Plug in solar

[morqthana]

I think batteries will come, quite quickly, as part of plug in solar. I could of course be wrong.

I agree, which is why I will wait, as once there is a mass market the price will go down.

Mmm.

I'm not so sure. I imagine the bulk of the cost of a battery will be the lithium cells in it, and given how many of those are being made already, I doubt there's much scope for economies-of-scale reductions.

An increased market might tempt other manufacturers to launch products and shave profit margins. Oh look - a race to the bottom with products containing as much energy as 20 (or more) sticks of dynamite.

 

[Odds]

Depends on usage really, if someone is home most of the day then you could power anything with it. If they are out all day then it will still power things while you are out, like fridge/freezers, but you'd really need to do your sums on potential savings.

Aye, there's the rub - i don't think most folk do not or can not find time to work out an annual usage for energy consumption. I may be wrong, since the advent of better ways to take readings of monthly use, then calculating an annual consumption rate based on a seasonal average. It's fiddly. I did it a few years ago when considering a change with our energy provider, taking readings monthly then working out the cost at the end of the year to make a comparison check with other providers...in the long term i guess a solar panel might make a diff. but where will i put this device? People with smaller homes and flats will have to consider how much room they take up.

 

[Odds]

Do you trust them? Those numbers are useless without saying size of solar array, and batteries. September to date View attachment 421620 Consumption 29.7 kWh and production 40.6 kWh would not matter what battery size, even on rainy days I produce more than I use. October last year the consumption exceeded production View attachment 421625 until March View attachment 421623 so for 4 months I use batteries to move power from off-peak to peak times, but best month this year View attachment 421626 shows if I want to self use the power around 3 kW would be a better size. Maybe smaller, so 2 kW into a battery pack, and it is unlikely one would stop saving solar produced very often because battery was full.

Yeah, that's more like Bloomfield territory (peace be upon him): that kind of micromanagement is way too itty-bitty for me, i'm afraid. If it's cold, i turn on the heating. If i need tea, i turn to the kettle without fussing over how many watts i may use in the process of getting a reviving cup of leaf juice.

Is it cost effective? would be uppermost in my mind should i consider buying one.

 

[denso13]

Aye, there's the rub - i don't think most folk do not or can not find time to work out an annual usage for energy consumption. I may be wrong, since the advent of better ways to take readings of monthly use, then calculating an annual consumption rate based on a seasonal average. It's fiddly. I did it a few years ago when considering a change with our energy provider, taking readings monthly then working out the cost at the end of the year to make a comparison check with other providers...in the long term i guess a solar panel might make a diff. but where will i put this device? People with smaller homes and flats will have to consider how much room they take up.

That's all true, but isn't much different choosing "actual solar", or some other things. None of those seem to have been discussed in the past but now some are up in arms, not because they want it, but because of the poor people who don't know what they are doing.

 

[ebee]

There`s rhe rub.
A salesman will always try to sell you something.
Whther that is "True" or is sometimes true or mostly true or not often true or is pretty true for a few people but not often true for lots of people.

What you got to work out is what is likely true for you then thes costs and implications.

Extremely rare to have a "One size fits all"

 

[Odds]

That's all true, but isn't much different choosing "actual solar", or some other things. None of those seem to have been discussed in the past but now some are up in arms, not because they want it, but because of the poor people who don't know what they are doing.

T'was ever thus. I have a feeling it's going to be the kind of technology to suit affordable homes and terraces rather than detached houses. 'Plug and play' really opened up the computing market and perhaps this will do the same. Off at a slight tangent: i heard of up to 15% of elderly people are unable to access a computer because it's too confusing, ensuring the digital age leaves them out in the cold, unable to book a hospital appointment or arrange to see their GP. The world is becoming sub-divided by technology at a rapidly increasing rate.