Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[Troop]

Yeah, they used to sell an extended warranty, think it was about £120 for 10 years. Not sure if they still do it now though.

Question though, what is the model number? - As it might not be the inverter it could be the solar PV/generating side of things, as the fault codes aren't always the same for every model (annoyingly) so best to check thoroughly

Fronius IGTL3.0

Down side of this is I'd earmarked this years FIT payments to pay for more Lifepo4 batteries, money will now go on a new inverter Probably.

This vid shows the same issue.

Fronius Inverter STATE 301 Error

Is your Fronius solar inverter displaying a STATE 301 error message on the screen? Find out what it means and what you can do about it here with Gold Coast S...

www.youtube.com

On a positive note, My DIY setup worked without issue left running my house during a 2 week trip to Scotland.
Monitored via the Victron Venus OS on a Raspberry Pi via the Victron's VRM portal.(everything can be configured/shut down via the web)

 

[Journey]

Fronius IGTL3.0

Down side of this is I'd earmarked this years FIT payments to pay for more Lifepo4 batteries, money will now go on a new inverter Probably.

This vid shows the same issue.

From the manual - 301 Overcurrent (AC) Description A short interruption of power feeding into the grid due to overcurrent in the inverter circuit. The inverter returns to the startup phase.

Sounds to me like a fault on the DC to AC board, if it is detecting an overcurrent. Does it start up if you disconnect the PV array via the disconnect switch?

 

[HungryHippos]

Is it worth flipping onto Octopus Agile in the coming months? New cap is 55p/kwh which will be higher than the October variable rate, but some hours of the day it could be less, so my average paid through the day could be lower.

Additionally, if there is a really cheap window of time, I could use it to force charge the battery, and maybe if there is an expensive one later I could dump the stored power back into the grid and effectively sell it back for more?

I can't get onto GO due to not having an EV, so just considering options.

Not sure if Givenergy batteries are smart enough to charge up automatically when Agile rates are good, or if it's all very manual and not worth the hassle.

 

[Troop]

From the manual - 301 Overcurrent (AC) Description A short interruption of power feeding into the grid due to overcurrent in the inverter circuit. The inverter returns to the startup phase.

Sounds to me like a fault on the DC to AC board, if it is detecting an overcurrent. Does it start up if you disconnect the PV array via the disconnect switch?

I can't get to the property before about 5PM so will try disconnecting the PV and rebooting, think it will be like the vid just going back to error 301 after resetting.
I'll update when I know more. cheers for the info.

 

[Journey]

I can't get to the property before about 5PM so will try disconnecting the PV and rebooting, think it will be like the vid just going back to error 301 after resetting.
I'll update when I know more. cheers for the info.

Yeah but he re-enabled the PV, so there was a voltage going through the DC-AC board. If you leave the solar off, then try a reboot it may show a further error message after the first one, or may boot up correctly. Sometimes the first error isn't the fault, but a symptom of the thing causing the fault. Good luck either way.

 

[Troop]

Yeah but he re-enabled the PV, so there was a voltage going through the DC-AC board. If you leave the solar off, then try a reboot it may show a further error message after the first one, or may boot up correctly. Sometimes the first error isn't the fault, but a symptom of the thing causing the fault. Good luck either way.

OK after a mad dash to the property, disconnecting Just the PV first = same error 301...... rebooting the AC only after a 2 min wait lights flash for a second then nothing.
turn on PV as well after another 2 min wait, see another error code of

"STATE 753 Internal error: Real Time Clock module is in emergency mode
Time may be inaccurate or lost (feeding energy into the grid normal)"

before going back to error 301.

Plan now is to get the installers out this week to it.

 

[Journey]

OK after a mad dash to the property, disconnecting Just the PV first = same error 301...... rebooting the AC only after a 2 min wait lights flash for a second then nothing.
turn on PV as well after another 2 min wait, see another error code of

"STATE 753 Internal error: Real Time Clock module is in emergency mode
Time may be inaccurate or lost (feeding energy into the grid normal)"

before going back to error 301.

Plan now is to get the installers out this week to it.

Oh well, it was worth a shot. Lets hope the replacement is fast, and not too costly.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

Is it worth flipping onto Octopus Agile in the coming months? New cap is 55p/kwh which will be higher than the October variable rate, but some hours of the day it could be less, so my average paid through the day could be lower.

Additionally, if there is a really cheap window of time, I could use it to force charge the battery, and maybe if there is an expensive one later I could dump the stored power back into the grid and effectively sell it back for more?

I can't get onto GO due to not having an EV, so just considering options.

Not sure if Givenergy batteries are smart enough to charge up automatically when Agile rates are good, or if it's all very manual and not worth the hassle.

effectively "buying" the energy from the grid then "selling" it back? I like this idea lmao!

Do Octopus check if you actually have an EV now?

 

[HungryHippos]

effectively "buying" the energy from the grid then "selling" it back? I like this idea lmao!

Do Octopus check if you actually have an EV now?

For GO apparently yes, somehow.

It's certainly a riskier approach trying to get Go without one as they could call you up on it. Shame they don't do a similar version for Solar.

That was my guess with Agile as something I could do, but there is a cost to battery wear and tear of course, I'm not sure what the prices would look like, but if there are cheaper top up times available it seems a no-brainer to take advantage of it anyway, even if the cap unit rate could be higher than the actual cap in October.

Wondered how other people with Solar and battery were using it, and if it was possible for the Battery side to be smart enough to auto charge when the price is low.

 

[Journey]

effectively "buying" the energy from the grid then "selling" it back? I like this idea lmao!

Yes, it is a surprisingly effective strategy if you have enough of a difference between the buy/sell price in the same day, and can either self consume solar if are generating enough or if you can minimise usage at peak costs. It's all just mushed together right now though, as the unit cost is always 35p on Agile V1, and the export pricing is variable and almost always below 35p.

Agile is great if you export only in the summer though due to excess generation, pushing 300kWh (for me) in July with an average of around 22p means an income of £66 if I was on Agile, while using virtually nothing from the grid. In the winter though, you don't have that excess generation and most days in the dark/short sunlight months you might not even cover your own usage, so have to hope you can charge your battery overnight at a cheap cost and use it during those hours, or get on Go and have the guaranteed cheap rates.

 

[HungryHippos]

Best price on new Agile contract is 55p/kwh now apparently. If anyone knows the answers to these would be great!

How often is it less than the cap?

What is the export cost usually like compared to import?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Best price on new Agile contract is 55p/kwh now apparently. If anyone knows the answers to these would be great!

How often is it less than the cap?

What is the export cost usually like compared to import?

Download Historical Pricing Data | Energy Stats UK

Download Historical Pricing Data for Octopus Energy tariffs with data going back to 2018. Claim £50 free credit when joining Octopus Energy.

www.energy-stats.uk

 

[Tavis75]

Best price on new Agile contract is 55p/kwh now apparently. If anyone knows the answers to these would be great!

How often is it less than the cap?

What is the export cost usually like compared to import?

One thing to bear in mind, you can have Agile Outgoing without the import, I'm currently with Octopus for my incoming electric (at about 27p per unit) and have just applied for Agile Outgoing while keeping my existing import tariff, means no cheap rates to charge the battery, but looking back at the recent rates for the Agile Import tariff, there has not been a single time that it is dropped lower than my current import rate (though obviously that may change when the price cap change hits).

 

[SBo]

One thing to bear in mind, you can have Agile Outgoing without the import, I'm currently with Octopus for my incoming electric (at about 27p per unit) and have just applied for Agile Outgoing while keeping my existing import tariff, means no cheap rates to charge the battery, but looking back at the recent rates for the Agile Import tariff, there has not been a single time that it is dropped lower than my current import rate (though obviously that may change when the price cap change hits).

Yep the standing charge for Octopus Agile [import] up until two weeks ago was only 21p/day which is the only reason why one would have chosen it over the cheaper Loyal Octopus or similar...

 

[Tavis75]

Yep the standing charge for Octopus Agile [import] up until two weeks ago was only 21p/day which is the only reason why one would have chosen it over the cheaper Loyal Octopus or similar...

Ah, that's a good point about the standing charge previously, at this time of year that would probably have actually made the Agile import worthwhile, considering my daily usage at the moment is 0.1-0.25 units (so about 3-7p, or about 12-15p even at the 55p agile rate) but I'm paying a standing charge of about 48p, so Agile with the cheaper standing charge would have been better. Maybe would have not been so good in the winter when I'm assuming I will not be able to get enough solar to cover all my usage on a lot of days (though maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised)

 

[HungryHippos]

One thing to bear in mind, you can have Agile Outgoing without the import, I'm currently with Octopus for my incoming electric (at about 27p per unit) and have just applied for Agile Outgoing while keeping my existing import tariff, means no cheap rates to charge the battery, but looking back at the recent rates for the Agile Import tariff, there has not been a single time that it is dropped lower than my current import rate (though obviously that may change when the price cap change hits).

Oh maybe, I am not with Octopus at all at the moment though, I'm with EDF. Can't get onto Octopus without going onto a fixed tariff.

 

[Ron-ski]

I'm with EDF. Can't get onto Octopus without going onto a fixed tariff

Is that a result of phoning them? I'd like to get on Octopus, but not a fixed rate.

 

[SBo]

Oh maybe, I am not with Octopus at all at the moment though, I'm with EDF. Can't get onto Octopus without going onto a fixed tariff.

EDF's Go Electric 35 tariff quoted me 4.5p off-peak a few weeks ago (44p peak). Just a shame that their import pricing is an insult.

 

[HungryHippos]

EDF's Go Electric 35 tariff quoted me 4.5p off-peak a few weeks ago (44p peak). Just a shame that their import pricing is an insult.

I read this as Octopus GO, not EDF!

I'll have a check with em

Edit - You need an EV for their GO one as well, appears to not currently be offered: https://www.edfenergy.com/electric-cars/tariffs

Is that a result of phoning them? I'd like to get on Octopus, but not a fixed rate.

Yes, they won't take on new variable customers because the current cap is less than current cost to them per unit.

 

[Ron-ski]

@HungryHippos Thanks, thats what I suspected, it just doesn't make sense to take on new customers and sell at a loss.