Soldato
I'll give them a bell on Monday and ask.
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
I'll give them a bell on Monday and ask.
Soldato
As already said, ignore the shape of your roof.
Your instruction to any installer for a quotation is as follows: Please size up for as many panels as possible, and we can remove any sub-optimal locations once the design is complete, or leave them all if the array size is not as big in kWp as envisaged. Please include a G99 application if above 3.68kWp, and ensure the inverter is suitably sized to match this. (It is sensible to oversize these days not undersize if having a G99 done anyhow.)
Other than that, get them to quote for the system with and without a battery, and if not going with a battery to cost/lead times ensure they quote for a hybrid inverter than can have one added easily at a later date. As for a detailed breakdown of the costs and components, e.g. scaffolding, paperwork fees, labour, and parts.
Also don't forget there is zero VAT on home solar installs aright now, so check your quote as I seen one recently where they added 20%!
Soldato
Amazing. Thank you.
Associate
Big day on Monday for me - super excited!
Finally getting inverter, eddi and batteries hooked up to my 18 panels who have been sitting laughing at me doing nothing through all the recent heatwaves!
That aside should have:
- 18 x 410W panels
- 2 x 9.5KW Givenergy Batteries
- 1 x Givenergy 5KW Gen 2 Inverter
- 1 x Eddi
- install, bird protection etc
£14,100 all included.
Question:
I'm moving to Octopus Go which will let me charge my batteries for 7.5p per kw for four hours in the night.
I've got 19 kwh of batteries (and use about 35kwh per day), so if I set this to charge the batteries will this set up mean I can have:
- 19Kwh of charge (ie 4hrs @ 7.5p/kw to max the battery)
- 14.4kwh of charge (ie 4hrs @ 7.5p/kw but limited to 3.6kw per hour due to the inverter)
or AN Other!
If one of the latter, then would getting another inverter installed allow me to double this?
Am figuring that especially through the winter, the more I can get for 7.5p, the better!
Finally getting inverter, eddi and batteries hooked up to my 18 panels who have been sitting laughing at me doing nothing through all the recent heatwaves!
That aside should have:
- 18 x 410W panels
- 2 x 9.5KW Givenergy Batteries
- 1 x Givenergy 5KW Gen 2 Inverter
- 1 x Eddi
- install, bird protection etc
£14,100 all included.
Question:
I'm moving to Octopus Go which will let me charge my batteries for 7.5p per kw for four hours in the night.
I've got 19 kwh of batteries (and use about 35kwh per day), so if I set this to charge the batteries will this set up mean I can have:
- 19Kwh of charge (ie 4hrs @ 7.5p/kw to max the battery)
- 14.4kwh of charge (ie 4hrs @ 7.5p/kw but limited to 3.6kw per hour due to the inverter)
or AN Other!
If one of the latter, then would getting another inverter installed allow me to double this?
Am figuring that especially through the winter, the more I can get for 7.5p, the better!
Supposed to be for me as well - the delivery of equipment didn't arrive on Friday, no notification from installer, wasted weekend and bank holiday and Tuesday, as I don't think anyone will turn up on Monday - to say everything was confirmed on Wednesday by email the lack of communication is shocking and looking at some of their reviews this seems to be acceptable to them.
Associate
Oh dear, our guys have been great - former military fella and boy you can see it in how they work!
I'm super excited!
I'm super excited!
Soldato
I think in theory you should be able to charge at 5kwh so you should just fill the batteries in 4 hours.
The inverters seem to quote a few numbers with some allowing short over and I think you can get sustained being slightly below the rated, but its going to be nigh on spot on with 19kw of storage and a 5kwh charging cap.
The inverters seem to quote a few numbers with some allowing short over and I think you can get sustained being slightly below the rated, but its going to be nigh on spot on with 19kw of storage and a 5kwh charging cap.
Associate
Ah ok, yes I couldn't understand as it says 5kw but lists 3.6kw as charge/discharge max rate??
Soldato
The max charge/discharge power per inverter is 3.6kW (3600w) so you can only put 3.6kWh in per hour, so in 4 hours that will be 14.4kWh in total, less losses, so ~14kWh. If you added a second unit in parallel this would allow a further 3.6kW and therefore 3.6kWh every hour per battery, probably not worth the expense though.
Associate
Ah great to know.
Given costs of electricity going ballistic, what do you think about an extra battery and an inverter? Even if this was just for the overnight charge, this would give me around 5,100kwh of energy @ 7.5p per kWh rather than the 50-60p bouncing around at the moment. Would this not pay back pretty quickly?
Given costs of electricity going ballistic, what do you think about an extra battery and an inverter? Even if this was just for the overnight charge, this would give me around 5,100kwh of energy @ 7.5p per kWh rather than the 50-60p bouncing around at the moment. Would this not pay back pretty quickly?
Associate
Ooh very interesting, completely losing track of all these octopus tariffs (agile, go, intelligent etc!)
Will check it out!
Update - dammit not ready for my car/charger yet it says?? Don't know if they're limiting it somehow to only allow charging cars or something? (Can't think why it'd matter what car and/or charger I have otherwise)
Will check it out!
Update - dammit not ready for my car/charger yet it says?? Don't know if they're limiting it somehow to only allow charging cars or something? (Can't think why it'd matter what car and/or charger I have otherwise)
You need a compatible car or charger they can control, they turn it on and off depending on when the grid is cheapest and when you need the car charged by. They often turn the car on outside of the fixed 7.5p window and they sell you all your energy at 7.5p in that period as well which is handy.
Associate
Ah ok, so I could still charge my battery independently at 7.5p during those hours? (Ie I could control that)
You can indeed, as well as all the usual stuff like running appliances etc.
Soldato
I don't get why would you have a 5kwh inverter and have it capped to 3.6 unless your export is being capped at 3.6?
Did they apply for a G99 for your setup? @katie279
For example my inverter lists 21.7 amp for input and output. Although there is actually 3 variations (I am assuming the lowest version, no UPS) which then means the max could be 20, 21.7 or 23.9 no idea how to work out what is what, I think its some kind of certification thing
This will cap my battery as that lists 25amp recommended for charge/discharge with 35amp max on discharge
Did they apply for a G99 for your setup? @katie279
For example my inverter lists 21.7 amp for input and output. Although there is actually 3 variations (I am assuming the lowest version, no UPS) which then means the max could be 20, 21.7 or 23.9 no idea how to work out what is what, I think its some kind of certification thing
This will cap my battery as that lists 25amp recommended for charge/discharge with 35amp max on discharge
Associate
It lists the max rate on the data sheet here:
www.givenergy.co.uk
My understanding is that the '5kw' is the AC output power, but the max charge/discharge rate for battery is different? (Welcome to be corrected though!)
Note this isn't about export at all, more about charging the battery - my goal is to have close to zero export if possible given the rates are so poor, so setup will be:
1) free electricity from solar
2) if generating more than I need, then charge battery
3) if battery full, then use Eddi to hear hot water
4) during night charge battery @ 7.5p/kw and use this
5) so basically only if all else fails, would I send anything back to grid!
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www.givenergy.co.uk
My understanding is that the '5kw' is the AC output power, but the max charge/discharge rate for battery is different? (Welcome to be corrected though!)
Note this isn't about export at all, more about charging the battery - my goal is to have close to zero export if possible given the rates are so poor, so setup will be:
1) free electricity from solar
2) if generating more than I need, then charge battery
3) if battery full, then use Eddi to hear hot water
4) during night charge battery @ 7.5p/kw and use this
5) so basically only if all else fails, would I send anything back to grid!
Excellent set up and price. Who did you go with Katie? I am also waiting tentatively for my install “booked” for 12th September.
Associate
Thinking on this some more, could you explain why you don't think this'd be worth the expense?
At a simple level I'm thinking it'd give me an extra 14kwh per day through the winter @ 7.5p/kw, rather than 60p+ p/kw which is where things are going (let alone April peak!).
Given we use around 14,000 kw per year, this would surely pay for itself in a few years? (I'm thinking another inverter and a third battery to take us to 28.5 kWh of storage?
Am I missing something?
Associate
EVI Group in Dunfermline - as I said above, really nice bunch of guys, very straight and no nonsense. Have done everything they said they'd do absolutely spot on the time.