Non Boaty - Solar panels, Yes/No

[sailorman]

I have 4KW Sanyo panels, south facing in central Scotland. The Sanyo panels were more expensive, but also more sensitive so hopefully will be generating earlier and later than others.

£3300 return in two years, but the system was installed before the tariffs were slashed.

> 7000Kwh generated

> 30% return on capital thus far

On a good day I can reach close to the 4Kw, but currently it's in the low hundreds of watts.



For the hell of it, I'm streaming the inverter output and merging it with my weather station data - http://weather.agurney.com/





Here's a useful tool that will let you see what you can hope for in the way of sunshine: http://suncalc.net/#/55.9447,-3.161,13/2014.01.20/12:03

we have a Sunny Boy inverter & track the output via bluetooth on the lappy

 

[agurney]

I have the older brother if this http://www.solarmerge.co.uk/solarcache i export very little, my hot water cylinder gets first dibs on free electric over export

19 months in i have been paid approx £ 1350 cash. my FIT payments exceed my electricity bill PA

the solarcache looks good, however doesn't physics ensure that 50% of what you generate will go to the grid, irrespective of what you consume?

 

[sailorman]

the solarcache looks good, however doesn't physics ensure that 50% of what you generate will go to the grid, irrespective of what you consume?

No
we are at the Mo exporting about 80 > 100w ( the system has to export something ) the immersion is taking the balance. then the cylinder is at temp it will export what isnt being consumed by the house.
in other words house gets first call, any excess goes into the cylinder then export

 

[bendyone]

What is the cost of the solarcache unit?

 

[sailorman]

What is the cost of the solarcache unit?

email Terry via the site
mine is an earlier model made up of separate units that are now all in the one box.