Mine took about 7 weeks.
Solar panels and battery - any real world recommendations?
- Thread starter GinG
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i did fast track g99 for my upgrades, had reply within 7 days
Just looked and it shows on my external smart meter - Active MD Export 0.00kW. That was the only "export" setting I could find. I wonder what's actually happening to the excess / export.
I've not got an MCS Certificate yet, or a letter from the DNO so I guess I'll just have to wait and then apply for Octopus Outgoing as soon as they arrive.
Here's my current FoxCloud app showing the "export" as the Grid figure.
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Your screen shot clearly shows you're exporting.
There is a bug in some smart meters, where they don't report active export power, note you've put kW, and it says active, so that's instantaneous power, and it's not reading correctly.
You should have an export reading in the smart meter showing kWh, this will record correctly, and show how much you've exported.
I wouldn't worry about the fact your exporting without a G99(as hopefully it's in hand), what really matters is your not pushing the grid voltage too high. Have a dig around in the app, I think its under the inverter part, check the grid voltage doesn't exceed 253v, if it's not graphed you'll need to check when exporting at peak power a few times a day.
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Yeah I'll have to dig into the smart meter a bit more, but I couldn't see anything else related to export, but I'll check the FC app periodically as it seems to be hovering around 250v when I check.
Current detailed parameters from the Inverter.
Thanks for all the information and advice. Just nice to get my head around things and understand them.
It's quite unusual for an installer to go ahead on a bigger inverter install without a G99 already. Is your DNO northern power? If so be prepared to wait a while, mine took weeks. 
Make sure they've actually put it in too. Mine tried to put in for just a G98 for a 5kW inverter first time around, "accidentally" saying it was a 3.68kW one.
Make sure they've actually put it in too. Mine tried to put in for just a G98 for a 5kW inverter first time around, "accidentally" saying it was a 3.68kW one.
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The Fox F3600 on my NW array is 2x MPPTs. Others like Solax X1-3.6, GivEnergy 3.6 Gen 3 also have them.
Yes Reef, same as yours as I'm in East Yorkshire too.It's quite unusual for an installer to go ahead on a bigger inverter install without a G99 already. Is your DNO northern power? If so be prepared to wait a while, mine took weeks.
Make sure they've actually put it in too. Mine tried to put in for just a G98 for a 5kW inverter first time around, "accidentally" saying it was a 3.68kW one.
I'll chase up the installer today to find out what's the situation.
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My smart meter doesn’t real time power export, only on import in kw.
It had two registers for energy both import and export in KWH. The only way for me to get the export reading is to read it physically on the device.
It of course reports 30 min readings to octopus for both import and export.
It had two registers for energy both import and export in KWH. The only way for me to get the export reading is to read it physically on the device.
It of course reports 30 min readings to octopus for both import and export.
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Britons could soon install balcony solar panels in flats and rental homes
Proposals would enable Britons to save on energy bills and join millions of people in Europe who use ‘plug-in’ panels
www.theguardian.com
Whilst every little bit helps, these balcony solar systems are really not going to generate much. I have 1.575 kWp of panels (3 x 525w) bolted to the rear of my house, which points SSW, so almost optimal, no shading, and they generated 6.1 kWh today. The three panels have total width of 6.23 meters, much wider than your average balcony, which may get one panel on, so now we are down to 2 kWh on one of the best days of the year, and that's without any shading.
The three panels have averaged 4.38 kWh a day this year, divide that by three, and that 1.46 kWh a day per panel.
So its clear to see that if your balcony is not south facing, its not going to generate much, add in shading its going to get even worse. When its gloomy, these panels don't generate much at all.
I fully expect they will be priced on the expensive side as well, for the right price they will eventually pay back.
The three panels have averaged 4.38 kWh a day this year, divide that by three, and that 1.46 kWh a day per panel.
So its clear to see that if your balcony is not south facing, its not going to generate much, add in shading its going to get even worse. When its gloomy, these panels don't generate much at all.
I fully expect they will be priced on the expensive side as well, for the right price they will eventually pay back.
Haha, Kent must be a really sunny place 
In Germany one can buy from a supermarket a kit with two panels for 300 EUR, which is around 250 GBP. These are smaller panels than those mounted on roofs, so let's say the two are equal to one of your panels.
1.46 kWh × £0.25/kWh daily rate = £0.365 per day on average. £0.365 × 365 days = £133 per year - so it will pay off in 2 years or so.
This one is 375 quid - https://www.renewsolar.co.uk/product/deye-micro-inverter-solar-advanced-kit-800w/ - so maybe a 3 year payout. The description says "2x 405w Solar panels.", if they are regular size panels the payout will be a lot shorter.
Nowadays panels and inverters are very cheap, and easily pay in off in 2 years (given that UK has some of the highest prices for domestic electricity in the world). In UK we're paying a lot for the roof installation - because there is limited number of MCS installers and so limited competition. E.g. this month I paid 7000 quid for the installation of panels, that cost online 1120. As these balcony kits don't need professional installation, they can pay off very fast.
In Germany one can buy from a supermarket a kit with two panels for 300 EUR, which is around 250 GBP. These are smaller panels than those mounted on roofs, so let's say the two are equal to one of your panels.
1.46 kWh × £0.25/kWh daily rate = £0.365 per day on average. £0.365 × 365 days = £133 per year - so it will pay off in 2 years or so.
This one is 375 quid - https://www.renewsolar.co.uk/product/deye-micro-inverter-solar-advanced-kit-800w/ - so maybe a 3 year payout. The description says "2x 405w Solar panels.", if they are regular size panels the payout will be a lot shorter.
Nowadays panels and inverters are very cheap, and easily pay in off in 2 years (given that UK has some of the highest prices for domestic electricity in the world). In UK we're paying a lot for the roof installation - because there is limited number of MCS installers and so limited competition. E.g. this month I paid 7000 quid for the installation of panels, that cost online 1120. As these balcony kits don't need professional installation, they can pay off very fast.
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Yes, its easy to forget the shear area of panels you need to generate anything half decent. For example, a typical panel is 2 sq m, but then only perhaps 23% efficient. That is in perfect conditions, so a 460w panel covering 2 sq m might only be 350w in reality. You'd need 20 sq metres covering just to trouble a 3.68kw inverter and that's facing south too.
Depends on how you count payback time.
It's also worth to switch to a time-of-use tariff.
For me I count it as:
SEG + (expected leccy bill at price cap - actual leccy bill)
For my usage pattern, my ROI is just under 9 years.
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I think my sisters set up was 12 years?
And that did seem about right from the little data they have. They use a lot more than us. (somehow). But it still looked like being 12 years. They live in Suffolk. A good area for solar.
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