Experimental PV calculator

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Krill
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 4:38 pm

Re: Experimental PV calculator

#31

Post by Krill »

I am in the process of moving onto Flux (Octopus have been absolutely useless and I've had to raise the issue of fitting a smart meter with the Ombudsman, they have been refusing to fit smart meters for all Bulb customers because they had no contract with the fitting companies, which is in breach of their own terms of conditions for moving tariffs).

Octopus are simply trying to by the output of every single residential rooftop solar installation as a conglomerate national PV array and they don't need to deal with any of the planning permission or other business issues, simply split the profits with each individual owner via a specific tariff that will float relative to the OFGEM price cap (in the near term) or a lower level set by the market. I think they will have to do some interesting weather modelling to make it fit, but this is not significantly more advanced than they already have to do with wind farms and other solar farms.

I think the principle is relatively sustainable, even if the precise import tariff level isn't. In some respects I think Flux will force the other corporations to change how they evaluate SEG. I think the future issue will be as BEV continue to proliferate if they end up having to extend the cheap slot, otherwise households may be forced back into self consumption which is inherently harmful to their bottom line.
Solar PV: 6.4kW solar PV (Eurener MEPV 400W*16)
PV Inverter: Solis 6kW inverter
Batteries: 14.4kWh LiFePO4 batteries (Pylontech US5000*3)
Battery Inverter: LuxPowertek 3600 ACS*2 battery inverter
WBS: 8kW Hunter Avalon 6 Multifuel burner (wood only)
LesNewell
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed May 10, 2023 6:48 pm

Re: Experimental PV calculator

#32

Post by LesNewell »

Krill wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 2:06 pm I think the principle is relatively sustainable, even if the precise import tariff level isn't. In some respects I think Flux will force the other corporations to change how they evaluate SEG. I think the future issue will be as BEV continue to proliferate if they end up having to extend the cheap slot, otherwise households may be forced back into self consumption which is inherently harmful to their bottom line.
I hope they do push other suppliers into providing variable rate solar tariffs. I suspect that these tariffs will become more available in the future, especially as BEVs become capable of feeding back to the grid.

Their agile tariff puzzles me a bit. The customer takes on a lot more of the risk from volatile pricing but the payback isn't really there, especially in the winter. While there are occasional crazy prices with them actually paying you to consume electricity, overall Flux or Go give better payback with much less risk.
User avatar
Krill
Posts: 389
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 4:38 pm

Re: Experimental PV calculator

#33

Post by Krill »

I think (and I believe other members of the forum will correct me if I'm wrong) but Agile has to be seen as a beta test of what could be done and is several years old now, and it has informed the creation of Flux which is part of a broader suite of tariffs. I don't think Flux would exist without Agile existing to start with, but Agile might go the way of the dodo?
Solar PV: 6.4kW solar PV (Eurener MEPV 400W*16)
PV Inverter: Solis 6kW inverter
Batteries: 14.4kWh LiFePO4 batteries (Pylontech US5000*3)
Battery Inverter: LuxPowertek 3600 ACS*2 battery inverter
WBS: 8kW Hunter Avalon 6 Multifuel burner (wood only)
User avatar
Fintray
Posts: 1559
Joined: Mon May 31, 2021 6:37 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: Experimental PV calculator

#34

Post by Fintray »

LesNewell wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 2:38 pm
Krill wrote: Thu May 25, 2023 2:06 pm I think the principle is relatively sustainable, even if the precise import tariff level isn't. In some respects I think Flux will force the other corporations to change how they evaluate SEG. I think the future issue will be as BEV continue to proliferate if they end up having to extend the cheap slot, otherwise households may be forced back into self consumption which is inherently harmful to their bottom line.
I hope they do push other suppliers into providing variable rate solar tariffs. I suspect that these tariffs will become more available in the future, especially as BEVs become capable of feeding back to the grid.

Their agile tariff puzzles me a bit. The customer takes on a lot more of the risk from volatile pricing but the payback isn't really there, especially in the winter. While there are occasional crazy prices with them actually paying you to consume electricity, overall Flux or Go give better payback with much less risk.
Flux for say April - October Go for the rest.
3.87kWp PV
10.24kWp PV SolarEdge system
Tesla Powerwall 2
100 x 47mm Navitron tubes (still being installed!) Now likely to be removed for more PV.
MK2 PV router DHW diverter
Morso 5kW WBS
Vaillant AroTherm 10kW ASHP
Nissan Leaf
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