Solar PV email.

[Grumage]

Dear All.

This is about the third time I have received this email, each time I read it I wonder who is correct ??

Quote.

Better to consume, rather than export?
Brits with solar PV installs are too focused on the financial benefits of their installations, wrongly believing that exporting energy provides maximum benefit, according to academic research by a UK smart grid project.
The study, led by the University of Durham as part of the Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), discovered that PV owners are undervaluing the financial benefits of consuming energy generated onsite. The study found that the adoption of solar is being driven by new conventions which are focused on the financial motivations given by the feed-in tariff.
"Onsite use of power isn't widely recognised as a way to maximise financial benefits for PV owners, even though the cost of electricity proves that it's economically sensible for them to use as much as possible so they don't have to buy electricity from a supplier," said Dr Liz Sidebotham of Northern Powergrid, one of the company's behind the CLNR.
The study discovered that PV owners are overvaluing the feed-in tariff revenue generated by exporting excess energy back to the grid instead of using energy generated to negate the purchase of electricity from the grid.
Maximising the amount of solar-generated consumption by PV owners doesn't only benefit system owners either, as Sidebotham explained: "We have seen that by equipping PV owners with smart meters and in-home energy monitors they were able to better understand and manage their own energy use and generation. It gives PV owners the knowledge to help them cut their energy bills further and become even more energy self-sufficient, lessening the flow of PV-generated energy back onto the networks.
"This could be hugely beneficial to the UK electricity industry, allowing more PV to be installed without the need for investment in network infrastructure, helping the UK on its way to achieving its decarbonisation targets in a more cost-effective way."
The study also discovered that owners of solar PV tend to better understand their energy consumption which leads to changing consumption habits. Dr Sidebotham added: "Our research has shown that solar PV owners tend to be the most aware and informed when it comes to energy usage. This leads to more active ways of relating to energy, whereby individuals engage in the calculation of their own consumption and generation, as well as in monitoring and managing their use to a greater extent than in other households."

Un quote.

I thought, perhaps incorrectly ? that you only exported excess energy ? To me it seems they are suggesting we should put on a few extra toasters !!   

Thoughts/comments ??

Cheers Grum.

[TinMan]

Dear All.

This is about the third time I have received this email, each time I read it I wonder who is correct ??

Quote.

Better to consume, rather than export?
Brits with solar PV installs are too focused on the financial benefits of their installations, wrongly believing that exporting energy provides maximum benefit, according to academic research by a UK smart grid project.
The study, led by the University of Durham as part of the Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), discovered that PV owners are undervaluing the financial benefits of consuming energy generated onsite. The study found that the adoption of solar is being driven by new conventions which are focused on the financial motivations given by the feed-in tariff.
"Onsite use of power isn't widely recognised as a way to maximise financial benefits for PV owners, even though the cost of electricity proves that it's economically sensible for them to use as much as possible so they don't have to buy electricity from a supplier," said Dr Liz Sidebotham of Northern Powergrid, one of the company's behind the CLNR.
The study discovered that PV owners are overvaluing the feed-in tariff revenue generated by exporting excess energy back to the grid instead of using energy generated to negate the purchase of electricity from the grid.
Maximising the amount of solar-generated consumption by PV owners doesn't only benefit system owners either, as Sidebotham explained: "We have seen that by equipping PV owners with smart meters and in-home energy monitors they were able to better understand and manage their own energy use and generation. It gives PV owners the knowledge to help them cut their energy bills further and become even more energy self-sufficient, lessening the flow of PV-generated energy back onto the networks.
"This could be hugely beneficial to the UK electricity industry, allowing more PV to be installed without the need for investment in network infrastructure, helping the UK on its way to achieving its decarbonisation targets in a more cost-effective way."
The study also discovered that owners of solar PV tend to better understand their energy consumption which leads to changing consumption habits. Dr Sidebotham added: "Our research has shown that solar PV owners tend to be the most aware and informed when it comes to energy usage. This leads to more active ways of relating to energy, whereby individuals engage in the calculation of their own consumption and generation, as well as in monitoring and managing their use to a greater extent than in other households."

Un quote.

I thought, perhaps incorrectly ? that you only exported excess energy ? To me it seems they are suggesting we should put on a few extra toasters !!   

Thoughts/comments ??

Cheers Grum.

Well here in OZ,it's better to burn your own solar power,rather than feed it back onto the grid.
Here is how it work's here now. In the beginning you use to get 46 cents a KW/h for you feed in,but now if you install a PV system with feed in,you get a whole 4 cents a KW/h for your excess power. This power you get 4 cent's a KW/h for is of course sent out to the grid,dose a right turn,then another right turn into the neighbours house-which of course the power company charges them the full 48 cents a KW/h for. So in actual fact,the power company is making money off of your hard earned PV array on your roof top.
Hows that for a rip off.

[Centraflow]

Here in Spain they have now put a tax on all PV panels making them uneconomical, and here there are many PV farms which will now go out of business as they borrowed money to build them in the first place.

What a world we live in, politicals stuffing their pockets with our money, I do not know a political that does not have shares in an energy company, or after retiring from politics takes up a high paid directorship of an energy company, including the telephone companies and Banks.

It makes me sick

regards

Mike

[Allcanadian]

@tinman

Well here in OZ,it's better to burn your own solar power,rather than feed it back onto the grid.
Here is how it work's here now. In the beginning you use to get 46 cents a KW/h for you feed in,but now if you install a PV system with feed in,you get a whole 4 cents a KW/h for your excess power. This power you get 4 cent's a KW/h for is of course sent out to the grid,dose a right turn,then another right turn into the neighbours house-which of course the power company charges them the full 48 cents a KW/h for. So in actual fact,the power company is making money off of your hard earned PV array on your roof top.
Hows that for a rip off.

Sweet Jesus and I was irritated because I am paying 7 cents per KW/h in Canada through my local REA (Rural Electrification Association). Alberta, BC and Ontario have deregulated power(generation and line services) so that we have an option to buy power from whomever we want or generate it and be paid at a rate comparable to what is charged. One issue to consider is that I have looked at damn near everything in the renewables sector and in the long term it is almost impossible to compete with the utilities here. However at 48 cents per KW/h many renewables do look very attractive and can have very short pay back periods, I mean anything looks attractive if your paying 48 cents.

I would agree you are getting totally screwed over.

AC

[Grumage]

Dear All.

I just did some Googling and it seems you guys are near equal against the pound, C 53 pence.

So it would seem that Canada is the place to be for cheap electricity !! At that price I would not be here at OUR !!  No point !!   

I have recently changed supplier to get 13 pence per KWh  with a standing charge of 21 pence per day.

However my main question seems to have been missed, do you only export excess energy ??

Cheers Grum.

[Allcanadian]

@Grumage

So it would seem that Canada is the place to be for cheap electricity !! At that price I would not be here at OUR !!  No point !!

Now you see my dilema, trying to build an OU or renewable technology to compete with power at 7 cents per KW/h is no easy matter. However next door in the province of Saskachewan the main utility is Saskpower, a government regulated agency, and the rates can be over triple which we pay just across the provincial border in Alberta. In any case I have seen a huge increase in solar and wind power here and falling rates since deregulation which is proof to me that the system works. As well I can choose to buy solar or windpower exclusively from the provider of my choice for a premium of 3 to 4 cents more per KW/h which is pretty cool in my books. So even if I did build a solar system I am still competing with a provider which could sell clean power to me for around 10 to 11 cents per KW/h. Choice is good and I think we are going to switch to 100% renewable in the near future.

However my main question seems to have been missed, do you only export excess energy ??

If I was only getting 4 cents per KW/h for exporting power I would not export any power because your basically supporting an archaic power monopoly. Most new grid-tie inverters give the option not to export power to the grid but to shunt the excess to a load which could then heat domestic water or heat and cool the residence. I would rather go this route than give one cent to monopolizing utilities which should been banned decades ago.

AC