Solar Panels In Sheffield

[geared 321]

58 minutes ago, iansheff said:

 the life of the batteries unless you get a top range one with life  span of about 11 years you could be changing batteries after 5 years.

I'd be surprised if you only got 11 years out of a battery to be honest.  With more recent tech on extending life you should see much more.

 

I seem to remember Tesla (car) batteries showing 90% or more capacity after 100,000 miles

[dan2802 53]

Our battery is a Varta Pulse 6 which has a capacity of 7.2kw and will discharge 6kw. It very rarely isn't charged when we get home from work even on dull days as our panels face due south.

That said, we can only discharge at 2.4kw so with the oven & hob on cooking tea (dinner if your posh), we need to draw from the grid.

The temptation to put another battery into the system is strong but once tea (dinner) is cooked we rarely run out of juice.

[iansheff 88]

3 hours ago, geared said:

I'd be surprised if you only got 11 years out of a battery to be honest.  With more recent tech on extending life you should see much more.

 

I seem to remember Tesla (car) batteries showing 90% or more capacity after 100,000 miles

I found this about the lifespan of them.

What Is the Lifespan of a Solar Battery?

The average lifespan of a solar battery storage system is around 5 to 7.5 years for lead-acid and 11-15 years for lithium-ion batteries. However, all batteries are vulnerable if they are over-discharged or exposed to extreme weather.

 

Solar Battery Storage System Cost in the UK (Updated 2022) | GreenMatch

 

Edited August 23, 2022 by iansheff

[the_mandarin 15]

On 23/08/2022 at 20:04, dan2802 said:

Our battery is a Varta Pulse 6 which has a capacity of 7.2kw and will discharge 6kw. It very rarely isn't charged when we get home from work even on dull days as our panels face due south.

That said, we can only discharge at 2.4kw so with the oven & hob on cooking tea (dinner if your posh), we need to draw from the grid.

The temptation to put another battery into the system is strong but once tea (dinner) is cooked we rarely run out of juice.

How long have you had your solar panels, if I may ask?
Also, have you been happy with your installer and would you recommend them?

[dan2802 53]

On 26/08/2022 at 12:53, the_mandarin said:

How long have you had your solar panels, if I may ask?
Also, have you been happy with your installer and would you recommend them?

Panels 4 years. Battery 3 years.

Im a roofer, my dads an electrician so did the install ourselves.

[blackydog 40]

On 23/08/2022 at 20:04, dan2802 said:

Our battery is a Varta Pulse 6 which has a capacity of 7.2kw and will discharge 6kw. It very rarely isn't charged when we get home from work even on dull days as our panels face due south.

That said, we can only discharge at 2.4kw so with the oven & hob on cooking tea (dinner if your posh), we need to draw from the grid.

The temptation to put another battery into the system is strong but once tea (dinner) is cooked we rarely run out of juice.

Hiya Dan. Do you know anyone that repairs solar installations. I think my meter has packed in. The red light is flashing but the reading is not incrementing. Thanks B

[dan2802 53]

3 hours ago, blackydog said:

Hiya Dan. Do you know anyone that repairs solar installations. I think my meter has packed in. The red light is flashing but the reading is not incrementing. Thanks B

Sent you a PM.

[Frazer1974 16]

I've just had panels installed, it was a no-brainer for us but I realise each individual household may be different.

 

I've got 6.5kwh of panels, and a 6.5kwh battery. In reality on sunny days the panels can sometimes show up to 7.5-8kwh of generation, and the battery doesn't ever go below 10%, so it can hold about 5.5kwh.

 

It has more than halved our electricity bills, but we've had to adapt our lifestyle so that we do the washing when it's sunny and use the dishwasher during the day.

 

Most of the time when it gets dark the panels have generated average 20kwh a day. We use perhaps 10kwh of that, charge the battery with about 6.5kwh and sell the rest back to the grid.

[geared 321]

1 hour ago, Frazer1974 said:

I've just had panels installed, it was a no-brainer for us but I realise each individual household may be different.

 

I've got 6.5kwh of panels, and a 6.5kwh battery. In reality on sunny days the panels can sometimes show up to 7.5-8kwh of generation, and the battery doesn't ever go below 10%, so it can hold about 5.5kwh.

 

It has more than halved our electricity bills, but we've had to adapt our lifestyle so that we do the washing when it's sunny and use the dishwasher during the day.

 

Most of the time when it gets dark the panels have generated average 20kwh a day. We use perhaps 10kwh of that, charge the battery with about 6.5kwh and sell the rest back to the grid.

If you have a hot water cylinder you can get a solar immersion kit that will put excess energy into the hot water cylinder, further reducing your bills.

 

I believe you get buttons for the energy sold back to the grid?  So makes sense to use everything you can.

[iansheff 88]

It is a right rip off what they pay people with solar panels for putting excess electricity into the grid, especially with what the energy companies are charging people per KWH.

[geared 321]

6 hours ago, iansheff said:

It is a right rip off what they pay people with solar panels for putting excess electricity into the grid, especially with what the energy companies are charging people per KWH.

Set by Government isn't it?

 

Proper Solar farms are being offered 50p/kWh+ I believe.

[kidley 48]

8 hours ago, iansheff said:

It is a right rip off what they pay people with solar panels for putting excess electricity into the grid, especially with what the energy companies are charging people per KWH.

Not really a rip off, the reason it is low is that firms where putting solar panels on peoples housers for free on condition that, they could keep the money that the government gave you for putting electric in the grid it was that high, so the government made it not viable. I think then the pay back for putting it back in the grid was .between 6 and 9 pence per kWh feed back