Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

What is even going on?

OP has a right to want getting a solution considering he raised the question originally and the information provided has proved non-factual.

They also don't need to name and shame if the installer may yet do something to right the situation.

There are thousands of installers up and down the country, you're unlikely to reach the same one.

Nothing to see here.
 
Thanks for your input pc guy :rolleyes:
What you suggest would be like climbing a tree and setting fire to it.
I haven't fallen out with the installer, quite the opposite and I want to work with them to reach a solution.

I don't feel they have lied and done me dirty... we'll see.
 
I'd definitely push along the lines of "doing nothing isn't OK" though, because they've essentially sold you more panels than you need to efficiently use the system across the year.

The extra panels will only help in the winter really. In the spring/summer/autumn they almost may as well not exist.
 
Yeah with us seeing 3.6kW already this last week with only glimmers of clear sky it won't be many months until we're well beyond the capacity of the inverter-in my limited opinion anyway
I think max DC input of the inverter is 4680w. That's assuming it can send it somewhere but we're still waiting for MCS number to be able to get export running.
 
pc-guy said:
want to point me to the post with details on DNO?
Click to expand...

As per the message I quoted, if you clicked the link it would take you to https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...uction-figures.18965743/page-59#post-36233202

Basically his installers when questioned when getting the quote told him he didn't need a bigger inverter, fast forward to once the systems installed and in February the inverter is clipping already. So he went back to the installer and they then told him a different reason, basically they didn't want to and/or think it was worth applying for G99. So many installers only fit 3.6kw inverters because its quicker, and simpler.

I applied for my own G99 so I know whats involved but am aware that some DNO's work slightly differently.
 
My installers did my g99 application owing to the size of my system it just made sense. I did have to send it on their behalf though. It was a really easy thing to do in the south of the UK at least. UK power networks seem alright to deal with.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Not on an export tarrif, but it does send the excess back into the grid.
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then you would have needed dno approval to be able to do that and your installer would have made the application and will have a copy of the reply letter, or that inverter wouldn't have been allowed to be fitted. Without notifying the DNO of your installation, what would happen if the grid went down, they start working on it, without knowing your installation is present and maybe sending power to the grid lines they are working on. Although most systems do shut down when no AC power is available to them.
 
Welshman said:
then you would have needed dno approval to be able to do that and your installer would have made the application and will have a copy of the reply letter, or that inverter wouldn't have been allowed to be fitted. Without notifying the DNO of your installation, what would happen if the grid went down, they start working on it, without knowing your installation is present and maybe sending power to the grid lines they are working on. Although most systems do shut down when no AC power is available to them.
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Yea I know they are supposed to....

But no mention of it, no copy. I don't have a smart meter, so part of me thinks they just didn't bother, hoping no one would find out.

They also said if we ever got a smart meter to let them know so they could set up us an export tarrif but it's a nightmare, which makes me think the nightmare part is because then they would then actually need to do it.

Our installer wasn't MCS they registered our install with something called Flexiorb, which apparently is similar, and I do have a copy of that.

To be fair the system is working fine and it was a reasonable install cost, panels are installed neatly etc, but it's something in the back of my mind these guys are a bit "light" on some of the regulation.
 
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BUDFORCE said:
Yea I know they are supposed to....

But no mention of it, no copy. I don't have a smart meter, so part of me thinks they just didn't bother, hoping no one would find out.

They also said if we ever got a smart meter to let them know so they could set up us an export tarrif but it's a nightmare, which makes me think the nightmare part is because then they would then actually need to do it.

Our installer wasn't MCS they registered our install with something called Flexiorb, which apparently is similar, and I do have a copy of that.

To be fair the system is working fine and it was a reasonable install cost, panels are installed neatly etc, but it's something in the back of my mind these guys are a bit "light" on some of the regulation.
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there is a bit of a red flag here....they dont set-up the export, your energy supplier does and would need an MCS cert and a DNO letter of agreement for the system to be able to do so. How much do you export back to the grid???
 
Welshman said:
there is a bit of a red flag here....they dont set-up the export, your energy supplier does and would need an MCS cert and a DNO letter of agreement for the system to be able to do so. How much do you export back to the grid???
Click to expand...

Well it's a 5kw inverter so in theory in the middle of summer if everything is turned off pretty much that.

In reality we have a hot water diverter etc, so probably not that much in terms of kWh.
 
BUDFORCE said:
Well it's a 5kw inverter so in theory in the middle of summer if everything is turned off pretty much that.

In reality we have a hot water diverter etc, so probably not that much in terms of kWh.
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That would defo need DNO approval.... for myself i have a 3.6kw inverter, which doesn't need approval as its below the threshold required. Maybe your inverter has been clipped to export a max of 3.9kw and if so by doing that, they thought it would be enough and didnt require the approval.

How long ago was it fitted??
 
Ron-ski said:
As per the message I quoted, if you clicked the link it would take you to https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...uction-figures.18965743/page-59#post-36233202

Basically his installers when questioned when getting the quote told him he didn't need a bigger inverter, fast forward to once the systems installed and in February the inverter is clipping already. So he went back to the installer and they then told him a different reason, basically they didn't want to and/or think it was worth applying for G99. So many installers only fit 3.6kw inverters because its quicker, and simpler.

I applied for my own G99 so I know whats involved but am aware that some DNO's work slightly differently.
Click to expand...
Just playing devils advocate here. Maybe the person he spoke to didn’t have full fact. Maybe a DNO was made and came back with 3.6kw?

There is a more of a probability that the installer didn’t bother with DNO and effectively just whack a 3.6kw inverter on.

Many installers I spoke to said they ONLY install 3.6kw inverters. Regardless panel sizes. So in that respect those realities do exist.

there might be something in the contract saying their maximum install inverter is 3.6kw etc. who knows. It is not the right thing but it does happen.

Would be lovely to know who this installer is and so everyone can avoid don’t you think.

Plus if you said I am on a UK forum with 250,000 active member talking about this - that should be quite a significant reputation management wake up call maybe
 
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BUDFORCE said:
Well it's a 5kw inverter so in theory in the middle of summer if everything is turned off pretty much that.

In reality we have a hot water diverter etc, so probably not that much in terms of kWh.
Click to expand...

You 100% need to notify the DNO and no MCS (that would be a red flag for me) certificate means you can't export AFAIK.

I've got a 6kW inverter because I know I will end up exporting but also want to exploit my installation size.
 
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Welshman said:
That would defo need DNO approval.... for myself i have a 3.6kw inverter, which doesn't need approval as its below the threshold required. Maybe your inverter has been clipped to export a max of 3.9kw and if so by doing that, they thought it would be enough and didnt require the approval.

How long ago was it fitted??
Click to expand...

July last year.
 
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