Here is my monthly report on how our solar panel system did in May 2026. We have:
- 20x400W panels = 8kW, facing west
- 5kW GivEnergy inverter
- 9.5kWh GivEnergy battery
The house is in the UK at about 52° north. The system was installed in February 2024. The system was installed by Octopus who also supply our power and gas.
This is the year so far, all in kWh:
| Month | Generated | Used | Exported | Imported | Cost import | Paid export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 110 | 518 | 106 | 522 | £88.53 | £14.91 |
| February | 237 | 592 | 226 | 580 | £79.08 | £33.97 |
| March | 590 | 484 | 599 | 507 | £74.47 | £68.30 |
| April | 937 | 283 | 927 | 326 | £37.71 | £112.71 |
| May | 1001 | 315 | 950 | 312 | £45.14 | £113.99 |
2025 figures here.
We generated over 1MWh last month, just. According to the inverted we exported a little more than that, but I have taken the export and import numbers from the Octopus site as that determines the finances. We generated slightly more than May last year, but then it has been really sunny with some record temperatures in the UK. I know temperature can affect the panel efficiency, but the inverter was operating at full capacity a lot of the time.
You can see how sunny it was at the end of the month. June has started cooler and overcast, so may be less productive. We should still export enough to cover all our energy costs, including the gas for cooking and hot water. We do not have air conditioning and that would change the numbers a lot. I think you really have to look at solar if you go for that to keep the running costs down.
As I reported last month GivEnergy got into financial difficulty and the hardware business for batteries and inverters may be gone for good. The software division who provide the app and web access is separate, but were introducing a £5 per month subscription to get full access. I was prepared to pay that, but then I heard about Axle Grid Services who had an offer to pay the subscription if you joined their service. As I understand it they are a virtual power service who use batteries like mine to supply the grid at certain times. They pay far more than Octopus, but it may only be for a few hours each month. However, they guarantee you £10 each month. There is also a sign-up bonus, so overall I stand to get a fair bit each year to help pay off my system. I can still stay with Octopus as before. They do have their own smart tariff that pays you more depending on demand, but my system will not work with that. You cannot use the Octopus Intelligent Go tariff and Axle.
Some of the links above are referrals that pay me something, but you can earn from them too. I will also mention YouFibre who provide my internet. I saved a lot by moving to them from Virgin. If you sign up to them and use my referral code EUEFCA then we both get £100.
I suspect that energy costs will keep rising, but solar prices have come down in recent years to make it a more attractive option. If I can do this well in the 'gloomy UK', then I expect others in sunnier climes can do even better. I have see from others on Hive that the power providers in some countries offer less favourable terms though.
Shine on!
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