Change time of Controlled Load in NSW

[BCYS1961]

Hello , 

I live in NSW and have CL1 that heats our Hot Water System overnight.  We have Solar and currently export excess power to the grid during daylight hours . Is it possible to change the time of the CL so we can use excess power currently exported to heat the hot water system? 

Thank you ,

Brad

[Lester]

Hi Brad, I don't think it's possible to change CL times.

We are in the same boat here in SA after getting solar in Nov last year.

Currently I have left the HWS on the night switch setting, where it comes on in 'off peak' (step below peak tariff) early hours of the morn 2330 - 0630.

The only real way to do this for total flexibility is to get rid of the CL altogether (if for HWS only), you simply don't need it any longer with solar, an even less if / when you have a battery installed.

Have the sparky or solar people deal with your power supplier (not retailer, eg AGL, though they might be contacted) in cancelling CL metering / removing the 2nd meter . . .

Have the sparky or solar people install either a costly hot water diverter, or a simple good sparky should be fine for a dumb timer install.

We were quoted by our solar people (with our SolarEdge system) a SE HW diverter, $1800 installed.

I'm still getting sorted on the dumb timer, which is all that's really needed, but it should be no more than about $500 - $800 supplied and installed.

Set year round for say between say 1000 and 1500, in summer and shoulder periods this should be fine for any decent solar system production to get the job done.

If needed in winter (with lower generation) you can leave at that set same time for cheapest solar soak shoulder rates, at least with TOU tariff that's the case here in SA.

Look at your solar production and tariff time rates when deciding how to set, but the 1000 - 1500 should be the best either way.

If not enough production over normal usage in winter, it will simply draw the cheapest TOU shoulder tariff to top off HWS heating.

We are on the EV Night Saver tariff, and with any winter needs, will have the HW timer coming on between 0000 - 0600, when it is 8c/kwh, and when we get a battery (eventually) will top off in winter same way, as anything coming into the home from the grid in those hours is charged at 8c.

[BCYS1961]

THanks for your reply Lester . Will explore options . At anywhere between $500-$1800 for timers etc the payback on that may take a while! .

[Lester]

Yes, like getting solar and / or a battery, every consumer will have different needs / paybacks, and must do their own analysis on those matters.

For us, right now on off peak CL, we are using an avg of about 6.5kw a night (early morn), and that is costing $1.42 a night (gst included).

If / when I get rid of CL and onto timer for day use, it will be zero for most of the year . . . or in winter if needed we will get that via EV tariff it will be $0.57 . . . in comparison on shoulder $1.22 a day, the normal difference is not a lot.

Comparing to what we pay now, to what it should be on the EV tariff, the HWS is adding about $80 a winter quarter.

Shoulder and of course summer, we would get the HW for zero through solar.

At the moment, excess solar does not go towards to the HWS on the CL meter anyway *, night or day, so break even for us on a dumb timer might be as low as 2-3 years. 

* Keep that in mind, your CL meter, even if it was able to adjusted in time for solar soak hours, it does not have solar production put against that HWS CL use even if it was on during productive solar hours.

CL is just a stand alone thing.