Basic/ newby solar panel owner questions!

[winston1]

If you heat your water by gas using surplus solar saves no more than selling the excess to the grid.

 

[pcaouolte]

Many FITs claimants’ export tariff payments are ‘deemed’. ‘Deemed’ export tariff payments cover 50% of their generated electricity, regardless of how much electricity they export to the grid. I these cases they want to use as much of their generated electricity as possible because they will still be paid the export tariff on 50% of their generated electricity even if they use all of it themselves.

The situation is different where a smart meter has been installed and the customer has moved from deemed export to actual export. In that case the customer is only paid the export tariff for the amount actually exported to the grid.

Note that there are two separate elements to the FIT payments, a generation tariff for each kWh of electricity generated and an export tariff for each kWh exported to the electricity grid.

 

[cjcoffin]

If you heat your water by gas using surplus solar saves no more than selling the excess to the grid.

Doubtful.

Under the FIT scheme most people have 50% deemed export anyway so the marginal electricity is completely free, the gas is not.

Under SEG you get paid for actual export but at best say 7.5p/kWh, heating water with a gas boiler is going to be more expensive (and less efficient and more polluting).

 

[stu550]

Thanks for the replies.

I have a meter showing the electricity generated but then also a smart meter which displays ‘Credit mode’ export £xx.xx.

Any idea what that means?

 

[flameport]

a smart meter which displays ‘Credit mode’ export £xx.xx.

Export = how much was sent into the grid.
Import is the amount you pay for.

Credit mode = you pay after you have used the electricity. Or in the case of exports, you get paid after the electricity has been sent to the grid.

The alternative is prepay, where you pay first and then get electricity later.
If such a thing existed for exports, it would be the energy company paying you first and then you generating some electricity for them.

 

[winston1]

Under SEG you get paid for actual export but at best say 7.5p/kWh, heating water with a gas boiler is going to be more expensive (and less efficient and more polluting).

Gas is around that price now and is around 90% efficient.