Turn Off Solar Generation

6 comments started 2024-06-08 last 2024-06-08
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#1 PaulStephenson

I have EnPhase micro inverters with GivEnergy battery and inverter and I am on the Octo Agile tariff. Today we have plunge pricing going to -ve 10p/kWhr during daylight. Thus, I want to turn off solar generation for a few hours.
I have contacted EnPhase and they can offer me the facility to do this but the cheeky sods want $249 for the privilege. Is there a way to implement a solar turn-off in the GivEnergy system? Worst case I could do this manually if I was sure whitch switch to throw.

#2 Windy Miller

Were you given a shutdown procedure for your system? If so just follow the bit for shutting down the solar side and leave the Givenergy battery inverter and batteries on. If it's like mine you might have separate AC breakers for the solar and the battery side. Of course it depends if your installer left you these instructions and labelled everything up.

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#3 geoffreycoan

You almost certainly should have some DC shutdown switches in the cables from your solar panels to the inverter. Large rotary dials, mine are black knobs for the solar panels. My AC supply to the inverter are yellow and red.

Just turn the DC panel supply off.

But do look at your predicted solar generation first to work out whether it’s worthwhile or not. If the panels are generating say 2kWh then you’ll get 30p from export (minus any house load). If you import, even at best today, -10p, it’d still be more profitable to export.
Assuming of course you get paid for export and depending on how much extra load you can turn on to maximise your import revenue

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#4 PaulStephenson

Follow-up info and thanks.

Windy Miller: I couldn't find any instructions for shut-down but did find a breaker labeled 'MicroInvs' which I sheepishly flipped OFF with the desired effect. I'm now happily consuming11.24kW/hr and earning about £1 per hour for the privilege. Thank you for your input.

Geoffrey: The solar connects to my system though AC inverters on each panel so no DC breakers. I did find an AC breaker which I flipped with a successful result. I'm now both consuming and charging the battery with the negative priced electricity. Thank you for your input.

I'm on Octopus Agile import and export. Export at plunge pricing is 0p/kWhr on this tariff.

General: I'd still like to be able to control solar generation remotely / automatically. This is the first time I've seen daylight plunge pricing so I suspect it is rare but it seems a shame to let the three or four quid blow away in the wind. Engaging with plunge pricing is also the green and comunally beneficial thing to do.

#5 Windy Miller

PaulStephenson Excellent. Thanks for your reply. I am also consuming about 11KW with the solar inverter off.

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#6 geoffreycoan

I’ve got the hot tub, tumble dryer, dishwasher and washing machine on and it’s still exporting !

PaulStephenson Great to hear you’ve been able to turn the panels off, didn’t appreciate that they are AC connected.
You might want to reconsider Agile Export tariff though. Think if you look at the price history it’s rarely above the 15p you’d get on Fixed Export which many of us are running alongside Agile Import