Solar Power Report: May 2025
As we get into the sunnier months our energy production is ramping up. The days are getting longer and the sun gets higher in the sky. Our 8kW of panels face west, but we can be producing from fairly early each day as the they do not need direct sunlight.
So far this year the yield has been:
- January: 95kWh
- February: 228kWh
- March: 676kWh
- April: 927kWh
- May: 967kWh
We only got a little more than April, but then it seems to level out in the summer months. May was fairly dry until some rain at the end that refilled our water butts.
I still have it set up to charge up the battery overnight so that we can maximise our export. We earn more from that than last year and we have already earned more in 2025 than we did in the whole of 2024. That means that we can build up some credit to cover the whole year. That is even with paying for the gas we use on heating and cooking. We may consider a heat pump at some point, but not just yet as we have other expenses for now.
We spent a little less than in April, but I think the car got charged less at home.
You may notice a couple of days with nothing. We have still had instances of a breaker tripping. An engineer came out again last week and he has replaced the breaker, but I am not convinced that this is the root of the issue. This is all under warranty, but we lose a little income each time. This is why I keep an eye on the system via the mobile app. If I am at home I can reset it.
I have spoken to plenty of people about the joys of solar and some of them say they will look into it. There is talk of making it compulsory to fit panels on new homes in the UK, but the builders resist anything that puts up the 'sticker price' even if it will save the owners money in the long run. I see some new homes with a token install of just a few panels when they should cover any south facing roofs. I saw another example of industry resistance to environmental legislation in the US as those producing dark roofing material do not want compulsory lighter materials that would keep the homes cooler in summer. I would think that air conditioning is the biggest energy cost for a lot of people. We do not have it as there are few days each year where we would really need it. It is best to design buildings for efficiency with passive systems that will cost nothing to run.
Shine on!
If the electricity price goes on increasing, it should be compulsory for suitable houses.
Here's output from ours this year so far in kWh:
System config: Panels capable to generate up to 12.5kWh, 70% on the east side, 30% on west side. The inverter is only capable of converting 8kWh, but during peak time we're able to generate a little more (sometimes up to the full 12kWh) because the excess DC power that is generated by the panels can go to charging up the battery subsystem without needing to be inverted, then it gets converted to AC at night when the batteries start discharging.
That's a hefty system. It was suggested to us to have extra panels to maximise production and it is working pretty well. It is not like we live in a super sunny place, but it is still worth it.
Hello there. Sorry for interrupt the chat but I have one important message to
@blocktrades
Hello @blocktrades
I see you are an important account in HIVE I mean, maybe one of the most important ones.
You can check them out in my github, some of them worth mentioning are:
As you can see I have been busy calling for attention.
I did also some work before that:
So why Am i annoying you with all of this?
Because I want your support. Basically I am after powerful hive members and after a HP delegation.
Please think about it and let me know. I am open for a live chat meeting anytime you want. Thanks for your time
PS: This is my first time looking for support from whales, so if you know someone who may help me, please let me know! My main intention is to help users and to code in the process.
Thanks for continuing to update us on how solar is working for you. I appreciate the practical approach to sustainability.
In my country, the power of the sun's rays could illuminate the vegas for several months.
A massive jump for the summer months and you are basically self sufficient for those months. That reminds me I need to check my figures and see how i am fairing. Still waiting on the one battery which has been 3 months and shows you how bad the service is here a sit is non existent.
It goes 10x compared to mid-winter, but the battery still saves us money then. Sorry to hear you get such bad service, but mine from Octopus has been good. They just need to work out why the breaker trips as it happened again today. That is an annoyance.
Yes it does save money very quickly and if you had the space you could add more panels. One of my friends runs his factory from solar and has a separate bank of panels for cloudy days which he adds to his system to generate 100% power. Normally for the number of panels he would need another inverter so this is only for days when he is not getting sufficient charge. Poor service is frustrating and I hope you can get the breaker sorted out so you don't miss out on more revenue as it costs you every time you are out.
It's beautiful to read posts like this where the focus isn't so much on industry but on the human being and how to improve their living conditions by harnessing nature's bounties in the most respectful way. It's wonderful to see how far along you are (which for many is a new kind of independence). Much success!
@steevc, you're rewarding 7 replies from this discussion thread.