Here’s an update on our electricity use since buying the electric car. Ages ago I set up an account with myhomeenergy and today I have had a look at the site for the first time since then. If you are interested in your patterns of electricity use by day, season or even 30min blocks then this site is for you!
We bought the Nissan Leaf in April 2014 and you can see on the chart below the effect it had on our power usage. We calculated our average daily use of electricity and added our estimated use of an electric car before installing our solar system over 12 months ago and decided on a 4.9kW system from sustainable Impact in Yarragon. Next April we’ll have 12 months of car use and generation data to see if we are in fact generating as much as we use.
We’re a family of five with one mostly living away, live in a straw-bale and rammed earth wall house with spray foam ceiling insulation, good quality double glazed windows and the only heating we use is a wood heater which along with the Apricus evacuated tube system supplies us with hot water. There is no gas or electric boosting. There is no active cooling but despite this we are very impressed with the comfort levels in winter and summer.
Malcolm McKelvie for Narracan 