Since the installation of solar panels my electricity usage has gone up 12 fold. During that time, if all is working correctly, I have also used the 700 KWs generated by my solar panels which means my actual usage has gone up far more than 12 fold. Is it possible that the energy generated by my solar panels is adding to my meter readings, in othervwords benefitting the electric company rather than me? Might they have been wired incorrectly?Â
I’m not familiar with that but googling it tells me it’s a smart controller for gas boilers. That’s not to say it won’t control the heat pump but I’m fairly certain it’s not an efficient way of doing that. What make is the heat pump ? It’s best to have the same manufacturer’s controls.Â
Might need advice from
It's an Ideal Heating heat pump.
Ok so same manufacturer and should be ok. How are you timing the heating to fit with the battery charge?
Just manually but keeping things above 17°C 24/7 and turning up for a while when plenty in battery. Also if course raising temperature with solid fuel if the ASHP is responsible for my ridiculous usage then I can't afford it. No, forget that, my ridiculous usage started as soon as solar panels fitted almost two months before existence of ASHP.
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Just manually but keeping things above 17°C 24/7 and turning up for a while when plenty in battery. Also if course raising temperature with solid fuel if the ASHP is responsible for my ridiculous usage then I can't afford it. No, forget that, my ridiculous usage started as soon as solar panels fitted almost two months before existence of ASHP.
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Am still left wondering if the meter can even handle export readings looking back all the previous posts where there was no export register unless I missed it?
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No there was no export register. I have been in touch with Scottish Power about that. What does it mean if there is no Export Register? If I subtract the total energy harnessed to date by my solar panels from the readings on my Scottish Power meter it makes a lot more sense of my usage. So I started off believing that all the solar panel generated energy was adding to my meter readings hence the title.
No there was no export register. I have been in touch with Scottish Power about that. What does it mean if there is no Export Register? If I subtract the total energy harnessed to date by my solar panels from the readings on my Scottish Power meter it makes a lot more sense of my usage. So I started off believing that all the solar panel generated energy was adding to my meter readings hence the title.
It is difficult to know if the issue is the wiring is wrong or the meter itself can't differentiate import from export.
So basically you need to get someone to check the wiring and for Scottish Power to confirm the meter can handle export and it hasn't got some strange configurationÂ
The wiring is one issue but possibly not connected with the sudden increase in usage. If the meter isn’t configured for export, it’s quite possible that everything is being totalled and labelled as consumption. It may need a meter swap if it’s not possible to reconfigure - we have seen this before but on a larger systemÂ
Just manually but keeping things above 17°C 24/7 and turning up for a while when plenty in battery.Â
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If you’re supplementing the heat with a solid fuel device that’s probably going to shut off the heat pump via your room thermostat control. When you turn the target temperature up to use the battery that’s going to ask the heat pump to work hard again. That on and off is not good for it, and expensive in electricity. Ideally you should try to just use the heat pump on its own, and find a temperature that you’re happy with, regardless of what’s in the battery.
Does the heat pump tell you how much electricity it’s using per day ? It should indicate how much heat it’s giving too. Both figures are in kWh. Divide heat out by elec in and that’ll give a figure for COP (coefficient of performance). What is that number?
Thank you. I'll let you know how I get on. I shall be showing your comments to the 'Electric Supervisor'Â when he comes as generally I am told that I am wrong.
Regarding the Cofficient of Performance - where do I get that information from? I will explore. It's interesting but all new to me..
That’s a very good question! Is it a Logic Air Heat Pump ? I’ve had a look through the user guide (and the installer guide) and I can see a section on the heat pump screen for User Information. Unfortunately there’s no further info about what’s available in that subsection. Do you have a manual ?Â
I will look for one and let you know. Thank you.
An update on the farce here.
It has turned out that my battery has not been discharging to household appliances at all but when full discharging to the grid and being registered as usage. Of course my usage has then gone on top of that resulting in solar panels being the most expensive items I have ever had installed. So, in this case, yes, the shareholders have made money out of the sunshine that has hit my south facing roof for the last 4 months.
There may be some comeback in the future regarding the hundreds of kilowatts I have kindly given to Scottish Power. If the total amount exported to them since the beginning of August can be estimated they might pay me back at a third of what i have had to buy energy off them as the enery in my battery was not available to me.
However, Scottish Power have restrictions. One is that they will only consider paying me for the maximum amount they allow me to export and I'm sure I have more than exceeded that these last 4 months.
In any case, I am so disgusted with Scottish Power, including their rudeness and their threat to take me to court for non payment of a bill that any human eye would know was ridiculous (of course human eyes are rare/non-existent these days) that I have ceased using them for my power supply.Â
If Scottish Power make any recompense to me I will inform this forum but I'm not holding my breath. In the meantime, City Energy who are responsible for fitting the solar panels and battery, are offering to foot my November electricity bill if I sign a disclaimer.
Well, at least you now know - but what a mess. This also shows how little many companies understand about solar installations, including suppliers!
Hope your new supplier turns out as an improvement and I would think the least the installer can do is pay something to compensate. Be wary of the disclaimer .. it sounds like they know there’s a case against them
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