Solar panels and hot water

[RobynSun]

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.

[NeilC · Accepted solution]

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

[NeilC]

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

[Hans1953]

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

[Johnnygone]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for your input.

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

[NeilC]

@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

[Johnnygone]

Thanks NeilC

[Ant73]

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

[Joklyn]

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 

[Ant73]

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.