Best ways to maximise solar panels/battery/EV and Power Move advantage!

Hi

I am in a similar position but a 6.9kWh battery, and had this installed towards the end of October.

I managed the full £15 power move credit for 1 or 2 months in the depths of winter but since then have only hit the £3 target.

The only way I can see to boost to the £15 would be by forcing use on mon-Fri outside of 4-7pm, either by using kettle and toaster and oven simultaneously, or by charging the car to drain the battery, plus use a bit off the grid.

However, I am so happy with running my entire house off the battery & Solar (only a dribble off the grid to keep things ticking over and once or twice when we have had a run of grey cloudy days and lots of cooking!) that I put my effort into checking the weather and planning ahead (ie I charge the car in the evening, particularly if the next day will be sunny to refill the battery).

Yes, the £15 would be nice, but I treat anything I get as a bonus!

Alison

I’d be interested in this as well. I don’t have a storage battery, but have two EVs with an intelligent charger, 4kW peak solar panels, and an Immersun which diverts all excess generation into my immersion heater until the water is hot enough. On the old FIT, you get paid for generating power and a nominal 50% back to the grid, and that was about what I actually did, until I fitted the Immersun. I’m not sure how that all works if you also have local storage. So it’s all quite complex to try and get the Power Move paybacks.

Tony

You would probably be best to use your Solar to charge all your batteries (EV and Battery), export as much as you can afterwards to get the FIT and run your dishwasher or whatever (not using your battery for it) overnight to bump up your qualifying usage outside the Powermove hours!

Hi Ian Ferguson,

I think you are missing the point - the reason OVO are doing this is to get us all to reduce consumption at peak times. The rewards are small compared with the usage that many of us have, so it’s not a great incentive, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. I like spreadsheets, but havn’t yet tackled how to get the best peak reduction, so I am interested in any answers.

Tony

On my car I block out the Power Move hours so it will only charge after 7.00pm and before 4.00pm. This will shift from after 9.00pm and before 6.00pm from April. Indra smart charger and OVO Charge Anytime does the rest. I think if there is +1.4 kwh excess solar and your battery storage is at 100% then your car will charge if necessary rather than giving it away to the grid for 4p a unit! I am lucky to have +/- 13kwh battery storage

Hi l can’t help on that one. l don’t have solar panels so not sure what you would have to do to charge them? I would like to achieve hitting my target l find it hard at times. if l am working like to come in and have a cuppa. so we are not going without especially if l come in and do that. l try using appliances later after time slots. but doesn’t always work.

Thank you to all the replies, especially those who have been able to relate to the conundrum and complexities involved. Apologies @IanFerguson if you haven’t understood my post, no condescension intended, just acknowledging that there are people on this forum with a better understanding on statistics than me. 

Most contributors here are friendly and of the same mind set that we want to conserve energy and keep our own fuel bills down at the same time, that was all I was seeking advice about. I have found it interesting and helpful to hear how others do this, thank you.

• waltyboy 

• Plan Zero Hero
• 225 replies

• 6 days ago

Hi waltyboy, I don’t think you have misread my question, or if you have, I have misread your answer, so we’re quits! I found your observations helpful, as shown in your post being ‘the answer’ 😀.

Hi @Jasmin10 thank you for your kind comments, you’ve raised a key question for so many folk trying to best balance grid supply with our consumption and our own generation/storage.  I look forward to the possibility of your coming back eventually with what you find is a good fit for your circumstances? Everyone’s patterns are different, of course, but the subject you've raised is of extreme interest to many of us forumites!  The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so nothing beats a personal story and experience!  Theory is always interesting, but the practicalities are of particular moment…

Happy juggling! All the very best…