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Mother Earth: Hybrid Home Energy Systems Offer Both Off-Grid and Grid-Tied Benefits

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For residential electricity users who want to control and master their electrical consumption, as well as business owners and agricultural users, a hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds: reduced or even eliminated utility charges and backup during critical times, without the need to stay totally off the grid with a system that can draw from the grid when necessary to make up the difference.

 

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andy

This kind of system is offered to Uk residents in two different ways!

1. Government funding. Residents (home owners) can have a free system installed! Without batteries. The unused power goes into the grid. Power you use while the sun is out is free. Dark hours you pay like everyone from the electric suppliers.

2. Government part funding. Full system including batteries. System installation and type, up to the buyer. Problem was the price you paid! For the system to start paying for it's self! The product's would never last the time, so would need replacing.

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Parrothead

This kind of system is offered to Uk residents in two different ways!

1. Government funding. Residents (home owners) can have a free system installed! Without batteries. The unused power goes into the grid. Power you use while the sun is out is free. Dark hours you pay like everyone from the electric suppliers.

2. Government part funding. Full system including batteries. System installation and type, up to the buyer. Problem was the price you paid! For the system to start paying for it's self! The product's would never last the time, so would need replacing.

 

Not sure which a friend of mine has, who lives in the UK. But, he seems pretty happy with his. Has micro inverters on the array, linked to software on his computer, so he knows exactly how much each panel generates.

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Parrothead

Here is the post he made, back in July 2015.

Posted 06 July 2015 - 4:26 AM

 
At the end of November 2011 I had installed a grid tied 3kWh solar PV system using 12 Sanyo 250W HIT H Series PV Panels with each panel having an Enecsys micro-inverter.  My meter has just clocked 10,000 kWh so I thought I would share a few thoughts.  Note this system was installed in the southern UK, I would expect the yield from a system in the Philippines to be greater.
 
The system cost just over £13,000, I would have saved £1,200 had I gone for a single string inverter.  Shading of panels by neighbours trees meant micro-inverters were more effective.  I was told using one string inverter with one panel shaded the output from all panels would have been impacted.  I also liked the online monitoring available from Enecsys.  Enecsys has subsequently gone out of business and the online monitoring is no longer available leaving the limited display on the data gathering unit and the Electricity company meter my only performance data.
 
Year 1 (13 months) 2833 kWh
Year 2  2675 kWh
Year 3  2878 kWh
 
I have not had the panels cleaned and there has been no obvious decline in output.  They are installed on the roof at 30 degrees from horizontal.  Despite the bird crap falling on my car and windows seemingly having the adhesive power of superglue, nothing seems to stick to the panels.  A friend just coming up to 4 years of using solar panels has the same experience.
 
I managed to qualify for the maximum Government subsidy on each kWh generated and the income near enough matches my annual gas and electric bills.  Since then for new entrants the 25yr inflation linked subsidy has decreased by around 75%.  Given the decrease in panel costs I would still be tempted to have panels installed as and when I move to a new house (assuming the previous occupants had not already done it).
 
You can now get a unit that instead of diverting unused power back to the grid, first uses it to heat water in the hot tank and only diverts it back to the grid when the water is up to heat.  If installing a system now I would install such a unit and a large capacity hot tank.
 
If living in a house in the Philippines in an area likely to suffer from brownouts I would be tempted to have an off grid system for daylight powered roof space ventilation and some lighting, ceiling fans and mobile phone charging etc.  As well as a grid tied system to reduce air con and other electric costs, assuming grid tied was available.
 

He did say, later in the thread, that the government subsidy was what made it all worthwhile:

You are correct, the only thing that made it worth doing was the ludicrous Government subsidy, guaranteed index linked for 25 years.  I had the money earning minimal interest and decided to play and was not too worried if I did not make a profit.  In fact because I am very likely to move house by the end of 2017 I definitely will not make a profit.  My income from the panels:

 
Year 1 - £1318.26
Year 2 - £1290.17
Year 3 - £1424.76
 
Shortly after my system was installed the Government halved the subsidy for new entrants.  The installers were making large profits and the cost of installations also dropped by a huge amount.
 
At the moment there has been no maintenance required.  The micro-inverters and panels are supposed to have a 25 year life before failing!  There are guarantees on parts and installation, but I am working on the basis they are not worth the paper they are printed on.

 
Edited by Paul

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andy

Yes! Looking at the figures alone it will take ten years to break even. That is if the system works and performs on the same level.

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Parrothead

Yes! Looking at the figures alone it will take ten years to break even. That is if the system works and performs on the same level.

 

Solar panels, easily, will last ten years. Twenty to twenty-five is more likely, though. 

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andy

Look the Uk government where in this instance in conjunction with the major power company's.

This was one of their ways of going green campaign's. Giving subsidy's to the ones who could afford. (the middle class). The local councils and housing association (sub-government and private sector) never put solar on their property.

The electric supplier's had some solar power now in the national grid.

It's business! About making money and getting the people's votes in the next election.

When this green scheme started the government also had the insensitive to trade with China! Here are your system and panel's.

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Oz Jon

Yes! Looking at the figures alone it will take ten years to break even. That is if the system works and performs on the same level.

 

Not quite right?

 

I think that you are just looking at the pay-back period - without depreciation.

 

To really figure out if the investment was worthwhile, you need to have at least the original investment cash (£13,000?) back in-hand at the end of the exercise (minus whatever residual value is left).

Otherwise, you have been simply living off your capital investment.

 

Capital has value! - Maybe you could have earned much more by investing it somewhere else? - bonds?, real estate?, stocks?

 

This is the same problem I have seen with most examples of the financial analysis of solar systems.

 

Except in remote areas where mains is not available, it s not easy to find an example where they are really a good investment.

 

They usually must be justified by non-financial considerations..... Nothing wrong with that - just not an economical justification.

Edited by Oz Jon
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andy

I think that you are just looking at the pay-back period - without depreciation

 

This is all I was doing Oz Jon. Keeping it nice and simple.

In the system set up for the power and government funding, there are no storage batteries! The idea is you can have the free energy while the sun shines. If you don't use it. The power simply goes back into the electric grid. But think about it many consumers work in daylight hours. But it is rewarding to family's whom the wife will be at home all day with young children.

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Oz Jon

This is all I was doing Oz Jon. Keeping it nice and simple.

In the system set up for the power and government funding, there are no storage batteries! The idea is you can have the free energy while the sun shines. If you don't use it. The power simply goes back into the electric grid. But think about it many consumers work in daylight hours. But it is rewarding to family's whom the wife will be at home all day with young children.

 

It's interesting Andy, that temperature control ( heating by day in some parts of the world and cooling by day in other parts) together with water heating, are among the most attractive solar applications.

 

They well  match the time that solar power is available and don't need the expense of storage batteries.

 

In fact with smart design they don't need AC conversion with inverters either - It should be possible to use DC, straight off the panels.

 

And heating/cooling water is one of the cheapest and most efficient energy storage methods available.

 

I haven't seen any applications like that being promoted. 

 

I guess that someone will come up with one, one of these days.

Edited by Oz Jon
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