UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story he http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

Lawrence13 wrote:
Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story he http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels
---------------------------
Perhaps the endless sales telephone calls wore them down in the end ;-)

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On May 19, 11:55*am, Lawrence13 wrote:
Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story hehttp://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels

I was surprised to see that just 1 of the supercomputers uses 221,000
kwh per annum. Blimey, no wonder there's global warming. They timed it
perfectly to just miss out on the the 43p Feed in Tariff. Unlike me,
and 'The Olde House' Chapel Amble http://www.theoldehouse.co.uk/page/solar_energy.html
where I'm off for a few days next week. Luckily surf's set to pick up
at Polzeath with an offshore breeze & sunshine. (according to the
super wotsit).

Graham
Penzance

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On Sat, 19 May 2012 12:42:55 -0700 (PDT), Graham Easterling wrote:

I was surprised to see that just 1 of the supercomputers uses 221,000
kwh per annum.

At least they are quoting the enrgy/annum rather than the peak power
of the array. 221,000kWHrs is only 25kW 24/7. I wonder if that
includes the aircon required to keep it cool? In my experince of
electronic kit in enclosed spaces you need roughly the same amout of
power for the aircon as the kit consumes.

They timed it perfectly to just miss out on the the 43p Feed in Tariff.
Unlike me, and 'The Olde House' Chapel Amble
http://www.theoldehouse.co.uk/page/solar_energy.html

That is a large array it won't be getting the 43p/unit generation
tarrif, that only applies for installations on existing properties
and less than 4kWp. At a guess I'd say that array is 10kWp but
50kWp and presumably installed before 31st Mar 2012 so will
34.5p/unit (that may include the 3.2p/unit export payment as well).

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On May 19, 11:55*am, Lawrence13 wrote:
Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story hehttp://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels

What I will say in fairness to UKMO if they didn't try and use
renewable energy then ****s like me would moan about that as well..

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On May 19, 8:12*pm, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Lawrence13 wrote:
Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story hehttp://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels

---------------------------
Perhaps the endless sales telephone calls wore them down in the end ;-)

To be fair to UKMO they are trying to show that they are putting (our)
taxpayers money where thereAGW mouth is. But in all honesty it will
only provide a small amount of what Exeter needs after that it's all
back to grid.

If I thought voltaic solar worked and proved economical then I'd do it
tomorrow-most of us would. I do have solar garden lights which
recharge relatively expensive rechargable batteries. They give out a
modicum of light for several hours at the height of the NH summer.
Maybe I should recharge those batteries on the mains?

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On May 20, 2:06*pm, Lawrence13 wrote:
On May 19, 8:12*pm, Dave Cornwell wrote:

Lawrence13 wrote:
Apparently they will power some of the computers and no doubt after
about 30 years UKMO will break even with the electric bill. However I
have emailed them and suggested just turning the computers off as they
don't seem to help much. I mean on the 23 March they were predicting a
drier than average Apriland we all know what happened next. No turn
the computers off, don''t install the solar array and take the saving
of of the British tax payers bill. It won't be a lot but every little
bit helps.

Story hehttp://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/rel...2/solar-panels

---------------------------
Perhaps the endless sales telephone calls wore them down in the end ;-)

To be fair to UKMO they are trying to show that they are putting (our)
taxpayers money where thereAGW mouth is. *But in all honesty it will
only provide a small amount of what Exeter needs after that it's all
back to grid.

If I thought voltaic solar worked and proved economical then I'd do it
tomorrow-most of us would. * I do have solar garden lights which
recharge relatively expensive rechargable batteries. They give out a
modicum of light for several hours at the height of the NH summer.
Maybe I should recharge those batteries on the mains?

I installed my panels initially as a 'green' measure, but they are
exceeding expectations. I'm set to get my money back in 10years, even
allowing for interest in the money (@ 3%gross) if it was invested for
the 10 years. Also changing all my 50W downlighters for 5W LEDs (you
do have to get the good ones, I find Deltech are particularly good)
has made a huge difference to my power bills.

If you are interested, I can email you a spreadsheet showing the
projected & actual savings. I know the FIT is lower now, but the
panels & inverters are also much cheaper, si it's less of an initial
gamble.

Graham
Penzance

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On Sun, 20 May 2012 07:32:36 -0700 (PDT), Graham Easterling wrote:

I installed my panels initially as a 'green' measure, ...

Do you have figures to show that they will be energy positive over
their lifetime?

... but they are exceeding expectations. I'm set to get my money back in
10years, even allowing for interest in the money (@ 3%gross) if it was
invested for the 10 years.

That is a pure financial expectation, nothing "green". A financial
benefit that would not exist without the huge FiT payments funded by
everyone elses electricity bills.

Also changing all my 50W downlighters for 5W LEDs ... has made a huge
difference to my power bills.

You could have done that anyway.

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On 20/05/2012 16:47, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 20 May 2012 07:32:36 -0700 (PDT), Graham Easterling wrote:

I installed my panels initially as a 'green' measure, ...

Do you have figures to show that they will be energy positive over
their lifetime?

Yes. They do actually pay back their energy to create even at our high
latitude but only by about a factor of 4x energy of manufacture. See for
example David MacKays debunking of the myth that it never pays back
which is base on prehistoric inefficient thick film solar cells.

http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/w.../page_41.shtml

Installed somewhere sensible they would get more like 7-10x.

To put it in context the figure of merit for a wind turbine is about 80x.

... but they are exceeding expectations. I'm set to get my money back in
10years, even allowing for interest in the money (@ 3%gross) if it was
invested for the 10 years.

That is a pure financial expectation, nothing "green". A financial
benefit that would not exist without the huge FiT payments funded by
everyone elses electricity bills.

But if the government are daft enough to subsidise it that way...

Also changing all my 50W downlighters for 5W LEDs ... has made a huge
difference to my power bills.

You could have done that anyway.

And he will surely live to regret doing it.

High power LEDs retrofitted into existing luminaires not designed for
their proper thermal management will die young and horribly. Even some
of the better engineered mains powered LED units suffer from cooked
capacitor fatigue in the same way that computer motherboard PSUs do.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

UKMO fitting Solar Panels at Exeter headquarters
 

On May 21, 9:43*pm, Martin Brown
wrote:


Yes. They do actually pay back their energy to create even at our high
latitude but only by about a factor of 4x energy of manufacture. See for
example David MacKays debunking of the myth that it never pays back
which is base on prehistoric inefficient thick film solar cells.


About 6x on the south coast according to most figures

Installed somewhere sensible they would get more like 7-10x.

To put it in context the figure of merit for a wind turbine is about 80x.


It's massively variable depending on location. There are serious
maintenance issues with turbines, I know several people who have them,
both on farms & the local YMCA, and they've all had significant
problems. There is the energy use in sorting it that is often
excluded.


Also changing all my 50W downlighters for 5W LEDs ... has made a huge
difference to my power bills.

You could have done that anyway.

And he will surely live to regret doing it.


No I won't. I was able to get them in bulk from a electrician friend
of mine. At the time I bought them they were £20 or so online. I got
them for £14 each. They come with a 3 year guarantee.

If a light is only on an average of 2 hours per day, the saving by not
using a 50W halogen would be just over £16 (assuming 15p per unit)
Knock off the £1.60 the LEDS cost to run using the same figures and
I've covered my outlay in the guarantee period, without taken into
account continually having to replace the halogen bulbs. I've had them
8 months so far, and apart from 1 faulty on arrival (and they replaced
it & gave me a free 1 in exchange) none have so far expired. The
ventilation issue was one reason I chose the bulbs I did, as they are
supposed to run cool compared with most others.

That's the financial side, there's also the green side of reducing the
energy I use in lighting by almost 90%. I'm now in the situation where
I receive as much in FIT as I pay in bills, so I see no need to regret
it, but thanks for your concern. My last words on the subject
(honest!)

Late reply as I've been up at Polzeath & Rock enjoying summer.

Graham
Penzance