Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

Jonathan · 30-09-2022 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686955#Comment_119686955

Sounds like you have either set a discharge period or you have feed in priority mode enabled.

AckwelFoley · 01-10-2022 9:00am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686599#Comment_119686599

Hello. As it happens that's the same as us. 6 people in the house. We went with the latter, granted, Mine was a push up to 6kw rather than a choice of going for 8. We are getting a 5kw battery for emergency backup and to try balance out the use of the solar through the day, 5kw will get us through the evening.

Only difference is we are heavier day users, my wife is at home. If you aren't there during the day and have no battery, you'll export most of what you produce unless you have timers and smart switches on etc to work during the day

I have space for 8 more panels to bring me to 24 panels.. 9.8kw, having only installed system 3 weeks ago I can see their benefit and I can smell an electric car on the horizon

Just check it's a 6kw inverter they're supplying as opposed to a 5kw, they switched ours to a 6kw on the day because we upped the panels

Jane98 · 01-10-2022 10:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119687979#Comment_119687979

Yes, it actually is a 6kw inverter, just a typo on my part. Thanks

bullit_dodger · 01-10-2022 3:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119686599#Comment_119686599

So the Eddi is an interesting one. I have one, and I'm glad I bought it - but it'll never pay for itself. When I got mine they were €495 as I recall, now they are knocking €700. The thing is, even running some simple math if it costs €0.50 to heat your immersion, then it will take a good number of years to pay back and with FIT (feed-in-tariff) where you export at €0.15 cents or so, you might as well export the spare electricity you have and heat the immersion at €0.08 night rate, the tank will stay warm for 12-24 hrs with the night rate electricy.

Don't get me wrong, I do like the Eddi, but if it was a question of getting an Eddi OR getting 4 extra panels, I'd get the 4x extra panels all day long. Especially as a part of the initial install where it's cheaper to add on extra panels as the guys are already out on your roof. if you can go for 24 panels, i'd drop the eddi and try and get ther initially.

You can easily add on an Eddi after the fact, any spark can fit one and you don't have to be solar qualified to do it. (Infact it's not too far beyond most competent DIY electrical work)

fuse · 01-10-2022 4:19pm

Just looking back on monthly stats after our first month of solar.

Trying to figure out where the 98kWh that went into the Eddi actually came from, because it was a mix of solar, battery and grid I'm sure. I'm not sure if its actually possible to know exactly? Thought I'd check here :)

Jane98 · 01-10-2022 8:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689134#Comment_119689134

Thanks for your advice. The Eddi is costing me €600. AS there is 6 of us in the house we probably use 2 tanks of water a day so maybe I will get use out of the Eddi for the evening and use the immerse for the early morning showers.

Your post got me thinking about turning on the immersion during the night and I'm wondering is it easy enough to put a timer switch on the immersion as we don't have one at the moment on it.

Thanks

unkel · 01-10-2022 8:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690254#Comment_119690254

Eddi works fine but it will not save you money. It will cost you money. @bullit_dodger explained it quite well. It was a good idea to install one if you had a large PV setup and there was no feed in tariff, but there is now.

Are you sure your normal immersion doesn't have a timer? Most do. Currently I run it for 90 minutes each night on night rate electricity, but we have a large solar thermal setup too, which helps heat the water. I checked earlier and my entire hot water cylinder (360l, which is 3 times the standard size cylinder) was at 60C

AckwelFoley · 01-10-2022 8:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690254#Comment_119690254

The eddie is ultimately your new switch for the immersion. You can do it on the eddie or on the myenergi app, boost or schedule the immersion to come on when you want

micks_address · 01-10-2022 8:41pm

I wasn't going to add an eddi to our setup but last week ordered one from myenergy UK with Harvi and extra clamp for about 550 euro delivered to a friend in Armagh. The installers said if I sourced one they'd fit it. I know it's going to take a long time to pay for itself but figured I'd be thinking about adding it down the line and might as well do it now. The pound was weak so worked out better than buying locally

slave1 · 01-10-2022 8:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119689436#Comment_119689436

The EDDI itself will tell you on its front screen, it's "Savings" this month

Now that we are in a new month I'm not sure can you check back to Sept

fuse · 01-10-2022 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690328#Comment_119690328

Ok, forgot about checking the unit. Luckily i can use the “this year” value as its only in a month! That value is 93kWh. So is that “savings” value only counting the energy used from Solar and not normal grid use?

that would mean only 5kWh came from grid? Sounds low, but not impossible.

slave1 · 01-10-2022 9:43pm

I don't have a battery so not sure exactly but in my case the savings are 100% from PV. Could it be that in your case the savings are from PV and battery?

fuse · 01-10-2022 9:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690572#Comment_119690572

Hmm, from what I can see my eddi thinks any input from battery is just solar input so it groups them - there's no battery node in the myenergi app visualisation.

Also I'm still tweaking settings and trying things so I'm sure I've caught it at times pulling from the grid.

unkel · 01-10-2022 9:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690311#Comment_119690311

Once you're on a smart meter, every unit of solar PV production going through the Eddi will cost you money. So by definition it's never going to pay for itself. The best thing you can do financially once you have one installed, is disable diversion on it 😂

Unless of course the FIT which is now considerably higher than the cost of night rate electricity, will at some point be lower. It's possible of course, but I wouldn't make any financial decisions based on that scenario alone

Seriously, if you're smart, put it up on adverts, you should get most of your money back. One sold recently new and unused for €350

micks_address · 01-10-2022 10:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690637#Comment_119690637

The fit payment will be more than what it costs in gas to heat the cylinder of bit water?

redmagic68 · 01-10-2022 11:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690682#Comment_119690682

you can buy night rate electricity between 8-9c and sell on fit for 18c so what @unkel is saying is that the Eddi is costing you 9c for every unit it uses on top of the actual cost of the item. That is of course unless you go over the €200 fit payment then it’s probably break even on the unit cost with the marginal rate of tax being 50% say.

you need energy costs to go well beyond the fit rate before you’d see a return

micks_address · 01-10-2022 11:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119690915#Comment_119690915

So on a smart meter I can likely buy energy at night for 2 hours at that rate... Paying a higher than standard rate during the day

unkel · 02-10-2022 12:26am

Are you on a smart meter already? If so, what are your FIT and low rates? If the FIT is higher than the low rate, you should not use the Eddi as it will lose you money for every single unit

yankinlk · 02-10-2022 12:30am

Not everyone has a tank that is large enough to cover a day's usage. If it needs to be filled more than once then an eddi is pretty handy.

Having said that when I start burning oil I won't need it... but in summer I like many others used to go without hot water. Eddi means I have constant hot water all year.

And yes if you are on day night... then u get the cake and eat it too.

AckwelFoley · 02-10-2022 12:40am

Any link for this 8cent night rate, because I can't seem to see it

Electric irelands "super" night rate between 2 and 4am is now 12 cent

con747 · 02-10-2022 12:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691013#Comment_119691013

The joy of free hot water in the summer! A welcome bonus if you don't have the right meter.

unkel · 02-10-2022 12:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691023#Comment_119691023

It ended a few weeks ago. Loads of people on here urged everyone to move to it while it lasted. Not just because it's a low rate, but more so because the rate is fixed for the year. They convinced me, I got in on time.

unkel · 02-10-2022 12:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691013#Comment_119691013

That's a good point. Need to do the sums though. How often would the cylinder really need to be heated by high day rate electricity? Why would you not use gas / oil instead? It's cheaper to burn fossil fuels in your home to heat your water than to use an Eddi.

Of course money isn't everything and the environment / climate change is or should be hugely important to all of our decisions, but unfortunately many people make decisions to invest in hardware based on some pub talk rules of thumb. Which are often incorrect.

slave1 · 02-10-2022 1:48am

I think we’re well established a water diverter is not financially viable but is worth it from a convenient perspective, our tank was completely empty of hot water after morning showers but needed again by evening (as is regularly the case) so for us it’s worth it for “on demand” hot water availability. Mind you, mine was a €380 self install less than 2 years ago, wouldn’t pay the prices flying around these days.

bullit_dodger · 02-10-2022 2:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691092#Comment_119691092

I think the best advice that anyone can give though is if it's a question of an extra 4 panels to your install or an Eddi......it's really no choice. Get the panels! If you can do both great (and you can use the water), but while it's super convenient panels are your friend.

yankinlk · 02-10-2022 8:22am

All Good points, for me it was convenience we never had plus I got it cheap.

@unkel I only use eddi day boosts when I have sun or battery to cover. But what are your thoughts on the demon electric shower? If u keep the showers short and if time was equal (hot electric showers can go forever, where the eddi filled tank could empty) is an electric shower a better option than an eddi?

I habe Eddi set to 2.5kw max versus my electric shower will burst to 8kw easily.

jkforde · 02-10-2022 8:31am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691043#Comment_119691043

"It's cheaper to burn fossil fuels in your home to heat your water than to use an Eddi."

over the Eddi's lifetime? with current (and future higher) prices and considering the yearly boiler servicing cost (approx. 100e pa)?

I for one am very happy with it, lucre ain't everything thankfully.

Jane98 · 02-10-2022 10:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119691231#Comment_119691231

At the moment I use my gas to heat my water. Are you saying I should forget about the Eddi and stay heating my water with gas or immersion during night time hours?

footfall789 · 02-10-2022 10:44am

Hi ,

Thinking of installing a 20 400w solar panels and a 6kw inverter with a 6sq cable going 20 meters from Inverter to Fuse Box.

Was told by proposed installer that at Max supply from the Solar Panels I could only Power the Lights OR Electric Shower OR Electric Cooker , not all three together . If all three were running at the same time I would have to get the rest of the Power from the GRID and Even if I had 100 solar panels I would still have the same issue , I would only have enough to power Lights OR Electric Shower OR Electric Cooker.

I did not expect to power the whole house from the Solar panels , but I was hoping to at MAX supply from the solar panels I would have enough power to power more than one piece of electronics at the same time without needing to take power from the GRID.

Is this normal or am i missing something.

Regards, Footfall789

graememk · 02-10-2022 11:06am

The day night meters are likely to come into line to the smart tariffs in the next year or so... Its one way of making the smart tariffs cheaper....

But for this current year.

To compare an eddi vs FIT is complicated, No point comparing it to the 8c night as that was only on a D/N meter where the export isnt monitored.

But you can work out the "savings" you'd get if you were to replace night rate immersion with an eddi, Lets say 10c night as thats what the EV tariff is now. If the eddi costs you 500, you would need to put 5000kwh into your hot water tank to break even.

Having some sort of immersion diverter in the summer is really nice though, and if you have a decent sized array and battery, a immersion timer could be useful, Just time it to come on around mid day and give the tank a boost for the evening. I am doing it with a smart immersion switch.

Eddi vs Fit vs Smart meters... well look at these night time rates... (selected new customer so it wouldnt compare against others, I just wanted the rates anyway)

Night rates on smart tariffs arent great (and screw the night boost 2-3 hrs! pathetic)

There is some savings to have an eddi and not export, but it would be the difference between night rate and export.. Energia for example, 18 export, 26 night.. so about 8c

Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

Comments