Hello . I have moved into a new house which has 3 solar panels. The site manager didn’t know much about them. I know the power generated is not stored in a battery so I wondered how the panels contribute to offset my energy usage and if the contribution is just a token gesture. I attach a pic of the meter for info. Thank you.
Solar panel query
- Thread starter xAlex
- Start date
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New as in brand new? Who knows what deal the developer has cut with a supplier.
Get back to the site manager and request the documentation that should be with the system. Check the deeds to make sure it isn't some shoddy deal where you don't own the panels. You need warranty info as well (should be 10 years minimum)
Get back to the site manager and request the documentation that should be with the system. Check the deeds to make sure it isn't some shoddy deal where you don't own the panels. You need warranty info as well (should be 10 years minimum)
The fact that there's a meter labeled like that makes me wonder what's going on.
How they are normally set up is that the inverter is wired into the mains - either via a spare way in the CU (with certain requirements to avoid creating a hazard) or the meter tails via a pair of connector blocks to split the tails between the CU and the PV system. When generating, the inverter neither knows nor "cares" whether the lecky is fed out via the meter to the grid or is used in the house - it's simply a case of if you are using more lecky than the PV inverter is making then you import the difference, and if you are using less then the excess gets exported.
Modern meters are (if the correct type for the application) capable of separately metering power depending on direction - and suppliers are supposed to offer a tariff that pays you for anything you export. It's been a few years now since new installs have been able to get FITs, so it really is down to whatever the supplier will pay you for any excess (typically a pittance). Since there's a massive difference between what you get paid, vs what you pay, for exported vs imported lecky - you get the best results when using all you produce, which really works best when the house is in used during sunny times.
EDIT: If there is any dodgy "rent a roof" deal in place, and you were not positively informed of it before purchase then that may be grounds for a claim against the vendor. It could be classed as fraud.
How they are normally set up is that the inverter is wired into the mains - either via a spare way in the CU (with certain requirements to avoid creating a hazard) or the meter tails via a pair of connector blocks to split the tails between the CU and the PV system. When generating, the inverter neither knows nor "cares" whether the lecky is fed out via the meter to the grid or is used in the house - it's simply a case of if you are using more lecky than the PV inverter is making then you import the difference, and if you are using less then the excess gets exported.
Modern meters are (if the correct type for the application) capable of separately metering power depending on direction - and suppliers are supposed to offer a tariff that pays you for anything you export. It's been a few years now since new installs have been able to get FITs, so it really is down to whatever the supplier will pay you for any excess (typically a pittance). Since there's a massive difference between what you get paid, vs what you pay, for exported vs imported lecky - you get the best results when using all you produce, which really works best when the house is in used during sunny times.
EDIT: If there is any dodgy "rent a roof" deal in place, and you were not positively informed of it before purchase then that may be grounds for a claim against the vendor. It could be classed as fraud.
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Thank you for the detailed response
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