Earlier this year, we worked with this customer in Bath who has had a Solar PV system for seven years and was looking for help to lower their electric and gas consumption and keep their carbon footprint in check.

After a face-to-face consultation with our renewables team to look at the existing solar panel system, our experts went through all the potential options to come up with a total install package to help meet this customer’s objectives.

We identified that they could harness the excess solar power generated from their PV panels by using a battery backup system with a Solar Diverter.

In this instance the best solution was to use My Energi products due to the versatility in using a battery & hot water storage and also possible future demand for car charging.

We also recommended looking at alternative energy suppliers to help keep costs low.

For example Octopus Energy provide reasonable off-peak rates during the hours of 00:30 until 4am* meaning the battery can be topped on days where excess solar gain is not possible.

The installation of these products require support from qualified electricians and this is where having an all-service team of heating engineers and electricians means we can provide the installation both quickly and easily.

For a project like this, the installation typically takes only one day on site.

Our electrician attended to install the My Eddi (which is linked with My Hub, an app monitoring) and put in a 8.2 Giv Energy linked to a Giv Energy 3.6 AC coupled inverter, to ensure this wouldn’t affect the current feed in tariff. This package will also include a dedicated power supply in an event of a power outage.

In this case the customer works from home two days a week, so the team prioritised the hot water to be charged in the morning with any excess solar power generation to be diverted to the battery.

The battery discharge times can be set so the home benefits from maximum usage from the battery at times convenient to them, helping to consistently reduce running costs.

Once the system is set up, the customer can download the My Hub App onto their chosen smart device and is shown in detail how to monitor and use the system for maximum benefit.

We check in on the customer one month after fitting the system to see how they are doing.

In this case we are pleased to report that their energy costs have been significantly reduced by reducing gas consumption as well storing excess electricity into the batteries for night time use. They reduced their electricity by 50% in a month.

They haven’t explored the off-peak tariffs available yet but said its next on the list to do.

This is all part of the service and why people choose Gregor Heating to help them make the right home heating choice.

Through the Gregor Guarantee, you are guaranteed expert and friendly advice and service to find the right solution to keep you and your home warm & cosy.

Check out our Which Trusted Trader for reviews and recommendations.

*Tariffs quoted at time of writing.

The post How battery backup can add value to your solar PV system appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.

Charging your Electric Vehicle at home

Believe it or not, you can actually charge your EV at home by plugging it into a regular home socket. However, it is much easier (and arguably safer) to use a dedicated Electric Vehicle Chargepoint  (EVC)  with a higher power output.

Fast chargers like these are safer and can significantly cut the time it takes to charge your electric vehicle.

Even better, grants of up to 75% of the cost of a chargepoint and its installation (subject to a maximum of £500 source) are currently available under the government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.

As an OLEV installer, we can help you access this funding and install one of our Zappi, ROLEC and Solar Edge recommended products.

All our recommended chargepoints are suitable for indoor and outdoor installations meaning they can be placed on the side of the house, on a post on the driveway or, in the garage out of sight.  The ideal point for an EV Chargepoint means access to a private driveway or a private garage.

Our recommended Home Electrical Vehicle Chargers can be found here

Mixing Electric Vehicle Chargers with Solar Energy and Electricity Storage Solutions

If you are considering an EVC we would also encourage you to look at other electricity generation and storage options. Three of our recommended EVC brands all provide the option to use surplus power created from solar panels and solar power can provide energy to fully charge an electric vehicle.

As you are probably aware renewable power is generated at times of the day when you might not be needing it, and any surplus is simply fed back into the grid.  Of course there may be times when you need the power but not much might be being generated,  therefore our recommendation would be to have a storage solution that will capture and store the solar photovoltaic energy you generate so it is available when you need it. 

We are accredited installers for the Tesla Powerwall 2 Battery which can be used to store the solar photovoltaic energy generated.

About out EV Chargers

• Solar Edge provide an App which allows you to control your consumption of Solar Photovoltaic and grid energy, as well as track the amount used to charge your electric vehicle.  You can even schedule the device’s use of grid energy to restrict it to off-peak hours. 
• The ROLEC WallPod: EV SolarCharge and Zappi Eco+ are both designed for integration with solar panels and provide a choice of charging by solar only or, solar and grid combined.

Example of charging costs on a Volkswagen e-Golf Electric Vehicle (Source)

• Battery Capacity 35.8 kWh
• Official range 144miles
• Cost to charge at home on a standard rate (14p per kWh) £5.01
• Cost to charge with a Zappi eco+, ROLEC WallPod: EV SolarCharge and Solar Edge (0p per kWh) £0.00
• Cost to charge on a public Fast Charger (30p per kWh) £10.47

Public charging when out and about

There are currently more than 33,000 public charging points in the UK, with 2,571 being in the South West and this number is continually growing (source).

As of 2019 it was a legal requirement for all large petrol stations and motorway service stations to provide charging points.  These tend to be Rapid Chargers which cost around £6 for a 45-minute recharge.

• TOP TIP – You will need to sign up with Charge Point providers before using them. Most allow you to join for free, but some might charge an initial fee. It is recommended to choose a provider that shows its tariffs in kWh rather than cost per minute, as you can easily work out the cost if you have the kWh.

Gregor only works with leading manufacturers Zappi, ROLEC, Solar Edge and Tesla.

If you have any questions our Renewable Electrical Team can help guide you through all aspects of supply and installation. Please get in touch.

Photo credit: Zappi charging a Tesla model 3

The post Understanding Electric Vehicle Chargers and making the most of power generated in your home appeared first on Gregor Heating, Electrical & Renewable Energy.