SOLAR PANELS in WINTER - Our Experience

In this video I take you through, how much our Solar PV system has produced over winter and how this has managed to be used, including potential savings.
Equipment:
- 5kw Solaredge Inverter
- 20x 400w Perlight Solar Panels
- 10kw Solaredge Battery
- Solaredge Modbus
The great guys from who installed our full system.
Instagram
‪@OvalRenewables‬ - ...
DIY Journey - ...

[@DIYJourney1]

For those interested here are the solar production figures during our time with the system in kWh: Mar 23 - 246.05 Feb 23 - 164.8 Jan 23 - 95.5 Dec 22 - 97 Oct 22 - 283 Sep 22 - 249 Aug 22 - 622

[@wvziccardi]

Truly believe battery storage is the way forward and in most cases, especially in the winter. Would be good to see a follow up video showing your generation over the last year and how you faired last winter.

[@DIYJourney1]

2023 - We produced 5.71mwh Exported 1.9mwh @ 15p/kwh = £285ish Stores in the battery - 1.52mwh You’re correct, a battery is essential.

[@lynnfisher4396]

Congratulations on getting through your first winter. We had solar panels in 2012 but it was fitting the Powerwall in 2020 that made the most difference to our bills. Losing the EV will give you lots of excess to sell. Interesting to see which Octopus tariff you go through but I think it will be the most recent one, Octopus Flux. With the amount of surplus you have you won’t need to export from your battery causing unnecessary cycling. I look forward to your next video.

[@DIYJourney1]

Thankyou, great to hear your experience. Yes absolutely. It is the Octopus Flux tariff we have switched on to, and although not working ideally, I do anticipate the tariff will work well like you say.

[@tobytroubs]

Watching your experiences with interest, we are just approaching retirement so I am trying to calculate wether it would be worth it....many thanks for your input , most usefull. We are in a very sunny area in Cornwall with almost all day sun roof exposure

[@DIYJourney1]

Glad to hear it is useful.

[@davidbarry8454]

Great video. Totally agree with your conclusions. Hope you are well.

[@DIYJourney1]

Thankyou David, well thankyou, I hope you are.

[@showme360]

The import thing is to make sure you're using all the solar you're array is producing, we found having an EV made sure we use all of it, and we use a Sunamp for our hot water which will also optymises our 4kw solar production. We have a 32kWh house battery and in winter this comes in very useful using the cheap over night Octopus Go tariff. This way your payback period shrinks.

[@DIYJourney1]

Absolutely 👍🏼 as explained in my other videos and this one. With my EV departing focus is now on the Hot Water Energy Diverter and a good Export Tariff

[@RichardABW]

@@DIYJourney1 Do you have gas? With Flux you're better off exporting than using electricity to heat water if you can use gas at ~10p/kWh.

[@DIYJourney1]

Yes, absolutely 👍🏼 however I find electric heating much more efficient so just leave the solar to do the job.

[@showme360]

@@DIYJourney1 Yes we ASHP and Infared panels.

[@dheaddy]

We have a similar setup. 6.6kw array and 20kw battery installed in January. I do agree that the battery is essential to make it worthwhile. I was very tempted to do what you have suggested and to charge the battery at night at the cheaper rate to use during the day. I will definitely consider it in the winter months. As the days are getting longer we have started to export more to the grid on Octopus Outgoing Fixed at 15p/kWh. I was considering the Flux tariff but I was finding it a little confusing as to whether it would actually save money. Is the suggestion from Octopus to shift your energy usage off grid and use the battery during peak times in order to save?

[@DIYJourney1]

Im not sure how the whole “octopus taking your stored energy” as such works, as it refers to, as our system isnt connected to octopus. I am simply using it, that on a good day, our battery is full by say 11am-1pm, so the any production beyond that is just exported at 22p/kw, then at 4pm-7pm that rate is 33p/kw. Our system, our the clocks have gone forward still produces at 6:30pm so with a full battery we are still exporting a large amount. Today has been 7kwh with 6kwh being export after 4pm, so circa £2 in export, and we still have a battery at 100% for us to use in the evening.

[@allenglishknives6823]

Great info to help inform me in future solar + battery install. Thanks

[@OvalRenewables]

Great video!

[@The-Mandolorian]

Very informative, how much did this entire system cost you?

[@sboothii4846]

Useful sensible video. My concern would be future tariff changes as more people charge batteries at night and the suppliers realise they can increase the rates. But I guess there is no way put as long as we have governments obsessed with dubious climate change policies.

[@DIYJourney1]

I have had a change in circumstance and have switched to an export type tarriff, which I think will be where the energy tarriffs go. Being more competitive for exporting. Currently we are exporting between £2-£4 per day, and saw upwards of £10 when we was on holiday.

[@hugothompson3709]

Great video. Would be good to find out how you got on last year with your solar setup... Any plans for an update? thanks

[@DIYJourney1]

Hi, No immediate plans, but would like to give an update if I can at some point. Below is an overview: We produced 5.71mwh Exported 1.9mwh @ 15p/kwh = £285ish Stored in the battery - 1.52mwh

[@CastleKnight7]

@@DIYJourney1Looking forward to an update as well. 😊👍

[@mikegriffiths7009]

Thanks for a really interesting video. I have looked into getting a solar pv system myself and SolarEdge was one that I had quotes for so great to get honest feedback. Have you worked out when the savings you make will cover the costs of the system? I worked out that mine would take well over 10 years even at today’s high energy prices so couldn’t justify it.

[@DIYJourney1]

Glad it was useful. Without an EV at the time we estimated 8.9 years. With an EV we were looking as low as 4 years. Now with the new exporting tariffs that will really change the game, Im aiming for £2k a year savings which I think is possible. We will see how pans out, I’m not precious on the payback myself, I feel there is an element of added value to the property price, the element of green energy and also the monthly budget savings works for us.

[@Shutityou]

I decided to buy a small car which does 50mpg so I’m not driving my van unless I need to. It has a much shorter return on investment and I still have the car at the end of the payback period. One thing that is never mentioned in these solar videos is the loss of opportunity to do something else with the money which may well save you more.

[@CrazedCrittic]

Really useful video thanks. I followed this from when you got it first installed. I wonder if you thought about increasing either the storage or is the current PV still not enough to fill the 10kw battery store? I'm moving into a new house in the country and planning on 20KW solar and a 30kw battery storage.. I wonder if this will be enough! Looking forwards to your next update.

[@DIYJourney1]

Thats really good to hear, our panel array on a good day would fill probably 30kw of battery and run our house with some left. As I currently have an EV more storage has not been of interest as the car in my opinion is classed as a form of battery storage, also heating hot water too. Main reason for not expanding and not in the immediate future is sheer cost, batteries aren’t a cheap addition at circa £7k, but certainly a consideration for the future maybe.

[@razorg4421]

Just use EDF night tariff. 8p a kw. Charge your battery to 9.5kw (biggest size) & use that during the day. 8p a kw electric all year round. No need for solar panels

[@DIYJourney1]

I still stand by solar panels. I am now on a export tariff, which is seeing our electricity for the last month completely free and export bringing upwards of £6.50 per day on a bright sunny day.

[@razorg4421]

@DIY Journey that's impressive tbf.

[@dc1544]

you can almost double your August kw in June. your May, June and July will be huge. I have a decent system 9.4kw solar, 60kw battery I am off grid 10 months. other 2 months I pay 1/2 of what I normally would. I am adding more panels to help that even more. If you can add panels to your fence to produce more it would help even more. I love how you are doing your part. Now with the world in such a state of shite I would try to get enough to power your house 9-12 months a year maybe have a generator as backup. I would triple your battery storage for sure. I do not trust we will have power in the future from the stand point of how things are going. Try to find used solar panels also it saves you.

[@colingray1071]

Interesting video, I've just placed an order for solar installation with hot water diverter and battery. Any change you can send me the excel spreadsheet you use for filling in the monthyl data.....would save me creating one :)

[@paul_london]

Thank you for the video! Are you planning a follow up?

[@zombiestyled]

Another honest video. Did you have any numbers of kWh generation over winter months. And a split between the west facing and lower South facing generation?

[@DIYJourney1]

I do have all the kWh figures, which when I get time can try pop below for you, I was just simplifying the video as get be a little information overload iv found for other videos. I think I may be able to work out the south and west split, but would take some work but ill look in to it.

[@zombiestyled]

@@DIYJourney1 cool. Not looking to create additional work for you. I think actual generation numbers is useful info as usage levels differ for many. Especially if you're dual fuel, etc. If we have a smart meter we can see our actual daily usage levels easily nowadays too.

[@DIYJourney1]

If I could add a screen shot it would be much easier. Our usage is circa 1200kwh per month with an EV. Without an EV this was around 300-350kwh per month. Hope this helps: Aug - 779kwh Sep - 506kwh Oct - 359kwh Nov - 97kwh Dec - 95kwh Jan - 164kwh Feb - 246kwh Mar - 393kwh

[@user-ky2of2ys7c]

Hi, I’ve been following what you’ve been doing since you installed your solar panel system - really great to hear about your experiences. We’re moving into a new build in October and plan to install a similar system. Given what you know now, I’d be really keen to get your thoughts on what you’d recommend, especially in terms of an inverter and a battery

[@DIYJourney1]

Hi, If you haven’t already watched it, my lessons learnt video Id say is still applicable. I would say, look at your monthly bill and work out on average how much your house uses. Match your inverter size to the peak production of your panels. Ours is a 8kw peak array of panels. However only have 5kw inverter so is abit of a pain when charging electric car. With no EV, I would find a 5kw array appropriate, as for 6/7 months of the year we are producing circa 20-45kwh per day. Hope that helps.

[@user-ky2of2ys7c]

@@DIYJourney1 thank you 👍🏻

[@lyntondell4882]

Awesome, do you think it’s possible to go 100% solar in the uk? What wold be your option for that? More panels and/or a generator?

[@DIYJourney1]

It is probably possible, with 30-40kwh (maybe more) of battery capacity to cover the days that are poor. Whether thats realistic Im not sure with cost. For us with our size system, in summer can produce 40+kwh per day so if you can store that additional energy. If you have the likes of an EV, I dont think its overly possible given the sheer demand, our situation for instance we’ve gone from 330kwh avg per month to 1200kwh per month.

[@mididoctors]

20!

[@DIYJourney1]

20?

[@Waciglass]

Did you join the Solaredge incentive program?

[@DIYJourney1]

I haven’t, I have seen it but not overly familiar. Can you share any information on it or have experience?

[@Waciglass]

You get paid £2.50 per kwh, solaredge charge up your battery just before an event (peak hour time in the evening) so you don't use the grid at the peak, that's what happened to us. I thought they might just take power out of the battery into the grid, but we didn't have enough stored so nothing went into the grid, we just used our battery. Paid in Amazon vouchers in June

[@DIYJourney1]

That does sound interesting and could be something to consider.

[@Cattywampus555]

if you paying 34p KWH on the price cap, no point in charging the battery. cheaper just to the using power when needed, round trip losses etc.

[@DIYJourney1]

I’m not sure why anyone would think you should charge a battery if you have a fixed set rate for the full 24 hours of a day 🤔 I think you’ve missed what I said. “Charging the battery at the cheaper overnight rate”

[@markkelly9095]

He not paying 34p to charge battery he paying 19p at flux cheaper rate and / or free charging from solar and export at 34p later on in day

[@asus1111ful]

Hi there I was offered 13x410w trina panels 9kwh battery 5kw inverter How much daily kwh in Edinburgh area this set can produce...any ideas? Totally £9k for this set

[@DIYJourney1]

What direction, North, South, East or West?

[@asus1111ful]

@@DIYJourney1 south east

[@DIYJourney1]

13x 410w = 5.3kw A potential of upto 50+ kwh depending on weather. We tend to average 30-45 in the summer, 5-15kwh in the winter.

[@asus1111ful]

@@DIYJourney1 last thing...do you think is it worth? Next ...is it worth to invest in heat pump if we buy those panels? Many thanks for your help

[@DIYJourney1]

I think so. It opens many doors, then add in an EV, for June this year Iv done 2344miles, car always charged at home and have a electricity bill of £7.96.

[@spam4just]

When should we expect your next solar update? Tia

[@DIYJourney1]

I have taken the decision not to do anymore KZbin videos in the near future. Apologies.

[@waasmk9194]

why :(@@DIYJourney1

[@kingk5013]

@@DIYJourney1 you will be missed hard to find genuine people round here good luck in life fella

[@DIYJourney1]

I have recently pursued a business venture which is taking time up. I am getting the bug again so we shall see.

[@DIYJourney1]

Very kind words, thank you. We will see if I can make a come back

[@s.wilson5675]

Great video explaining what I deem to be a nightmare. Optimising and micro-managing your life just to be efficient and cost effective to sustain a reasonable quality of life, (or green reason). I'm certainly not having a go a you mate but this whole climate change, cost of living, drive to sustainability, etc., is beyond comprehension. I'm old enough to remember when gas had 1 price, electric had 1 price, (+ economy 7) if that suited and petrol/diesel was something you'd put in your tank to get to work and back for a week, just an included travel cost so you didn't have to travel of the germ infested public transport..... None of this "when's the best time to charge my car and on what tariff?". We're all being taken for suckers. Don't get me started on online banking and self-serve tills!!! Arghhhhh!!!

[@DIYJourney1]

Im surprised you’ve watched the video if that is your thoughts. Its far from a nightmare, I can afford my bills prior to this installation, but its more just a simple investment in to life and moving with the times. The whole worrying about correct times to charge your car is not a thing. Even more so with tarrifs like Octopus intelligent, my car is left on charge and they charge it to what I need, by when I need it for cheap. I now can sell back stored electricity to the grid for double what I bought it from them. No point sitting back, not understanding it all and letting the world move on, people are only penalising themselves.

[@Sandhoeflyerhome]

This guy is to slow to watch

[@DIYJourney1]

Find another video then 🤦🏽‍♂️😆

[@Sandhoeflyerhome]

@@DIYJourney1 I did

[@DIYJourney1]

But still found time to comment and give the creator acknowledgment 👌🏼