Solar Power in 2024

2024 was the first full year that we have had solar power running at our house. We have sixteen 400 watt panels on our roof - eleven facing south, and five facing west. Combined, they are capable of generating up to 6.4 kWh, but this is rare since they don't all get direct sun at the same time. In 2024, the highest was 4.7 kWh on 23rd June, which was a very sunny day. 

From the chart below for 23rd June you can see that we generated 37.84 kWh (green line) which covered almost all consumption during the day. 80% of what was generated was fed back to the grid for which we are paid €6.41. You can also see that there was very high consumption during the night - this was from charging my car. I don't charge during the day because we get approximately 19.5c/kWh for excess fed to grid, but are charged at night rates for 9.65c/kWh from 00:02 - 00:04, and 16.44c/kWh from 00:00-00.02 and 00:04 - 08:00. The consumption rate below is just under 8 kWh, or 64 kW for the night. 

The total cost of charging the car was €9.43 approx. 64 kW should do just over 400 km in range in the summer - this equates to about €2.36/100 km. Compared to today's prices for petrol (€1.88/litre), and using a rate of 5 litres/100km, 100km in a petrol powered car would cost €9.40 - almost exactly four times the cost of my electric car. Charging at 02:00-00:40 only would bring my cost down further. Clear evidence that charging at home saves a lot of money!

For the year, the chart below shows the figures for the year. Not surprisingly, power generated in the winter months was very low, and much better in the summer months. Our yield from solar power for the year was 4.50 MWh, nice that we did not have to pay for this! Our consumption was 7.33 KWh, which is very high compared to average households, but charging the car accounts for a huge amount of this.

We get 19.50c for each kWh from micro-generation - for the year this total amount was just over €700 (unfortunately this is taxable). This, combined with not having to pay for electricity when the sun is shining and car-charging economies, means substantial savings are being made. We expect the cost of the solar panels will pay for itself in another 2-3 years. 

Looking back

It's just over a week since I finished my series of short interview clips with my late father Joe O'Loughlin. I have received very many kind and thoughtful messages from folks who have listened to the clips. Many loved hearing his voice again and his stories from years past. 

It's not easy listening to Dad's voice so soon after he is gone, but I found it very comforting to go through the series of 24 posts on my Blog/Facebook pages. I consulted our family first and all agreed that it would be OK to publish. The interview was recorded in 2011 and I regret not coming back at a later date to record some more. Like all families nowadays, we do have lot of clips of videos and photos to remember our Dad by.  

We also had memorial and thankyou cards done. So many people sympathized with us and we are very grateful for all the messages we received. They are so comforting and supportive - I have resolved to be a lot more aware of others going through the same grieving experience. 

Interview with my Dad - Part 24

Today's audio clip is the 24th and last from an interview I recorded with my Dad in 2011. In it he discusses joining the Kilrush Drama Group, and how much he enjoyed the company and the acting in this fantastic group of people, who became great friends for the rest of his life. He also tells us about joining the Askamore Church Choir which began with an RTÉ Mass.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Kilrush Drama and Askamore Choir

Interview with my Dad - Part 23

In today's second last post from my series of clips from the Interview with my Dad series, Dad talks about events in 1992 which started him winding down from farming. In 1992 he fell off trailer and spent a week in hospital. By this time he felt under pressure to get farm work done when he was in his 60s. At his last harvest, he decided that he had had enough and more or less stopped farming - he let his land for others to farm. He also talks about what kept him going and about how much he missed farming, especially driving a combine harvester.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Winding down farming

Interview with my Dad - Part 22

In the late 1980s, my Dad still encountered financial issues - particularly during the months before being paid for the harvest. Over pints with his late son-in-law Jim Kelleher, he started a bedding plant business with my Mum. Initially this was to simply earn "50 pounds a week" to keep him going, but it turned out much better than this.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Plants

Interview with my Dad - part 21

In today's short (1 minute) audio clip my Dad answers a long question by me about how the education of his children came first ahead of any financial problems. At various stages in the late 1970s and early 80s he and my Mum supported their four children through boarding school and college. We were not blind and could see that there were financial problems, but not for a moment does he and my Mum regret investing in our education.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Value in Education

Interview with my Dad - Part 20

In the 1970s after joining the EEC, there was plenty of cheap money available from the World Bank to modernize farms, and Dad tells us in today's clip that he took advantage of that. Later, high interests (18%) hit him hard - the 1980s was a tough time for him financially.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Farm loans

Interview with my Dad - Part 19

While busy with the Carnew Musical Society committee, Dad also found time to get involved with musical societies at national level with the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS). He first took over the running of the AIMS Bulletin, and then he became national president of AIMS for two years (1980 and 1981). He talks about seeing musicals all over the country, and seeing The Merry Widow five times in the one year. when his term as president was over he took over the running of the AIMS Choral Festival in New Ross, Co Wexford.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS)

Interview with my Dad - Part 18

My Dad's great passion was singing, it was never a bother to get him to sing a song on any occasion. He was blessed with a fine voice and we have several recordings of him. He started out with the Gorey Operatic Society, and in today's clip he tells us about how he moved from GOS to the then Carnew Choral Group for a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial by Jury. He also played many lead roles such as the Pirate King, the Mikado, his most enjoyable role was as Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard.

Dad also busied himself with musical society committees, and in the clip he describes how he (and others) set up the southeast region for the Association of Irish Musical Societies.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Carnew Musical Society

Interview with my Dad - Part 17

Following on from yesterday's post about my Dad representing farmers on the Beet Grower's Association and the Irish Farmer's Association, Dad discusses with me about how the uncertainty over grain prices led him to join the Bunclody Farmer's Co-Op, which had been set up by his friend Rory Murphy. He later joined the board of the Co-Op and became its chairman for one year.

Click below to listen:

Eugene O'Loughlin · Bunclody Farmers Co-Op