Science Sunday: A Solar Record

Science Sunday: A Solar Record

Solar roof

7 August 2022: Solar performance

 

We recently hooked up the final 30% of the solar panels we have on the car park (diolch Hedd), now making our solar system complete; a combined 80 kWh whole-system, spread 50:50 roof/car park.

With near optimal conditions yesterday for early August, the system generated 461 kWh of electrical power, a new record for us.

The average British house consumes around 8kWh of electricity each day, so that is enough to power over 50 houses - a whole village - for a day!

Of this 461 kWh, the Dyfi Wildlife Centre used 98 kWh (18%), we saved 16 kWh (4%) into a battery to use overnight and exported the rest, 361 kWh (81%), to the grid for others to use. All clean, renewable energy.

For those of you that suggested we try and claim the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) from the government a few weeks ago, we need a three-phase smart meter for that. We are currently waiting on Eon to install one for us.

The SEG is around 5p per kW, so we would have generated an income of around £18 yesterday. Once we are eligible for the SEG, this income will go directly towards the Live Streaming camera appeal every year.

And finally, for just yesterday alone, the Dyfi Wildlife Centre was 468% carbon negative, meaning we produced nearly five times more energy that we used. Spectacular carbon-negative performance.

The weather isn't always this nice in Wales of course. We estimate that on an annual basis, so including all 12 months, we are roughly 200% Caron negative, exporting around 40,000 kWh of surplus clean energy for others to use. That's enough to power around 14 (average) houses permanently for a year.

We reckon that on an absolutely perfect, optimal day in mid-May, the solar system will generate 500 kWh in a day - that is half a Megawatt!

Look out for that post as next year's chicks are just about to hatch next summer...

7 August 2022: Solar performance

7 August 2022: Solar performance