Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[redfist]

Been watching this guys build for a while, and he's finally fitted his Victron gear and battery system. Worth a look if you are bored/interested.

After seeing @Ron-ski metal shelves the wooden ones in the video look a little light weight!

 

[Journey]

After seeing @Ron-ski metal shelves the wooden ones in the video look a little light weight!

Yes totally agree, the batteries aren't really the highlight in that specific video, that is for sure!.

 

[Troop]

Must be close on 20K for the electrics and batteries fitted there.

 

[SDK^]

October was very sunny and so far November has started better than usual too.

Currently with the Government giving households £66 a month, it being sunnier than expected for my solar & battery storage, Eddi diverter for hot water, and being on Octopus Go, I'm gaining credit every month, despite only paying £30 a month on energy and 'fuel' for 1,000 miles a month.

Obviously I'm paying for the panels and battery (£180 a month for 5 years) and an EV isn't cheap, but I'd rather be investing that money into solar for long term energy cost reduction, than giving more than that per month to an energy producer. I would also be spending a similar amount on a car anyway.

 

[Ron-ski]

Yes totally agree, the batteries aren't really the highlight in that specific video, that is for sure!.

Not watched the video yet, but I did notice the rather dodgy wooden shelves, I certainly wouldn't trust them, there must be a lot of weight there.

 

[Freefaller]

Good generation day so far currently generating 3.6kW Washing machine and dishwasher are currently hoovering up solar electrons.

 

[katie279]

4.8kw here - ah, I love sunny days more since solar - washing machines on, dishwashers and batteries still charging at 2.4kw !

 

[redfist]

Only 2.9kw at the moment but batteries at 72% so just chucked the 2kw heater on and with the house loads (dishwasher and washing machine) its still charging the batteries. Agree sunny days feel a lot nicer now!

 

[Freefaller]

4.8kw here - ah, I love sunny days more since solar - washing machines on, dishwashers and batteries still charging at 2.4kw !

Nice!

It's days like this that makes you really love your investment.

I've also just signed up to Octopus - and by my calculations I should be minimum £700 better off per year excluding any SEG.

 

[katie279]

Totally - basically our original estimate of we pay £14k and get £65k back looks laughably conservative (ie was based on energy prices at 14pp/kw, inflation at 2% and not factoring any battery benefits through Octopus Go).

Even with the batteries alone it's saving us £1300 a year through Octopus Go pricing, then solar kicks in and goes through the roof!

Now we really need to brainstorm the solution to make us feel as good on gloomy, cloudy days.... I've installed a wee weatherstation in the garden to hook into home assistant, so it's monitoring wind speed, direction, temps, rainfall etc in realtime and graphing out all the data - our solar installers were testing domestic wind turbines as another thing they could do, which would be neat...!

 

[Freefaller]

Wind turbines would be a great back up! We have the space for it.... hmmmmmmmm.

I think I've underestimated my potential savings but we've only got a 9.5kw battery and no eV - but the eco 7 tariff will see us through winter months nicely.

 

[katie279]

Yeah, could be worth getting a wee device for gathering data - I'm looking to monitor average wind speed through winter etc and then I can use to convert to energy generation stats against various mini turbines that you can get

 

[redfist]

Are there any planning regs for wind turbines? Sure my neighbors wouldn’t be to pleased with me installing them

 

[Kill_Phil]

Are there any planning regs for wind turbines? Sure my neighbors wouldn’t be to pleased with me installing them

It's better to seek forgiveness than to ask for permission ha

Just so a quick Google search. Generally falls under permitted development if certain requirements are met.

To be honest before I agreed to my solar I just got reassurance from the local planning dept. Got a right nosey neighbour that would have jumped over it being on the edge of a conservation area. Cost me £50 I think

 

[Freefaller]

Yeah, could be worth getting a wee device for gathering data - I'm looking to monitor average wind speed through winter etc and then I can use to convert to energy generation stats against various mini turbines that you can get

I've just been looking at micro domestic turbines... they'd be ideal to keep the batteries topped up.

 

[Firestar_3x]

After seeing @Ron-ski metal shelves the wooden ones in the video look a little light weight!

He built the building to house this setup, it looks like the diagonal supports under the shelf go through the wall and connect to the stud frame of the building.

it should be plenty strong enough, but not neat.

 

[katie279]

I've just been looking at micro domestic turbines... they'd be ideal to keep the batteries topped up.

Yeah, the installers were testing some from Tesup. For other posts if you check the size of these, they're pretty small, so neighbours shouldn't really object.

Tesup seem to have some pretty poor reviews online (although to be fair so do Givenergy, Victron etc etc) - part may just be utter disruption, chaos, supply, demand etc

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

I briefly looked at wind and I came to the conclusion its a little off perfect yet.
A bit like it took solar 30 years to really become viable I think its maybe 10-20 years off really useful yet

Its for sure ok but just not great. I would class modern solar panels as great.

 

[Journey]

Now we really need to brainstorm the solution to make us feel as good on gloomy, cloudy days.... I've installed a wee weatherstation in the garden to hook into home assistant, so it's monitoring wind speed, direction, temps, rainfall etc in realtime and graphing out all the data - our solar installers were testing domestic wind turbines as another thing they could do, which would be neat...!

Some decent options out there, but the prices have sky rocketed since the start of 2022. I only know of one installed locally to me on a 'Eco' house and the gent who owns it doesn't really know much about it sadly, as I think it was build and designed by an architect then he just moved in.
I looked at some of the very small ~300w variants as I am 142m above sea level on a hill, so could easily take advantage but do have some wind shading due to a large tree line, £1500 plus fitting, and inverter was the best I found, but I suppose on days like today 300w continuous over 24 hours is still 7.2kWh generated, they do peak at higher than 300w AFAIK.

Not generation, but more storage/heating have you looked at Sunamp thermal storage/heating?

 

[Ron-ski]

@Journey perhaps I need to hook a couple up to the Victron in the future.