Solar panels

[Cyker]

Split off from Bbz forum thread

  

3 hours ago, xbox-vibes said:

You’ve got this wrong, I spend roughly £7K for whole system including batteries- now could be slightly more probably 9K and put 7.2 kw system. Off grid system still comes with bypass function which late your inverter to switch between pv, batteries and grid automatically. So first priority is sollar-if it’s enough, feeding your load( home) if excess- feeding home and charging batteries. If your batteries are full then inverter will only feed your house. When your pv are not enough the power will be drain from batteries( is still some powder from pv, that will combine together) If you running out pv and batteries, or exceeding your load(7.2 kw or more ) then inverter switching you partially to grid( still can be combine between pv, bat, grid) and supplying you from there. Remember to cancel your direct debit as you will still pay unnecessary charges. 
It’s a very smart system. 
 

Oh so inverters can already do that, or you need a specific one?

Things may have moved on a lot since I last looked, but most of the systems I'd seen were pretty dumb and wouldn't be able to switch in the way you described.

Who put your system in? Or did you DIY??

I'm not in a position to get a system any time soon since I spent most of what I had saved up on the Yaris, but it's still something I'd like to do one day if I can get the system I want!

 

46 minutes ago, philip42h said:

Interesting ... the answer seems to be around £7k - just as it was ten years ago when we had solar panels installed. But for my £7k I got 16x 250W panels to give a theoretical maximum generation of 4kW - and under the then FIT scheme it has paid for itself handsomely. Under that scheme the maximum generation allowed was 4kW so I have annoyingly 16 panels on a roof that appears to have been designed to take 20!

Also, try as I might I couldn't find a viable storage solution back then so all power surplus to our immediate needs is exported to the grid.

Come 2030, when the FIT contract expires - or earlier if the system 'fails' - I shall have to investigate something bigger and better. I might even be ready for an EV by then! 😉

Yeah the price of the installation has come down a lot since when I was looking at them!

It helps, as with the loss of the various tariffs that took a lot of the financial incentive out of it, as the per unit generation payment if you feed back into the grid is an absolute joke. (Unless that's changed recently!)

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

Who put your system in? Or did you DIY??

I have done everything myself, from installation to wiring etc. But it's all up to standards etc. I've got IT, electrical knowledge etc but simply doing faming for life.

2 hours ago, Cyker said:

Oh so inverters can already do that, or you need a specific one?

Yes, you must choose correct one as you have few types, 1,3 phase, off grid , feed Tarif, hybrid etc....

If you'll be ready send me PM and I can give you some ideas to start with...

[Cyker]

Well it's good to know that is an option for now! The inverters and power electronics were pretty much fixed-function units back when i was looking at them and there isn't much info out there (Or I just don't know where to look!). Alas I'm not even thinking about it at the moment as I need to pay off the Yaris first!!

(And I'll be honest the Yaris is a lot more fun than the solar panels  )

I'd definitely have to get a company to do it when it the time comes tho', no way am I going up on a roof! And that's assuming this house doesn't have the same problem as my brothers...!

[timesquare]

To your point, @Cyker, inverters have definitely come a long way. They are becoming more intelligent, allowing for seamless transition between solar, Battery, and grid. It's all a part of making renewable energy more accessible and practical for daily use.

[timesquare]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:49 PM, timesquare said:

To your point, @Cyker, inverters have definitely come a long way. They are becoming more intelligent, allowing for seamless transition between solar, battery, and grid. It's all a part of making renewable energy more accessible and practical for daily use.

Speaking of which, you mentioned not finding a viable storage solution back when you installed your solar setup, @philip42h. You might be interested to know that there have been significant advancements in Battery storage as well. For instance, there is a 200kWh battery that’s designed for high-capacity needs. This could be an excellent addition to your solar system, particularly once your FIT contract expires.

[Haliotis]

I have always been wary of roof-mounted solar panels.  They add considerably to the weight on the roof, and how do you maintain/repair the tiles underneath them?   It needs a competent surveyor to advise on fitting solar panels, and I think most insurers require you to ask their permission for installation.

[Roy124]

The additional weight of solar panels is insignificant.   I have a stack of spare concrete roof tiles.   Lifting 3 is a heave.  Lifting two solar panels is easy.  More than 2 is limited by what I can grip - I space out before I weight out.

Maintain the roof underneath?  Never done it in 50 years.

Insurers never an issue provided any work is undertaken by insured and qualified fitters.

[Roy124]

6 hours ago, timesquare said:

For instance, there is a 200kWh battery that’s designed for high-capacity needs. This could be an excellent addition to your solar system, particularly once your FIT contract expires.

That is hugely overspecified for a domestic system. 8kWh might be rather nearer a suitable domestic need.

Remember the batteries are also life cycle limited.  Your 200kHw system is: cycle life of more than 8000 times.  That is just over 10 years though I am not sure what qualifies as a cycle.

[Shared]

10 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

The additional weight of solar panels is insignificant.   I have a stack of spare concrete roof tiles.   Lifting 3 is a heave.  Lifting two solar panels is easy.  More than 2 is limited by what I can grip - I space out before I weight out.

Maintain the roof underneath?  Never done it in 50 years.

Insurers never an issue provided any work is undertaken by insured and qualified fitters.

I'll admit to having no real idea of the weight of solar panels alone but as a slater & tiler of over 35 years experience I can tell you that if you think lifting 3 of those tiles is a heave the number carried on the shoulder for a normal roof loadout is 6, and for the left hand finishing verge, 12, I've done that for most of my adult life, this is assuming you're talking about common pan tiles of 16 1/2" x 13 1/2".

I'm not so sure I'd call the weight of a solar panel installation insignificant, especially when fixtures cables etc are added but I stand to be corrected on that, then you also have to consider the construction of the roof itself, are the rafters supported between the ridgeboard and the eaves etc.

With regard to never maintaining the roof, if you have concrete tiles there's a good chance you'll have a more modern underfelt, which is more durable and also treated lathes/battens, again more durable, and of course concrete tiles though not infallible are durable for the most part, if you have natural slates though, or plain clay tiles both can be susceptible to frost damage/spalling etc and installing something over the top of those is not what I'd be doing, there's lots of variables to consider.

[Roy124]

Phil, at my age 3 tiles is a good number.

As far as material weight, my panels are fastened to 4 aluminium beams.  These are light and meet my 3 tiles limit.  They had a spare beam, I could handle that with ease.

I think the greatest weight is the cable and the cable drum was certainly a heave though the spread weight of cables will be slight.

My main concern (and at my age not that great 😑 ) was what were the beams fastened to.  Did he find the trusses?  Were the holes sealed?

[Shared]

2 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Phil, at my age 3 tiles is a good number.

As far as material weight, my panels are fastened to 4 aluminium beams.  These are light and meet my 3 tiles limit.  They had a spare beam, I could handle that with ease.

I think the greatest weight is the cable and the cable drum was certainly a heave though the spread weight of cables will be slight.

My main concern (and at my age not that great 😑 ) was what were the beams fastened to.  Did he find the trusses?  Were the holes sealed?

 I was still carrying 12's into my late 50's Roy but I was feeling it a heck of lot more by then and very glad to let the younger lads prove themselves, there are many aspects of my old trade that I still miss, humping those tiles isn't one of them. 

Concrete tiles are, usually, only nailed every 3rd course and as I say I've no real knowledge whatsoever of how the rails etc are fixed but I imagine they use a "hook" type of strap (think of a butchers hook but of flat metal) which straps over the lathes/battens and the tile above simply pulls back down (after being pushed up) and covers it, so it's likely there's no need for holes as such, at least externally. 

[Oscarmax]

We have 4.4 kWh roof mounted solar array and 5.8 kWh Battery storage, a good installer will provide roof load calculations etc in line with HIES warranty guidelines, invertors and Battery banks have come along way the majority coming with a 10 warranty and insurance based HIES warranty.

To date we export more than we import, and that incudes charging up the PHEV

[Roy124]

Oscar, thanks.  Similar here, 3.2kW panels and 5kW Battery though the Givenergy Battery is a 5yr warranty. 

In 8 months we have generated 1,700kWh and consumed 300kWh of that.  

I reckoned that an 8 panel array would not overproduce too much compared with a 10 or or 11 given a very small SEG income.  I had upgraded my initial purchase from 3 to 5 kWh Battery but in retrospect 8 or 10 would have been better.

[Roy124]

Our supplier offers a green deal.  Of we reduce our consumption between 1600 and 1900 we qualify for a cash refund.  Last month it was £15 which was equivalent to 50kWh.  Panels enabled us to achieve this.

[Oscarmax]

16 hours ago, Roy124 said:

Oscar, thanks.  Similar here, 3.2kW panels and 5kW battery though the Givenergy battery is a 5yr warranty. 

In 8 months we have generated 1,700kWh and consumed 300kWh of that.  

I reckoned that an 8 panel array would not overproduce too much compared with a 10 or or 11 given a very small SEG income.  I had upgraded my initial purchase from 3 to 5 kWh battery but in retrospect 8 or 10 would have been better.

I am with Octopus Agile for import electric and Flux for export, compared to Flux import we are making some real savings with Agile. So far this year we have generated 4070 kWh imported 2550 kWh but have exported 2952 kWh, are electric bills including the dreaded standing charge are virtually zero.

Octopus Tracker for gas averaging about 5 pence a kWh at the moment.