My Green Tech Journey

Congrats on your green journey ​@brichard . It sounds like you’ve made good progress in several areas.

We’ve had solar PV since 2012 and added batteries (I keep adding) around 2019.

This year, after much research, we added an ASHP which is going well but of course, we await a winter to fully compare.

What I wanted to ask was, after your second survey (giving a lower heat loss calculation), did that still enable you to get the government grant towards the cost?

I notice that you mentioned elsewhere about OVO supporting green ‘movers’ where the LCT (low carbon technology) is already in place. This is one area where there needs to be more options - and a key reason why I’m not currently on supply with them (I used to be).

Hi @BPLightlog,

Yes I did get the BUS grant. I found that it was important to find an installer that was flexible and understood the heat loss calculations. Not just a button pusher on a canned heat loss app. My installer was brilliant and totally understood what I wanted. In my experience as long as the installer is on board the BUS grant is not a problem.

Bruce

@BPLightlog can you please vote up my suggestion for incentives  for batteries and load shifting.

here

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/ideas/incentivise-battery-and-load-shifting-by-domestic-customers-19922

Have done Bruce .. it is something similar to options I’ve been trying to get on the table for a while 

Didn’t get much traction then

I wouldn't mind upvoting batteries if there was an incentive to do so. By putting in batteries on a fixed rate tariff then you are smoothing the load, reducing the transmission and distribution losses but you don't get a reduction in transmission and distribution charges which are lumped into to the fixed rate or SVT.

If you have gone to a tracker or half hour rate tariff, with a battery you can reduce the load on the grid at peak times and shift cheaper energy into the peak for you to use then. However, home batteries are excruciatingly expensive for what they are (they are far more expensive per kWh than even EV batteries) and the only motive for buying them is altruism which is fine if you have the money and that is what you want to do with it.

My solution was to keep gas for half of our cooking (2% of our previous gas use) and move as much energy use out of the peak as we can reasonably do. Peak use is currently running at 6.4%.

Peter 

Hey ​@brichard,

This is brilliant, really helpful to other community members. I’ve featured your topic on the ‘Home and Heating’ section of the forum so it’ll appear right at the topic & added an image. 

Looking really great, thanks so much for sharing your experience 😊

Thanks ​@Emmanuelle_OVO and thanks for correcting the title.

Hi  ​@Peter E ,

I understand your perspective, but I would like to work to make it more attractive financially for OVO customers to invest in battery technology. I believe that battery storage is only going to get cheaper. I think Some energy companies offering up to 40p KWh for exporting at peek times. Something like this might help to tip the balance in the decision making process while also contributing to demand shifting.

I hope vehicle to grid is the long term answer, but seems to be moving at a sails pace.

If you think there is any merit in this idea please vote it up for me.

Bruce

Hi Bruce

In researching the economics of solar and battery systems I found that solar has a very good case for being self-financing because of its longevity, the relative lower cost of installation and the fact that it is a producer of power. Batteries on the other hand have a much shorter life, are very expensive for what they are and can only earn their keep by shifting power which is much less lucrative. I think the cost of batteries comes down to demand vs supply. The installation cost (has to be MCS certificated to qualify for a SEG**) has jumped enormously in the last bout of inflation and NI rate increases.

My question is: How do you make it financially attractive to get a battery system? Subsidies? They have to be paid for by everyone but not so much by those who are generating their own power unless it’s general taxation instead of being on power use.

With the West Botley solar farm coming on line at some point, the 840MWp is likely to produce downward pressure on the SEG. More will follow. Where you can score is to export early morning and late afternoon going into the peak where variable SEG rates are likely to rise. Midday there will be a significant and increasing glut where the SEG is likely to fall. Power arbitrage is a possible area where batteries might work.

Unfortunately solar power is deepening the divide between the rich and the poor. The people with cash in the bank can buy solar/battery and cut their power usage thereby sidestepping the ever increasing Net Zero charges being imposed. The people who live from payday to payday will have no such opportunity on the SVT, Fixed Price or PAYG and will have to pay the full amount. And thus it is always the case: The rich get richer ...

Quasar make a new V2G unit. Costs about £6,000 plus installation + DNO approval. Not all distribution areas can support them. Given all the other factors (number of EVs plugged in at the right time with enough charge) I don't think that it will ever make a significant contribution to the peak demand but it could be lucrative if you can do that as you already have the battery.

Peter 

** Octopus don't require an MCS but do want to see what standards it was installed to and the qualifications of the installer