Online PV Potential Estimater

[Berneray]

Morning guys...

Here's a cracking online pv estimator which is Post Code specific...probably of more benefit to the folks down in the SE or SW of England than to us up in the North of Scotland...

There are various parameters your can input depending on the situation....

I know it cannot be used in a SAP calc but useful never-the -less.


PV potential estimation utility

 

[Ian-LS]

Morning guys...

Here's a cracking online pv estimator which is Post Code specific...probably of more benefit to the folks down in the SE or SW of England than to us up in the North of Scotland...

There are various parameters your can input depending on the situation....

I know it cannot be used in a SAP calc but useful never-the -less.


PV potential estimation utility

Been using this for 2 years for our estimates. So far (touch wood) none have come back with underperformance other than for weather related reason, ie our crap summer that we have just had

 

[Worcester]

We've been using it for 2 years as well (Well at least the original version, the update isn't wuite that old) We've found it to be more accurate than SAP, and PV*Sol and Sunny Design oftem equate well with it. We quote on SAP and then show then the althernatives and explain the differences.

 

[MicraShed]

[grump]
according to that I should be generating 50kWh in December - given last weeks output was just 9kWh I think I have no chance.
[/grump]

 

[The Solar King]

You can import data from PVGIS in to PVsol as a climate file. It uses the earlier version PVGIS3, as opposed to PVGIS CMSAF, but is still pretty good if you want a new climate file.

SAP2012 when published will also be postcode based separated in to 16 regions.

 

[FB.]

We've been using it for 2 years as well (Well at least the original version, the update isn't wuite that old) We've found it to be more accurate than SAP, and PV*Sol and Sunny Design oftem equate well with it. We quote on SAP and then show then the althernatives and explain the differences.

I agree that PVGIS-CMSAF is a much closer estimation (assuming no shading or special "issues"), although installers/sales people do tend to over-state the level of electricity price increases (mine cost per kWh has increased 6% in two years; a far cry from the 10% per year projected by the salesman in my payback calculations) and over-state the cost per unit by including the standing charge as part of the price-per-unit when solar can't change the standing charge (e.g. retail day rates are about 12.5p from SSE, BG and SPW, but this gets reported as 14.5p due to averaging-in the standing charge).

 

[Northring]

Thanks Bernerai,
I will check it for the Netherlands. It looks fine to me.
Regards,
Henry

 

[Gavin A]

I agree that PVGIS-CMSAF is a much closer estimation (assuming no shading or special "issues"), although installers/sales people do tend to over-state the level of electricity price increases (mine cost per kWh has increased 6% in two years; a far cry from the 10% per year projected by the salesman in my payback calculations) and over-state the cost per unit by including the standing charge as part of the price-per-unit when solar can't change the standing charge (e.g. retail day rates are about 12.5p from SSE, BG and SPW, but this gets reported as 14.5p due to averaging-in the standing charge).

there are a fair few companies now that don't have a standing charge, and do roll it all into a single cost per unit. Unless you supply the company quoting with your energy cost figures in advance, it's a bit hard for them to do anything other than make an assumption for these figures.

 

[njcuk]

I agree that PVGIS-CMSAF is a much closer estimation (assuming no shading or special "issues"), although installers/sales people do tend to over-state the level of electricity price increases (mine cost per kWh has increased 6% in two years; a far cry from the 10% per year projected by the salesman in my payback calculations) and over-state the cost per unit by including the standing charge as part of the price-per-unit when solar can't change the standing charge (e.g. retail day rates are about 12.5p from SSE, BG and SPW, but this gets reported as 14.5p due to averaging-in the standing charge).

E.ON price rise completes 'big six' round of increases | Money | guardian.co.uk

Well this (and DECC) suggest the average is a lot higher than the 3% over the two years you have.