Solar panel production figures

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I have a plan to increase mine 50% by adding an overhang on each side of the workshop which means I can add 4 more panels each side and conveniently also get a load of extra storage space outside the main shop. But even then it's a mere 9.45. Given the E/W split, the best my 5kw inverter hit yesterday was 4.2kw so while I'll clip on the very best days at the peak, it would do good the rest of the year.

I'm assuming anyone using the Giv stuff is also using Predbat at this point?
I'm using Givenergy, although I've got the kit ready for HA, I've still not set it up.
I will be doing shortly if I don't get side tracked with other projects but I'm fortunate that my battery capacity is large enough to cope with good generation in addition to export/home load.
The 5kW Gen2/3 can cope with 8.3kW total (3.3kW to battery and 5kW to the house/grid at the same time) PV size dependent.
They can also cope with 7.5kW PV per string again, voltage limit dependant.
 
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Soldato
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I'm using Givenergy, although I've got the kit ready for HA, I've still not set it up.
I will be doing shortly if I don't get side tracked with other projects but I'm fortunate that my battery capacity is large enough to cope with good generation in addition to export/home load.
The 5kW Gen2/3 can cope with 8.3kW total (3.3kW to battery and 5kW to the house/grid at the same time) PV size dependent.
They can also cope with 7.5kW PV per string again, voltage limit dependant.
Oh do get it set up. Predbat just made it easier still by becoming an addon rather than also needing Appdaemon to run. It does a very good job on looking at your past usage and charging/discharging when it would best suit your wallet.

The G2 I have can indeed do 8.3kw total but by the time the peak of the day hits I'd likely have a full battery already, so it would need a little extra management set up so that when a good peak is expected for the day, the battery were not fully charged before then so that it could take some of that peak, otherwise it would be limited to the 5kw export. It's likely a long way off yet anyway.
 
Associate
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Oh do get it set up. Predbat just made it easier still by becoming an addon rather than also needing Appdaemon to run. It does a very good job on looking at your past usage and charging/discharging when it would best suit your wallet.

The G2 I have can indeed do 8.3kw total but by the time the peak of the day hits I'd likely have a full battery already, so it would need a little extra management set up so that when a good peak is expected for the day, the battery were not fully charged before then so that it could take some of that peak, otherwise it would be limited to the 5kw export. It's likely a long way off yet anyway.
I will, need it really for the twin hybrids as well - especially for the Winter period.
I've two 9.5kWh batteries on each inverter so I benefit from that extra capacity buffer.
 
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As @katie279 says, size matters over efficiency.

PS. Katie I've noticed your system always lags well behind LottaWatts, considering you're not to far apart and similar system size, any idea why?
And direction - I suffer in Winter because of this, so the better period with volume to compensate as much as possible.
 
Soldato
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Kent, much sunnier than Scotland
On PV Output Katie's is 7.38kWp at 30 degree pitch, south facing with no shading.

LotaWatts is 8.3kWp 37 pitch south east facing with some shading.

Look at today's generation, @katie279 is at 33.7 kWh and LottaWats is at 47 kWh.

Given how close together they appear to be and not a lot of difference in systems, certainly not enough to account for the big difference i notice most days, it just seems a bit odd.
 
Soldato
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I just use GivTCP, the only thing Predbat would add is discharging the battery at the end of the day to maximise the difference between IOG import rate and my export rate.

Not sure it’s worth the extra cycles on the battery for £50-£60/year extra.
Mine either charges at cheap rate and discharges at peak, or charges off solar and then discharges at peak.

Without it running yours I'm assuming is just charging on solar and then discharging for use. Unless you have excess capacity, it's still just 1 full cycle.
 
Soldato
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Mine either charges at cheap rate and discharges at peak, or charges off solar and then discharges at peak.

Without it running yours I'm assuming is just charging on solar and then discharging for use. Unless you have excess capacity, it's still just 1 full cycle.
I don’t have FIT so it makes no sense to charge it off solar.

I can charge it for 7.5p overnight and I get paid 15p to export so I just charge it to 100% daily and export excess solar during the day after it’s topped off again which at this time of year is within 15 mins of the sun coming up.

The only benefit of predbat would be to dump the battery at the end of the day and managing savings sessions. As I said, I’m not sure cycling the battery that hard will be to my benefit over the long term.

I’ve got a heat pump so when autumn rolls round I’ll need every kWh I can get and I’ll not have any capacity to dump despite having an All in one.

I can do the savings sessions manually with a couple of clicks.
 
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Associate
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Crediton, Devon
25.10 Kwh today exported 15 of it and not looking to good for Tuesday

House System is East West
down in not so sunny Devon.
East 8 x 420w panels 45 deg pitch
West 10 x 420w panels 45 deg pitch
Givenergy Gen3 5kwh hybrid
2 x 9.5 battery's

Workshop system is South/East
2440w of panels two 720w strings
one 1000w string
Hybrid inverter with 4x 12v 100Amp
Battery's
Plus grid tie inverter as well
 
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