Corner turned

[Joeboy]

Hi guys, ran washing machine twice this morning then we headed out leaving stack at 71% soc. Came back to be pleasantly surprised at 78%soc. That is the first truly discernable uptick since Nov 21's demise of PV Anyone else seeing anything decent? For us that 2.75kWh solar power is a delight to see, way beyond its cash value!

[Stinsy]

I've harvested more electrons January-to-date than I did in the entire of December!

[Moxi]

Hi Joeboy,

I know how you feel last three days have been good with 3.3, 3.6 and hopefully around 1.8kWh today. Today is overcast hence the bot so good figure but the trend generally feel like it’s on the ascent. Even today’s generation has been sufficient to offset much of the day’s consumption with only peaking loads drawing off the grid. As you say the feeling is greater than the fiscal gains but it IS a good feeling

Spent some time over the last three days placing one of the two panels I got for the ground mount in various positions to see where the 600 watt peak array would best produce. Just waiting for the steel to arrive now so I can install.

Moxi

[Oliver90owner]

Gridwatch surprised me this morning. We were making electricity in bright sunshine but gridwatch was recording as zilch! I thought that we could not be the only place in the UK with bright sunshine. Our panels are not optimised for low angles of insolation, so commercial solar farms should have been showing something.

[Bugtownboy]

Know it doesn’t count in terms of electrons, and I find it hard to measure, but I think we’ve had an additional 3-4^o of heat in the house from solar gain.

There’s also the feel good factor that I’m sure makes you feel warmer too.

Also managed a glass of chilled white and some olives sitting outside - all January days should be like this.

[Sunrisemike]

I don't Gridwatch always picks it up. 19.1 GWH today, maxed out at 4 GW.

https://www.solar.sheffield.ac.uk/pvlive/

Mike. 5.1 KWh today, 4 kw install.

[nowty]

I don't Gridwatch always picks it up. 19.1 GWH today, maxed out at 4 GW.

https://www.solar.sheffield.ac.uk/pvlive/

Mike. 5.1 KWh today, 4 kw install.

Interesting mine topped out at 3.7kW and made 17.7 KWh, so I nearly matched the grid, just a million times lower.

[Joeboy]

Great to hear you lads a wee bit further South are getting some early year solar.

I wish we could work out the total negative carbon count that we 120+ generate. All the way from a 1/4 filled kettle to whatever the peak is. Look at us go!

[Moxi]

Lovely morning here, calm chilly 3 degree's just waiting for the sun to peep over the crest of the mountains behind us and it will be out to put one of the extra panes up again and try a few additional positions around the yard that I thought about yesterday to see where the maximum benefit can be gained - although I am now wondering if a frame on wheels and a fold out section may be the better option rather than fixed position - with mobility I can park it around the corner of the cottage out of the worst of the gales and we get a lot of those here- and it can be moved to positions to work around the kids playing too - makes the build more a little more difficult though hmmmm.

I'm just waiting on 8m of uni-strut coming so that I can start the frame build.

Moxi

[Stan]

Yes Moxi, today is the day to take photos of your shadows during the bright sunshine. Will you optimise the slope for winter?
I’ve been plotting. These pics were taken at 11am this morning showing the tensioned sheep netting which I could use for vertical mounting.
However it would require 150 metres of DC cable to der shed for batteries.





The PV would be nicely out of the way of the hay mower in summer with a minor risk of sheep licks.
To shorten the cable run significantly I would have to mount the panels in a single line further up the hill, close to where mature trees cast long shadows at this time of year. Then the hay mower has to go around them, which just changes his routine. I suppose that a runaway round bale is to be avoided.
I learned in Autumn that the shadows change fast on a daily basis at this time of year, when you have big trees nearby.