Plug in solar

[ericmark]

Sorry it was wrong of me to say that, even if it is true. Though my time as an electrician I have come across many a domestic electrician who has looked at the industrial electricians wages, and tried to jump.

To be frank, I did similar, I was an auto electrician to start with, but as an auto electrician we still had three-phase, and I took around 8 weeks to work out what I needed to learn in a steep learning curve.

How to change generators without turning off the supply, using a sycroscope etc. And by time I returned to UK, my knowledge was far in excess to what was needed for domestic electrics. And I hated dealing with the general public, who it seemed were more interested in cost, to getting a proper job done.

But I preferred maintenance, this being told off because you had scratched an SWA gland seemed so petty. Having to get all the cables straight on the cable tray, it seemed so petty.

I have worked with generation plants from the push-bike dynamo (which is really an alternator) to 750 MW at Sizewell 'B' and yes I have made errors, and been surprised at the way some things work.

The computer UPS was one, I had assumed it turned AC to DC, charged a battery, then DC to AC to feed the computer, however it seems most grid-tie, so the DC to AC is ticking over, but producing no power until the grid fails, and since synchronised it can swap to battery without losing a beat. But not waste energy producing power from the battery while the grid supply is there. It can't back feed into the grid, but what it does mean, is there are two very different definitions of grid tie.

As @denso13 says, neither him nor I have any intention of installing plug in solar as it stands today. If things change, I may in the future, but the battery not included to my mind killed the idea of plug in solar.

And I am struggling to see why anyone would want it, having said that why would anyone want any solar system without a battery? But I know many have been fitted.

I took the advice of the people who fitted mine, battery was too small, and had to double up on battery size, but it has worked well. And I have realised how the solar, battery, and off-peak work hand in hand, remove any one, and it would struggle to pay for its self.

But also to turn off the washing machine to use the kettle so you're not importing, would be silly, so one wants an inverter over 3 kW, mine is 5 kW, and it works well. Which means there is very little 800 watt will do for one, and I am looking at my own use, would think around £75 a year saving is around the most you can expect, and to look at a months bill and see how you have spent £6 less on electric seems to be unlikely.

With my £140 monthly bill dropping to £25 average per month, the gain is clear, well actually not that clear, needed to wait the full year, before I could work out an average.

But it is the battery as by tea time the solar has near enough gone, but the tea time to midnight is when I use the most power.

I can see a potential to collect the morning sun, specially in winter, with wall mounted panels, but it is not the morning when I am short of battery reserve, so only if off-peak tariff changes will I look at more solar.

 

[denso13]

Sorry it was wrong of me to say that, even if it is true.

It wasn't really a criticism, just highlighting that whatever phrase is used, someone will pick holes in.

I don't know what term should be used, especially in regulations, as anyone can actually call themselves and electrician.

 

[ericmark]

as anyone can actually call themselves and electrician.

Great, I'm an electrician then, thanks.

 

[denso13]

Nope.

Under English law, a dwelling is defined as a self-contained 'substantial' unit of accommodation, such as a building, part of a building, caravan, houseboat or other mobile home

There are two dwellings in Eric's building. But as neither has its own electricity supply or consumer unit, neither is a 'household' as defined in that solar spec.

FWIW, the actual law isn't cited, but I don't have any problem with that.

 

[Odds]

So, a plug-in solar panel is a bit like the campaign to sell heat pumps:
Something only suitable for some houses in specific locations?

 

[denso13]

So, a plug-in solar panel is a bit like the campaign to sell heat pumps:
Something only suitable for some houses in specific locations?

I think it's better to say that they are suitable for all properties (cue someone pointing out where they aren't) but rather they might not suit someone's usage of them. For example, if someone isn't home during daylight hours then it would be pointless, but still suitable for the building and location. If you see what I mean.