Solar panels and battery - any real world recommendations?

doodah said:
Now we're up and running, just wanted to check a few things. Our G99 DNO was approved and we're with e.ON so I'll need to send them our MCS to get on SEG? I think our Sigenergy is currently on AI mode but think this goes through cycles more quickly. If we come off that, what's the best 'manual' mode setup? Run house of solar and charge battery during the day + charge battery during early hours of the morning when it's cheaper?
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Yep, plus once on SEG export excess late evening
 
Further updates on my setup / plans.

Looks like I’m good to crack on next year. Happy days.

Hello,
Thank you for your email. To clarify, as per Ofgem guidance, if any additions are made that increase the Total Installed Capacity (TIC) of your system beyond 4 kW, we would need to be informed after the work has taken place. We would then submit the details to Ofgem for assessment and approval.
Additionally, if you decide to add extra panels, you might consider putting the new panels on the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme, which could be a beneficial option for you (Your exisiting set up would remain on FIT). This would require a separate Generation meter for the new installation and please be aware that if you took this option, the export element of your FIT would also change to SEG - details of the SEG scheme are here - https://www.eonnext.com/electricity-and-gas/smart-export-guarantee
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.
Kind regards,
John
 
doodah said:
That's good to know, but is the AI mode better than setting up properly/yourself?
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I can’t comment on that as I don’t own one, it depends on how complex your usage is I guess.

Someone else made a thread on home and garden about this system specifically and the AI mode (they found it not to be that good).

P.S. it’s not really AI, it’s a pretty basic algorithm to work out whether to charge or discharge.

If you have home assistant, id recommend Predbat.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
I can’t comment on that as I don’t own one, it depends on how complex your usage is I guess.

Someone else made a thread on home and garden about this system specifically and the AI mode (they found it not to be that good).

P.S. it’s not really AI, it’s a pretty basic algorithm to work out whether to charge or discharge.

If you have home assistant, id recommend Predbat.
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That was my other concern, I tend to stay away from AI modes. I'll check the thread, thanks. As for HA, that's my next project to self host on my NAS :D.
 
I don't use the AI on my Sigenergy system as it will hammer the battery, especially in "Max Profit", plus it has been known to not work on occasion. I just have schedule to force charge from 23:30 to 00:00 and 00:00 to 05:30, self-use from 05:30 to 21:30 and force discharge down to 10% SOC from 21:30 to 23:30. This can all be done in the scheduling. For things like saving sessions I just take manual control and tell it to force discharge for an hour. It can all be done quite easily in the app.
 
reef said:
I don't use the AI on my Sigenergy system as it will hammer the battery, especially in "Max Profit", plus it has been known to not work on occasion. I just have schedule to force charge from 23:30 to 00:00 and 00:00 to 05:30, self-use from 05:30 to 21:30 and force discharge down to 10% SOC from 21:30 to 23:30. This can all be done in the scheduling. For things like saving sessions I just take manual control and tell it to force discharge for an hour. It can all be done quite easily in the app.
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Thank you. It's only been 5 days and still getting to the grips with the app but those timings are very helpful. I'll check what tariff we're on and e.ON's peak/off-peak times.
 
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john_smith said:
Further updates on my setup / plans.

Looks like I’m good to crack on next year. Happy days.

Hello,
Thank you for your email. To clarify, as per Ofgem guidance, if any additions are made that increase the Total Installed Capacity (TIC) of your system beyond 4 kW, we would need to be informed after the work has taken place. We would then submit the details to Ofgem for assessment and approval.
Additionally, if you decide to add extra panels, you might consider putting the new panels on the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme, which could be a beneficial option for you (Your exisiting set up would remain on FIT). This would require a separate Generation meter for the new installation and please be aware that if you took this option, the export element of your FIT would also change to SEG - details of the SEG scheme are here - https://www.eonnext.com/electricity-and-gas/smart-export-guarantee
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.
Kind regards,
John
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I have asked though what if Ofgem don't approve it and suggested i'd like approval before touching it. :-)
 
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reef said:
I don't use the AI on my Sigenergy system as it will hammer the battery, especially in "Max Profit", plus it has been known to not work on occasion. I just have schedule to force charge from 23:30 to 00:00 and 00:00 to 05:30, self-use from 05:30 to 21:30 and force discharge down to 10% SOC from 21:30 to 23:30. This can all be done in the scheduling. For things like saving sessions I just take manual control and tell it to force discharge for an hour. It can all be done quite easily in the app.
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Thanks again for this. Think we're good to go:
  • Force charge 02:00-05:00
  • Self-use 05:00-16:00
  • Force discharge 16:00-19:00 (with the 10% SOC - it's the discharge cut-off SOC from BAT to Grid?)
 
10% cut off is very low if you are planning to force discharge between 4 and 7. You could rush running out.

Most people force discharge after 7pm because of there are any savings sessions, they tend to be at those times and any exports count against you.
 
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b0rn2sk8 said:
10% cut off is very low if you are planning to force discharge between 4 and 7. You could rush running out.

Most people force discharge after 7pm because of there are any savings sessions, they tend to be at those times and any exports count against you.
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Ah and oops, I did a like for like and used the timings based on our new tariff. I'll have a look again and rejig.
 
As above. I’d force export much later in the day. Maybe start at 11pm. Monitor and then work earlier in 30 min chunks.

Winter vs. Summer will give you a shorter / longer exporting window.

I’ve mine automated via home assistant. It starts checking battery % early in the evening and will start exporting if the % is high enough.
 
Mines also automated, it starts exporting at 19:00 and goes right through to 23:35, it calculates the export rate needed to reach 15% depending on house load, and solar.
 
Think I'm a bit confused. I'll simplyfy for now as EON say it could take up to 6 weeks to get approved for SEG. I've left charge at 2-5am and assume self consumption 5pm-2am for now? With these settings - anything generated from the panels will still go towards consumption? Or will it automatically charge the battery with the excess from the house consumption?

HA is a future weekend project but looking forward to it.

Thank you all for your help.
 
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doodah said:
With these settings - anything generated from the panels will still go towards consumption? Or will it automatically charge the battery with the excess from the house consumption?
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Go towards consumption, any excess will charge the batteries until they are full, excess will then be exported.

Until SEG is sorted you may not want to fully charge overnight so as to leave some room in the batteries, but given time of the year that may will not be a problem.
 
doodah said:
Think I'm a bit confused. I'll simplyfy for now as EON say it could take up to 6 weeks to get approved for SEG. I've left charge at 2-5am and assume self consumption 5pm-2am for now? With these settings - anything generated from the panels will still go towards consumption? Or will it automatically charge the battery with the excess from the house consumption?

HA is a future weekend project but looking forward to it.

Thank you all for your help.
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Make a note of your export meter reading and take a photo aswell just in case they ask you for this in the future. When I first got solar a few years ago EDF back paid to the date when I applied for SEG with them, so I got paid for during the waiting period.
 
reef said:
Make a note of your export meter reading and take a photo aswell just in case they ask you for this in the future. When I first got solar a few years ago EDF back paid to the date when I applied for SEG with them, so I got paid for during the waiting period.
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This .... octopus took an age to get ours set up and after some moaning, back paid for all of our production from when they were comissioned.
 
reef said:
Make a note of your export meter reading and take a photo aswell just in case they ask you for this in the future. When I first got solar a few years ago EDF back paid to the date when I applied for SEG with them, so I got paid for during the waiting period.
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Thanks, already done as I needed a pic for the SEG application. Export was set at 0.
 
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