ᐅ Any experiences with Tibber, the Pulse smart home module?

KarstenausNRW schrieb:

I understand that. But at what level, when the cheap photovoltaic electricity isn’t fed into the grid during winter? Would you then pay 30 cents at midday and 45 cents in the evening/night?

Then you draw “expensive” electricity from the grid at midday (since your own photovoltaic system isn’t generating), so you don’t have to use even more expensive electricity in the evening. That’s what I meant by “not getting the storage fully charged.”

And what is the alternative? To not use any electricity?
If the price on the market is that high, or would be, I can’t really change that either way, can I?

I wouldn’t prefer a traditional annual contract with another provider just because of winter. I would always pay the same energy price per kWh, but whatever I (possibly) save in winter, I’d end up paying more for during the other three seasons of the year. They make a profit after all, and they’re not going to give anything away. And if they stop making a profit, they send you a cancellation notice — as we saw during the crisis after the outbreak of the war.

sysrun80 schrieb:

Especially in winter, storage systems are mostly just idle capital.

So far, I’m not aware of any powerful commercial system that intelligently manages charging and discharging of storage based on solar forecasts, self-consumption, and day-ahead prices from providers like Tibber, Awattar, and similar.

Currently, everything is optimized for self-consumption. If we want the system to be grid-friendly, we need to make use of periods with excess supply effectively by charging the storage during those times.

Of course, you can build something yourself and control it with Raspberry Pis, but that’s probably more suited for nerds.

When dealing with variable tariffs, you have to understand that while the spot market has generally been cheaper on average than the futures market, there can be frustrating moments— for example, during a dark doldrums in December when you’re driving your electric car to a family Christmas gathering and putting the goose in the oven in the evening. The heat pump will also be running at full power. You need to plan for these scenarios and set aside some reserves.

You can’t expect an all-inclusive, foolproof solution anymore. That’s the well-known personal responsibility.

I would enjoy this challenge and consider myself intelligent and educated enough to grasp the implications of a variable electricity tariff. But once the Wallstreetbets types from GME show up, I get a bit skeptical.

kati1337 schrieb:

I always pay the same work fee, but whatever I (possibly) save in winter, I end up paying extra for during the other three seasons.

But how much electricity do you use during that time? For us, it will probably be around 5 kWh per month when in the evening the induction cooktop draws more power than the storage can supply. Otherwise, we actually don’t currently need any grid electricity. With your gaming PCs and electric car, it might be different. But generally, you are likely to consume most of your electricity in winter. With the electricity provider, though, you are balanced overall with customers who have a more consistent usage throughout the year. Therefore, it might be smarter to pay "more" during the summer via a fixed rate and then come in under the market price in winter.

WilderSueden schrieb:

But how much electricity do you use during that time? For us, it will probably be around 5 kWh per month when the induction stove draws more power in the evening than the storage can supply. Otherwise, we currently don’t really need any grid electricity. With your gaming PCs and electric car, it might be different. But generally, you’re likely to consume the vast majority in winter. When dealing with the electricity provider, you are averaged together with people who have a steady consumption throughout the year. Therefore, it might be smarter to pay a fixed price and "overpay" in summer, and then benefit from below-market prices in winter.

That is exactly the crucial point why I’m asking for experience. The assumption that the market-based price in winter is very expensive is not confirmed at the moment. Private photovoltaic systems may then be less relevant, and demand rises due to heat pumps, but how much does this really affect the price? The wind still blows, and currently more wind power is contributing to our electricity mix.

Yes, I also thought about it a lot, but because we use so much more electricity in winter due to grow lights (not for heating but for lighting), it probably isn’t worth it for me.

P.S. Currently, it is (at least for me) hardly possible to pay more than 25 cents per kilowatt-hour with a "standard" electricity contract. Therefore, you really have to calculate carefully.