ROCs and feed in

[jotec]

Hi,
I have been working on the CHP project for some time. Cables and pipes are in, HE is fitted and the first radiator is warming the house. (SWMBO has passed the noise levels on the exhaust system!!) The PMA is working well at 300v DC, just waiting for the GTI.

It is now almost ready to feed back into the grid.
OFGEM have 'almost' finished accrediting it for ROCs. (the fuel specification and testing has been passed)

Today I contacted my energy supplier, EDF, to notify them that I would be feeding back into the grid and would like to be paid for the energy only to be informed that they 'only do FITs now' and in any event only estimate the amount put back into the grid and do not fit an export meter.

A pity as I have been very happy with their service etc. I can, of course just give them the surplus energy and claim the ROCs but would like to have the additional payment for that which goes back into the grid.

Ideas, please, of energy companied that can cope with a non MCS CHP system of 2kw on biomass (chip oil).

D ick

[knighty]

totaly off topic.... but can I ask how you managed to get fits for a diy chp system ?   I'm guessing you got in early before they locked it down with MSC etc....


back on topic.... what kind of electric meter do you have ?

if it's an old glass fronted disk type, look for a picture of a ratchet on the glass somewhere..... without that it will probably quite happily spin backwards... which would be better for you anyway.... you'll get your FIT money for everything you generate, and then it'll spin off the  units you do use... which are (at a guess) 12p each, which is better than the ~4p they'd give you for them anyway ?

[jotec]

Hi Knighty,
I have not got FIT accreditation but I have got, or almost got, ROC  the problem seems to be that  with many energy companies unless you are FIT registered they do not give credit for energy fed into the grid also they do not seem to be fitting new meters just estimating how much is fed back from the system type.

I have looked closely at the meter, it is old more than 25 years and was last tested in '93) and it does not appear to have any indicator of reverse a rotation stopper, ratchet or otherwise. I thought it is illegal to run a metre backwards?

D ick

[guydewdney]

good ole' GoddEnergy?

[jotec]

Hi Guy,
I have contacted goddenergy and am awaiting their quote. They have verbally stated that their rate to me is 13p per KWH as this is 5p more than I am paying at the moment the price they pay for the electric will need to be  a good one.

[Ivan]

I doubt you'll be successful.

ROCs are finished, unless you registered and began producing prior to 1st April 2010. So you now ONLY have the option of FITs. Under FITs you'll need to have MCS-approved equipment, so you'll need to factor in £80k or so for testing and certifying your 'product'.....and FITs is only available for the first 10 000 CHP systems - so you need to get in before the places are all taken (I doubt this is imminent!).

I've heard of a few people registering FITs for MCS-installed PV systems and then simply feeding in their CHP units as if they were solar-generated. Of course, this is breaking the rules, but the exclusion of DIY systems and the exclusion of one-offs is responsible for forcing people into this situation.

[jotec]

Ivan,
It was registered before April but I am still awaiting OFGEM approval.
When I have it I will still not be FITs just ROCs as it is biomass generation which does not come into FITS. Goodenergy seemed to be OK with it on the phone and on the web site registration but the rate to me may be too high. When I get the quote I will run it through the spreadsheet and see.

How is your CHP getting on?
Dick

[knighty]

can't you buy from one supplier and sell back to another ?


I'm sure I read (on here) you can with fits, so why not without ?

[Ivan]

Dick,

You need to contact Ofgem about this urgently. I suspect your application is probably lost or incorrectly submitted. I think 1st October is the deadline for transferring ROCs to FITs.

ROCs don't exist any more, but there is a special (low) FIT rate (9p) for ROCs transferred to FITs.

My CHP system.....er yes, well.....as with previous years, I've not got round to doing anything on it over the summer. At the moment, spare time (not much of it) is channelled into designing a burner for crappy high-titration semi-solid oil to go into a rayburn, which is being installed at the moment. Once this has been done (by which time it will be a lot colder), I'll get back to the CHP.

[jotec]

Thanks IVAN
I have been in regular contact with OFGEM since March and this has not been mentioned but I will ring the person dealing with it this am and let you know the result via the forum.

Dick

[jotec]

I have contacted OFGEM and await their reply but searching on the web has found this from OFGEM:-

RO legislation mean that any renewable electricity generated by solar photovoltaic, wind, hydro or anaerobic digestion installations on or after 1 April will not be eligible to receive support under the RO.

As this does not include CHP and /or bio mass (VEG oil)  then presumably RO will continue for me?


The above has now been confirmed by OFGEM. As it is veg oil and CHP it is still RO accredited.

An oil burner is my next project after the CHP.

Dick