Soldato
He is demonstrating what can be done with a few solar panels and a cheap battery, of course the usage is low when you have solar. D'OH!
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
He is demonstrating what can be done with a few solar panels and a cheap battery, of course the usage is low when you have solar. D'OH!
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2014
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- 2,771
I was assuming that solar generation was minimal given that it was February.
Soldato
I generated over 360kWh in Feb, it was actually a decent month.
Associate
Look how little has been used at the day rate , the panels and battery take a lot of that away. If there is no Sun I charge at the cheap rate.
Just upgraded my setup to 3x 330W panels to the battery, as I have more cells OTW.
One 250W panel on a grid tie feeding in daylight time. ( be 2 x250W panels feeding in from this weekend)
Just upgraded my setup to 3x 330W panels to the battery, as I have more cells OTW.
One 250W panel on a grid tie feeding in daylight time. ( be 2 x250W panels feeding in from this weekend)
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I assume you have an EV too that charges from solar?
Associate
Troop, do you have a blog or links to your setup or more info on whats needed? I've got a 4kW array already on our garage roof and am very interested in getting some batteries like you have done. We're all electric with GSHP so should be able to benefit a lot from a few batteries. Ta.
Associate
^^^, No EV, done to keep my usage from the grid down.
Pud, Watch all of this Video, same setup as I am using to feed in from the batteries, battery choice is all up to you. (24v or 48V system)
But batteries and that inverter are all you need, add solar or just a charger for the batteries and your good to go.
Edit to add, that inverter is £200-250 depending on extras wifi/clamp meter etc.
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I'm surprised you managed to get onto the GO tariff then, their T&Cs are very strict that it is for EV owners only. (I enquired and tried to join it).
Associate
You need to be an Octopus customer before you can get access to the go tariff, I had no problem last September.
Issue now is no one wants new customers.
I contacted them querying it, even as an Octopus customer they wouldn't move to GO if I didn't have an EV. They directed me towards their OUTGOING tariffs instead
Associate
As I said they do not want to take on new customers, I'd be trying to just join Octopus on their interim tariff, get in first
then push for the Go tariff after a month with them.
the conditions weren't as strict previously,
my conclusion octopus now want to maximise the negative spot pricing they get on overnight energy from genuine heavy ev users, which subsidises day time use, if people time shift energy that defeats the point.
Interesting that the sun gtil 2kw invertor in video seems 87% efficient .. and tesla power wall one apparently 97% ?
Existing customer or not, they won't put you onto GO anymore without evidence of EV ownership apparently.
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
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- 2,580
I moved to Go last November a week before my EV arrived. I just asked to move and they did. I didn't need to show I owned an EV.
I've just signed up, moving from EDF to Octopus. Done over the phone with referral code and told will go live on 28th March, then be swapped to Go within a max of two weeks.
Associate
- Joined
- 4 Jul 2006
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- 2,033
When it comes to the batteries can you have them only charge from solar panels and not the grid, currently our usage is ~25-30kwh per day, what system would you recommend and what do you think could fit on this roof (Can do both sides as well of roof, this is south facing but sun does go round the other side for few hours) the white one in middle.
Been looking at few websites but they have no pricing from what I can see just contact us button which doesn't help as I need to know what I can afford beforehand and not spend half an hour getting prices on all their setups.
Been looking at few websites but they have no pricing from what I can see just contact us button which doesn't help as I need to know what I can afford beforehand and not spend half an hour getting prices on all their setups.
Soldato
Well what is your actual budget?
A 4kw solar system is going to be between £4k and £5k, maybe a tad more if your installation is tricky.
When it comes to the batteries can you have them only charge from solar panels and not the grid, currently our usage is ~25-30kwh per day, what system would you recommend and what do you think could fit on this roof (Can do both sides as well of roof, this is south facing but sun does go round the other side for few hours) the white one in middle.
Been looking at few websites but they have no pricing from what I can see just contact us button which doesn't help as I need to know what I can afford beforehand and not spend half an hour getting prices on all their setups.
Probably 4kW set up with an 8kW battery around 8.5k from Effective home.co.uk. It was quoted by someone on this forum somewhere and would be based on a standard set up.
You could be Octopus Go and on the winter use the cheep 4 hour rate to fill the battery and supplement your lower solar yield. In the summer you'll charge the battery from the solar and use the excess in the day/export to the grid for a small return.
Anything with bigger solar and batteries will obviously cost more
Associate
- Joined
- 4 Jul 2006
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- 2,033
~10k, not sure if 4kw would have been enough for us or whether should go with 6kw (Panels could fit on other side of roof if need be) and if you could make batteries charge via solar only