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Solar PhotoVoltaic Energy
ROCs pre 7/09 & FITs post 4/2010
Changes which will take place as of 1.4.2010



As of 1.4.2010 the Governments Energy bill 2008, secondry legislation 'Renewable heat incentives' (FITs 7/2009) comes into effect. This section of the energy bill covers the incentives for all types of green energy, however I'm only concerned with the Microgeneration aspects and I'm sorry to say that all Microgeneration systems installed prior to 15/07/09 are really going to feel the effects of the changes.

In short this Government interference will prevent Energy Providers (companies supplying gas & electricity to domestic users )from paying what they as a company decide and instead, as of 1.4.2010 tariffs for KWh generated on Microgeneration systems will be set by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.by the inclusion of the Renewable Heat incentives FITS being included in the energy bill.

What you will be paid for you generated energy will now depend on when your installation was completed.
If prior to the (15/07/09) 15th July 2009, you like us will receive grossly less than you currently get, for instance we at present get 28p per KWh for every unit exported (Sent to the national grid) this figure will reduce to 3pence per KWh as recorded on your export meter if you have one.
The first thing you will need to do is ensure your geneorator is registered for ROCs if yes then come the 1/4/10 you will be automatically switched to the FITS sheme Then you need to find a Supplier or a enegy company of your choice who will accept your micrgeneorator under the FITS scheme, Having done that you will then receive 9p for every unit (1 KWh)as recorded on your total generation meterTGM which forms part of your own installation.
The amount of energy generated and as recorded on your TGM will earn 9p whether used in house or exported.
In addition if you have at some point you have had an export meter fitted, then you will receive andan adittional 3p for every (unit) KWh exported onthe meter
This is a dramatic reduction on amount currently received 10/02/10 and no amount of protest appears to have got the Bureaucrats in the Home Office to change their minds or reconsider the position.

So how is this going to affect your position.
Well this is the first full year we have had using solar energy, the figures for the last year showed that we could reduce our Direct debits payments to as little as One pound (£1.00)per month and our electricity bill would be paid by the income from the Microgeneration and we would receive a small amount back that we could deduct from the capital spent/invested.

However calculations now show that for the coming financial year 2010/11 we will have to increase the DD to cover the annual electricity bill and very little will be received off the capital spent/investment what is recovered will be deducted from our electricty bill.
So in there anything we can do to off set this reduction in income
Yes, Because the payments for energy produced by Microgeneration is now fixed you need to shop around the energy suppliers to get the best possible price for Imported Energy (The Energy you use from the national grid) It really will pay you to shop around, However this may be best done after the 1/4/10 because it is understood that some Companies are going to maintain or honour the amount currently paid to generators pre 1/4/10. It is unclear at present what 'Southern Electric' are doing.
If you are going to change make sure you do not go outside the terms of your Microgeneration contract.

All existing Microgeneration systems registered for Renewables Obligation Certificate ( ROCs )will automatically be transferred to the feed in tariffs scheme,(F.I.T.S) however if you system did not qualify for ROCs or you have not registered for ROCs before the 31 March 2010 then you will not now be able to join the FITS scheme but it is worth either contact OFGEM or at least visit their web site. www.ofgem.gov.uk What the implications of not being registered for ROCs Or FITs you will only benifit from the energy you generate in House no other payments will be received.
All this is small consultation to those of us who ventured in to Solar energy (Microgeneration) in an attempt to reduce our carbon footprint for the benefit of our Children & Grand children that we continue to do irrespective of the financial implications.


. This document makes interesting reading and as far I'm concerned clearly shows that pre-existing (installation pre 15/7/2009) are being discriminated against by the DECC.

The Document was sent by the DECC to my Energy Supplier while EST were left in the dark. 'Remember this is 'A future fair for all' yes for all but pre existing 7/09 PV micro-generators. others MPs have supported us in an Early Day Motion. If your MP is amongst the supporters please thank them.

Also you can
support us by signing the 10 Downing street petition link, you don't have to have Microgeneration systems to support us in our efforts to get 'A future Fair for all' although I afraid I can't see it coming from the present Government if this is a sample of the fairness..

Installations completed after 7/09
So what of Installations completed after 7.09?
Well providing your system meets all the requirements as with systems prior to 7/09 you can register for the FITS scheme
However be aware that the Grant which was available from the (EST) Energy Savings Trust is no longer available. This was stopped at short notice grossly inconveniencing installation companies and householders in the process of negotiating the installation of a generating system. So the full cost will have to be met by Customer, however on a brighter note I already have it on good authority that Companies are reducing their price to take the grant situation into account, so it is worth bearing that point in mind when you are agreeing a price for your system.
So what incentive is there for You to install Microgeneration.
Well unlike existing systems ( pre-July 2009 ) the tariffs set by FITS are grossly more, for instance a system generating up to 4 KWh will attract a payment of 36p per KWh albeit this figure does slowly decrease as the years pass but you are able to cater for this in your calculations as the figures for future years is pre-set by the FITS scheme.

Would I still invest in Microgeneration?
Yes, the reasons for investing were never to make money, however it was hoped that the reduction in our Electricity bill would at least reimburse us for some of the investment made, although we were fully aware we at our age would never see a return on our total investment, however because the goal posts have now been moved it's a good job we were not looking to live on the proceeds of our investment in solar or we would now with out doubt starve.
If you have PV installed and what to make your voice heard , then please sign the 10 Downing street petition. Having contracted OFGEM they have confirmed there are currently less than 3000 generators/PV System registered for ROCs lets see if we can achieve at least a three thousand signature petition,
It's time we made our voices heard.

I'm sure those of you that have PV will be aware that the Conservatives have said they will include all Microgeneration PV systems in the new fits tariffs, the question is whether you want them or not will they get into power?
Labour Government, Fairness for all, when you think what MP's have had to pay back in expenses why are they worried about paying us a few coppers for our exported energy.
The whole point is they don't know what they are talking about or what they are voting on half the time and the other half, judging by the last debate I watched on the ECC bill 7/09 they aren't even in the chamber for the other half.


For information the bill 7/09 has now gone to the house of Lords, so if you wish to make your voice heard you will need to write to the lords details of the interest Lords are Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) and Baroness Wilcox (Conservative) post code for the House of lords is London SW1A 0PW

So how will this affect me as a pre installed 7/09 PV system.

In the first instance you need to access your situation and if you don't hear from your present contactor energy supply company ,say by the last week in March, Contact them.
If you are registered for ROCs with OFGEM then you should also hear from them. Tel 0207 9017310.

In short, having found a Energy Company prepared to accept you under the FITs scheme as of the 1/4/10 you will be paid 9pence for every KWh of energy generated and recorded on your TOTAL generation Meter, This irrespective of how the energy is used, even if you were able to use it all in house you would still receive the 9p.
In addition under FITs you will receive 3p for any energy EXPORTED to the national grid this would be recorded on your EXPORT meter.

However unless the situation changes before 1/4/10 then you may be better off selling you exported energy on the open market, i.e. to energy Companies other than your supplier, this is permitted by the regulations set out in the bill DECC 7/09.

However there are a couple of points to watch, you will need to shop around for the best price and at present 7/3/10 little or nothing is available to help you decide.

Also the Conservatives as I've mentioned above have indicated that if they get into office they will include all PV generators in the new FITs tariffs, which is 31p for 4-10kW & 36p for 0-4kW systems

Remember if you enter into a contract to sell your EXPORTED energy on the open market you will be tied for the period of the contract, but if your able to get more than 3p, then you will not loose out by selling on the open market as the FITs price is 3p for pre and post 7/09 installed PV systems.

This is my understanding of the situation, However the final decisions taken must be up the the PV generators managers Note. Exported energy will only be credited to you if you have an Export meter, this is a meter installed for the sole purpose of calculating Exported Energy. (energy going from your PV system TO the National grid.)

If I get further information I will update this page. In truth our one aim was to reduce our carbon footprint this of course irrespective of FITs we will continue to do, for instance over a period of twelve months we used approx 1650KWh of our own generated energy 'In House'( Electricity generated and used for our own appliances ) and Exported returned to the national grid a further 2750 KWh, the meant that our demand on the national grid was minimal, this example multiplied by just a few thousand house holders could dramatically reduce the demand on the ever decreasing supplies of natural resources such as gas and oil used to produce electricity by our power stations, remember all our power generated was produced by solar energy something that is free to all. For further details on the above tariffs and conditions link to:-
http://www.decc.gov.uk
If you have not yet registered for ROCs then you must do this by the 31st March 2010 or you will miss out completely . You may find this site helpful in tackling that task. www.ownenergy.co.uk

will have exported as much energy as we have inported .
Solar PhotoVoltaic Energy (Phase 1)
Microgeneration.



Systems produced 168.1KWh in 7days, 109.3KWh of which was feed back to the 'National Grid'.
Those of you who have visited my site before will be aware of my page on Solar Domestic hot water heating that was installed one year ago and despite the problems we experienced with the installers the equipment works well and we are still very impressed with it's performance.
However it is true to say that with the weather as it has been for the last week, late August early September 2008 and during the winter months, although the domestic water was hot enough for hands washing etc it was supplemented by the heating systems of the dishwasher, washing machine and use of domestic shower.

Over the last twelve months we have not had the 3kw emersion hot water heater on for more than ten hours in total, this compared with the 3 hours per night prior to fitting the system is a great saving on our electricity bill, which has fallen in units used for the last four quarters, albeit the bill has not decreased owing to the many increases in cost per unit over that period.





System Installed 09/09/2008
Solar PhotoVoltaic Power Generated to date = 4763.KWh (4763000. watts) last update 15/02/10 Average download of electricity is 8.07KWh per day average for the months of July08 - June 09.Killawatts exported to the national Grid 2736 KWh

And now we have another installation, Solar Photovoltaic which you can see from the figures above is generating electrical power for our home and any surplus will be sold back to our energy suppliers for use on the national grid.
You see from daily records that the exported energy now exceeds the day time imported energy from the national grid, the surplus now starting to equal the imported night time energy used.
We are now well on course to provide all of the electrical power used in our property by photovoltaic Microgeneration.

Our property is almost ideally suited in that we have two roof sections that face south and south east which gives us a large expanse of roof available for installing the panels required.

And there may be more photovoltaic panels to follow!

Following our earlier experience with the domestic hot water system I decided this time I would really do my home work to ensure that we not only get the best system available but also make sure that the company of installers know what they are doing and are qualified in all respects to do the job.


I also did my bit by ensuring that I knew where the best position was for the panels, I did this by monitoring the position of the direct sunlight on the 4 roof sections through out what was possibly one of the best days of the year with sunshine and clear skies all day long, in fact I think I can confidently say we have not had a day like it since!

However I need not have bothered because when I contacted the installers in the first instance they asked for the post code and house number and simply checked the precise direction of the property on the 'Google World' maps which gave them the precise location and directing of the roof area's most appropriate for the solar panels. It was never the less an interesting project from my point of view as I had convinced myself that the property faced South when it fact it faces South East

Planning Permission?

Owing to the Government relaxing the planning regulations in April 2008 Planning permission on this project was not required . However details of the installation were sent to the local council as a matter of courtesy Three main criteria needed to be applied, as with the Hot Water System for which planning consent was required, (September 2007) :-
1. The panels must not project above the ridge of the roof structure
2. The panels must not be more than 200mm above the roof surface.
3. The structure must be removed when/if no longer in use.
The Company of installers were aware of these rules and 1 & 2 were applied.




After looking at a number of companies one of which was EDF Energy we finally settled on a Company not far along the South Coast, this was because they were on the list of the 'Low Carbon Buildings Organisation's' certified installers, and as a result we would be able to apply for the grant which is available towards the cost of the installation.

However this is only possible providing they as certified/listed installers and fit equipment certified/approved by that organisation, in our case 'Kyocera'( KC130GHT-2 ) Photovoltaic, so it is important to check this out before signing any documentation/contract.

Look for details relating to Microgeneration Certificate Scheme approved you will be assured that you newly installed system then meets the requirements and you will be able to register for the FITS scheme on completion. A certificate of compliance and completion issued by the installer is required to enable you to register your generator for F.I.T.S payments.

Having agreed on the system which has a 2.08Kwh max output and the roof on which it should be installed with the sales person, the company then carried out an on site survey, this was free of charge.
It is worth noting that a number of the companies initially contacted wanted an upfront payment of £250 to carry out the survey and the fee was only refundable if you entered into a contract with them, so if your property for some reason was found to be unsuitable or you changed you mind for any reason, you would be out of pocket by £250.00 straight away.

Our property was inspected/surveyed and found to be suitable although it was made clear that we would want a new consumer unit to meet the latest standards, our existing unit was 25 years old and although very serviceable was not deemed suitable when forming part of the new Photovoltaic system as it was not fitted with RCD breakers.
(Modern installations incorporate a Residual Current Device (RCD) before the consumer unit which trips the whole system off if a fault is detected, In fact it is so sensitive that it trips out even when a bulb blows which is wholly inconvenient.)
The installers would provide and fit the new unit as part of the overall installation, albeit did add to the total cost of the system.

The installation was scheduled to take two days and commenced on the 8th of September 2008, 4 weeks after placing the order.



Scaffolding was erected by outside contractors and the team turned up as promised, promptly on the morning of the 8th September. 2008















The team of 3 men got to work and marked out the roof for the installation, and fixing of the support brackets and rails onto which the photovoltaic panels would be mounted.
The fixing bolts were sealed against the slate by rubber gaskets sealing rings and sealant to ensure water tightness, No slates were replaced or damaged during the fitting.











Noggins were positioned between the rafters, effectively giving more strength to the fixing, and rafters bearing the load these were secured using a nail gun, simpler than the brackets I used on the hot water system, a case of modern tools being available and put to good use.
More importantly the roofing felt located beneath the slate was not broken other than where the fixing bolts were fitted to the rafters. the integrity of the roof was maintained by the fitting of the rubber sealing rings (gaskets) fitted on the fixing bolts on the roof surface.













Right angle fixing plates were then positioned onto the fixings bolts ready for the rails on which the solar panels would be mounted.















The 16 panels were quickly attached to the 'Unirac' aluminium framework. The panels are large, being approx 143cm x 65cm (56" x 25.5") the upper surface is toughened glass, however like all glass they needed to be treated with respect. and the surface of the electronics being black matched in with the slate well.
Each of the panels had the electrical wire pre attached ready for assembly.








Beneath the panels can be seen the framework on which the panels are securely mounted and the inter-connecting cables, connected in series and taking the combined power from the panels in the form of Direct current (DC) to the inverter which is located in the loft area. space.









Situated on the solar panel side of the system is a DC isolation switch this is a very necessary part of the system as once installed the panels cannot be shut down unless this vital switch is installed.













We then have the inverter which converts Direct power(DC) current to Alternating current(AC) which is compatible with the power supply used on the National Grid.

(National distribution network serving all consumers of mains electricity )







On the AC side of the inverter, again there is an isolating switch, this would allow the inverter to be replaced or worked on by Qualified Electricians and can be used as a secondary means of isolating the panels from the buildings electrical circuits.
The display on the Inverter clearly shows the power generated and the hours run, this as can be seen was taken very soon after the installation was commissioned /completed.




An AC (alternating Current) mains cable runs from the
AC isolator switch in the loft to another isolating switch. located adjacent to the consumer unit





This along with a 'Total Generation Meter' are located directly adjacent to the new consumer unit, ('Householders Distribution Board')which controls/provides power to services within the household)

Along with these items is another copy of the single line schematic diagram which clearly shows the location of each and every piece of equipment in the system, as well as address details and system number.
" Two Copies of this document are displayed on the system, One above the consumer unit and one adjacent to the inverter.
This is provided to enable any qualified person working on the system to have complete and all information to hand before undertaking any work necessary on the system and also to comply with the requirements of the 'Health and safety at work act'



The job scheduled to take two to three days was completed in just over one very full day plus a couple of hours on the next day.
The professionalism of the crew was excellent with no complaints, and I'm not the easiest person to please. I have no complaints at all.
I was given a complete explanation and tour of the system and every thing was made clear as to what each component was for and why it was fitted.
The paper work manuals etc and final receipt have been received and that has been sent along with other documents to the Energy Saving Trust Low Carbon Buildings programme ) for payment of the grant of £2500.00 which will be off set against the overall cost.


So in the PV System Working
Yes and very effective it is, and if you want to monitor the import and export of electricity to your premise, be it your home or office, or see precisely what a particular appliance is using in watts/kilowatts then the 'eco-eye' is the tool you need.
Since obtaining the two shown on this page they have saved me £££s. I will give you just one example:-
I have a compressor from which I charge the car's tyres and use an air line. The motor on the compressor is pressure controlled so it only runs until the pressure is built up to the pre determined pressure and then cuts out, re-starting automatically as the pressure drops due to either use or due to slight leak on the hose connection.
I used the compressor to correct the pressure prior to taking my car for MOT and thought I turned the compressor off.
However reading the 'Eco-Eye' meter's late that evening they indicated to me that we were using more power than was normal, having searched the house for the offending appliance I found nothing, however when I went to the garage the compressor had just re-started, that's what was increasing our demand and the 'Eco-Eye had made me aware of it, I had neglected to turn of at the power switch.
Had I not been alerted to the increased demand by the 'eco-Eye' it could easily have been left intermittingly running for the next 24 hours or so.
One things for sure at today's prices for electricity you don't need to have many incidents like that for this useful meter to pay for itself.

And talking about paying if you would like an 'Eco-Eye for you property, be it Home or Office then
I have arranged for you to receive a 15% discount off your order's
All you need to do is go to this link:-
www.Eco-Eye.com select the 'Eco-Eye' you require and when you reach the check out enter:- aclassinfo in the promotional code box provided, (all small case) then click, Apply that will automatically reduce the cost of the item by 15%.
You like me will then be able to immediately monitor the demand to you property, as well as measure the demand and cost of running individual appliances, simply by turning them On or Off.

In the photo I have used both of the meters types available, the 'Elite' & the 'Mini' one having a much larger display and wall mounting facility, both meters can be totally portable being battery powered and can be sited where it catches your eye. The 'Eco-Eye' can be set to give you various readings, in this instance the combined meters show that we are currently importing (demanding)from the national grid which is 0.91 of a KWh. Just under 1KW per hour and the second meter having be set to calculate cost which shows that it is costing 19pence per hour, the cost per unit (One-kilowatt) being set at 20.23 pence per hour. These settings and costs are set by the user when setting up the meter, full operating procedures and set up instructions come with you well packed meter
Oh and remember you don't need to invest in solar power to find the 'Eco-Eye useful, savings start from the day you purchase just by being thrifty with what's switched on and when!)
I would like to thank the Management of 'Eco-Eye.com' for granting this concession to my readers, it is appreciated. Lofty



Payment for your exported energy.
There are two ways in which you can be paid for your exported units of power (1 kilowatt = 1 unit = 1000 watts)
 Some power supply companies will ask you to forward the reading from your total generation meter installed as part of your PV system a couple of times a year and then pay you accordingly, however the amount they pay is small compared with what you pay them for the imported units.(units of energy used within the premise) but you do not need to have an 'Import/Export Meter' fitted at your property.

Some other companies do require a Import /Export meter but pay considerably more for the units you export back to the national grid.
The payment you receive will be wholly based on the Import/Export meter readings and your 'Total Generation Meter' will have no bearing on the payments you receive.
Bear in mind you will still get an electricity bill for the units you have imported (used) this bill should be considerably less than bills prior to the installation, as your own PV system will be providing or supplementing you demand DURING DAY LIGHT HOURS Solar energy both PV and domestic hot water does not work at night.


In the case of 'Southern Electric' the Company we have chosen to sell our excess units to, they will install the 'Import/Export Meter' free of charge and it is not subject of any rental charge. But like all the companies I researched they require you to be a customer, so you may need to switch provider.(Supply Company)
Do remember the price increases for power are very much in fashion at present,(Aug.Sept.2008) and you need to watch the suppliers of electricity very closely to get the best deal.


So when will you start receiving payment for exported units?
Good point, When you place your order for your installation, make a point of researching the various schemes as soon as possible. The Company you choose to sell you exported units (Surplus to your requirements units) Will want to also sell you the units you import.(use from the National Grid) This means that you may have to switch supplier as happened in our case.
We were with 'EDF' they do not require and 'Import/Export Meter' but pay 4.2 pence for every unit recorded on your 'Total Generation Meter', that includes the units you use within your own home!! that's reasonable if you are using most or all of the power you generate, however if you are exporting power daily then you may get a better deal by changing supplier.

BUT here is the snag, it can take 6 weeks a in some cases longer to switch supplier, plus there is a cooling off period before your existing company will act on your directive which can be up to 12-14 days! And then the Companies will agree a date on which your account will be switched from one company to the other , So to overcome the cooling off period I suggest you write to your present company and inform them in writing of your decision, and make it clear you will not be changing you mind at the you want the switch made to the new company as soon as possible. Look also at your current contract because you may be required to give them a minimum amount of notice, say 30 days. You will then have to wait for the a further 2-3 weeks may be even longer to get the 'Import/Export Meter' fitted and in this area its 'EDF' who are the network provider/supplier of power to the other energy providers (middle men) and therefore it is they who come to fit this meter! so your guess is as good as mine as to how long this will take.

The PV system was fitted four weeks almost to the day from placing the order, and so you can see that units being Exported to the National Grid at present and for the next few weeks, months will not be in anyway credited to our account.

However the excess power can be in part used by doing washing during the day where in the past it's been done early morning while on economy7 rates, so in fact with wise use of the generated power our bills should be smaller and we can use appliances when it suits us at little or no extra cost.





On the morning of the 13th September a real summers day, for a couple of hours at least with Sunshine! These reading were taken from the PV Inverter readout.
As can be seen the PV has generated 3.21KWh today and at the time the photograph was taken was producing 1575watts(1.575KWh) of electrical power, enough to light 157 100watt light bulbs, that is a considerable amount of power and should under no circumstances be underestimated from the hazard point of view.

The reading stresses the need for householders and electricians alike to be aware that even with the mains power switched off OR POWER CUT(localised failure of the national Grid system) all of the circuits in the household and out building provided with electrical power will be very much alive during the day light hours
Only by switching off the PV system and Mains Power will the electrical circuitry be totally safe.

And as can be seen 15.8KWh of power has been generated since the system was commissioned.
The displays in this photograph appear one after the other on the inverter and are not normally seen together.

Another very interesting feature and one householders should be aware of is that the system shuts down after dark, so if you in your loft area and see that the inverter display is off don't worry It will reappear as soon as daylight re-appears.
However the 'Total Generation Meter' sited in close proximity to your consumer unit will be displaying total power generated in KW (kilowatts)since installation.




I have today received a technical information folder from The installers which includes literally everything you or your electrical contractors, network providers etc need to know about the installation. This includes procedures for isolating the PV, as well as start up procedures. I feel the householder should be at at least familiar/aware of these two procedures.
Individual households will have their own folder however the isolation and start procedure should remain the same.







Procedures
System Isolation Procedure.

Turn Off the AC isolator located near your consumer unit marked 1

Switch off the AC Isolator situated near the inverter 2

Switch off the DC isolator situated near the Inverter 3

Your layout may differ from that shown.






System Start up Procedure.
Switch On DC Isolator 3

Switch on AC isolator 2

Turn on AC Isolator near consumer unit.1

The majority of the content in the folder would be best understood by the professionals.
This document obviously needs to be kept safe, as it will need to be passed on to the new owner of the property with the deeds, when the property is sold.





Check your Solar Hot water system settings after 'shutting off' the electrical supply or 'power cuts'.

Please note.
If you are fortunate enough to have a Solar Domestic Hot Water System and have just had Photovoltaic installed or for some reason like a 'power cut' the electrical power to your hot water system has been shut off, remember to check the settings of the Solar hot water system, For several days after having the photovoltaic fitted we couldn't fathom why the solar hot water system was not getting as hot as normal, when in fact the weather was good with considerable sunshine.
I have now discovered that the 'settings' on the solar hot water system control panel return to the their 'default setting' which means that the system pump only pumps down hot fluid to the hot tank when there is an 8 degree difference between the hot water cylinder and the solar fluid temperature, this effectively means that very little heat is imparted to the hot water in the hot tank, I have re-set this to 4 degrees so the circulating pump of the solar fluid will run more often bringing down the hot fluid to the hot water tank when ever there is a difference of 4 degrees and not 8 allowing more heat to be conducted into the water in the hot tank.
I will also bring my findings to the attention of the photovoltaic fitting team, who will at least to then be able to warn the home occupiers or ensure their Domestic hot water system is left set as found.




If you are going to sell your excess generated power then as mentioned earlier we are switching our electricity account over to 'Southern Electric', they will provide and buy our unused energy.
This e-mail was received from 'Southern Electric' in response to questions about the tariffs etc, I hope like me you will find the information useful and it allows you to compare what you are currently receiving or have been offered by other energy companies.

Quote
Further to our recent telephone conversation, please find below details of both our export tariffs and some other information that may be useful for your website.
We can purchase any excess power you produce and export to the national grid providing your connection to the national grid conforms to the required standards and you have an export meter in place. We will fit an export meter free of charge if you are an existing customer of Scottish and Southern Energy (Southern Electric, SWALEC, Scottish Hydro, Atlantic Electric & Gas).
Microgeneration Export Tariff For your exported power we pay a fixed rate of 7p/kWh. This rate is set each April and runs until the end of March the following year. The payment for this exported power will be shown as a credit on your normal electricity bill.
If you qualify for the renewables obligation certificate (ROC) and appoint us as your agent then we are able to pay you an additional 5p/kWh for all the energy you generate. If you do not wish to appoint us as your agent then we will pay £50.00 per ROC. Either way, this will be paid each year in July for your previous year’s generation. Solar Energy Plus Tariff
It is only for customers with Solar PV generation
We pay 20p/kWh for Export
The customer must be an import customer with SSE
The customer must have an Ofgem approved gross generation meter installed
The customer must have an export meter installed (we will fit this free of charge if you do not already have one)
The customer must appoint SSE as their agent for ROCs
The generation must be connected to the grid via the property and not directly onto the grid
There is no separate payment for ROCs, it is all rolled up into the 20p/kWh we pay for export
It is only available for generation up to 5kW.
Solar PV greater than 5kW will be decided on a site by site basis
Unquote




So what are Roc's? Renewable Obligation Certificates




So all you have to do now having got the system up and running is make a decision as to which scheme to go for?
Well we are starting to generate electricity in mid September and as indicated in the mail above, the current prices end on the 31st of March 2009, so we could if we wished switch schemes at that point but how do you decide which is going to best suit your needs?

Well I think the first thing to mention is that we did not venture into the Solar World for the purpose of making money! Saving money is a totally different venture, we as a couple will have reduced our carbon foot print by installing the solar domestic water heating system and the photovoltaic and that truly was the aim, if it will help make the World a better place for our grand children and their children then that's all we can ask.
Having said that, we still want to get the best deal from our investment although we fully appreciate we will never get the capital invested back.
So to assist us in making this decision we have to do some calculations, bearing in mind that solar works best on bright sunny days although it does work with overcast bright days as well.
Where you live in the country is going to have an effect on your solar systems performance and fortunately we live in the area of the country that gets most sunshine. The Sunny South coast of the UK.
Don't take my word for it take a look at this site, The sunny South Coast (The maximum recorded duration of sunshine in a single month is 383.9 hours at Eastbourne in July 1911). Well a few more months like that and yes you may well get some of your capital investment back?

I worked out that we get an average of 5 hours a day sunshine over the entire year, however going by the records kept I've been just a little extravagant with my figures, it appears it's nearer 4.5 - 4.75 hours , and our photovoltaic has theoretical max output of 2.08KWh however that's if every thing such as position of panels etc was 100% ideal, so I'm working on a figure of 1.5KWh. This is a conservative figure, things can then only improve!
How much of this are we going to use per hour ? ,Well our eco-eye electricity consumption meter has been indicating a consumption of about .50KWh (500watts) over several months, this obviously changes when kettles, cookers etc are switched on, equally there are times when the demand is less so I estimate this will leave a balance of approx 1KWh to export to the grid each hour.
So we now have 365days x 4.5hrs sunshine x 1KWh to export. So on the first of SSE schemes we would expect to receive in credit 365 x 4.5 x 1 x 7 pence which I make £115 give or take a couple of pence.
and if as the scheme says your system qualifies for ROC's and you appoint S.S.E as your agents, then we can add 5p for every 1KWh recorded on your 'Total Generation Meter' and that remember includes the portions of both the energy you used & export. So in this instance based on the figures used above we are talking of 2463KWh x 5p = £123.19 totalling a credit of £115.00 + £123.19 = £238.19, (based on the actual prices 2008-9 year)

However scheme two, where the price paid includes the payment for your ROC's having appointed SSE as your agents, we have a straight 365 x 4.5 x 1 x 20p which = £328.50, again these figures used in the calculation are hypothetical, the prices are based on the above mail and are current until 31st March 2009, but we have to start somewhere?
So until you can see what your system is achieving/producing and how much of the energy you are using yourself you will not be able to make a firm decision.

If you anticipate using most or all of the energy your system produces then it would pay you to opt for the first scheme, but only you can decide.

Now you might be wondering is it worth the investment, well do remember that energy costs are is still spiralling up and the portion of the energy generated you use will reduce you electricity by that amount in our case approx 821 units(KWh)PA, based on the amount allowed from your total generation ( 365days x 4.5hours of sunshine per day x .50KWh,(500Watts) used in house from your total generation KWh(Kilowatts generated per hour) Remember the most important thing is you will be helping the environment by using Solar Power to generate electricity and or heat your Domestic Hot Water. Please bear in mind and as mentioned above these figures are based on a photovoltaic system with a output of 2.08KWh.



You may find also find the information these sites useful & Interesting



1.The list of Ofgem approved gross generation meters Ofgem website at:-(This meter 'Total Generation' is installed as part of your PV system)
2. Building for the future
2. Energy Saving Trust
Unfortunately you will not be able to locate other sites like mine via this link, as the Energy Saving Trust will not link/advertise such sites as mine, which incidentally has a lot of information on solar Photovoltaic that is not available on their official site, or what they can provide verbally, the majority of questions I put could not be answered. They do however have a list of approved installers who of course have to pay a fee and be vetted by the organisation before being placed on their lists.
3. Frequently asked question for generators of 50KW or less.
4. Renewable Obligation Certificates, What are they how do they work?



12th of September Scaffold gone. Job complete.



Would we recommend The same Company to install our system?


Most decidedly, every thing about the Company was spot on and we are very impressed with the professionalism shown right from the ordering of the system to the installing, commissioning and the provision of the well presented detailed information folder every thing you need to know as either the householder or the professional agent on site is contained within that one file.

Help was even available for applying for the grant which went without a hitch, It would not be an easy job without the companies support.




We have now managed to switch our Electricity account across to 'Southern Energy' as of the 5th Oct 2008 and we have a date for the installation of the Import/Export meter for the 16th of Oct.
However by that time I estimate we will have supplied at least 120KWh of energy to the National Grid for which we will not be paid.
So if you are ordering PV make the decision as to who you are going to use for the supply and sell you surplus energy to as early as possible after signing the contract, or you like us will become a charity and supply energy to the National grid for Free.




Well the 16th of October came and went, no import/export meter, it turned out that our new suppliers had cocked up and not made the appointment with EDF, so it was re-arranged for the 30th Oct, however they have agreed to pay us for the energy recorded on our 'total generation meter' from the the date our contract from them to supply energy to our property commenced, l by pure chance I had been keeping a record of the daily amount generated and so was able to give them an accurate figure of 133 KWh for the period 5th Oct -30th Oct 08. UPDATE 30th Oct





On the 30th October EDF did arrive and install the meters. Two in fact one to measure imported units and the other to measure exported units both meters are of the old type with multiple digits to take the various readings required, it's interesting to see that photovoltaic generation has it appears overtaken the development of a multipurpose meter, the meters installed being old technology, however they will do the job and are easier to read than the auto digital type meter we had previously which displayed the various reading one after the other but not allowing sufficient time allow the recording of the reading without going through the process again. it is worth bearing in mind that the red digit on the installed meters is the 1/10 of one KW and is disregarded when taking your readings for billing purposes.

New information
We have now decided to go ahead and have another bank of panels put either side of our present hot water solar panel, this work will commence on the 3rd of Nov 2008 so I will keep you informed. Then we will be able to sit back and say we are doing our bit. Helping to save the environment for our own grand Children and that of others. and hope fully we will only take money from the energy company and not have to pay the ever increasing bill and the total generation should provide all our electrical power and more during the day light hours with us drawing from the national grid at night. Hopefully the income will off set the cost of our future energy needs.

I hope you have found this page useful and that you are now a bit more informed than before and if you do decide to investigate the possibilities of either a Domestic Hot Water System or PhotoVoltaic Power GenerationContact Lofty For the Company Details That will ebsure that we recive a small return for the recommendation and for bringing this information to your attention Thank you.
:- e mail:- lofty








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Daily Record of KWh Generated, Exported & Imported.
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