Author: Brian April 9, 2019

To get the best value from your solar panels you need to maximise your use of power when the panels are generating, and avoid taking grid power during that time.

This limits the kW you generate that are paid at the low Feed In Tariff.

Here is what we are doing.

Extend Generation Time

We have done this by having the solar panels facing two different ways to extend the time we are actually generating.

8 panels face North and 5 panels face West.

Plan Power Usage

With modern controls its quite easy to plan run times for various electrical items so that they are typically operating when the panels are generating.

Its also important that they don’t operate at the same time as the higher demand means that you could be taking power from the grid at peak rates.

Here are the steps we take:

1. Straight after breakfast use the automatic washing machine. The early start also means we can then hang the washing on the line for most of the day.
2. Run the dishwasher after the washing machine has stopped.
3. Our hot water is by a ‘Heat Pump’ which runs for up to an hour starting at 1.00pm. As the tank is well insulated this provides enough hot water for the rest of the day and morning showers.
4. If its a hot day by the time the heat pump is finished the house could be warming up . . . . but there is time to run the air conditioner to get the temperature down for the evening.