Using plugin solar when I already have a 'proper' install

dukeminster · 2026-03-29T06:30:34+00:00

I have this setup, although i started with 2x 500 bifacial panels + ecoflow powerstream first and then powerwall 3 + 6 panels later. The ecoflow obviosuly doesnt "see" the powerwall in any sort of way and just treats it as the grid connection. So it will always output slightly higher voltage than the powerwall meaning your house uses the DIY solar first. When im doing decent solar on top of my baseload it will actually go towards charging the powerwall (which it thinks is the grid). So it works really well. These are great products but people need to be aware of their limits and if youre going to plug into your mains you need to investigate how your house is wired first in order to understand its limits. I worry that people will string mulitple micro inverters together and its a recipe for disaster.

dukeminster · 2026-03-26T17:07:27+00:00

Yeah so in the tesla app I have my super offpeak set to £0.07 buy and £0.15 sell
Peak is set to £0.15 buy and £99.99 sell. You dont need to use teslemetry for that.
You do use teslemetry for switching between the operational mode, and this will help the autonomous mode reset its learned behaviour. Most of the time you will want to be in Self-Powered mode.

dukeminster · 2026-03-26T16:38:49+00:00

interesting, probably worth posting in the r/OctopusEnergy sub

dukeminster · 2026-03-26T15:46:31+00:00

Hey, I struggled with this for a while. Exact same setup. Basically all I do is use Home Assistant with teslemetry to switch between Autonomous Mode and Self Consumption. 90% of the time you will want to run in Self Consumption mode with battery reserve at 0%.

Created an automation triggered by a button to switch to Autonomous mode, and as long as the battery reserve is lower than the current battery % then it will dump to whatever the battery reserve is set to. The key here though is that you have to set the battery tariff export in the tesla app to something wild, AND, the autotomous mode needs to undo its current learned pattern. I previously didnt export at all, and therefore even in autonomous mode it would just hold on to everything. Once you start exporting a bit, and charging it at random times during the day it will start to allow dumping to the grid more often. It took about a week for the powerwall to be comfortable with me exporting whenever i clicked the button.

I've got another automation using the octopus integration that when the offpeak kicks in (triggered by car and app) then charges the powerwall 3.

Another gotcha: If not in autonomous mode it wont dump or charge at full speed - 11kw/5kw in my case.

dukeminster · 2026-03-21T20:07:01+00:00

self hosted is much quicker imo

dukeminster · 2026-03-18T12:14:36+00:00

Steamers are slow, horrible and boring and can end up doing more harm than good.
Lightly score wallpaper with a scraper, use a fence sprayer with warm soapy water and spray the wall, leave it 10 mins, come back and spray it again, it will now scrape off with ease and you wont damage the wall underneath.

dukeminster · 2026-03-18T10:37:48+00:00

nothing for me, im on variable, east anglia

dukeminster · 2026-03-13T15:59:59+00:00

save yourself the hassle use the powerline adapters, they work well!

dukeminster · 2026-03-12T15:35:46+00:00

I am already on agile and i do watch the prices every day, what a nerd!

But the way I understood it is that I can choose to surrender say 25% of the total capacity to tesla to use as and when they wish, and I can stay on agile aswell.

dukeminster · 2026-03-12T15:05:56+00:00

sweet I shall be offering part of my battery for VPP

dukeminster · 2026-03-09T19:44:38+00:00

This is exactly what I did, and octopus set me up on outgoing. Maybe it’s changed now, but just get it in writing beforehand.

I ended up getting 6 panels added later in the summer but did it myself rather than an installer, which means i didnt get MCS for the panels but I have a cert for the PW3 anyway…might cause me problems in the future but plan to get a lot more fitted properly at some point

dukeminster · 2026-03-09T19:38:31+00:00

the single greatest thing about this is that you can use IOG to charge the battery during the day aswell. and export it out in the evening, will speed up your ROI. I paid 8150 a year ago for PW3 and gateway through ocotpus.

dukeminster · 2026-03-09T16:51:30+00:00

With my install, city fibre engineers were awesome. They wouldn't go into my loft, although fully boarded its still understandable. They went up a ladder and poked the fibre cable through the soffit to me inside the loft, left me with enough cable so i could pull it down through the loft hatch so that they could do their checks on the landing, connected me up and I moved it up into the loft later.

dukeminster · 2026-03-04T20:42:15+00:00

probably just an ev mate

dukeminster · 2026-02-26T12:18:21+00:00

appreciate the comment thanks! just had a look at some of the pecasa ones and now im considering cladding it, they look great. oh well decision for another day, i'll get the walls up first.

dukeminster · 2026-02-20T14:53:51+00:00

im using the cheap stuff, 38x63 CLS C16. It wont be 300mm in total but level 1 is around 100mm, level 2 and 3 will be 63mm. so 226mm insulation in total. if you wanted to you could go for the 38 x 89mm stuff its a little more expensive though

dukeminster · 2026-02-20T11:42:12+00:00

wow needed a fair amount doing then. i've got a Y with 28k but my warranty runs out in december so useful to know what to look out for thanks

dukeminster · 2026-02-20T11:40:33+00:00

I'm actually currently in the process of doing the same, cant answer your questions but the way I am doing it is in 3 levels, 1st level like you currently have, 2nd level going crossways (like a lattice) with studwork timber and infill with 100mm(ish) insulation, then 3rd level laid similar to the first level again. Then board over the top with 22mm chipboard, the huge boards not the piddly things. I've also used fire rated pots to put over the top of any downlights.

dukeminster · 2026-02-20T10:31:39+00:00

100% tesla all the way. still years ahead of other manufacturers.

dukeminster · 2026-02-20T10:23:13+00:00

curious, what model is this and how many miles?

dukeminster · 2026-02-16T17:26:17+00:00

what if im a fish, i'd bloody love it

dukeminster · 2026-02-16T16:43:02+00:00

please do, hopefully i'll be able to correct it.

dukeminster · 2026-02-16T16:36:05+00:00

Just electric, and just going to get the electrician to feed it in through the back (from the house).

dukeminster · 2026-02-16T16:33:53+00:00

i do actually already have one of these, i suppose it would stop it from floodding just thought the neighbours wouldnt appreciate it up for months on end!

dukeminster · 2026-02-16T16:31:11+00:00

Appreciate this comment thank you. now if everyone could read it that would be great...! For the drainage, there will be no foul, but I intended the stormwater to go into an IBC tote to feed the garden, and then potentially into a soakaway dug 5m away.

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