Cheating the system to make even more money

[Deleted member 53896]

Hi All

This is a something that is concerning me about solar PV instillations.

What is stopping someone from using a isolated transformer with a bridge rectifier to give a dc output and feeding it back into the inverter while on economy 7 rates during the night at 7p per kwh then selling it back to the electricity company at 43p per kwh?

Regards

 

[GaryM]

What's stopping me bypassing my import meter? Nothing apart from a possible prison sentence for fraud!

Also if your system is expected to generate 3400kWh per annum and you manage 5000kWh per annum then it's going to stick out like a sore thumb!

 

[Deleted member 53896]

surely anyone savvy enough would use it to just top up, it could be exceptionally sunny over their house!

 

[SpitfireW'sale]

replace "savvy enough" with "intent on criminality"

 

[FB.]

What's stopping me bypassing my import meter? Nothing apart from a possible prison sentence for fraud!

Also if your system is expected to generate 3400kWh per annum and you manage 5000kWh per annum then it's going to stick out like a sore thumb!

Agreed.
I can see a few ways for people to "hotwire" their system to alter the readings on the generation meter, but consider:

The inverter keeps logs of certain generation stats, which, if investigated, would be grossly out of line with the generation meter.

If the array generates much more than it is expected to (*), it might well ring alarm bells.

With the government clamping down on systems registered but not actually fully comissioned before the December FiT cutoff, I can see that there might be periodic "inquiries" to ensure that all FiT generators are playing by the rules.

.

(*)
Although systems significantly outperforming their SAP calculations might come under scrutiny, it does appear that the current generation of solar PV is outperforming the SAP calculations by 20% or so.
For example, my system should have generated about 150kWh during an average February (and I'd say that February wasn't abnormally sunny nor dull compared to what we normally get) but rather than 150kWh, I was just over 180kWh - a 20% outperformance.

 

[JD6400]

It will and most likely is happening somewhere at the moment !
It will be interesting to see what happens to the first one that gets caught ?

 

[FB.]

It will and most likely is happening somewhere at the moment !
It will be interesting to see what happens to the first one that gets caught ?

Strip them of their right to FiT payments; their only "savings" or "profits" being from the 3p export tariff and any power that they can use in the house.

 

[whinmoor]

I think they have a fairly good idea of how much a PV system should be producing based on its size and location. If you're more than, say, 50% above expectations over a prolonged period I wouldn't be surprised if an investigation was launched and a judge wouldn't be too impressed if convicted.

 

[TedM]

OFGEM employ fraud officers.

 

[pvman]

I know of someone who got hold of a MCS certificate (one of ours from his neighbour who we installed for) and edited it to have his name and address on and then installed his own system. He was caught because the cert didn't appear on the database, he isn't getting a FIT and has a expensive roof ornament!

 

[moggy1968]

but he could buy a cert on here for 500 quid:smartass2:

 

[Gary K]

OFGEM employ fraud officers.

Or fraudulant MP's-plenty of them around

 

[markfxy]

Apparently Spanish solar panels even work at night!News - Spanish nighttime solar energy fraud