Second system extension extension.

[Joeboy]

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58901566

It is more than just "fluctuating prices" our reliance on imported FF gas for electricity generation, space-heating, and cooking, is handing vast amounts of power (no pun intended) to Uncle Vlad!

I don't do politics but if life has taught me one thing...it's that if you want something done, diy. Waiting on think tanks and politicos to catch up with the moving now is a sure fire way to frustrating times.

[Stan]

The solic 200 diverter is working. There’s hardly a cloud in a blue sky and it must be diverting best part of 2kW to the immersion at the moment. The proof is that the tank temperature is shooting up as seen on the controller for my evacuated tubes, far faster than the tubes were performing before switch on and the mains meter is very muted.
I visited Potts in Derby yesterday and bought the 2.5mm jack plug extension lead, 5m long, which was just enough making 6.5m total.
Also I was lucky with fitting the sensor on the meter tail as it could have needed to be the other way round.
There is a requirement to switch the inverter off and on during commissioning and I did worry about having both the 2.5kWp and 1.0kWp systems on the same consumer unit. So initially I switched on only the 2.5kWp system until everything checked OK and later switched on the other, with no adverse effects.
So, that’s my reaction to a major energy-price hike and I’m really chuffed.

[Joeboy]

The solic 200 diverter is working. There’s hardly a cloud in a blue sky and it must be diverting best part of 2kW to the immersion at the moment. The proof is that the tank temperature is shooting up as seen on the controller for my evacuated tubes, far faster than the tubes were performing before switch on and the mains meter is very muted.
I visited Potts in Derby yesterday and bought the 2.5mm jack plug extension lead, 5m long, which was just enough making 6.5m total.
Also I was lucky with fitting the sensor on the meter tail as it could have needed to be the other way round.
There is a requirement to switch the inverter off and on during commissioning and I did worry about having both the 2.5kWp and 1.0kWp systems on the same consumer unit. So initially I switched on only the 2.5kWp system until everything checked OK and later switched on the other, with no adverse effects.
So, that’s my reaction to a major energy-price hike and I’m really chuffed.

Excellent news Stan, well played!

[Stan]

Friday, commissioning day for the Solic 200, was very sunny producing a total 10kWh from the 2 PV systems but also some direct heating of hot water by the 40 solar tubes. In this hybrid water-heating system the tubes heat water at the bottom of the tank but the Solic ‘heats’ water at the top because that is where the immersion heater is. So I could watch the lower water heating very slowly but the top water heating very fast. The top reached 60C and stopped because that is where the thermostat was set. So I upped the thermostat setting to 80C and heating continued to 81C. That’s safe because in summer the tubes can take the whole tank to 81C before dumping excess into the central heating circuit. AND the domestic water is mixed with cold before arriving at the taps.
At 5pm, dumping of heat into the central heating did happen briefly, so PV warming my home for a few minutes!

Today, Saturday, has been generally grey cloud with 2 PV systems producing a total 3.9kWh and the tubes doing very little. We went walking, looking for rutting deer north of Chatsworth. Back home the tank top had risen from 51C to 76C which again is very satisfying.
I’m interested to see what we get on a really poor day, somewhere down the line.

[Joeboy]

Friday, commissioning day for the Solic 200, was very sunny producing a total 10kWh from the 2 PV systems but also some direct heating of hot water by the 40 solar tubes. In this hybrid water-heating system the tubes heat water at the bottom of the tank but the Solic ‘heats’ water at the top because that is where the immersion heater is. So I could watch the lower water heating very slowly but the top water heating very fast. The top reached 60C and stopped because that is where the thermostat was set. So I upped the thermostat setting to 80C and heating continued to 81C. That’s safe because in summer the tubes can take the whole tank to 81C before dumping excess into the central heating circuit. AND the domestic water is mixed with cold before arriving at the taps.
At 5pm, dumping of heat into the central heating did happen briefly, so PV warming my home for a few minutes!

Today, Saturday, has been generally grey cloud with 2 PV systems producing a total 3.9kWh and the tubes doing very little. We went walking, looking for rutting deer north of Chatsworth. Back home the tank top had risen from 51C to 76C which again is very satisfying.
I’m interested to see what we get on a really poor day, somewhere down the line.

It has worked well, great to see. 51-76C is a significant gain. I love that it tripped over into home heating too, albeit a short window. Regardless, a win is a win!

Today 17th Oct is the first day when we are seeing next to nothing in RE at home. Just under 0.75kWh from main array! That will equate to around 1.2kWh total from a 9kW system. Can hear the door of Autumn slamming from here! Happy enough though as we have been literally running on The Force since March.

CLICK, switching over to HE woodstove and enjoying the rarer days of PV as and when they now come along. 7.5 months grid free in 2021, not bad. With luck and the new gear we will push that out to 8.5 months across 2022. Beyond that I'm hitting geographical, local environment and orientation limits.

[Stan]

I’m assuming that you are still in Turkey Joeboy. Like you, I came back down to earth today with only 1.5kWh total delivered by the PV. You could see the centre one of 3 leds on the Solic flashing as it scavenges small amounts of energy, even when there are only 200W to play with. The hot water tank (170L) started the day at 57C and ended at the same. That’s still good because it’s made up the usage and losses. I know from experience that without the new system it would be down near 40C by now.
Your next project is to bring home a suitcase full of latent heat.

[Joeboy]

I’m assuming that you are still in Turkey Joeboy. Like you, I came back down to earth today with only 1.5kWh total delivered by the PV. You could see the 3 leds on the Solic flashing as it scavenges small amounts of energy even when there are only 200W to play with. The hot water tank (170L) started the day at 57C and ended at the same. That’s still good because it’s made up the usage and losses. I know from experience that without the new system it would be down near 40C by now.
Your next project is to bring home a suitcase full of latent heat.

Aye Stan, Still in Turkey, we are seeing 28C each day in shade. The house retains its heat well and the shower mixer is set to a touch over neutral. Essentially, solar gain rocks here! Sadly the home case is full of gifts for the kids (bags,trainers,clothes) so the slabs of heat will have to remain here.

On the limited input today uk side I must agree that it was an abrupt halt to the late season run. Forecast back home next 5 days is as they say 'pish'. All being equal we'll all squeak a few more kWh's yet...

Great that you are seeing gains even in marginal times. A couple of hundred Watts is not to be sniffed at. Long may it continue!

[Fintray]

On the limited input today uk side I must agree that it was an abrupt halt to the late season run. Forecast back home next 5 days is as they say 'pish'. All being equal we'll all squeak a few more kWh's yet...

You're not wrong there, 5.9kWh today and only 3.4kWh yesterday...

[Joeboy]

On the limited input today uk side I must agree that it was an abrupt halt to the late season run. Forecast back home next 5 days is as they say 'pish'. All being equal we'll all squeak a few more kWh's yet...

You're not wrong there, 5.9kWh today and only 3.4kWh yesterday...

3kWh today. Keeps the house ticking over and the tub cleaning cycle but that's it! I am hearing snow for Thursday? Smashing!

[Tinbum]

12Kwh today, would have been more if the Growatt hadn't decided to play up this morning and needed a reset. Forecast was for 29 and tomorrows is 14 so tonight will be the first time I will draw from the grid since mid Feb (on GO now).