Disconnection of PV by EAC
We installed a 4Kw system in December last year, and I am becoming frustrated at the number of times EAC disables the system. Since we had it installed, they have disconnected us from the grid on 14 separate occasions. Last week, it was disconnected for 3 consecutive days, and it has been disconnected again today. Every time I am disconnected it costs us money as I have to use power supplied by EAC
I know there is a lack of storage for excess electricity produced by solar, but we are all being encouraged to invest in solar. Do we know what plans EAC have to rapidly expand their capability to store excess power?
None....one thing is for sure there is no immediate fix and it won't be quick.... I am told that once the hotels fire up for the season the supply and demand is generally in balance and the curtailments are much less.... I assume your new install has not managed to build up many.if any credit units..
Sadly ALL those installations after late 2023 had the ripple controls installed. And thus AHK can turn your PV production off at will.
@Toon
That is my problem, I can't build up credits when the sun shines as they disconnect us when I am producing large amounts of power. So I feel I ma being ripped off by EAC having to pay for power when I could be producing my own.
Yeah I agree ...I am holding off on installing to start of summer to give me time to build up that unit credit ..
It's not something they promote whilst sellng solar
How long are u disconnected for.... Do you get amy warning beforehand
@Toon
No warning was given, except a message posted on the EAC website saying disconnections would take place. But it does not tell you which areas are affected. They are normally disconnected between 4 and 6 hours at a time anytime between 8 am and 6 pm. Today, we disconnected at 8 am.
Just wondering when you get disconnected does the solar power you are generating at the time go to power your house or do you in effect need to buy the electric from the EAC, ie who supplies the electric while you are disconnected?
Unless you have a battery install then your power generation stops and you pay for the AhK leccy... So its a case of always checking your system
They turn off the generation so as to protect the grid when supply is high (ie theirs and the generated pv and demand is low.... Allegedly..
@MacGeorge8035
An absolute disgrace.... AHK need to get their act together and bring themselves in to 21st century... I don't believe they didn't know about this... And the impact it would have on pv consumers
Yes it seems like a win win for the EAC, with some large scale battery park they could nearly do away with fossil fuel generation, be first in the world and no doubt get the EU to pay for it
@Graham Waller
No, it does not. When we get disconnected, we have to take power from the grid and we pay for that.
If you have accumulated or banked unit credits you get to use them at a much lower rate like 10% of the normal rate... so say 3c per unit rather than 30c per unit ..but many new installs have not had a chance to bank anything.so they get to pay full whack as if they havent got their own PV.Â
Funny that none of this was mentioned when being promoted
@Toon
Did you watch the game? The first domestic trophy in 70 years is unbelievable. I remember the Fairs Cup win I was at the home leg with my Dad in the Gallowgate end. It's a shame he wasn't here to see this he would have enjoyed this.
@MacGeorge8035
Yes we watched it at our local in the village and it was rammed in the toon end..
A great day for us ..a fab atmosphere with only four pool fans in the middle ..lol....
Chelsea lot and spurs lot all quiet..... Next home game is Brentford on 2nd so I guess the trophy will be shown to the crowd... Europe and silverware in one go... I remember the fairs cup.to ..wasn't that the fore runner to UEFA..
1969 Fairs Cup win over two legs may and June Újpesti Dózsa..
This link to AHK website might be helpful
Cheers McG ...have a look at this too
Vulnerable customers can opt out of the ripple mechanism
Wow not a lot of information is there
@telf
maybe that will make a difference. So far this month we have been disconnected on 10 occasions for at least 4 hours at a time, normally during peak generation.
@MacGeorge8035
So generally 10am till 2pm they switch u off
I had 6 disconnection in 25 days most were 2/3 hours at peak 12-1500hrs but still generated what we would normally use in a two month period - we have enough in credit for 10 months normal usage for our requirements
From anecdotal sources it appears to be the tourist areas with large numbers of empty properties that seem to cut off longer due to having larger electrical sub stations being overloaded with pv in but no usage due to many hotels etc being closed
@Toon pretty much, though it can be longer. I am expecting to be cutoff tomorrow as it’s a holiday. Hopefully when the tourist season starts things will improve.
That's unbelievable, complete corruption.
@MacGeorge8035
It should improve ...then you will have a chance to build up a unit credit. I guess it's not a good time to invest in solar in November December....pity they don't mention that in the brochures.or other promotional material.
That last post re the authority and it's controllers attitude is a disgrace
Another article on the proposed new legislation, stopping disconnects of PV belonging to home owners.
@Toon
I get what you mean about investing in November and December. That's not always under the customer's control. We applied to have our service installed in May after completing all the paperwork the panels were fitted in September. It took until the 1st week in December before EAC came and inspected the installation and connected everything up.
The whole mechanism is an utter disgrace, it looks like corruption but it is most likely incompetence
@MacGeorge8035
Yes I agree for sure, I know most installers are now managing to complete and have the systems switched on in about three months...
Am astounded at the incompetence of the incompetents
I think it could be san easy thing to avoid.
If they can switch panels off remotely why can't they turn off the export of solar to the grid so that consumer solar power is still available to the householder after all its what the consumer has bought and paid for. Obviously if you cant or dont use what you generate then its only your loss.... The end user may need to modify their system so that unused generated power doesn't damage the solar panels and invertor etc
Or the government offer consumers a subsidised deal on purchase of battery storage.
@MacGeorge8035
At the moment even with battery storage prices reducing they are still too expensive... However if in your case and curtailments are due to location and the area being heavily tourism based with many homes being used as holiday homes, add that to hotels shutting down for the season for 5 months plus ..battery storage may be a good idea .
Both in the UK and Austria, solar panels always come with batteries to store the electricity generated in case of power cuts. But they are never remotely switched off, any excess is pumped back into the grid.
My dad hasn't had an electricity bill in years.
I invested in Pv Solar and Solar Thermal in U.K. 12 years ago - our feed in tariffs are more than enough to cover a 5 bedroom house from the quarterly payback and we have no costs for electricity or gas as I get more than double the kw price in feed in tariffs
You can setup any pv solar to the grid with a new box ( standard in U.K.) that only exports the excess the consumer is not using - this is one of the possible solutions being discussed (obviously the consumer will pay)
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