Circular reasoning (Rolfe's solar energy system)

[Bam Bam]

is there enough wind over your side for vertical turbines around the house or property?

The issue is that the wind resource is much better higher up, hence the benefit of the giant 3 blade turbines.

Our houses tend to be close together with lots of trees, walls and hedges around so the local speed wind is very low.

It might be good for people who live on farms though.

And we can benefit from the North Sea wind resource anyway - currently providing 23% of electricity and more being installed all the time. Would be good to get some onshore farms to spread the load but it is very difficult to build them in England and Wales even after the ban was lifted.

You've got Rosie Barnes over there doing great work communicating about wind power, and Andrew Blakers doing great research. I imagine your press is bad as ours if they share an owner!

 

[Rolfe]

The rowan tree in my front garden grows away from the wind. It's blowy. Sometimes I wonder.

 

[Bam Bam]

The rowan tree in my front garden grows away from the wind. It's blowy. Sometimes I wonder.

Yeah I think small scale wind could be useful for people who want to go off grid, but price-wise it won't be competitive with plugging into those giant turbines out in the North Sea or on the hills.

 

[T1 Terry]

The rowan tree in my front garden grows away from the wind. It's blowy. Sometimes I wonder.

This is a good lead in to understanding different wind turbines
There have been some very interesting developments including the "Dynosphere" designed by the Earthship house architect Michael Reynolds and the Norway's World Wide Wind floating VAWTs with two sets of counter-rotating blades, one driving the stator and the other the rotor.
Some look fantastic, but how well they work might be compromised, it's all in what you hope to achieve and how often the wind gets to the extremes in your area ..... a less efficient yet visually attractive unit might actually suit better if the wind gets stronger more often than barely a breeze

T1 Terry

This one is just a sales thing, and I'm not promoting it, but it looks easy enough to make yourself, just don't make a corny You Tube video about it :lol:


T1 Terry

 

[Rolfe]

It's not something I'm intending to do at the moment, but the wind that sweeps down our road is legendary. The cul-de-sac ends at the col between two small rounded hills, and behind that the prevailing wind comes in over a few miles of flat moor and farmland. It gets pretty blowy. The state of the decoration on the windward sides of the houses is testament to it.

It would all depend on the price of an aesthetically acceptable domestic turbine. Maybe this will become a thing in the future.

 

[T1 Terry]

It's not something I'm intending to do at the moment, but the wind that sweeps down our road is legendary. The cul-de-sac ends at the col between two small rounded hills, and behind that the prevailing wind comes in over a few miles of flat moor and farmland. It gets pretty blowy. The state of the decoration on the windward sides of the houses is testament to it.

It would all depend on the price of an aesthetically acceptable domestic turbine. Maybe this will become a thing in the future.

Design a few and put them up, then convince the neighbours what a great idea it is ..... and they can recharge their new EV just from the wind, and you won't have to work anymore, just build vertical wind turbines with custom paint jobs for the neighbourhood.

T1 Terry

 

[Gomev]

Some interesting conditions to meet permitted development rights for domestic wind turbines in England. Sorry this only covers England and not other parts of the UK.

https://www.planningaid.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/203144402-Domestic-wind-turbine#:~:text=A%20wind%20turbine%20on%20a,noise%20resulting%20from%20the%20turbine.

 

[johnb80]

Some interesting conditions to meet permitted development rights for domestic wind turbines in England. Sorry this only covers England and not other parts of the UK.

https://www.planningaid.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/203144402-Domestic-wind-turbine#:~:text=A%20wind%20turbine%20on%20a,noise%20resulting%20from%20the%20turbine.

Clearly written for conventional wind turbines as opposed to vertical wind turbine. All of the small conventional turbines I've had dealings with would fail immediately on noise, theyre horrendous. They also need a fairly high windspeed to get anything like meaningful power from them. A complete non starter with current offering from what Ive seen, the vertical one from earlier in the thread needs 10 mph to start generating..

 

[Rolfe]

The wind we've had here today I think might have turned quite a profit.

 

[Gomev]

Clearly written for conventional wind turbines as opposed to vertical wind turbine. All of the small conventional turbines I've had dealings with would fail immediately on noise, theyre horrendous. They also need a fairly high windspeed to get anything like meaningful power from them. A complete non starter with current offering from what Ive seen, the vertical one from earlier in the thread needs 10 mph to start generating..

Indeed, but the condition that stood out form me was that it wasn't allowed under permitted development if you already had an air source heat pump installed at the property. ?‍

 

[Rolfe]

Somebody please tell me why my Zappi insists on starting to charge my EV at midnight at full power, even if it's been left on eco+ waiting for morning!

I think it's something to do with the MyEnergi app I installed thinking I'm on Octopus Go, which has a cheap rate starting at midnight, and that it has to charge the car from this. But I have no idea how to stop it.

 

[johnb80]

Indeed, but the condition that stood out form me was that it wasn't allowed under permitted development if you already had an air source heat pump installed at the property. ?‍

I noticed that too, the only reason I could think of for this was cumulative noise if you had both.

Somebody please tell me why my Zappi insists on starting to charge my EV at midnight at full power, even if it's been left on eco+ waiting for morning!

I think it's something to do with the MyEnergi app I installed thinking I'm on Octopus Go, which has a cheap rate starting at midnight, and that it has to charge the car from this. But I have no idea how to stop it.

Are you on GO or Intelligent Octopus GO? Any schedules setup in the Zappi (look in the app), click on the Zappi and then scheduled.

 

[Rolfe]

I am on Intelligent Go, but the MyEnergi app doesn't have that as an option. It seems to think I'm on Go, and I can see no way to alter this. Anything else I try to put in, it switches back to Go.

I just want Zappi to butt out of trying to charge the car from the mains. I either want the Zappi to charge it from excess solar (which it does very well), or to let Octopus do its thing with scheduled charging. But if the car is plugged in at midnight, off it goes!

 

[johnb80]

I am on Intelligent Go, but the MyEnergi app doesn't have that as an option. It seems to think I'm on Go, and I can see no way to alter this. Anything else I try to put in, it switches back to Go.

I just want Zappi to butt out of trying to charge the car from the mains. I either want the Zappi to charge it from excess solar (which it does very well), or to let Octopus do its thing with scheduled charging. But if the car is plugged in at midnight, off it goes!

MyEnergi APP doesn't control Zappi when youre on Intelligent, Octopus do. Make sure there isn't a schedule set in the APP under ECO+. The only other thing it could be is if your battery / inverter exports more than 1.4 kW at midnight for whatever reason it can kickstart the Zappi into charging when in ECO+, you could also check the delays that are in the Zappi.

 

[Rolfe]

First problem is that there is no option to select Octopus Intelligent Go in the app. I've tried selecting different things (like "other") to see if I could clear it completely, but when I navigate away from the page and back to it, it has reverted to Octopus Go.

Charging is set to eco+. But, you know, I think you've cracked it. I came across a screen I had not seen before which set a scheduled boost Monday to Friday from midnight to (I think) 8am. God alone knows where that came from, I certainly didn't do it. I don't even remember if it was on scheduled boost at the time - it seems to change its settings as it likes. But I deleted that schedule so hopefully it will not do that again.

There is a "stop all" setting, but that's greyed out, and the one time I did manage to select it, it deselected itself when I navigated back to the page. There are also settings foe "manual" and "smart" but I don't know what they do. Might it be best to leave it on "manual" to avoid the Zappi trying to do anything on its own accord? I just want it to scoop up the sunshine when the car is connected, and let Octopus do its thing if I set an overnight schedule in Octopus. (I did that once and it worked.)

Could have been worse. I saw what was going on in time to stop it before it had drained the battery, and at least the fact that it was taking power from the battery meant that the mains draw was only two thirds of what it would otherwise have been! Load of wasted sunshine today again with nowhere to put it though!

 

[johnb80]

First problem is that there is no option to select Octopus Intelligent Go in the app. I've tried selecting different things (like "other") to see if I could clear it completely, but when I navigate away from the page and back to it, it has reverted to Octopus Go.

I'm not sure which APP youre referring to here, MyEnergi, Octopus or your Inverter / Battery APP?

In the Octopus APP you should find 'Devices' in the middle at the bottom of the screen. In there you find your charging details, how much energy you want to add to the car by what time. When thats completed, plugging your car in should result in a schedule being sent to your phone and Zappi started at the appropriate time.

Charging is set to eco+. But, you know, I think you've cracked it. I came across a screen I had not seen before which set a scheduled boost Monday to Friday from midnight to (I think) 8am. God alone knows where that came from, I certainly didn't do it. I don't even remember if it was on scheduled boost at the time - it seems to change its settings as it likes. But I deleted that schedule so hopefully it will not do that again.

Yep, no schedules needed for Intelligent.

There is a "stop all" setting, but that's greyed out, and the one time I did manage to select it, it deselected itself when I navigated back to the page.

Stop All is under boost settings in the MyEnergi APP. It's greyed out when boost isnt in operation.

There are also settings foe "manual" and "smart" but I don't know what they do.

That again is boost settings, just leave all the boost off and let Intelligent handle it all.

Might it be best to leave it on "manual" to avoid the Zappi trying to do anything on its own accord?

Noooooooo

I just want it to scoop up the sunshine when the car is connected, and let Octopus do its thing if I set an overnight schedule in Octopus. (I did that once and it worked.)

If you simply set ready by 05:30 and the amount of charge you would like adding eg 50% or 100% etc, Octopus will charge it overnight. If you dont set a % / time, ECO+ will initiate a charge with surplus energy.

Could have been worse. I saw what was going on in time to stop it before it had drained the battery, and at least the fact that it was taking power from the battery meant that the mains draw was only two thirds of what it would otherwise have been!

Aye it can empty a battery in the blink of on eye.

Load of wasted sunshine today again with nowhere to put it though!

LOL, put the fan heater on and open the windows......

 

[Rolfe]

I'm referring to the MyEnergi app. That's the one that seems to be causing the trouble, and the one which had the hidden schedule I hope I have now nixed. That asks for your supplier and tariff, but it doesn't have Octopus Intelligent Go on its menu.

Boost seems to be the issue. I don't want any part of it, but I don't know what to set it at so it doesn't try anything. Obviously not "manual" from your response!

I only asked Octopus for a scheduled charge once, and it did it just fine. I've asked the Zappi to use surplus sunshine and it's done that just fine too. (Except if the sun goes in while the car is balancing, it won't resume balancing when the sun comes back out.) I think I've seen the charge cut out while there was a hailstorm then cut back in when the sun came back out, which is encouraging.

The only issue has been that Zappi would start pouring charge into the car from all sources at midnight if it was plugged in then, and I think nixing the schedule should sort that.

 

[Bam Bam]

I'm referring to the MyEnergi app. That's the one that seems to be causing the trouble, and the one which had the hidden schedule I hope I have now nixed. That asks for your supplier and tariff, but it doesn't have Octopus Intelligent Go on its menu.

Boost seems to be the issue. I don't want any part of it, but I don't know what to set it at so it doesn't try anything. Obviously not "manual" from your response!

I only asked Octopus for a scheduled charge once, and it did it just fine. I've asked the Zappi to use surplus sunshine and it's done that just fine too. (Except if the sun goes in while the car is balancing, it won't resume balancing when the sun comes back out.) I think I've seen the charge cut out while there was a hailstorm then cut back in when the sun came back out, which is encouraging.

The only issue has been that Zappi would start pouring charge into the car from all sources at midnight if it was plugged in then, and I think nixing the schedule should sort that.

If none of that works you could always use the ISmart app set the car to charge only between the hours of 8am and 8pm or something like that.

I've done that so that the car won't charge during our peak electricity times (4pm-7pm)

Just remember to undo that when you get the export sorted (or if you ever need an emergency overnight charge)!

 

[johnb80]

If none of that works you could always use the ISmart app set the car to charge only between the hours of 8am and 8pm or something like that.

That wont work, if Octopus sees Zappi charging the car it will issue a schedule and take control. You have to switch off smart charging the the Octopus MAP. Theres no need though, Intelligent works really well with Zappi.

I've done that so that the car won't charge during our peak electricity times (4pm-7pm)

Again Octopus when it controls the charging always charges at off peak rate 7.5p (and supplies the whole house too).

Just remember to undo that when you get the export sorted (or if you ever need an emergency overnight charge)!

In the Octopus app you have 'bump' charge if you want to override the system.

 

[Bam Bam]

That wont work, if Octopus sees Zappi charging the car it will issue a schedule and take control. You have to switch off smart charging the the Octopus MAP. Theres no need though, Intelligent works really well with Zappi.


Again Octopus when it controls the charging always charges at off peak rate 7.5p (and supplies the whole house too).


In the Octopus app you have 'bump' charge if you want to override the system.

Octopus can't control an MG. So if the car refuses to charge between certain hours, surely there is nothing that Octopus can do about it!