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

Jasmin10
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Hello Everyone,

I’m asking if there is someone on here who can help me to navigate my way to working all these things to my best advantage. I have solar panels, a 4.8KW storage battery and an electric vehicle. Last October I signed up for the Power Move scheme which has been great and I have managed to reach the maximum £15 every month.

Now that we are coming into the Spring which brings more daylight hours and more sunshine hopefully I’m trying to work out the best way to maximise all these things. Last summer I was able to run my EV almost completely from charging it in the daytime from solar generation alone (I work part time so am at home a lot so can plug it in once my battery has fully charged), but I realise now that that does not help my statistics to benefit from Power Move. I realise the peak hours for Power Move change from 4-7pm to 6-9pm in April.

All you clever analytical people with your spread sheets - would I do better to not charge my car from solar generation in the day, thus sending more back to the grid, getting something from the Feed In Tariff and keeping up my percentage usage by charging it at night to benefit from the Power Move set up, or would I benefit more from keeping my EV topped up for free on a daily basis (usually, in peak summer) but have that reduce my daily usage which will affect my Power Move statistics?

Hope this makes sense,

Jasmin

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Best answer by waltyboy 19 March 2024, 20:28

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A
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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

T
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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

 

J
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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!

T
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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

 

P
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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

 

J
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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.

waltyboy
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Very interesting comments...I don't have an EV which I can see adds complexity to the mix. But however many kWh we buy from the grid (and as far as I know it doesn't matter to Power Move whether these are cheap off peak EV rates or “normal” day rates) during weekdays, all we need do is make sure that 90-odd percent of that consumption (purchase from the grid) occurs outside 6PM - 9PM (from 1  April, 4PM - 7PM currently in March). 
 

Whatever the mix of storage/PV/EV one uses, if you're lucky enough to avoid buying from the grid, then you can't cut peak hours usage. Chances are in the UK, even with substantial storage, we all buy from the grid at some stage in the average weekday, so just ensure it's outside peak hours. 
 

My own little battery with my modest PV array allows me to purchase just a very few Wh during peak hours (around .015 kWh) and indeed most of the night, with recharging occurring between 0930 and 1530, with whatever help is available on that particular day from the PV panels (in winter here in NE England that can be just a few hundred Wh all day). This guarantees the Power Move, because it's a rare weekday that allows me to charge my battery, run all the usual household background stuff plus the “extras” like washing machine or oven etc. without buying from the grid. 
 

So, I think whatever mix of resources you use, I’m saying just don't buy from the grid in those 3 key peak hours...those with batteries can ensure they cut weekday peak hour usage practically to zero, meaning that just 0.25 kWh or so purchase during the rest of each weekday ON AVERAGE over the month will gain the Power Move incentive.

 

Apologies if I have misread your original question @Jasmin10 ?  It's an interesting conundrum…

 

EDIT of course, perhaps crucially, I forgot to mention that I'm on the “old” FiT scheme, where it's generation rather than export that's the key factor...

 

 

Walt. 2013 installation 3.2kW PV East/West + Fronius IG, >23MWh (18MWh exported). 2023 2.4kWh LiFePo4 battery
Jasmin10
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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.

Jasmin10
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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’ 😀.

waltyboy
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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… 

Walt. 2013 installation 3.2kW PV East/West + Fronius IG, >23MWh (18MWh exported). 2023 2.4kWh LiFePo4 battery

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