Solar panels and battery - any real world recommendations?

DRZ said:
My SE-facing panels are split across my two inverters, 3960w on each. Unfortunately, one of them is a 3.68kW inverter so spends most of the day (11-4) clipping. This is only costing me 1.4kWh each day so I can live with it but it is the reason why I haven't broken 70kWh yet. I have been pondering what I can do about this and realistically there isn't anything I can do. I didn't think I would be clipped so much of the time when I was thinking about all of this, so there's almost nothing cost-effective that I can do. 1.4kWh a day is ~21p/day so it would take decades to pay back if I added more capacity. I've considered rearranging the strings so as to move one panel across to the other inverter but again the costs involved in doing that are not trivial enough to ever warrant payback.

I'm not after any sort of reply/solution, just shouting into the abyss really.
Click to expand...
Are they not hybrid inverters? If so, you could delay the charge to any batteries to this period as most hybrid inverters will send to both batteries and house/grid making best use of this period.
 
@tamzzy thanks for your reply. The installer has done it, they said it wouild be a day or two but we are getting to day 10, didn't know if they were being super confident or if this is usual.
 
The first thing I would have looked at with the Sanyos would have been to check and remake the MC4 connectors with new.

A 10% sudden output drop sounds suspiciously like a dodgy connector dropping a panel or two off the string.

That however predicates having roof access and being able to do this.
If you're paying someone to look at it plus access costs, I agree that replacing the panels is likely to be more cost effective.when you take the increased generation into account.
IIRC there should be a method to inform the FIT provider of the replacements and recieve pro-rata FIT with the updated generation numbers too.
 
94JDH said:
Are they not hybrid inverters? If so, you could delay the charge to any batteries to this period as most hybrid inverters will send to both batteries and house/grid making best use of this period.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'd not thought of that for some reason! I will see if I can find a way to 'reserve' ~1.5kW of capacity for this time period - better than it going to waste!
 
Loki said:
Fox ESS H1 G2 5.0kw 1ph Hybrid Inverter
Click to expand...
Because you have a 5kw inverter you'll need a g99 application. The process can take up to 2 months for approval.
I am not sure if you are eligible for the fast-track process. I also don't know what the timescale for fast-track approval is. Someone more knowledgeable can probably advise.

This is only for the g99 export licence. The SEG process with your leccy supplier will also take a couple to a few weeks once the system is installed. You won't get paid for exports until then.
 
Last edited:
Thanks tamzzy, good to know. I have reached out to the company doing the install as they did not mention this to me. Appreciate you feeding back on this.
 
No worries @Loki
Also just to clarify my previous comments (reading back it can be a bit ambiguous)
The installation company sorts out the g99 application
However you are responsible to sort out the seg application. The seg application can only be done after installation and after g99 approval.
 
Last edited:
tamzzy said:
Because you have a 5kw inverter you'll need a g99 application. The process can take up to 2 months for approval.
I am not sure if you are eligible for the fast-track process. I also don't know what the timescale for fast-track approval is. Someone more knowledgeable can probably advise.

This is only for the g99 export licence. The SEG process with your leccy supplier will also take a couple to a few weeks once the system is installed. You won't get paid for exports until then.
Click to expand...
had mine fast tracked within two weeks. did all the paperwork myself for new inverter and the disposal paperwork for the old inverter.
 
DRZ said:
Thanks, I'd not thought of that for some reason! I will see if I can find a way to 'reserve' ~1.5kW of capacity for this time period - better than it going to waste!
Click to expand...
If your inverter software has a slot to charge the battery, reduce or pause the charge in the early morning, late afternoon and maximise at peak. Each of my 5 kW hybrid inverters cope with 8.3 kW using this method.
 
Hey @Ron-ski ... me again, again. :D

Quick question - did you bond/earth the frames of your wall mount panels? I'm just triple checking I've covered everything and I noted in BS7671 that frame panels need to be earthed in an equipotential manner, I'm pretty sure my roof panels aren't judging by the lack of earth connection from the roof down to the inverter...

Thank you, as always, in advance (sorry).
 
Last edited:
Roof mounted panels don’t need to be bonded in the U.K., I guess the risk of something happening (injury/death of a person) due the lack of bonding is very very low.
 
Last edited:
randal said:
Hey @Ron-ski ... me again, again. :D

Quick question - did you bond/earth the frames of your wall mount panels? I'm just triple checking I've covered everything and I noted in BS7671 that frame panels need to be earthed in an equipotential manner, I'm pretty sure my roof panels aren't judging by the lack of earth connection from the roof down to the inverter...

Thank you, as always, in advance (sorry).
Click to expand...
No, electrician didn't say anything either. Didn't think it was a thing in the UK.
 
Nor me when I first read through the SolarEdge documentation for the Optimisers and Inverter. There was an addendum for North America about earthing, but nothing for the UK specifically.

Yet if you read through BS7671 apparently there was something added in 2015 about it?? ChatGPT seems to thing it's essential too lol, yet our installers didn't and you guys didn't... Bleh, it's not like it's a hardship to do but I'd rather get up the ladder once so-to-speak!


On the plus side I have 6 shiny panels on a pallet in my garage which is a bonus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom