trig
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« on: December 28, 2011, 10:00:55 PM » |
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Got a 4kw pv system and we are about to add an air source heat pump with an ecoden heat pump dhw cylinder. Is it possible to monitor and then use the power from the pv. I was intending dumping all pv power into the buffer tank via the backup immersion heater but I don't want to use mains just want to use all I generate as I will still be paid use or not any ideas etc would be welcome
Dave
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Life's too short for risk assessment
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Cornish Dragon
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« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2011, 10:46:30 PM » |
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i think Emma might help you......  if you find out more please do let me know as i was thinking of getting one... CU CD |
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2012..RELENTLESS IN THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON
90 tubes, 10.5 kws PV, ALL NAVITRON SUPPLIED..!
Hens, Jaspi pellet boiler Semi Self Sufficient and loving it.....
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wookey
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« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2011, 11:20:45 PM » |
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Using excess PV to heat up your water with an immersion is antisocial, unless your water heating is electric already. It's high-grade power that should be allowed out for your neighbours to use, then use something efficient to heat up your water, getting lower emissions overall. I realise the FITs export rates don't reward this fairly, but that doesn't mean you should be greedy. Running your heat pump from PV is fair enough, although unless your PV system is huge it may not make that much of a dent. Monitoring the PV to run the pump at the highest possible renewable fraction/lowest cost does make sense. Alan published a circuit on here for such control. http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,9072.msg103471.html#msg103471 |
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Wookey
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M
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« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2011, 07:47:23 AM » |
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I know this is highly theoretical, but could my neighbours, and anyone who's household is close to a PV install, technically claim that a larger percentage of their electricity (especially during light demand in at mid day) supply is now low carbon.
Actually not just highly theoretical, also highly insignificant, but might as well press post now.
Mart.
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StationHouse
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« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2011, 10:15:56 AM » |
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Got a 4kw pv system and we are about to add an air source heat pump with an ecoden heat pump dhw cylinder. Is it possible to monitor and then use the power from the pv. I was intending dumping all pv power into the buffer tank via the backup immersion heater but I don't want to use mains just want to use all I generate as I will still be paid use or not any ideas etc would be welcome
Dave
Briefly, I have a 14kw Ecodan and 4kWp PV and at this time of year the PV makes NO meaningful difference to EcoDan running costs. With the EcoDan being cheap to run why go to all that effort? I just treat the PV as a nice to have and have made not really bothered making changes to my lifestyle... The effort outweighs the minimal saving. Perhaps in the summer I might bother... At the risk of upsetting people PV is only really there for the FITs... Perhaps best to get solar thermal connected to a custom DHW tank for the Ecodan? |
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« Last Edit: December 29, 2011, 10:18:49 AM by StationHouse »
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Baz
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« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2011, 10:53:00 AM » |
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Trig, This comes up regularly so you will find lots of threads on the subject as you read back through the last year of posts on various topics. It is not so easy to suggest a search topic as people use all sorts of weird titles.
In a nutshell there is no ecenomical domestic sized device to monitor and switch the supply. There is one called Emma that is not ecenomical. If you are into home electronics already or very determined to learn then the link above will give you some ideas.
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Davo
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« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2011, 11:02:30 AM » |
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Hi Trim
If you have excess power available and need a cylinder of hot water, then why not use the excess PV. I can't see the point of feeding the excess into the grid only for someone else to waste it and then have to pay to either heat your own hot water using gas or Economy 7 leccy.
As Baz says - lots of folks are trying to solve the same problem.
I am having a tinker myself and if my project is successful I will share on the forum.
In the meantime, if you come across any solutions don't be afraid to share them on this forum.
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20 x BP 190W Mono (3.8kWp), SMA Sunny Boy SB4000. SE facing.
Grantham, Lincs, UK
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StationHouse
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« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2011, 11:07:05 AM » |
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Hi Trim
If you have excess power available and need a cylinder of hot water, then why not use the excess PV. I can't see the point of feeding the excess into the grid only for someone else to waste it and then have to pay to either heat your own hot water using gas or Economy 7 leccy.
As Baz says - lots of folks are trying to solve the same problem.
I am having a tinker myself and if my project is successful I will share on the forum.
In the meantime, if you come across any solutions don't be afraid to share them on this forum.
Exactly, feel free to tinker if you are so inclined... I agree, we paid £0'000s for the PV not the neighbors... In saying that nobody is at home right now so in theory it could be exporting but with the Ecodan there I doubt it... |
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micko
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« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2011, 12:11:10 PM » |
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If you have a sunny boy there is a multi function relay fitted, if your power goes over a specified output you can use the relay to switch a low power immersion heater.
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ecogeorge
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« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2011, 12:25:51 PM » |
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I agree, we paid £0'000s for the PV not the neighbors...
Err- are your neighbours not helping pay your FIT? or are they offgrid? |
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micko
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« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2011, 12:37:17 PM » |
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I agree, we paid £0'000s for the PV not the neighbors...
Err- are your neighbours not helping pay your FIT? or are they offgrid? You made me laugh out loud |
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StationHouse
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« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2011, 02:01:02 PM » |
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What about all these poor souls that don't have PV neighbors? Come to think of it... there are loads of things I pay towards, in various ways, I get no benefit from so why should PV be any different? Ultimately 4kWp is such a piddly amount of leccy anyway that only FITs makes it worthwhile... Can of worms I think  |
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« Last Edit: December 29, 2011, 02:05:58 PM by StationHouse »
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GavinA
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« Reply #13 on: December 29, 2011, 03:30:18 PM » |
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what inverter do you have?
4000TL has a relay function you can set to switch on a circuit above a certain output. This can either be used to switch on a simple electrical system such as an immersion heater (I'd only suggest doing this with something like a 1.5kW immersion heater), or potentially if you're clever about it, could probably be used to trigger a heat pump if it had something that could be bodged to create a trigger.
Not really my area of expertise though, so I'm not entirely sure exactly how it could be done.
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at home | 80 tubes, 2 tanks direct PV powered SWH + 5 x Yingli 185Wp solar PV panels.
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Quakered
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« Reply #14 on: December 29, 2011, 04:03:05 PM » |
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Nice looking product but at £350 difficult to justify.... |
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Patrick
No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford
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