PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

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cyprusmax47
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PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by cyprusmax47 »

To be on the safe side, I would recommend that everybody who owns a "net-metering" Solar PV system having a look at the EAC meter. If the display shows a large credit (05) due to less pool pump running hours, fridges/freezers or air-cons in Autumn, then now is the time to use that credit up.
EAC is going to set your credit back to zero in the month after February as they do every year. So if your credit is rather high, then I would switch more to electric heating instead of gas/diesel heating (or wood fire).

Max
trevnhil
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by trevnhil »

That is good advice Max,but as you say make certain that you have some unit's 'in the Bank'.. I don't think we will have any in the bank and may have to pay for some units on the next bill due now. Also I am pretty sure we will have to pay a fair bit on the next bill in February... But we have had a lot almost for free, not counting the initial investment of course..
Trev..
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

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trevnhil wrote: Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:08 am That is good advice Max,but as you say make certain that you have some unit's 'in the Bank'.. I don't think we will have any in the bank and may have to pay for some units on the next bill due now. Also I am pretty sure we will have to pay a fair bit on the next bill in February... But we have had a lot almost for free, not counting the initial investment of course..

I paid my 2-monthly bill a couple of days ago and it was still only 23 Euro like all the other bills this year. My credit goes towards zero though, as I run air-con (Inverter) only for heating..and there is little sunshine at the moment. Very soon PV will produce more kWh's as the worst time is December and from February the days are longer and the sun higher at the sky and will produce like October...

Max
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by Jim B »

Hi Max
How do you determine your PV Credit on your EAC meter? I've checked on line but cannot find any specific information.

Jim
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cyprusmax47
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Jim B wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 8:22 am Hi Max
How do you determine your PV Credit on your EAC meter? I've checked on line but cannot find any specific information.

Jim
Hi Jim, Happy New Year,
If you stand in front of the meter display you will see one reading which will change after 2-3 seconds. "5" on the reading indicates how many kWh's you produced and exported to the grid. The difference will be your balance. Below you can see my meter on the day I started producing last year.
"5" shows 000 in this case.

Image



Max
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by Jim B »

Hi Max
Our meter is 3 phase and only goes to numbers 1 and 2. Our production for the last 12 months according to the invertor monitoring was 6.34Mw. The two figures shown on the meter are 12925.2 and 9949.4 which is a difference of 2967 so still not certain if we are in credit.

Jim
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Jim B wrote: Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:24 pm Hi Max
Our meter is 3 phase and only goes to numbers 1 and 2. Our production for the last 12 months according to the invertor monitoring was 6.34Mw. The two figures shown on the meter are 12925.2 and 9949.4 which is a difference of 2967 so still not certain if we are in credit.

Jim

The easiest way to be sure which of your two figures are exported or imported ones is to have a look at your last EAC bill which shows very clear these numbers. (IMP and EXP) If you have credit it shows: Total consumption, and must be minus.
To my knowledge is 1= imported and 2= exported (produced PV) As EAC is changing all the time the meters they install that information is perhaps not 100% though.



Max
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PW in Polemi
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by PW in Polemi »

Thanks for the timely reminder, Max.
The meter reader was in my area a day or so ago, and I have checked my meter again. I only have in excess of 1000 credit units to use up, and that's without generating any more!
Hardly using the gas central heating, mostly using electricity to heat the place.
A sound investment.
Kay
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cyprusmax47
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by cyprusmax47 »

PW in Polemi wrote: Sat Jan 05, 2019 1:08 pm Thanks for the timely reminder, Max.
The meter reader was in my area a day or so ago, and I have checked my meter again. I only have in excess of 1000 credit units to use up, and that's without generating any more!
Hardly using the gas central heating, mostly using electricity to heat the place.
A sound investment.

May I ask you how many kWp your systems is? 1000 kWh is quite comfortable as you will produce more in the coming month. The worse month December is over and from February you will generate like October as the sun stands higher and we have more daylight hours as well..
I am glad that there are more happy net-metering owners on this forum. :)

Max
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by daveg »

We too have a PV system, first full year in operation.
Have just checked readings and we still have a credit of around 900 kWh...
May not be quite enough, as we have a geothermal underfloor system, so no gas or log bills.
Very pleased with the PV system overall....
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PW in Polemi
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Re: PV-owner? Check your EAC meter...

Post by PW in Polemi »

Morning Max. My PV system is 3kW and that credit amount is the most ever in hand at this time of year since installation several years ago. I can only put this down to there being only me now, so only one room heated at a time, and I use a halogen oven more often than the main oven. Small individual changes that appear to make quite a significant difference overall.
Kay
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