Off Grid to On Grid

[Coedlan]

Hi,

I'm in a situation where I will not have a grid connection to my property before the 12th december cut-off for the current FIT tariff (it's a conversion of an existing building where the sellers had the power disconnected before they sold it to me)

Can I install an off-grid system before the 12th Dec and have it registered for the current tariff, and then later change it to an grid connected system, say one or two months later, when I have a grid supply?

I don't want to install a battery system and would either use the electriciity direct, or simply not use it until I'm grid connected

Anybody have experience of an off-grid to on-grid conversion - from the preservation of the tariff viewpoint?

Any advice / experience greatly received

 

[TedM]

You can't legally not use the power produced for an off-grid system and still claim the FiTs. Part of the requirement for off-grid FiTs is for the owner to sign an extra declaration to confirm that the power produced has been used and not just dumped. Difficult to see how you might do that without batteries.

Also your system cannot really be commissioned (using a grid-tie inverter I presume) unless the property is connected to the grid (grid-tie inverters don't work unless grid power is present). So you would need to use a different inverter initially. And the only accredited meters are 230V AC.

Your installer would probably be narked at the faff involved.

 

[Coedlan]

Thanks TedM

I'm not really fussed about generating off-grid, I'm concerned to get signed up now to the 41p tariff now and that I can still get it, (plus 3p ideally) when I am grid connected and can export.

From what youre telling me, I will need to change inverter some time in the future, and I fully realise that's going to be at my expense.

I simply want to know if this change in the future, to a grid connected setup will simply be a new inverter and some paperwork with the DNO, and that the tariff will remain unchanged.

Thanks again, does anybody have an "official" answer to this situation?

 

[moggy1968]

you can't apply fot FiTS if you are off grid, because you aren't contributing to the grid supply

 

[solarsparkie]

mmm if you were running a genny and using the solar as suplimentary power during the day for keeping your tinnys cold , you wouldnt technically need any batteries ;-) the certificate can be tied to a grid reference rather than an mpan you may have to forgo the 3.1 p in the future but hey thats no loss and you will have all the time in the world to research it later

 

[CYG]

This is an interesting quandary; I am in the exact same boat.

Moggy1968: you can apply for FIT "off grid" Feed-in Tariffs: your questions answered (second to last question)

I have an application to my supplier ready to go, but want to know if I will still be on the higher FIT after I get connected to the grid post December 12th

Any help is appreciated

 

[moggy1968]

I stand corrected!!
I'm amazed!!
Will off-grid generators qualify for feed-in tariffs?
Yes, you will receive the generation tariff. To do so, you will have to declare that the electricity generated has been used, and must comply with the scheme requirements in relation to metering. You can approach any of the mandatory FiT suppliers (ie the big electricity companies) and they will be obliged to provide your Clean Energy Cashback payments. Voluntary FiT suppliers (ie the smaller energy companies) may also agree to provide FiT payments to off-grid generators.
Eligibility for off-grid remote communities will be considered at future reviews of the scheme

 

[moggy1968]

I'm also interested in the bit about increasing the capacity of your system, is this a way round the shortage of panels maybe? install a couple of panels then upgrade later?

 

[CYG]

Solar sparkie, that sounds interesting, in my case I am renovating an old property and am not really interested in generating or using electricity any time soon (I won’t be moving in for another 3 months or so and in the mean time I have a genny to run tools off), I just want to have the higher FIT locked in for the next 25 years.
So by the sounds of things as long as I register my system either “off grid” or “on grid” before December 12[SUP]th[/SUP] I should be able to keep the higher FIT when I come “on grid” because the registration is based on grid reference rather than an MPAN (I do have a MPAN, as my property was only disconnected a few weeks before I bought the place in January last year, but I don’t know if this will change when the power company do eventually come to install a connection and then a metre towards the end of December)

 

[TedM]

Swapping a FiTs registered off-grid system to an on-grid one shouldn't be a problem.

I see the main issue is getting an MCS installer to sign off your off-grid system in the first place. That can only happen once it is 'commissioned'. For any off-grid system I would expect there to be a battery bank in place. It is dubious from a strict legal interpretation of the FiTs scheme in any other case.

 

[solarsparkie]

your absolutly right dubious from a strict interpretation you can call everyone up as i did and they tell you you can have one but no one will put it in writing OFGEM MCS even the consumer advice line they will pass you round and round in circles if you ask in writing but they will all say yes on the phone my advice is record the telephone conversation rather than ask , you are legally allowed to do this as a memory aid , but should anything go to court it will be allowed in as long as you type up a transcript to go with it

Swapping a FiTs registered off-grid system to an on-grid one shouldn't be a problem.

I see the main issue is getting an MCS installer to sign off your off-grid system in the first place. That can only happen once it is 'commissioned'. For any off-grid system I would expect there to be a battery bank in place. It is dubious from a strict legal interpretation of the FiTs scheme in any other case.

 

[Graeme Harrold]

It will cost you more, but look at a grid tied inverter running through a contactor and Sunnyback up system. This will see you through both situations as the back-up and contactor unit sit between the mains, batteries and inverter. It will also accept a gen input too, to you have power no matter what......