Late March, we decided to experiment with a new solar PV usage strategy due to the relative rates of chear rate grid power overnight (costing us 6.4p/kWh) and the amount we are paid for exporting during the day (15p/kWh). Rather than use the battery to power the house during the cheap rate, we would used grid power and charge the battery overnight, then export more during the day. We assumed, from the relative rates, the power company preferred this, maybe to even out demand.
Late June, we get a letter from our power company. They are changing the export payment rate to 6p/kWh. On asking why, they told us that some customers are charging their batteries overnight, then exporting that charge during the day. So the power company is paying those customers 8.6p/kWh (not accounting for losses) to store and resupply its own power.
Anyhow, the power company obviously thought that paying customers to time-shift its own power was a step too far in power demand management, hence the reduction in export payments for all electricity, including actual generation.
Oh well. Back to manually setting the battery charging pattern (and a severly reduced income from export payment). Since it's currently summer, that mostly means using the battery to power the house overnight, as there will be enough sunshine to recharge it during the day. Things will start getting more complicated again come autumn.
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