ProDave

Nothing about my system is that unique apart from I made my own solar PV diverter. A commercially installed system with a commercial PV diverter, and a little education for the users to time shift use of big appliances to the middle of the day should achieve similar results.

I once worked in an office where the lighting was all controlled by motion sensors. Every now and then the lights would go out, and someone had to get out of their chair and walk around a bit to re trigger the sensor.

In the 3 or more years mine has been running, I have exported just 310kWh, so good has been my self usage. Even if I was able to claim the pittance of 5.5p dumb export payment, I would have received £17.05 Just imagine how much extra an MCS install would cost Vs DIY, and then tell me the payback time of that extra cost of the install when that is all I would get, less than £10 per year.

Not always. If I need a pee in the night, the very last thing I want is the light coming on full blinding me and disturbing SWMBO. I operate in the dark in that situation.

The crux of that is how does the automation know what you want? e.g walk into the bathroom, have a pee, flush and walk out. Walk into the bathroom, sit on the pot and open your book. Walk into the bathroom undress and get into the shower. All 3 very different situations. show me a sensor that can 100% detect which of those 3 you are doing and operate the lights and fan accordingly?

My PV cost me £1500 4 years ago with some diligent buying and all DIY install. The savings have paid 2/3 of the cost already and with the higher prices now it won't be long before the savings have paid for it and it is then just a constant saving. I am managing to self use almost all I generate, so don't believe batteries make sense yet for a normal 4kW system but probably do for a larger system where it would be hard to self use it real time. I will probably look at a second off grid battery PV system on the roof of the car port when I get around to building that.

I had a customer phone me yesterday. "Can you come and look at my heating, it turns on and almost straight away the thermostat turns off"

Let the stone supplier / fitter worry about this. They will template it first usually with plywood or something and will make the end panel match the wall.

I don't know where their calculation gets it's figures. I thought OFGEM were cracking down and fining suppliers who charge too much per month? I tried to change mine using the self service function on their website but it was advising me to increase, not reduce the monthly payment, even though just keeping it the same would over pay based on the last 12 months actual usage. So I sent an email outlining my calculations and they agreed.

I just put mine DOWN by £40 per month and will keep it at the lower level in anticipation of the £400 grand from the government. for at least 10 months.

Take the opportunity to replace the oven and charge it from the tenants deposit.

Ours seem to have a lot more friction and wind permitting, stay at any angle you choose , even one that would let the rain in.

Wood Burning Stove

Fit the WBS and use that. Plug in electric heaters on other rooms if needed. Fitting a WBS to our static caravan was one of the best things we did to see us through a particularly bad winter.

Multiple zones per thermostat is a standard function of a typical manifold control box. Don't over complicate it, floor sensors not needed, just use room thermostats.

If you are thinking of Octopus, PM me for a referal code that will get you £50 credit.

Renewable Energy?

I must have a look at that. Last time I used Spice, it was a command line interface, and it was quite a task to integrate it into ORCAD (which I still use) to run a simulation direct from the schematic entry tool. I see they don't have a Linux version, I will have to see if the windows version runs under WINE.

When @Radian has designed the "fluff sensor" that stops the TD as soon as the required fluffyness has been reached, even though it will not be "dry" he will have a worthwhile product.

Interesting. I find giving the wet towels a spin in the fluff making machine just for half an hour, which is not enough to dry them, and then completing the drying naturally works to give the desired fluffyness. Interesting that ti also works the other way, as long as you don't let them dry completely naturally otherwise you get hard towels, and complaints.

How many of them are "wrong"? the one pictured that is too large, looks like it has been sawn larger probably with a pad saw, post plastering? Was that the plasterer trying to clean out the plaster that had partly filled the hole? Understanding exactly what happened helps pin the blame. some lights have a larger bezel than others so are more forgiving.

I started at the ridge, fixed a strip of AT membrane in place with a batten (start of service void) then worked down the wall. All single handed. It does feel like trying to put up a massive tent from the inside. Scaffold down the middle to work from and reach the ridge, worked from planks and trestles lower down. If the service void battens don't line up with the self adhesive joints, tape with proper AT tape.

Not enough information. Who fitted the lights? Did they fit initially? Who removed them for plastering? Are they much to big or just a bit? Nice round holes or ragged edges? Old or new ceiling? Plasterboard or lath and plaster?

Which implies UK prices are much higher than theirs. WHY?

The highlighted bits interested me. So much as I observe for a typical house install, batteries to not yet make sense unless you are a larger than typical array size. I am still surprised with the 2022 electricity price, that battery viability has not got better. and I am staggered that transmission costs are what they think will rise prices further, erm no I think that's Mr Putin that will do that.