If the answer is yes, the next question is – are you making the most of them?
As we write it’s March and yesterday we made 7kWh from our smallish solar system. The more solar power we can use in real time the cheaper it is – when we sell electricity to the grid we get just a few pence per kWh, but we buy it back for considerably more (as much as five times more). Here are a few examples of how you can use your own generated electricity:
Avoid the grid using your self-generated electricity:
- Put the washing machine, kettle etc on when the sun is out
- Monitor electricity production and use using a smart meter in home display or your solar app to get a feel for how much energy is being made and what you can do with it
- If you need to replace your kettle buy a ‘low energy’ one, which is slower but doesn’t spike above what you’re generating
- Often bigger appliances have an eco setting, which takes longer but has a lower energy draw
- Use only one appliance at a time when the sun is out – if you use more your demand may be more than the solar is providing, so you will be buying the remainder from the grid
Warming your house – if your house is cool make the most of opening blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house, in order to take advantage of the free ’solar gain’ heat
Heating your water – if you have a hot water cylinder you can fit a ‘solar divert’ which is programmed to read when there is excess solar, and uses the immersion element in the tank to heat your water – this is more affordable than batteries https://www.myenergi.com/product/eddi/
Storing heat – it is now possible to use excess solar energy to charge (eg Elnur storage heaters)
Use of a battery can help in 2 ways:
- When demand exceeds the generation from the panels the battery can supplement the panels and avoid use of the grid
- Providing electricity during the evening and night (when the panels are not generating)
Charging an electric car. Some car chargers are designed to use the solar energy as it is being produced
Check your export tariff:
- Some companies offer better export rates
- If you have both solar panels and battery there are tariffs which allow you to sell energy stored in the battery at peak periods, and other tariffs where charging you battery at off peak times in the winter can supplement solar production which will be much lower at that time of year
Useful links:
- Diverts, batteries and car chargers My Energi are a good starting point for researching products because they have a range of products which all integrate well (there are of course a mass of equivalent products now available) https://www.myenergi.com
- Solar compatible storage heaters – https://www.elnur.co.uk/product/solar-high-heat-retention-storage-heater/
- A solar divert monitors for excess production and diverts the surplus, in this case to the hot water cylinder.
To Summarise: Use it…Store it…Sell it. In that order
If you would like FREE advice on lowering your energy bills or energy use at home, please do get in touch with Anna and Tom at Warm Connections:
Phone: 07759 404980 Email: advice@advicewarmconnections.net