Weather forecast and using an oil filled radiator to save money?

[ericmark]

This month, very few days do we have excess solar, but it does happen, and it seems a shame to export for no payment when we could use the power our selves. What would seem the best option is iboost+ connected to an oil filled radiator, but that is a rather expensive method, a simple timer seems a better option, so we don't forget and leave it on.

By next year, I hope we will get payment for export, so only looking at now until April, suppose could fit a plug and socket to immersion heater supply and run an extension down the stairs, but for just 4 months that seems a bit OTT, plus the trip hazard.

But when we have clear skies, so loads of solar, using an oil filled radiator in the living room will likely save us money, but get the weather forecast wrong and it could also cost us. We keep an oil filled radiator handy in case central heating fails, don't fancy lighting a fire in the grate, but I am sure I am not the only one, who exports without payment.

So, has anyone worked out how to use excess solar to heat their house?

 

[flameport]

So, has anyone worked out how to use excess solar to heat their house?

Excess solar -> Battery -> Electric heating.

 

[ericmark]

Yes, I have 6.4 kW of battery. But I have marked where I have excess, but it varies day to day, and today no spare solar only charged to 85% and likely by the end of the day, will be using peak rate power. On the good day, down to 14% so as soon as state of change drops below 95% want to remove any load. But the good day shown, exported 6.1 kWh and the wall thermostat shows me so it seems boiler activated for a reasonably long time, which is common when we get clear skies, it does not mean the boiler was outputting full 20 kW at those time, or even if the boiler was running outside those times, the other thermostat shows so between 4 pm and 7 pm the other thermostat was activating the boiler, so boiler could run 4 pm to 9 pm, it may have cycled on/off, but 6.1 kWh of electric heating clearly would have reduced my oil use.

So looking for if SOC exceeds 95% then turn on heater until SOC is less than 90%, but I have no real option to run IFTTT with an oil filled radiator.

But I am sure I am not alone, so asking if anyone has worked out how to use energy rather than export it?

 

[robinbanks]

Do you run the immersion with it?

 

[JohnW2]

This month, very few days do we have excess solar, but it does happen, and it seems a shame to export for no payment when we could use the power our selves. What would seem the best option is iboost+ connected to an oil filled radiator, but that is a rather expensive method, a simple timer seems a better option, so we don't forget and leave it on. ... By next year, I hope we will get payment for export, so only looking at now until April,

I would have doubted that you will have much 'excess solar' between mid-November and April, will you - but, if you sometimes do, and given that it';s just a few months, could you not just manually switch on some sort of electric heating (not necessarily an oil-filled radiator) if/when the situation arises?

 

[ericmark]

Do you run the immersion with it?

Not in Winter, only use the iboost+ in summer.

 

[JohnW2]

Not in Winter, only use the iboost+ in summer.

Why is that? Do sunny days in Winter (it does happen ) differ from Summer days?

 

[hllns]

Is it enough missed energy to be worth bothering with? There are Home Assistant automations if you're someone enjoys programming and looking at graphs and spreadsheets a lot:

Predbat Documentation

None

springfall2008.github.io

 

[ericmark]

Why is that? Do sunny days in Winter (it does happen ) differ from Summer days?

The central heating uses the C Plan, so no way to turn off DHW when central heating is running, so in Winter the DHW is always hot, so the iboost+ does nothing.

Is it enough missed energy to be worth bothering with? There are Home Assistant automations if you're someone enjoys programming and looking at graphs and spreadsheets a lot:

Looks interesting, not sure how it controls things, but needs some looking into.