Day 56 - On Grid

This morning the contractor from the electricity company came to do the final bits and pieces to allow us to put the PV system in to full operation.

There seems to have been some confusion as to which meter we wanted or are getting. The electricity companies are in the process of trying to roll out digital systems but don't seem to be getting sufficient supplies. I think their aim/wish is to have everyone on a meter linked via internet so that one day they can more or less take over control of who feeds how much PV/wind etc in to the grid.

Tales are already doing the rounds that this would allow hackers to shut down not just the nuclear/gas/coal generating plants but also us private householders.

Still not 100% sure of what we have, just I will get a password sometime in the future and one of the two digital meters now installed will be removed. No idea if it is online.

Internally we have access to the PV system via the internet and thus also on our mobile phones. Has great benefit that electrician Stefan can monitor and change settings from anywhere and he also automatically gets an email if there is a problem with the system.

Had a few early morning WhatsApps from him asking what I have bben up to when he sees we have a high consumption at 11:00pm. I now have to justify my night time snacks to the electrician!

PS Didn't get to repaint the wall! Photo shows in blue the PV inverter, in yellow the battery inverter, in silver the 10kW Mercedes Benz battery, in white the huge switch  fuse cupboard and then on top right the various communication bits including our telephone router.