Solar

The £1,800 problem nobody talks about when they install solar

Aveum5 April 20263 min read
The £1,800 problem nobody talks about when they install solar

Solar conversations focus on generation. kWh per year. Panel efficiency. Roof direction. That's only half the story.

A typical system

4 kW solar array. Around 4,000 kWh per year. Exporting excess. This is standard. The missing variable: when you export.

Two identical homes

Both generate 4,000 kWh/year. Home A exports at midday: ~5p/kWh. Home B exports during peak: ~20p/kWh.

15p × 2,000 kWh exported = £300/year difference. Over 6 years: £1,800. Same panels. Different value.

Energy insight graphic

Pricing and demand patterns shift daily. Fixed schedules rarely capture the highest-value windows.

"I'll just use a battery"

Batteries help — but only if they're timed properly. Most systems charge randomly, discharge too early, and export at low value.

The real optimisation

Solar isn't about generating more. It's about exporting at the right time. That means knowing when grid demand is high, when Agile export prices peak, and coordinating battery charge/discharge around those windows.

The takeaway

Your solar system isn't just about how much you generate. It's about when that energy becomes valuable.

Fix it with Aveum

Aveum coordinates timing across your battery, EV charger, heat pump, and tariff signals so your home runs in the cheapest and highest-value windows.

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