Right guys, sorry for the long delay. Had some things going on lately, but it doesn't mean things haven't been happening
Of note, I've now got a wireless broadband service (25Mb down, 25Mb up) and we're in the process of having solar panels fitted.
These pictures are the latter (I'll be back with the broadband stuff later).
I was originally going to post the image above as a teaser, but it's already been a while, so I saw no point
This is a before shot..
There are a number of things you need for a solar installation:
- Solar panels (15x 250w Sharp panels)
- Inverter
- Generation meter (tells you what you're generating)
- Isolation switch
The system we've opted for is a 3.68kW system as that's the maximum limit you can have without seeking permission from Western Distribution Power (can take 12 weeks). Not sure if this applies to Wales only, but there you go.
Originally, this was set to be installed as 16 panels * 230W per panel = 3680W, however, due to a shortage of the panels we chose, the installers have uprated us to 250W panels, so we're now having 15 panels * 250W per panel = 3750w.
Also, as the government is currently in court regarding the drop in feed in tariff (from 43.3p to 21p), we're pushing to get this all set up before the next deadline and the tariff drops again. With any luck, the supreme court rules the original decision valid and we'll claim the full 43.3p but that's a chance we're taking.
The full cost of installation is £9,500.
At some point, you need to connect the panels to the inverter, which then converts the DC current to an AC supply. From here, it is fed back to the consumer unit and in to the national grid. Obviously, being a "finished" build, there was always going to be some destruction involved in getting the single feed from the inverter to the consumer unit (hence the pictures above).
The most direct route chosen, was to channel down from the roof, through the bathroom and down in to the utility room where the consumer unit is situated. This means the cable can be buried in the wall and enter the utility above the consumer unit, and can be hidden with with minimal trunking.
It just so happens that the area affected is behind the bathroom door, so it shouldn't be too noticeable once filled and re-painted.
This is the outcome of the first day. You can see where the ceiling has been cut to ensure they didn't hit any vital services such as the mains cabling, alarm, Cat6 etc. The 2 black boxes are essentially a terminal block for the main electrical feed, which has been spliced.
Sorry for the poor perspective, the cupboard opposite prevents a better frontal shot.
This is the final install of the additional components. I hope to have the cabling in white plastic trunking, but you can see how the feed from the roof (far right) enters an isolation switch, which feeds the consumer unit. From the consumer unit it enters an RCD and in to the generation meter.
Here is a shot of the inverter itself. Being the first day of the install, none of the panels are on the roof, so none are wired up here, but you get the jist of how they are fed in to the inverter (far left), and how that is manipulated down to the single feed (far right).
More to follow.