Accuracy of Predictions
On our proposals, as well as on our rivals, you'll find lots of information — including some predictions about potential electricity generation and financial savings. Generation, in particular, is required by the SEAI (the people that give out the grants), so you should find that on every quote you get.
We just wanted to talk about the assumptions that are made, so you know the amount of salt you need to add to the various figures.
Electricity Production Figures
These are only indicative, but should be a reasonable guide. We do have to make a lot of assumptions here, and things like weather and shading are two variables that can affect your end output quite a bit. That said, we include a lot in the predictions that are specific to your home — the exact panel type, your location in the country (further north means less sun, we take that into account), the angle of your roof, the direction the panels are facing, typical inverter losses and more. So, they'll never be exact, but they should be in the right ballpark.
Financial Savings
These are more speculative. There's a huge amount of assumptions we have to make, and your own case may differ very significantly. So take these figures with a good dose of caution, they're notoriously hard to predict with total accuracy.
One of the main issues is usage patterns vs. generation patterns. With smart meters, electricity prices vary hugely throughout the day. Your patterns of generation and usage might mean that you are offsetting a large quantity of peak-rate units — great for you, as you are making a big saving. Your neighbour, with the same system, might be offsetting mainly low-rate units, so their savings could be a fraction of yours.
Financial Savings on Batteries
Here you have the greatest influence through which tariff you are on, and how you use your set-up. A "night boost" unit might be ¼ of the price of a normal day unit. So, someone who opts for those tariffs with their utility supplier, who then uses their battery to charge up every night on those super cheap rates, suddenly gets more than double the financial gain from their battery.
As always, we are only too happy to help — if you've questions about how to set up and use your system for the most financial benefit, please just ask.
