Solar panels and home batteries
What panels and a battery do to your meter cupboard, why your inverter cuts out when the grid voltage is too high, and what changes now that the net metering scheme is ending.
11 articlesWritten by Kevin Hermans
Articles
A dynamic contract and a home battery: is it worth it
With a dynamic contract the battery can charge when electricity is cheap. That works, provided you let it be controlled automatically.
Feed-in charges: why you pay for your own electricity
More and more suppliers charge for feeding your solar power back into the grid. Your bill shows what that costs you.
The net metering scheme is ending: what changes for my panels
Your panels keep generating just as much. What changes is the value of the electricity you feed back.
My panels are producing less than expected: what is causing it
Before you call an engineer: compare with last year, look at shading and check whether all strings are still contributing.
Extending solar panels: what you will run into
Adding panels seems simple, but the inverter and the connection decide whether it is possible.
Charging your car with solar power: can it be automatic
With the right charger and a meter in the meter cupboard, the car charges with exactly what the panels have left over, and nothing more.
Solar panels and fire safety: where it goes wrong
Almost every incident with panels starts with a bad connection on the DC side. That can be spotted and prevented.
Home battery: what is involved in connecting it
A home battery is not an appliance you just add: it needs its own circuit, a good location and well-thought-out protection.
The inverter cuts out or shows a grid fault
If the inverter cuts out just when the sun is strongest, the grid voltage is almost always the cause.
What do you connect a solar inverter to
An inverter belongs on its own circuit, with a cable thick enough for the full power and a length that is often greater than expected.
Solar panels and your consumer unit: what really needs to be done
What changes in the meter cupboard when panels go on your roof, when a PV distribution board is sensible and why your inverter cuts out on the very sunniest day.
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