topic Re: Solar panels and hot water in Managing Your Energy

Solar panels and hot water

RobynSun — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 06:22:43 GMT

Can I switch my hot water service from off peak to day time to maximise the use of power being generated and drawn from the solar system? We don't use all the power currently generated and a lot goes back into the grid with little financial benefit to us.

Re: Solar panels and hot water

NeilC — Sun, 05 Apr 2020 13:16:17 GMT

RobinSun,

If you switch your hot water back to Peak Usage it will simply heat the water when it goes below its set temperature.

No guarantee that it will operate when solar is available.

To do this you would need to a timer switch installed to ensure that it will operate during daylight times.

You may have seen adverts for chromagen hotwater systems, We have a 170l system (the free one) which I have set the time to only run from 11:00 to 17:00 and this suits our needs (two users).

I would suggest that you look at the kilowatt usage of your hotwater service and compare that to the amount of power you put back to the grid. Remember if your hotwater uses more than the excess power you are putting back to the grid (especially winter time) you will be paying peak rates rather than the much cheaper off peak rates.

The cost of having the connection changed, a timer installed or adding a chromagen may outway any benefit you gain anyway.

Hope this gives you some thoughts on the subject.

Cheers

Neil

Re: Solar panels and hot water

NeilC — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 23:53:34 GMT

Hi everybody,

If you are reading posts and like the information, please take the time to like the part of the post as you read them.

If you have made a post and get an answer and get an answer that resolves your issue please let the person answered your question at least know.

Some of the answers that people supply take some time to either research or to present back to you.

Cheers Neil

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Hans1953 — Wed, 06 Jul 2022 11:44:35 GMT

I have a smart meter hence theoretically possible for it to be reset.

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Johnnygone — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 01:10:21 GMT

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your input.

Can you confirm the controlled load 1 on our bills is the off peak powering our hot water?

Re: Solar panels and hot water

NeilC — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 01:31:51 GMT

@Johnnygone,

I do not work for AGL and I am just a member of the Neighbourhood like you.

Unless you have under floor heating or such like I would think that your Ctrl load would be the only use of yours.

If you have a smart meter you can see the usage on your daily charts.

Hope this helps

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Johnnygone — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 03:50:27 GMT

Thanks NeilC

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Ant73 — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 22:56:59 GMT

I have a battery can someone explain what might be happening here. it looks like I'm being charged as well as feeding in, I get the 8am as usage may out weigh generation, but at night ? my system shows about 4kwh, this is almost 8

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Joklyn — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 06:15:19 GMT

Ant73: I'm totally new on a digital meter (7days) but I have an idea about your prob. I may be wrong but it looks like your batt isn't supplying power during the night possibly because batt isn't fully charged, or not having enough solar.

The power jump at 11pm is at the time that AGL switch on the Off-Peak power for hot water systems etc. (usually around 10:45pm). Your batt tries to supply power but not enough, so it registers both usage and generation initially and then only small usage all night. Need bigger batts perhaps and/or solar panels (for better charging on cloudy days).

Have a chat with your battery installer. Good luck with confirming your problem. Cheers.....Jok. 7Dec23

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Ant73 — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 06:50:04 GMT

Thanks Joklyn,

The battery size isn't the challenge, and agree this is 100% linked to the hot water, sometimes the system will heat and there will still be charge in the battery, but I get the same behaviour, usually the two lines equal each other. my thoughts are that its a setting some how that the meter is still charging the off-peak power even though it acknowledges its using battery to do so. The solar team are looking at it for me but though potentially others may have had similar challenges. in essence they are giving me FIT for my battery power the hot water system is using and charging me off peak rates simultaneously.

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Joklyn — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 03:19:35 GMT

Because this graph (or chart) only gives a single indication for each hour, I think it's hiding your problem.

I still think you don't have enough battery power. To me, it looks like the off-peak comes on, and the battery runs for as long as it's able before reaching it's cut-off point and the off-peak continues to draw about the same amount of power as it did initially, so the graph levels are about equal. Now that your battery is technically flat, the chart shows small usage for the rest of the night (probably lights, fridges etc). In the morning solar starts to charge and build up a reserve in your battery, and seems to drop off in the afternoon (cloudy day, or shade from something OR, panels not facing North ??? ). The last option is one I've seen often.

Any way you look at it, I personally will be planning on installing twice as much battery power as I appear to need (at least a 5kw 48V setup to start), and at least enough solar panels to be able to charge them fully on a cloudy or rainy day. ( P.S. It would be nice to see a continuous chart for each full hour, instead of a single hourly total. Did the chart come from your charger, or from AGL???) ...... Cheers ... Jok. 9Dec23

Re: Solar panels and hot water

SolarControl — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:59:44 GMT

Hi,

Im having a similar argument where I am producing enough power at the same time my Control Load 2 kicks in during the day. When I look at 5 min intervals I still have a lot more Solar then the control load is using.

I am being told this is how it is.... there is 2 different meters for Controal Load and Mains... and the solar will only impact the mains. It will never have any effect on the Control Load. So much for trying to be sustainable and reduce my carbon foot print...

But when talking to the Network provider, they have explained that its due to the Electrical provider and how its being charged.

So... where to from here?

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Ant73 — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 22:39:23 GMT

My solution was to replace my hot water system with a heat pump, with internal timer of the heat pump to heat between 10am and 4pm each day using at the most 2kwh in the middle of the day on solar v's 8-9 kWh at night on off peak. Electrician can hook it up at the time of replacement. My battery at night covers me and the sun during the day does my house, my water and feed back to grid. Making me about 95% self-sufficient.

Whilst it doesn't make sense in an environmentally conscious world that when you put solar on that your off peak solution should default to heating during the day during peak supply of green energy(utilising the solar not the grid), we are told there is an over supply during these time hence why FIT's are now so low.

Individual households are still left to find these solutions v's retailers facilitating them.

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Bella1966 — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 06:20:16 GMT

I have solar and a battery. I have electric hotwater, off peak. Which heats from 10.00 pm to 7.ooam.

However I have been advised, my hotwater, is not connected to the battery. So it will charge off peak rates from.the above times. Is this correct.

My electrician has advised, he can in stall a smart switch, which will heat my hotwater tank during the day directly fro the solar, if sun is out. If no sun is out the smart switch pushes my hotwater to heat up back to to the night 10.00pm to 7.00pm.

To install this smart switch it about $1500

I have heard it's wonderful, if you have a battery and send a lot back to the grid which I do.

Can anyone else confirm ??

Re: Solar panels and hot water

Lester — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 23:15:52 GMT

If you have CL for your HWS, and it is set to run in off peak hours, it will (should) charge at the special CL off peak rate, which is less than normal meter off peak pricing.

It's still high though as compared to solar hours and / or shoulder rates 1000 - 1500.

We are in same situation, was offered a HWS diverter to put into the system, a smart device, but $1800 ??

No thanks . . .

All you need is a dumb timer on the HWS, one that can be set to come on between say 1000 and 1500 daily.

It will use your excess solar production, apart from winter perhaps if the solar isn't up with usage, it will then take from grid in those hours with the timer for shoulder, when it will use the cheapest tariff from the grid for CL shoulder rate.

* If you are on EV Night Saver rate, you can set such a timer in winter for 0000 - 0600, when you can use for 8c, and same for topping off a battery in those hours, all power going into the home at those hours is charged at 8c.

Now you'll have to check YOUR plan, YOUR tariffs, because all states are different.

The ideal thing for you perhaps, is get rid of CL metering altogether, just use your battery / dumb timer as needed.