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Solar Skye

The theory and practice of running a new build on the Isle of Skye with lots of solar panels, storage battery, air source heat pump, underfloor heating and mechanical heat recovery ventilation.

Wet but

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July 05, 2026

still generating at 2kW.

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Heat Loss and Weather Compensation

January 09, 2026

Heat loss is simply the rate at which a house loses heat to the outside. The main factors affecting the heat loss are: the house's level of insulation - more is better the house's level of air tightness - more is better but damp and compensation need to be managed the desired internal temperature the outside temperature and once the house is built (air tight with heat recovery ventilation and lots of insulation) it's only the last two factors that can change. A fundamental rule of heat is that the bigger the temperature difference between two places, the faster energy will move from a warm place to a cold place. This means that when it is colder outside then the house's heat loss will be greater. Most (all?) ASHPs and can be configured with an external temperature sensor and use weather compensation. By configuring a weather compensation "curve" the ASHP can automatically vary its heat output depending on the outside temperature, outputting more heat when co...

Smart Meter Connectivity

July 20, 2026

We're having a problem with our smart meter as it does not seem to be connected to the Data Communications Company (DCC) that manages the smart meter network. We need this connection so that we can have a time based tariff for imports and an export tariff. It's crucial. Octopus have said the problem is "due to an error with the communications hub" and that they "need to request an appointment for your communications hub to be replaced". I've been asked lots of questions about the location of the house, it's construction materials, where the smart meter is and the like. I've provided extensive answers including the location of and distance to our nearest mobile base station. I'm hoping they don't just send out another mobile based smart meter. The DCC is starting to roll out VWAN - Virtual Wide Area Network - smart meters that can piggyback on any broadband/WiFi service the householder might have. As we have Starlink working well and exc...

Storm Boelo, a power cut and solar generation

October 25, 2026

We lost power at about 4am and our Powerwall 3 is now powering the house. We've turned the heating off and will let the warmth of the house coast and hopefully we'll be warm enough. SSEN think the power is expected back by 8pm tonight, even allowing for the storm. There's a little bit of sun so we're even managing to recharge the battery. Power came back just after 2pm so the folks at SSEN have done a great job. The house temperature dropped to 19C just before noon but then rose again. I think there was a little solar gain. This log from Home Assistant details the time the power went and then returned. All this is possible because we have the Tesla Gateway to go with the Powerwall 3. It allows the system to go into "island mode" and operate independently of the grid. Two key elements needed for Island mode are a gateway with the necessary switching to disconnect the system from the grid live, neutral and ground connections a ground rod to provide a ground con...