February Generation 2024

[dan_b]

the office array

Solar generation - 274kWh
Self consumption - 240kWh
Export - 33.8kWh

Overall electricity consumption - 2.47MWh
Electricity import - 2.23MWh

So even though the month was 1 day longer than 2023, we generated a little less (274 vs 280kWh in 23).

Hopefully Octopus will switch us to the Shape Shifters Tariff soon.

[Fintray]

My results for February were:

3.87 kWp, slope 50 degrees, due south, lat 57.15

Total generation: 232.4kWh

Daily average: 8.0kWh

Generation per kWp: 60.0kWh

Daily average per kWp: 2.0kWh

PVGIS: 167kWh

%PVGIS: 139%

[Krill]

PVGIS expected: 300 kWh
Actual Generation: 130 kWh (shading and bad weather, but I'm suspecting that I'm using PVGIS wrong)

Imported: 379.89 kWh (measured at meter)
Exported: 51.13kWh (measured at meter)

Battery Inverter claimed consumption: 447 kWh (PV_generation + Import - Export = 458 so looks realistic)

Looking for efficiencies within the system, I suspect that I will keep the Flux tariff for until October, charge in the three hour cheapslot at night at the most efficient inverter rate (maybe 70%?), and stick with the strategy of keeping one battery inverter set to discharge at any one time (unless cooking). Then the Solis PV inverter can just export most of the time so I will avoid the inefficiencies of low power charge and discharge from the batteries for most of the next 7 months except at night.

And maybe petition the council to trim the trees.

Output wise I can see a definite trend in the increased production over the past two weeks, regularly breaking double digits now. Unfortunately most of my production comes in the mid afternoon when I don't really need it for anything and the batteries have dropped 20%. I might want to experiment with changing hte charging profile on the Luxpower inverters but I don't think the app includes the option to set time slots for general charging from PV production, only form the grid...

[Joeboy]

"And maybe petition the council to trim the trees."

I'll be interested to hear how this turns out region to region? Up here the council have it written into their policy that they won't trim trees for shade, have to be dangerous or dead.

[resybaby]

"And maybe petition the council to trim the trees."

I'll be interested to hear how this turns out region to region? Up here the council have it written into their policy that they won't trim trees for shade, have to be dangerous or dead.

Same down here in Cornwall.
Cant possibly admit to a bit of 'guerilla' pruning of the overgrown unkept bushes outside mine

[Krill]

The avenue is lined on both sides on my part of the street. The tree directly in front of my house was taken down about 10 years ago or I'd generate maybe 2MW/year.

I doubt the council would do anything. The tree in question is probably about 15 metres tall and living tree life to the fullest. I don't even know how one would trim it. And it only really matters early November to early March.

Good point on the local policy Joe, I'll have a look on what I can find.

[Beau]

Had panels for 12 years or more but only now have we got something that logs our day-to-day production so can join in on this at long last

From the 8th until the 29th we got a miserly 85 kWh from our due south 3.6 kWh system.

Suspecting a watermill on our downpipes would have been more productive (317mm of rain for Feb)

[nowty]

Nowty Towers Power Station
Main 4kW PV system generated 146 kWh which is about 26% below baseline and my second worst Feb ever in 13 years.
Total PV arrays generated 380 kWh.

Electric Import was 1533 kWh.
Gas import was 23 kWh.
Out of house EV charging was 100 kWh.
Petrol used in EV hybrid was 0 kWh.
Total imported energy use 1656 kWh

Solar PV / Battery electric export was 252 kWh.
Ripple GF wind farm generated 1295 kWh which is 4% above baseline.
Total energy offset 1547 kWh

Net energy import (this month) for Nowty Towers 109 kWh

2024 (cumulative) Net Energy Import 877 kWh