Anyone using Solar

Built my own 16.5Kw system with 1820Ah @ 48v, need to go off grid due to rising costs.

PS - Hi all long time no type :grinning:

I have a couple of units I got to test viability. I charge a phone battery pack from one, which gives me three full charges of my phone a week and a solar pir security light.

Iā€™ve looked at various solar battery systems from Jackery , Bluetti etc for when out at car shows and as a general ā€œpower it using thisā€ when doing off jobs to be a little greener and offset my very large petrol engines in my cars! Havenā€™t made the leap yet though.

Good to see you and great that thereā€™s an off gridder here again.

DT.

I used Solar quite extensively, for a week.

Then I had to get a flight home and develop an addiction to Immodium.

Many years ago I had this mad idea of a small wind powered generator in the back garden as it always seems to be ā€˜freshā€™ out there. Further investigation into it soon put that one to bed.
When the mortgage finished we ended up with about a Ā£9k windfall and Solar power stuff was on the mind, but a new gas boiler and double glazing were priorities.
I think, given my age, the cost of solar energy installation and the time until it actually pays for itself wouldnā€™t be beneficial to me.
I still remember the American member we had (username forgotten) . . Arizona area was it? . . he did well out of solar.

MAOJC ?

Daveā€¦ ā€œmind searching into cobwebb cornerā€ā€¦

he runs/ran a complete setup out in the desert to power his house and sell into the grid iirc

I wonder how the efficiency of the panels is now they are 10+ years old

DT.

found it!

DT.

MAOJC
Yep thatā€™s the very man TFW, cheers

I had some installed in June last year. Yup, believe it or not it we do sometimes get sun in Scotland :smiley:
14 panels (6k)and 2x5kW batteries (6k)- june through september was fulling charging and excess back into the grid for a few pennies (covered the standing charge easily enough).
Not much now, but we get the odd good day.
ROI should be around 7 years (down from 12 dues to increased energy prices).

Havent paid an energy bill since a token Ā£40 in August (moved to Octopus in June) and theyā€™ve had me on a payment holiday.
large house and with heating being on weā€™ve (Iā€™ve) noticed the jump in costs - energy bill is currently Ā£1000 in debit. Probably closer to 2.5k come April, then it should be ā€˜freeā€™ electric for a few months, and little gas use (cooking)

Hi all good to see you again!

With the increased costs my payback will be with-in 3 years (Ā£525 a month is what i would be paying) then i have 5 to 7 years before i have to replace the batteries so my saving over 5 to 7 years will be somewhere between Ā£31500 to Ā£41000. I saved alot of money by doing it all myself the only down side is i can not sell it back to the grid but i can live with that.

I am lucky as i have a few barns i can put them on so there all facing different directions and at different angles so i can make most of any winter sun, its not for everybody but i try to do what i can the only problem is in the summer what to do with all the extra electric? (hot tub, air con, or 30+ PC crunchingā€¦)

I also have a Marlec wind turbine on order (i already have one) so this will help in the dark wintery days and nights. There could be the odd day when i will need to run the genny but thatā€™s life in the UK. This is my first full month off-grid so time will tell on how thing shape up.

Cheers Dave.

Cheers, back at ya buddy!