than any favours/ supplier rates that may apply)? I’ve just checked and I’m actually on 20.7p Night, 30p Day. So assuming I could offset all 26kWh every day, just using offsetting would give £949 saving per year and therefore pay back the FIRST PW in 10 years. This is likely to only get better with upcoming tariffs, so assuming the installer can sort the G99 (he’s still looking for the paperwork!) then I’m pretty tempted.

They are WILDY irritating to deal with both for install and any ongoing issues (and don't get me going on their value for existing customers vs new customer deals). However the service once it is installed is pretty much excellent and well worth having. Overall worth the initial pain. I think.

Now there's a good question. I've asked the installer to ensure compliance and his approach is export limitation. While I know a lot about it, I'm outsourcing responsibility to the installer for this. I know he applied last year but I've seen none of the conversation between him and the DNO. The DNO gave me a G98 limit or upgrade the T/X option (survey and costings to be paid by me) when I asked previously. Agree on £7.5k buying a lot of electricity! This is absolutely my dilemma. As above, in winter the battery would be empty by 10am 😞 One of the additional benefits of the PW I could see it that it works across 3phases. And will import on phases to balance export on another if need be. This obviously only works with net metering though and that's a complete unknown with my meter.

Hey, I just checked my quote. It was generated in April '21, so actually not that quick!! Shows how long I've been faffing with this! In winter I use up to 100kWh a day by the time my ASHPs have had their fill. Using up the full 26kWh capacity isn't an issue at all once the heating is on. I suppose this pushes my calculations to better payback for 2/3 of the year. The equations are always more complicated than any simplification but all of this should work to improve payback. I was trying to be deliberately pessimistic in my calculations to allow for some enjoyment of bettering it 🙂 The solar will make a big difference much of the time and in summer I'd effectively expect to not need import for days at a time. With the calcs above the capacity of a single PW is 13kWh so limits me to offsetting 91p per day so payback of 27 years.

Hmm, so I have a quote from earlier in the year for 2xPW2, first one with gateway at £9250 installed, second add on at £7400 installed. The installer now has them in stock and my place in the queue so it's decision time. I've been um-ing and ah-ing about it for so damn long, I'm still trying to do the maths to work out if it's worth it. I have 5kWp of solar, but discounting that and charging the batteries at E7 rate (currently 20p) and discharging to cover day useage at 27p/kWh. Most days outside of summer I use 20-30kWh 12-20 if I don't charge the PHEV (which is done at E7 anyway) and excluding heating, which I can't hope to cover with battery storage. Not taking solar charging and into account for worst case scenario: so for each kWh offset it's currently saving 7p. for 12kWh per day it's saving £0.84. for 365 days is £306 per year in saving if I purely offset E7 rates. so a payback of 54 years 😞 For 20kWh offset it's 32years. Now my rates aren't fixed and I'm going to get done in October. Also I do have the PV which will make a significant contribution through summer/ shoulders and I have the opportunity to add more (at additional cost). And I would get the benefits of UPS in a power outage etc. It's just can I justify these minor extras knowing it'll never pay back? Oh and plus, Tesla are about to launch something new and exciting, but if we never bought on the basis that there's going to be a new model along soon, I'd never buy anything!

Me too and I love it, however it’s water delivery has recently slowed to a trickle and all the descaling efforts don’t seem to be helping 😞

Me too and I love it, however it’s water delivery has recently slowed to a trickle and all the descaling efforts don’t seem to be helping 😞

My panels are about 30 degrees inclined and just W of South, so I usually see peak power in the 1-3pm zone. Having cleaned the panels, the only thing I can think of is either atmospheric (it's clouded over this afternoon) or the heat degrading performance. I have seen the panels hit 5kWp previously in cooler temps, but this tends to be between clouds. Hard to tell if they can sustain it as the sustained sunshine seems to come with some excess heat! I'd love to try the simple solar thermal, and yes, the paddling pool has been out all day and the only users seem to be the bees. Who then need rescued.

I've just been up on the roof scrubbing my solar panels. They were filthy after the farmer's harvesting around us coated them in dust but I still don't get much improvement in performance. They're on a tin roof and my 5kWp of panels is maxing out at about 4kWp during this hot weather. It's really irritating that there's a 20% loss in performance when they get warm. They are on a tin roof and it's cooking* hot up there though. * This being a standard unit of temperature somewhere after 'really' and before 'nuclear'...

Absolute madness. I’m awaiting our 3rd survey. 3 bats in and out in the first one, 3 in the second but ‘droppings indicate possible maternity roost’. It just seems like absolute theft to keep going with all these surveys. We’ll do our third in a couple of weeks time and then get planning in. Am dreading what the response is, even though the impact to the bats is minor and only during the roof alteration works and the space goes back to ‘as existing’ as soon as we’ve finished! Sadly it does seem we’re beholden to the ecologists and their wish to charge for another survey! At least there’s no mention in yours about preventing the works altogether.

Do you have a link to some information. Google brings me an awful lot of car rads but no JAG ones...

Hmm, needs some evidence that one, otherwise he's relying on 'she'll be right, mate' levels of advice...

My son is addicted to his channel. Basically I'd love to have half his skills and the time and sponsorship to come up with some ofhis batsh*t ideas. He was on BBC news a week or two as he finally got planning for all his underground tunnelling etc.

I second the CCA, have several of them providing whole house synchronised music with small type D amplifiers (Lepai if memory serves). Probably not audiophile quality, but more than enough for me.

Now that is good news, they might finally get around to changing our rubbish little T/x. I wonder how ridiculous the connection charge of getting our 60A fuses changed to 100A fuses will be then!