Generation of Electricity by Solar Panels

Generation of Electricity by Solar Panels

The following table shows the generation of electricity by the solar panels for each month in 2011 in units (kW.hours). It also gives the units exported. As we do not have an export meter these are defined to be half the units generated. The last column gives an estimate of the units saved (i.e. used by us and not actually exported). The numbers do not add up! This is because in the winter virtually all the units are generated over a very short period around midday - this may be used by the heat pump if it is running then. In the summer it is more likely that the electricity will be generated when it can be used (i.e. mornings and evenings), but even then it is difficult to use more than half the electricity generated. We maximised our usage in the summer by only running the heat pump for about an hour around midday, and also only using the washing machine and dish washer when we were exporting electricity. Overall we used about one third of the electricity we generated. The total saving was £1678 for the year although £108 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 13.17p per unit).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January53.326.716
February75.137.628
March296.2148.186
April494.7247.2131
May509.0254.5240
June435.3217.7149
July446.7223.4240
August338.1194.1271
September305.3152.7150
October217.6108.860
November84.142.141
December69.134.638
Totals337416871317
Value£1453£52£173

This table is for 2012. The total saving was £1600 for the year although £125 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 14.36p per unit).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January95.847.951
February149.174.658
March333.4166.799
April348.3174.2116
May414.7207.4149
June373.5186.8235
July395.0197.5189
August399.3199.7177
September325.9163.0113
October146.373.265
November102.351.240
December62.731.334
Totals314615731326
Value£1362£48£190

This table is for 2013. The total saving was £1714 for the year although £125 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 14.36p per unit).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January55.727.838
February113.456.766
March164.682.368
April383.0191.5107
May424.1212.1198
June432.0216.0216
July529.8264.5255
August439.0219.5265
September257.7128.9166
October143.671.853
November88.344.123
December64.532.339
Totals309615481494
Value£1449£51£214

This table is for 2014. The total saving was £1885 for the year although £121 of this was assigned to the heat pump. Note that a new import meter was fitted in July and the cost of electricity dropped to £0.1239 per unit in the same month (about the same as in March 2011).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January76.238.153
February131.365.679
March312.0156.0111
April371.6185.8111
May411.0205.5213
June485.6242.8259
July519.4259.7263
August393.3196.7226
September294.8147.4178
October150.375.181
November76.438.229
December69.734.948
Totals3386.01643.31642
Value£1627£55£203

This table is for 2015. The total saving was £1818 for the year although £140 of this was assigned to the heat pump. Note that the cost of electricity dropped to 12.16p per unit in April (about the same as in March 2011). By the end of the year the solar panels must have produced as much energy as was used in their construction, transportation and installation so they can be considered "green" from now.

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January84.242.167
February111.455.766
March275.9138.0111
April455.2227.6240
May434.5217.3238
June503.0251.5265
July417.3207.8273
August332.3166.2215
September321.4160.7203
October161.480.749
November49.924.96
December32.916.415
Totals3179.41589.71748
Value£1552£54£212

This table is for 2016. The total saving was £1804 for the year although £122 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 12.16p per unit).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January61.730.948
February137.068.5105
March271.7135.9120
April381.8190.9135
May467.8233.9241
June342.6171.3146
July457.2228.6240
August445.2222.6230
September258.0129.0177
October178.589.379
November93.846.931
December60.930.539
Totals3156.21578.11588
Value£1557£54£193

This table is for 2017. The total saving was £1846 for the year although £133 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 14.03p per unit).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January80.840.461
February91.345.642
March263.7131.979
April430.1215.0172
May405.1202.6200
June484.2242.1216
July436.7218.3233
August412.1206.1209
September253.7126.9143
October140.470.250
November96.448.239
December44.222.132
Totals3138.71578.11476
Value£1583£56£207

This table is for 2018. The total saving was £1891 for the year although £107 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 16.88p per unit). In April the net cost of producing a unit (55p - total cost/no. of units) dropped below the income per unit (56.47p) for the first time.

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January56.628.345
February165.983.0102
March169.684.8100
April303.3151.7124
May520.9260.5241
June520.3260.2245
July507.3253.7246
August382.0191.0229
September312.6156.3111
October200.4100.285
November74.037.049
December44.322.129
Totals3257.21628.61606
Value£1710£60£271

This table is for 2019 The total saving was £2007 for the year although £157 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 16.84p per unit). The total net cost of electricity including cooking and heating is £981 since the system was installed or about £100 per year (excluding fixed charges).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January73.336.757
February149.974.972
March233.1116.6112
April370.1185.0154
May437.9219.0220
June401.3200.7217
July451.9225.9223
August432.5216.3217
September297.0148.5161
October145.973.043
November76.638.329
December56.828.441
Totals3126.31563.11575
Value£1682£60£265

This table is for 2020. The total of income from generation and savings on domestic use (excluding the heat pump) exceeded the actual cost of installation on 12 August. The total saving was £2011 for the year although £151 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 16.75p per unit). The total net cost of electricity including cooking and heating is £882 since the system was installed or about £90 per year (excluding fixed charges).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January53.726.841
February105.652.873
March288.3144.2107
April482.8241.4186
May588.4294.2244
June442.8221.4232
July440.4220.2220
August383.9191.9227
September305.0152.5156
October123.461.737
November66.933.45
December41.720.971
Totals3322.01661.51569
Value£1834£64£262

This table is for 2021. The total income from generation (excluding savings) exceeded the actual cost of installation on 26 April, but this ignores inflation and lost of interest so we are still £9598 worse off at the end of the year. The total saving was £2160 for the year although £192 of this was assigned to the heat pump (based on 16.75p per unit). The total net cost of electricity including cooking and heating is £1262 since the system was installed or about £115 per year (excluding fixed charges).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January46.123.141
February97.648.839
March241.0120.587
April462.9231.5191
May407.1203.5243
June417.4207.8216
July428.2214.1211
August336.8168.4187
September259.2129.6126
October136.268.153
November74.837.46
December27.113.521
Totals2934.41467.21421
Value£1642£58£238

This table is for 2022. The income per unit was 64.47p from 1 April, while the cost per unit increased from 16.75p to 36.51p on 1 April. This sudden increase has resulted in the net cost to us of producing one unit 0.26p is for the first time less than the cost of purchasing it. The cost per unit fell slightly on 1 October to 35.32p but the government rebate reduced it further to 24.81p but because the rebate is fixed the cost per unit varies with the number of units used. The daily electricity consumption excluding heating has fallen from 15 to 14 units per day partly because the second freezer (bought in 1981) failed at the start of July and will not be replaced, and secondly due to the gradual change to LED light bulbs.

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January64.231.242
February122.561.366
March288.2144.186
April431.7215.8193
May434.9217.5276
June453.1226.5264
July504.2252.1296
August435.5217.8229
September260.2130.1201
October170.885.447
November62.831.423
December36.418.219
Totals3262.71631.41742
Value£1945£68£300

This table is for 2023. The cost of electricity with a government rebate of £67 per month for the first three months and another £200 in February reduced it to 31.13p in January, 13.61p in February, 29.73p in March, 35.32 from April to June, and 31.16 from July with a £150 penalty. We generated the 40th MWh on 24 June.

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January57.328.639
February104.452.264
March143.871.964
April350.9175.5150
May487.2243.6299
June545.7272.8309
July368.3184.2280
August367.1183.5281
September293.5146.0220
October153.776.9125
November58.229.148
December20.510.39
Totals2950.61475.31888
Value£1990£70£329

This table is for 2024. The cost per unit was 31.16p to 31 July 2024, 23.12p from 1 August and 25.23p from 1 October. The generation tariff increased to71.85 p/unit and the export tariff to 5.07p/unit totalling 74.386 p/unit from 1 April. It took until April 2024 for the cost per unit generated (installed cost of panels inceasing at 5% per annum/no. of units generated to date = 76p) to be exceeded by the income per unit (72.85 + 5.07/2 = 76.92p).

MonthUnits generatedUnits exportedUnits Saved
January56.128.044
February67.333.743
March199.299.684
April311.6155.8188
May385.5192.8254
June432.6216.3269
July380.3190.1280
August378.9189.5260
September219.6109.8196
October115.157.578
November46.823.47
December20.510.39
Totals2950.61475.31888
Value£1990£70£329