A stunning Peterborough village was the location for this install, and the GSE flush-fit system was specified so as to be in-keeping with the aesthetic of this amazing barn conversion.
The customer chose a larger system with a battery to offset a higher-than-average demand, which is why it was decided to use three rooves, delivering a total output of a little over 7kW peak power, and the generation meets a good proportion of the energy needed. The battery can also be used to charge overnight on cheap rate power to allow for extra savings, especially in winter.
The install itself was pretty challenging given the multi-roof layout and cable routes, and the south facing array had some shading that was addressed with optimisers to make the most of the the morning sun, but the result was well worth the effort I’m sure you’ll agree…
Octopus Energy offer all sorts of tariffs to suit different customers with EV’s, solar, solar and battery, all or none of the above and more, but which one is best if you have solar and battery. Their range of tariffs can be confusing, but in our opinion if you have both solar generation and battery storage Octopus Flux is the best option right now*, so here’s a brief summary of what it is and if you switch to Octopus from another supplier using this link you’ll receive £50 towards your first energy bill, and we’ll receive a £50 referral bonus.
What Is Octopus Flux?
Octopus Flux is a smart, 3-rate electricity tariff combining import and export. The symmetrical import/export tariffs have three pricing periods throughout the day. Octo Flux is a flexible tariff, so unit rates and standing charges can change with wholesale energy prices, but you’ll always receive reasonable notice of any price changes and can switch tariff or change provider at any time without penalty. There are no exit fees or tie-in periods.
What’s The Benefit Of Octopus Flux?
You can top up your battery overnight in the 3-hour cheap period and discharge your battery in the 3-hour peak period and export any surplus energy back to the grid at the optimum time.
The Flux rate (cheap period) is 02:00-05:00 every day and around 20.4p/kWh for electricity imported, depending on your location. You’ll receive around 9.4p/kWh for exports during this time. The peak rate is 16:00-19:00 and prices are around 47.5p/kWh and 36.5p/kWh for imports and exports respectively, again with small regional variations. The day rate is all other times and is around 34p/kWh for imports and 23p/kWh for exports. There is a daily standing charge of 45p.
So I Need Solar Panels?
Yes, but any supplier can have installed them, not only Octopus. If you’re presently getting solar panels installed, you can still switch to Octopus Flux. Octopus will require a copy of your MCS certificate for your solar installation and a copy of a letter or email confirming that your local energy network was notified of your installation. Your system must have a maximum generation of 9kWp.
Do I Need A Smart Meter For Octopus Flux?
Yes. For billing purposes Octopus need to be able to receive your electricity readings every 30 minutes. You need to have a SMETS2 or Secure brand SMETS1 smart meter. If that isn’t the case, Octopus can install a smart meter free of charge.
Will I Lose My Feed-In Tariff On My Existing Solar System?
You don’t need to switch your FiT contract to Octopus and if you move to Octopus Flux you won’t lose your generation tariff. You will however have to permanently opt-out of your deemed export payments. You’ll receive the Octopus Flux export rate for your region instead. Should you leave Octopus Flux and/or Octopus itself, your generation tariff won’t change and your export tariff will then be the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) rate of your new tariff/new provider.
Is There A Limit To How Much Electricity I Can Export?
No, but the maximum output from your solar system will be restricted according to the limit of the breaker in your home, which is usually between 40 and 100 amps.
How Do I Sign Up To Octopus Flux?
Firstly you have to be an Octopus Energy customer. If you’re just joining Octopus you’ll be placed on an standard tariff for a short period while Octopus connect to your smart meter.
*Tariffs are changing all the time and this is the information we have right now, but you must check with Octopus before you switch to make sure the details are still correct and that this is the best tariff for you.
An unusual roof and a steep pitch meant that this 6kW south-facing install was a little different to the norm, but the result is a system that produces tons of power even on a sunny December day. In fact the low winter sun hits these panels at just the right angle, so even in the depths of winter it’s capable of generating several kilowatts of power and enough to fill a 5kWh battery whilst also powering the house. You could say it’s a literal ‘powerhouse’…ahem.
This industrial install was super fun and should help the customer power their unit and charge their EV’s. At 36kW it’s a substantial system, but there’s room for even more generation should they decide it’s needed. Either way the amount of power they’ll need from the grid will be minimised, and their bills will drop from day one. See the video and click on the images below to get a closer look.
We were very pleased to assist Electric Corby and their Italian partners Wind City with installing their experimental Vertical Axis Wind Turbine at the Corby Innovation Centre.
Years in the making this revolutionary system uses pivoting blades to maximise the amount of energy that can be harvested from the wind by up to 4 times.
We helped connect the wind turbine to the power and data and it just happened to be the hottest day on record in the UK, so plenty of water was had in the process! The result was a working turbine and free energy generated for the customer, so another win-win, and you can see how the turbine was set up in the video below…
