A customer insight from Ms Campbell

“Back in February of 2023, I submitted an enquiry with Pure Energy, with interest in having a battery storage solution installed at my property. After receiving several quotes from a number of companies, we ultimately decided to go with Pure and had a HanchuESS storage battery fitted in April 2023.

We are fairly moderate users of electricity, consuming around 5000kWh per annum. At this stage, it was crucial for us to make a significant dent in our electricity bills, with the possibility of adding further batteries on at a later date.

April 2023 to April 2024 – our electricity bills have reduced by £816.32, charging the batteries overnight on Octopus Flux.”

40.01% year one reduction in electricity bill

• Of 5000kWh annual usage, 3156kWh has been imported between 02:00-05:00
• Only 1800kWh of energy has been purchased at the higher daytime rate
• Potential to add a further 9.4kWh battery in the future could remove daytime import from the grid entirely

“From the office to installers on the day everything was made very easy and simple to understand, especially after not having much knowledge about batteries, the team from Pure Energy never failed to be patient and talk me through each step thoroughly.”

– Ms E. Campbell – Thurrock, Essex, RM16

Figures correct as of November 2024. Download the full Spreadsheet with production Data here.

The post Battery Storage – A Case Study appeared first on Pure Energy.

Automatic Charge

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries should be charged at least once every 30 days. This helps to maintain the battery cells lifespan and guarantee battery health. LUXPower now operate an automatic charge once every 14 days if your battery system has not reached 99% within said timeframe. This force charge will occur between 00:00 and 04:30 if your system has NOT reached 99% within 14 days.

Already charge overnight?

If you’ve already got your system programmed to charge overnight from cheaper rate electricity, then this will not happen to your system. This is specifically for systems that have not reached maximum SoC (state of charge) within 14 days. You can continue as normal and the battery will only charge either from surplus solar energy or from the grid during the already programmed timeframe.

I don’t want this to happen

It is advised that this automatic charge remains enabled, should your system not reach maximum SoC regularly. If you only rely on surplus solar generation and do not have an overnight tariff in place to charge the batteries, now might be a time to consider getting one setup. If you still want this feature disabled, please contact us. Note, this update is inline with the manufacturers guidelines and disabling this feature could hinder the continued efficiency of your system.

A short video run-through…

Check out a short video from our friends over at Infinity Innovations, the UK’s distributor for LUX products below.

The post LUX – Battery Force Charge appeared first on Pure Energy.

A customer insight from Mr Davies

“In March 2019 we were approached by Pure Energy with a proposal to replace the 2 No SMA SunnyBoy Inverters with a single SolarEdge HD Wave Inverter and Optimisers attached to each of the individual PV panel. This was duly implemented in March 2019.

The property has a quantity of large (up to 20m tall) oak and horse chestnut trees in the garden, which give partial shading to both strings of panels at various times of the day.

The SolarEdge HD Wave Inverter and associated Optimisers on each panel have given us a substantial increase in output of approximately 24%.”


24.04% Increase in Production with SolarEdge

• Mr Davies has experienced a yearly average increase of 628kWh
• From March 2019 to October 2024, 3,140kWh of additional generation was recorded, thanks to the optimisation of the SolarEdge system
• An increase in yearly generation has resulted in a greater return from the customers feed-in tariff contract. Learn more about feed-in tariff contracts here.

“Pure Energy have enabled us to increase our quarterly feed-in tariff payments, protect the longevity of our original investment and offered unwavering customer service and technical support since the word go.”

– Mr P. Davies – Great Amwell, Ware, SG12 9TE

Figures correct as of October 2024. Download the full Spreadsheet with production Data here.

The post SolarEdge – A Case Study appeared first on Pure Energy.

Protect your Battery Cells

When temperatures drop and daylight hours reduce, it’s important to make sure your battery system is programmed correctly for the Autumn/Winter period. You may already know that most, if not all battery systems have a reserve SOC (State of Charge) implemented from the minute your storage solution is installed. This is done for many reason, but some include:

• Stopping the battery cells from depleting to 0% ensures that they do not go into standby mode. Once in standby for a short period of time, the voltage in the cells lower and can lead to you losing the ability to charge the battery from surplus solar or from the grid.
• If voltage in the cells drops below 50%, the only way to charge the batteries is from a plug-in DC charger.

Raise minimum SOC for Winter

Some modern battery solutions offer a 100% depth of discharge, meaning you can cycle the battery from 100% to 0% and back up to 100% with no restrictions. This is great when surplus solar is almost guaranteed throughout the Spring and Summer. However, lower PV production from October to March could result in the vast majority of solar generation flowing directly into the home, with little to no surplus available to charge the battery system. Therefore, it is strongly recommended, even if your battery solution offers a 100% depth of discharge, to keep a reserve in the cells.

Automatic vs Manual

Depending on the solution you have installed by us, this feature may already be implemented for you. Some monitoring platforms enable us, as installers, to set this reserve SOC in bulk for all of our customers, where some require manual input. However, all systems we install have a minimum SOC set from the word go. If you’re unsure if your battery is setup correctly for Winter, give us a call or send an email to service@hv2.a4e.myftpupload.com.

The post Minimum SOC for Autumn/Winter appeared first on Pure Energy.

Automatic Charge

LUXPower now offer a direct link to Octopus Agile and their price-fluctuating tariff, enabling you to charge your battery from the grid when the pence per kWh is at its lowest. By entering your postal code, the LUX system can identify the half-hourly prices automatically, offering you the ability to charge up at the lowest cost.

Setting Parameters

This smart integration allows you to set a minimum pence per kWh you wish to purchase energy from the grid at. Say for instance you set the minimum threshold to 15p, whenever Octopus Agile energy prices are at 15p or lower, your system will charge directly from the grid.

How do I enable this?

The option to control these parameters are available to all LUXPowerTEK customers. As long as you have a LUXPower inverter installed, your monitoring platform can be programmed to show the Octopus settings. If you’re a Pure customer and would like to have this option enabled, give us a call!

A short video run-through…

Check out a short video from our friends over at Infinity Innovations, the UK’s distributor for LUX products below.

The post LUX x Octopus Agile! appeared first on Pure Energy.

Variable Tariffs

A large number of our customers have moved to, or are planning to change onto a variable rate tariff. This means that during a certain timeframe, typically between 23:30 and 07:00, electricity can be purchased from the grid at a lower rate. You can take advantage of this lower rate and charge your battery system within a set timeframe, paying up to 75% less than usual, by charging directly from the grid.

Monitoring Platforms

Battery systems Pure Energy install offer online monitoring platforms. These platforms offer the ability to set parameters and programme systems to take in energy from the grid. The staff team at Pure Energy can alter these settings for you or you can make changes yourself, as you wish.

Why buy energy from the grid?

Why would I buy energy from the grid if I have Solar Panels at my property? Depending on your circumstances, energy consumption may peak at specific times. If you are a household with young school children, typically your consumption profile will show higher usage between 07:00 and 09:00 and then between 16:00 and 20:00. By charging your battery system from the grid, the system will have 100% charge every morning. This is energy that is stored and ready to use in the home whenever you may need it.

Winter = reduced Solar Production

Taking advantage of grid charging is highly beneficial in the autumn and winter months. During these periods, your Solar production will be considerably lower due to shorter daylight hours and poor weather. During the spring and summer months, your panels will produce more energy and potentially charge your battery to 100% every day. Setting grid charging is optional and you have complete flexibility in turning this function on and off. We recommend utilising this functionality more so in the autumn and winter months.

The post Overnight Battery Charging appeared first on Pure Energy.

What is the Energy Price Cap?

The energy price cap is a set limit on the cost of each unit of gas and electricity used by consumers. Additionally, it sets a maximum standing charge amount. It applies to the standard or default tariffs charged by energy companies. – Smart Energy GB

Ofgem regulates the Energy Price Cap and announced on August 23rd 2024 that the October Cap would rise by 10%.

Is it actually a cap?

In short, no. The Energy Price Cap only limits the pence per unit charge that Utility Providers can set. The price you pay will simply be based on how much energy you use. October is the month we all dread after Summer, as the clocks go back and daylight hours reduce day by day. With this, the temperature also drops, meaning heating systems are turned on. Your energy bills are likely to be much higher in the Winter months in comparison to the Summer…

What can I do to pay less?

You can’t necessarily do anything to ‘pay less’ for the energy you use from the National Grid. However, you can limit the amount of energy you are buying from Utility Companies and at what rate you’re purchasing said energy.

How? Renewables. Solar and Battery Storage are a great way to reduce your bills by generating, storing and using your own clean, green energy.

Variable Electricity Rates

Almost all Utility Providers now offer a variable rate for electricity. Formally known as the Economy 7 Tariff, variable rates give you a standard rate during the daytime, (typically between 07:00 and 23:00) and an off-peak rate (usually falling between the hours of 00:00 and 06:00.) By switching to a variable rate, you can charge up an energy storage system during the considerably cheaper window, using the stored energy during the daytime. Less energy purchased from the grid at peak times means less money spent on electricity.

The post October 2024 Energy Price Cap appeared first on Pure Energy.

40.5kWh of Storage

GivEnergy’s AIO battery solution can now support up to 3 storage units, each offering 13.5kWh of usable storage capacity.

Powercut? No problem.

The All-in One solution enables your property to stay connected during a powercut. With the release of parallel units, you could now run your home on stored energy for even longer. Put doubts about your electricity provider to the back of your mind with All-in One.

Up to triple charge/discharge rates

1x AIO unit has a charge and discharge maximum of 6kWh. Add a second unit and double that at 12kWh. A third unit in parallel will enable your system to charge and discharge at a whopping 18kWh.

What GivEnergy have had to say…

Have a read of GivEnergy’s release notes, information on the length of the BETA release and more. Click here to see more.

The post Parallel GivEnergy All-in One Batteries appeared first on Pure Energy.

Watt

The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI). It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. Some smaller capacity devices, such as phone batteries or portable power banks, are measured in Watt-hours. Now, a more user friendly definition… A watt of energy is simply a measurement of how much energy a device or appliance is using or the capacity of a battery within a device, appliance etc. Every electrical device has a rated power output. For example, an average LED lightbulb uses around 10 watts of energy.

In relation to Solar PV, Battery Storage and EV chargers, online monitoring platforms will show production, charging/discharging of a battery or the rate in which an EV is charging in watts and kilowatts.

kW

kW (kilowatt) is equivalent to 1000 watts. kW is used when determining the total installed capacity of a PV system. For example, 10x 430w Solar Panels equals a 4.3kW PV system.

kWh

1 kWh is the amount of energy consumed by an electric appliance working with a power of 1 Kilowatt. For example 1000 Watts, in a time interval of 1 hour. So when an appliance with power of 1000W operates for 1 hour, we say that it has consumed 1 kWh amount of energy.

Consumption

Consumption relates directly to the amount of energy (electricity) you are using in a property. Consumption at a property is measured in kWh.

The post Watts the difference? appeared first on Pure Energy.

The answer, for most properties, is no. Solar Photovoltaic panel installation falls under permitted development in the United Kingdom, meaning that homeowners can carry out improvement or extension works to their homes, without the need to make a planning application.

Instances where planning is required

Should your property be a flat, listed building or sit within a conservation area, you may need to make a planning application. If you are intending to have Solar installed on a flat roof, you may also need to make an application.

Installations on flat roofs are more widely accepted and placed under permitted development, since alterations to the planning regulations in late 2023. This means that a flat roof section attached, detached or on an outbuilding can have PV installed without seeking permission.

In a scenario where your flat roof or roofs sit at the same height as the tallest roof section on the property, you must adhere to strict regulations on the overall height of the Solar PV system. Once mounted, the panels must not sit more than 200mm above the ridge tile.

Conservation Area

A conversation area is a location of exceptional architecture, outstanding natural beauty or historic interest.

If your property falls within a conservation area, you are required to take several points into consideration. If your intended roof or roofs face a public highway, you will need to reconsider. Areas of your property that are visible from a public highway or footpath are not permitted for panel installation. Instead, you would need to review the feasibility of installing PV modules on the back of your property.

Properties that are within the same grounds as a listed building are classed as falling under a conservation area.

Flats

If you own a block of flats or a maisonette, you will need to make a planning application to the local authority.

If you own a flat/apartment that is within a block, you do not necessarily own the roof space, even if you are on the top floor. It is best to check your properties deeds or your lease agreement, however in most cases, you will not own the roof section. You may have access to the roof, however an application may be required to allow installation. In some cases, this can be an easy process, on the other hand, it can be tedious and have further fees attached.

The post Do I need planning permission to install Solar? appeared first on Pure Energy.