Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

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Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

Post by Anarita John »

A few people have messaged me asking for details of this years electricity production through our pv panels. Still waiting for our final electric bill so will post later about our overall production and consumption.
However I have got details of our pool heater consumption. We have a Fairland pool heater along with a quantum, ultra violet, pool steriliser and a Lorenz solar pump. Our pool heater is only switched on during daylight hours, when we are using totally free electricity for our Lorenz pump.

During the 22/23, electric bill cycle, we used our pool heater from 15th March until the 19th April. By this time our pool was 28c and, with the pool cover, was holding its heat so we did not need the heater.

Our pool was switched back on, on the 2nd November and we maintained a water temperature of 27c. We ran it for 74 days between November and 10th January, when we went to the UK on holiday.

Used Meter, 1182.2 kwh. Total used, 1639.9 kwh. Cost with Net Metering, €76.85 @0.065 per kwh. The cost without a pv system would be €600.

We arrived back on Sunday and I put our pool heater back on on Monday morning. We have run it during daylight hours and got the temperature up from 18c to 28c in just 3 days. We used 120kwh through the meter and a total of 145kwh. Today we have maintained 28c by putting the pool heater on a lower setting, removing the pool cover during the day for swimming and using 32.5kwh.
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

Post by Anarita John »

Pool Heater now been on for 7 days since we got back last Sunday, just running it during daylight hours when we were producing solar electricity. From using around 40 kwh through the meter to get the water temperature to above 28c, the last 2 days we have used around 12kwh through the meter. To get the pool from 18c to 28c took 119.5kwh through the meter, plus a further 32.43 kwh from our panels. Cost with net metering, €7.76. Cost without a PV system, at €0.29 per kwh, €44.
mark4007
Posts: 133
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2022 9:49 am

Re: Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

Post by mark4007 »

Interesting posts..

I am confused as to how you arrive at your costing for PV and non PV electricity. At the risk of sparking an absorption v marginal costing debate,, I calculated these (for March 23) as follows

Charges Price per kwh
PV Non PV
Euros Euros

Elect Generation 0.1035
Network usage 0.0302 0.0302
Ancillary services 0.0065 0.0065
Meter reading 0 0 Fixed cost
Elect supply 0 0 Fixed cost
Total basic price 0.0367 0.1402
Fuel adjustment 0 0.166929
PSO 0.00035 0.00035
Total subject to VAT 0.03705 0.307479
RES and ES fund (no VAT) 0 0.0012
Total before VAT 0.03705 0.308679

VAT 0.0070395 0.05842101
Total 0.0440895 0.36830001
ie Euro 0.044 0.368

My figures lead to a bigger difference between running with net metering arrangement and running using normal electric tariffs. But i'd be interested in any different calculations..
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

Post by Anarita John »

I'm not a mathematician and I use a simpler formula to work out a cost per kwh for our net metering system and for a non net metered system.

Total cost / number of units consumed = cost per kwh.

Our Nov Bill, which my figures are based on. Bill total, €96.40, divided by 489 kwh = €0.612 per kwh.

Neighbours Nov Bill, with no PV Panels. Bill total, €263.90 divided by 892 kwh = €0.2958 per kwh.

The more kwhs used, the less per kwh charged. For our January Bill, when we ran the pool heater during daylight hour for almost the whole of the billing period, and heated the house with electricity, our unit cost went down.

Jan Bill, €96.40, divided by 1996 kwh = €0.0482 per kwh.
Anarita John
Posts: 902
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:18 pm
Location: Formally Rochdale, Penrhyn Bay and Anarita

Re: Our Pool Heater 2022/2023

Post by Anarita John »

April 7th and we are almost at the end of our pool heating season. Pool is now 30c, with a heat loss of 2c each night. For the last 7 days we have run our air source pool heater for 6 hours a day, on the middle heat (eco) setting and the pool uncovered for around half this time, and each day the pool has got up to 30c.
We have averaged 12 kwh through the meter for each 6 hour session, costing us around €0.80 per day. In total we averaged around 20kwh per 6 hour session, including solar units, which would have cost us €5.80 per day without net metering.
Last year we switched our pool heater off on April 19th and just relied on the solar cover to heat the pool. We managed to maintain a swimmable 29c just with the pool cover.
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