10 Years of Solar Power

My interest in solar power began nearly 10 years ago when I started my research into a potential system. As the government were cutting back on the Feed-in- Tariff, I decided to invest in a system in September 2011. I had a 3.75Kw array installed facing just East of South. So, to maximise my use of generated power I invested in a solar diverter to send excess power to my hot water cylinder, enabling substantial savings in gas. As an early adopter I received a high Feed-in-Tariff. This allowed for the system to pay for itself within seven years, and then I used the Feed-in-Tariff to upgrade my hot water cylinder to a more efficient pressurised system.

I had been researching battery storage as a potential component of my solar system for a while and attended various renewable energy events. This is where I was introduced to benefits of Powerwall and after calculating that it would be the best option for my home, I decided to invest in one.

My Powerwall 2 and Backup Gateway were installed on 31st October 2019 and the system was commissioned on 1st November. By considering Powerwall, it opened up the possibility of changing to a ‘Time of Use’ tariff. My Off-Peak Tariff (between 00:00 and 05:00) enabled me to charge my electric car at a very cheap rate, alongside charging my Powerwall if there had been insufficient solar generation. This was a game changer.

One month after the install of my Powerwall I was on a trip to Koln, Germany. I was on a coach admiring the scenery when I received a notification from my Tesla App stating that there was a grid outage at my home. I immediately checked the network supplier’s website which confirmed the outage. I called my wife who was back at home in the UK, and she was totally oblivious to any outage and was using power as normal. Powerwall performed seamlessly and there was not even a flicker at home. There were a series of power cuts that day which totalled over 90 minutes; however, the normal running of the house was not impacted in the slightest.

Investing in Powerwall means improving your home’s infrastructure. This is similar to investing in a new kitchen or house extension. The difference with the Powerwall is that over time, and with the use of a ‘Time of Use’ tariff, you will receive a return on your investment.

Batteries have a huge future for both microgeneration and grid balancing. I certainly have no regrets of my investment in Powerwall.