So now we're setup with the panels on and batteries installed, but the inverter started going nutty. Company asked the installer to open it up to try and repair it! We've told them they can get stuffed, we ordered a new one, not a repaired one, and the installer (a mate) isn't too impressed with them either telling them he's not an electrical engineer. After a bit of back and forth, they're sending a new one that should arrive tomorrow. Annoying that we missed out a few days good sun, but hopefully we'll get there in the end!
Solar panels and battery - any real world recommendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
Mine blew up after 2 weeks, and took a further 3 to get replaced.
Fingers crossed it's been ok since.
What was the cause?
No idea, blew the circuit breaker and was dead as a dodo.
Guess something internally failed?
Probably something very cheap to replace.
Scottish Power are sooooo ****.
We have been trying to setup an export tarrif with them now since May 2023. WE have the email confirming export MPAN and account setup in august, registered the bank details through thier quite frankly awful online portal, and then nothing...................
I've gone to the energy ombudsman now.
I wish I just had not bothered and gone with Octopus, but at the time...10 months ago.... Octopus didnt accept our certification (flexiorb) and are not paying as much as Scottish power.
We have exported 1387kwh now, at 12p per kw is £166.
If I go to octopus now we will loose that.
We have been trying to setup an export tarrif with them now since May 2023. WE have the email confirming export MPAN and account setup in august, registered the bank details through thier quite frankly awful online portal, and then nothing...................
I've gone to the energy ombudsman now.
I wish I just had not bothered and gone with Octopus, but at the time...10 months ago.... Octopus didnt accept our certification (flexiorb) and are not paying as much as Scottish power.
We have exported 1387kwh now, at 12p per kw is £166.
If I go to octopus now we will loose that.
A quick question.
I have 14 x panels which I believe are LR5-54HTB-425M. So a total array size of 5950.
This morning I often saw figures well above 6000, the highest I saw was 6977. Is this expected?
I have 14 x panels which I believe are LR5-54HTB-425M. So a total array size of 5950.
This morning I often saw figures well above 6000, the highest I saw was 6977. Is this expected?
When the panels are cold and the sun peaks through you can get spikes well above the quoted spec as the panels are rated at higher temperatures.
The 'traditional' suppliers are downright useless when it comes to SEG. We had a 2½ month wait with EDF aswell last year, though they did backpay to the date when it was originally setup at least. They also managed to accidentally list the meter as de-energised, which meant I couldn't switch to Octopus until they rectified it. Eventually they did, but their SEG helpdesk is basically one guy on about 5 hours per day Mon-Fri. Fortunately he seemed to know what he was doing so it eventually got sorted. After that when I did join Octopus, EDF were still badgering me for readings for 6 months for the export meter even though we'd switched away!
I think the issue is when they're paying you, there is no urgency for them to do anything. They don't really want to do it, hence the pitiful rates most of them pay.
Soldato
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Hi guys.
I'm looking at Solar panels and battery.
I've been quoted for the following: It sunsynk hardware any good? I have no real knowledge of any of this.
5.53kW PV system
11 x 425w panels Jinko Tiger Neo Panels.
1 x sunsynk 3.6kW Hyrbid Inverter
1 x Sunsynk 5.32kWh SUN-BATT battery
They claim they expect the system to generate 4673 kWh per year, I know the figures are always a bit inflated, but thats fine.
I'm looking at Solar panels and battery.
I've been quoted for the following: It sunsynk hardware any good? I have no real knowledge of any of this.
5.53kW PV system
11 x 425w panels Jinko Tiger Neo Panels.
1 x sunsynk 3.6kW Hyrbid Inverter
1 x Sunsynk 5.32kWh SUN-BATT battery
They claim they expect the system to generate 4673 kWh per year, I know the figures are always a bit inflated, but thats fine.
Soldato
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Who gave you the quote for that? That price seems good.
@Ace Modder company called Spectra Solar
They're based in Wigan but fit all over the country (I live in Brum)
Top class service and can totally recommend, no salesmen, no pitches, no nagging phone calls as well
They're coming back in a few weeks to fit another Sunsynk L5.1 Battery for me all for £1450 fitted
They're based in Wigan but fit all over the country (I live in Brum)
Top class service and can totally recommend, no salesmen, no pitches, no nagging phone calls as well
They're coming back in a few weeks to fit another Sunsynk L5.1 Battery for me all for £1450 fitted
You didn't say how much?
Soldato
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Thank you, I just called them and they are putting a quote together for me. I already like this firm vs the 3 other firms I've tried for quotes already. They are definitely not pushy but are very knowledgable.
Soldato
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£8.1k for that.
Yes indeed. I had 5 quotes before I engaged Spectra
They weren't the cheapest quote but were the cheapest for the top spec components (tier A panels - Jinko, and tier A inverter/battery)
The other cheaper quotes had random tier B-C components that weren't very well reviewed by owners from my google-fu research
I wouldn't go with any company that didn't have Trina/Jinko panels, and GivEnergy/Growatt/Sunsynk for the inverter/battery
I wouldn't touch that company with a bargepole lol. 11x0.425 = 4.675 kwp system, not a 5.53kwp system
If you have the roof height, get the biggest panels you can (I think Jinko do a 500w version of the Tiger Neo)
Also the Sunsynk Sun-Batt (5.32kwh 80% DOD) isn't as good as the L5.1 (5.12kwh 90% DOD) because of the usable battery - 4.2kwh on the sun-batt vs 4.6 on the L5.1
so basically £1.2k more expensive than Spectra
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Soldato
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Yes completely what Spectra just said to me. I'm quite confident that I'm going to stick with them.
However I won't touch anything growatt, they are known to be poor quality. My friend works in the commerical side of renewable energy installs for large commerical premises (they don't do consumer installs and are only based in north scotland and only cover Scotland. He has told me that he did some installs with Growatt in the past and never again, they were terrible quality and they have to replace a load of growatt hardware with other stuff at their own costs when things went **** up using it.
Growatts technical support is 1 guy with a mobile phone. Not really inspiring.
That's bloody good to be honest prices have really come down since 2 years ago.
How much extra would it be (if possible?) to double the battery capacity?