Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[tsinc80697]

Ah right, yes I'll confess I may have picked the more expensive Anderson A2 because it looked nice...and it didn't look like a men's urinal...

Zappi Universal - Standard Installation Included - Future Charging Solutions

Please note: The OZEV EV charge point grant allows customers who live in rental accommodation or own a flat to reduce the cost of buying and installing a home charger by up to £350. Click here to check the eligibility criteria

www.futurechargingsolutions.co.uk

Hmm, might need to look at one for our second EV that's arriving shortly....!

I had an A2 on order but after they faffed around I cancelled it and got a Hypervolt. The one thing I found out was that the Andersen iOS/Android app is poo. So factor that in to your decision as waking up to an uncharged car due to the app not starting the charge on time would wind me up!

 

[Russinating]

Don’t know about katie, but I had my HyperVolt installed when the grants were still being offered last year so I paid just under £500 for supply and fit.

Yeah I was never eligible for a grant, no driveway.

 

[katie279]

I used my knowledge of external IP6X rated enclosures, and put my 'ugly' Ohme inside of it. Not that I cared what it looked like in the first place before I had the box, but I wanted to restrict access to it.

Ah great idea, my husband's just about to start on a cedar enclosure for our electricity box, so we could build one for the ev charger too.

Stupidly obvious now you point it out....!

 

[katie279]

@katie279 What EV do you have? Does it allow you to reduce the ampage?

Personally, I didn't and still don't understand why you would pay more than the very minimum for an EV charger unless you need something really niche.

My charger cost me £299.99 plus £300 for the install, so £600. With an overnight unit rate of 5p/kW vs an Anderson or similar (like the above) at £1,200, that's 12,000kW difference, or 218 full cycles (Model 3 SR) before you break even. Even now with the 7.5p/kW overnight rates that's 8000kW or 145 full cycles.

Might just be me but if you're looking to save money by charging at the right times then factoring in the cost of the charger in the first place is by far the easiest way of reducing overall cost!

I have a Nissan Leaf and husband has a Tesla Model Y on order. That's a great thought also - no idea if Nissan lets you adjust this (mainly as their app is the worst I have ever seen, could never even get it to load) - might check this...

Agree re cost - although I got the Anderson for free as I had the grant and then I smiled lots...

 

[katie279]

I had an A2 on order but after they faffed around I cancelled it and got a Hypervolt. The one thing I found out was that the Andersen iOS/Android app is poo. So factor that in to your decision as waking up to an uncharged car due to the app not starting the charge on time would wind me up!

Hmm, just turned scheduling on tonight for first time, so hopefully this won't happen, but won't be pleased if it does! Time will tell!

 

[katie279]

Ah, just by chance checked their site and there's a solar data pdf that seems to do what I'm trying to achieve. Seems like some clamp I need for my house mains and it'll work out if there's solar excess for that.

Have emailed them, so fingers crossed that should sort!

https://andersen-ev.com/products/andersen-a2/

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Ah, just by chance checked their site and there's a solar data pdf that seems to do what I'm trying to achieve. Seems like some clamp I need for my house mains and it'll work out if there's solar excess for that.

Have emailed them, so fingers crossed that should sort!

https://andersen-ev.com/products/andersen-a2/

Yes, that’s how they all work, CT clamp on the main meter tails and it diverts any excess export over 1.4kw to the car.

Need a minimum of 1.4kw export to charge the car 100% off Solar due to the charging regs spec.

All the chargers have a mode that allows you to use all your export and top it up to the 1.4kw from the grid but no one recommends it because you ar rising peek time grid and you might as well export and charge up on Go overnight for far less.

Anderson is an good product, expensive but it’s the only charger that properly considers the looks.

 

[katie279]

Cool - good to know, ok hopefully they'll come back and I can sort this.

Great to know regarding the 1.4kw limit, I'll need to watch over a few weeks to how big a difference this would make.

 

[welshdragon]

Does anyone know of or can recommend an installer in or covering South Wales?

My installation has just fallen through. Probably a blessing in disguise as I was growing increasingly concerned about what I was being told etc

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Does anyone know of or can recommend an installer in or covering South Wales?

My installation has just fallen through. Probably a blessing in disguise as I was growing increasingly concerned about what I was being told etc

No, but this can be useful to search your postcode etc for local installers

Members - Scheme - Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC)

Scheme - Members: Renewable Energy Consumer Code - bringing information to anyone wishing to buy or lease a micro heat or power generation unit.

www.recc.org.uk

 

[sparkymark75]

So if you purchase your own battery and inverter for an AC coupled system, do you still need an MCS registered electrician to install it? Some of the prices I’m being quoted are more than I would expect. e.g. £7k for a 9.5kWh GivEnergy AC coupled system seems steep to me.

 

[upnorth]

Hmm, just turned scheduling on tonight for first time, so hopefully this won't happen, but won't be pleased if it does! Time will tell!

I have an A2 and have had zero issues with scheduling. It is a bit flaky in other respects eg logging you out often - but doesn’t affect scheduling.

But because my A2 is an old one (2020) it has no ability to integrate with solar.

 

[welshdragon]

No, but this can be useful to search your postcode etc for local installers

Members - Scheme - Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC)

Scheme - Members: Renewable Energy Consumer Code - bringing information to anyone wishing to buy or lease a micro heat or power generation unit.

www.recc.org.uk

Cheers dude

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Ok stupid question for car charging.

Have an EV, so have set a schedule (given on octopus go) to charge 00:30-04:30 @ 7.5p/kw

This is fine, except I've generated lots of free energy today, so that feels like a waste to export that to the grid.

However, if I charged from the grid during the day, the car would draw 7kw, which is well above my inverter which I think would max out at 5kw (ie 2.5kw from solar and 2.5kw from battery - or it might be 2.6kw in total). Either way, it'd mean I was drawing 2.5kw from the grid which would be @40p as during the day.

Is there a smart overclockers way around this? Ie can you set the max charge rate of an EV charger to a lower rate or something?

Scratching my head as to the best way to achieve this!

Nissan Leaf wasn't it? Use the granny charger. Only draws 2.6kw.

I've got my schedule set to charge between 10:30 and 3:30.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

So if you purchase your own battery and inverter for an AC coupled system, do you still need an MCS registered electrician to install it? Some of the prices I’m being quoted are more than I would expect. e.g. £7k for a 9.5kWh GivEnergy AC coupled system seems steep to me.

If you want to receive any money back, yes. MCS is required for SEG payments (+Octopus Outgoing).

 

[Ron-ski]

So if you purchase your own battery and inverter for an AC coupled system, do you still need an MCS registered electrician to install it?

No, but you'll still need a qualified electrician to install/sign it off (Part P), you'll also need to inform the DNO, probably with a G99 application as I presume you already have solar and an AC connected battery can increase export.

Most utilities companies want MCS certificate for export, but if you already have an MCS solar install they are unlikely to know, but there are other ways to get the system signed off as acceptable for paid exports.

 

[Welshman]

Just bit the bullet on my solar panel quote, will be fitted in around 6wks…couldnt stretch to the battery this time round, but will still be saving a packet on current prices for electric

8 x 405w JA Solar panels
Solex 3.7kw hybrid inverter
scaffolding, fitting, cabling, racking etc etc

£5365

 

[Welshman]

Does anyone know of or can recommend an installer in or covering South Wales?

My installation has just fallen through. Probably a blessing in disguise as I was growing increasingly concerned about what I was being told etc

Getting a solar quote in south wales is like pulling hens teeth….the company i am using is from Bolton

 

[Hawk Tuah]

So if you purchase your own battery and inverter for an AC coupled system, do you still need an MCS registered electrician to install it? Some of the prices I’m being quoted are more than I would expect. e.g. £7k for a 9.5kWh GivEnergy AC coupled system seems steep to me.

That's a massive amount of money just for a battery. You could buy a used electric car and charge that / use it as a run-around instead.

 

[Semple]

Does anyone have a setup and lives near an area that might be exposed to fast projectiles - not quite bullets . I live next to a cricket field, and we do get on occasion a cricket ball hitting the roof.

I've seen in the US they've been testing panels for golf-ball sized ice fired at high speed - to simulate the hailstones they can get.

I guess I'm just conscious of spending money on panels if one shatters from a cricket ball, and I'm not sure the cricket clubs insurers would pay out for it.