Man of Honour
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With the Agile tarrif are you able to automate in some way? Guess it depends on your setup to some degree, but don't know if theres any link available...
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
Check carefully about export tariffs. For instance with Octopus, if you’re on Octopus Go then there are some export tariffs which won’t be available to you.
Soldato
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I believe my Givenergy system will be Agile aware, it will know when the prices are down and can use that to charge for less (I think!).
Of course prices aren't down very much right now, but if the new cap in October is near enough the 55p/kwh on Octopus, then it doesn't need to dip much to make it worth charging.
Not sure to what extent I can control when it does stuff though.
With the prices being so near to the cap variable anyway come start of October, it's not a big deal either way for me.
I'll go on Agile import/export initially, may look to see if I can get onto Go at some point but depends how many hoops I'd have to go through.
If nothing else I'll get paid better for generation than any regular SEG ones pay me, and import should be capped reasonably for the next 12 months I think.
I actually called them up and they're switching me over, Bulb has no exit fees so no barrier to leaving them to switch
I've not looked much into it, but in settings you can set timed charge and timed export, so don't think it's too difficult, but you'd need to go in each day to do it.I believe my Givenergy system will be Agile aware, it will know when the prices are down and can use that to charge for less (I think!).
Of course prices aren't down very much right now, but if the new cap in October is near enough the 55p/kwh on Octopus, then it doesn't need to dip much to make it worth charging.
Not sure to what extent I can control when it does stuff though.
With the prices being so near to the cap variable anyway come start of October, it's not a big deal either way for me.
I'll go on Agile import/export initially, may look to see if I can get onto Go at some point but depends how many hoops I'd have to go through.
If nothing else I'll get paid better for generation than any regular SEG ones pay me, and import should be capped reasonably for the next 12 months I think.
I actually called them up and they're switching me over, Bulb has no exit fees so no barrier to leaving them to switch
Soldato
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I would only do it when it made sense, as battery wear and tear etc will be a thing.
You get prices in the day ahead so perhaps if I get a really good price on a day I could just look at doing it.
As you mentioned though not looked into it much myself either!
In any event, I think Octopus do the best smart tariffs and even without an EV, they are potentially the most likely to do something with load balancing and solar batteries.
are you getting the 9.5kwh battery? If so they have unlimited charge/discharge warranty don't they?I would only do it when it made sense, as battery wear and tear etc will be a thing.
You get prices in the day ahead so perhaps if I get a really good price on a day I could just look at doing it.
As you mentioned though not looked into it much myself either!
In any event, I think Octopus do the best smart tariffs and even without an EV, they are potentially the most likely to do something with load balancing and solar batteries.
Soldato
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I actually have no idea what battery I will be getting, only the quote was 8.2kwh Givenergy, and Luke said that the 9.5kwh were coming and I might get that instead (he did say at a slightly higher than quoted cost)
Initial discussions was actually that the battery may even wind up following a bit later in the year, which is fine. Panels up first was most important.
P.S. check your email from me
Wow, Project Solar UK really are dumb.
My system they installed in 2017 isn't producing correctly.
Trying to cost up the best repair, they have a call out fee £325 which they say covers any repair, but they seem to be reluctant to talk about going on the roof. I don't think the £325 will cover that, but they won't say. They didn't use scaffolding to install, eventhough they charged me for it, but I know they'll want it for this, because they can make more money.
I sent them the daily kWh made for the last month and it's well down.
I sent them a daily output graph, showing 2kw max, on a 4kw system.
I sent them a string voltage output over the day, showing up to 100v lower on one string.
They are saying it's just shading, which I countered it's full sun at midday. Why is there 100v difference on the string still.
They said do a 7 day meter read, erm...you have that data already.
Then I said about going up on the roof and they asked me what I actually want them to do....as to them there is no fault? Wt*....really.....
I don't really want them round my house lol.
Now I'm looking at getting a local company round, which I've been talking too, but they don't use Tigo, so they aren't certified by Tigo to remove them and that invalidates the warranty. Or find a company that is....
So maybe I'll have to just buy new, but if the Tigos have failed, do I want to keep them, will this continue to happen, but it could be panels...
I don't know till someone goes up there.
Urgh....what to do....
Hope that all makes sense
My system they installed in 2017 isn't producing correctly.
Trying to cost up the best repair, they have a call out fee £325 which they say covers any repair, but they seem to be reluctant to talk about going on the roof. I don't think the £325 will cover that, but they won't say. They didn't use scaffolding to install, eventhough they charged me for it, but I know they'll want it for this, because they can make more money.
I sent them the daily kWh made for the last month and it's well down.
I sent them a daily output graph, showing 2kw max, on a 4kw system.
I sent them a string voltage output over the day, showing up to 100v lower on one string.
They are saying it's just shading, which I countered it's full sun at midday. Why is there 100v difference on the string still.
They said do a 7 day meter read, erm...you have that data already.
Then I said about going up on the roof and they asked me what I actually want them to do....as to them there is no fault? Wt*....really.....
I don't really want them round my house lol.
Now I'm looking at getting a local company round, which I've been talking too, but they don't use Tigo, so they aren't certified by Tigo to remove them and that invalidates the warranty. Or find a company that is....
So maybe I'll have to just buy new, but if the Tigos have failed, do I want to keep them, will this continue to happen, but it could be panels...
I don't know till someone goes up there.
Urgh....what to do....
Hope that all makes sense
Good luck with this,..... Its taken over a month to get anyone out to one of my systems, but they are here tomorrow, be a new inverter I bet.
No solar from it for over a month!.
Best to price in a new inverter every 10 years on any installs.
Is that project solar?
My inverter seems ok, it definitely looks like panels or tigo boxes.
No, the company who installed the system in 2013, now don't deal with residential installs... WTF so I was on my own.
Luckily in the install paperwork I found the electric company that sighed off the install,
got in contact with them (60 miles away) and they are here tomorrow.
Original install company was Dulas
Soldato
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Essentially they are very shady groups and warranties mean nothing. They won't pay to install new scaffolding to get on the roof to sort issues, it eats into their silly profit margins.
Everything will come down to you to sort and throw money at.
Good luck to those with issues, you'll need it.
Horrible industry, I can't wait to move into the new house and play around with installers, trying to find someone who isn't full of BS
Everything will come down to you to sort and throw money at.
Good luck to those with issues, you'll need it.
Horrible industry, I can't wait to move into the new house and play around with installers, trying to find someone who isn't full of BS
I guess I'll phone the local company back and maybe some others.
I just need someone willing to just go have a look, maybe a cable has come unplugged a bit or a tigo box fallen off the panel, not sure how they are installed and kept in place. YouTube time!
I wouldn't mind spending £1k but if it started being more, it'll be very annoying and pointless.
I just need someone willing to just go have a look, maybe a cable has come unplugged a bit or a tigo box fallen off the panel, not sure how they are installed and kept in place. YouTube time!
I wouldn't mind spending £1k but if it started being more, it'll be very annoying and pointless.
Soldato
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You might only need an electrician who has had some experience with solar. Best to try find a recommended tradesperson from friends and see if that will be an option.
You can't rule out the inverter still, use the DC disconnects on each string and swap them over at the inverter end, then check the voltages again.
I've swapped the strings on the inverter and the voltage difference follows.
I've also checked the strings open circuit and it checks out the same.
There is def a voltage difference in the strings and inverter appears ok.
If open circuit the strings were matched, I'd be looking at the inverter.
I've also checked the strings open circuit and it checks out the same.
There is def a voltage difference in the strings and inverter appears ok.
If open circuit the strings were matched, I'd be looking at the inverter.
Ah fair enough then. If OCV is showing a 100v drop then that sounds like as many as 3 panels/optimisers are at fault. What is the OCV of each panel, do you have a specification sheet at all?
I don't have exact spec sheet, but I did Google the closet I think they are.
I know they are sunpower 333watt panels, but that's all the info I had given to me.
I can't remember the exact voltages, but when I did the calcs, it was potentially 3 panels out and worryingly 1 on the other string.
From memory should be around 328v for all 6 and neither string was producing that. 280v was max on string 2, so that puts about 1 panel out on that one too.
So if I do have 4 or 5 Tigos out, geez, is that unlucky or what!?
I know they are sunpower 333watt panels, but that's all the info I had given to me.
I can't remember the exact voltages, but when I did the calcs, it was potentially 3 panels out and worryingly 1 on the other string.
From memory should be around 328v for all 6 and neither string was producing that. 280v was max on string 2, so that puts about 1 panel out on that one too.
So if I do have 4 or 5 Tigos out, geez, is that unlucky or what!?
| AT STC) | ||
| Maximum power Pmax | 333 | Wp |
| Open circuit voltage Voc: | 65.3 | V |
| Short circuit current Isc | 6.46 | A |
| Maximum power point voltage Vmpp: | 54.7 | V |
| Maximum power point current Impp: | 6.09 | A |
| Module Efficiency | 20.4 | % |