I've just installed a Gen1.5 hybrid inverter and 9.5kWh battery. I'm with Agile Octopus and have activated the Smart Tariff.
I see that it charges the battery when the rates are low - that's good. But it also exports loads of power from the battery when the rates are higher. Since I don't have an Export Feed-in agreement with Octopus, I'm not being paid for that so it's just wasted. Can I turn it off?
Clive_Sherborne you'd need to stop all automations I think. Are you getting an export tariff set up at some point though?
Cdent yes I might do my own automation. Well the installers aren't actually MCS registered, so I'm going to have to try to work around that somehow...
Clive_Sherborne Well, you can try to turn it off but short of disconnecting from the grid it's going to just happen. You can limit export to excess generation - so that no battery power gets exported. However, if your panels generate and the inverter inverts and the battery is full and generation is in excess of load it has to go somewhere and that somewhere is the grid. Of course you can reduce it by using it instead. Immersion, dishwasher, washing machine, baking session, heat a swimming pool, vacuum (hungry little beasts these), get an EV, etc, etc. You should get MCS approval and apply for SEG and get paid for it. But you won't stop excess getting exported.
Clive_Sherborne Did your installer get DNO agreement? To reduce export, you can ask your installer (if they've done the Givenergy course) or Givenergy themselves to set the export limit on the inverter to anything you want below the DNO limit (eg zero). This won't prevent the overshoot when the kettle is being supplied by the inverter, boils and switches off, it takes a few seconds for the inverter to ramp down, but it will stop the export of surplus generation.
Thanks. Yes, it's a G100 install, so export limited to 3.68kW. But the issue was that it was discharging my battery to export and that's just not what I want. I think I've now figured out the Inverter settings to make it behave (and yes, turned off Smart Tariff automations). There seem to be several layers of settings and it's a matter of understanding what they mean and how they relate to each other. There doesn't seem to be any user documentation or help that actually describes the settings in detail.
cluelesscris Do you know a way to get MCS approval retrospectively? Anyway, my electrician is going to give me a building control installation certificate - I'll send them that and see what happens.
Clive_Sherborne There doesn't seem to be any user documentation or help that actually describes the settings in detail.
If you want to supply the house from solar and charge the battery from any surplus without exporting to grid, disable all timed settings and enable ECO mode. If you then wish to do a timed charge, set the start and finish times and the Charge to % you want. Bear in mind that the house will be supplied from grid while the timed charge is active and once the period ends, ECO mode will resume. Unless you do want to export to grid, leave timed discharge and export alone as they don't work as described on the web portal inverter settings page.
Thanks Tim it would be nice if GivEnergy would offer useful information like this!
Clive_Sherborne In fairness, it should be in the welcome pack your supplier provides but sometimes they wait until it's complete with MCS certificate and DNO agreement letter before they send it to you.
Tim nless you do want to export to grid, leave timed discharge and export alone as they don't work as described on the web portal inverter settings page.
What do they do if not as described?
Clive_Sherborne . Well the installers aren't actually MCS registered, so I'm going to have to try to work around that somehow...
I don't think octopus will do anything without an MCS Cert will they? And I don't think you'll get anyone to give you one for someone else's work.
Pretty sure no MCS means no export payments of any sort. I am not aware of anyone who will produce an MCS for another companies work. Personally with no MCS I would ask the installer to set the export limit to zero or at least as low as possible.
Daniel Search the forum but basically, the override ECO and don't reinstate it afterwards, which is not what most people want.