Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

Can anyone on Givenergy stuff advise if the export page in the app ever loads? (Clicking Grid roundel, then export) My import shows, but not my export, just has the loading thing circling constantly.
 
I know it was talked about a while back, but can't seem to find it, but I believe Givenergy were looking to bring in better support for 2 inverters, just wondering if anyone is running one yet, contemplating adding a Gen2 now the prices appear to be falling to maximise charging capability for my batteries.
 
OldKitMan said:
Found them to be quite unhelpful even when trying to get a price. Would rather have kept my ££££'s in Fife but ended up getting someone in glasgow to do it.
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They did my solar PV install and were actually quite good for that so my initial inclination was to go for them for the battery storage, and their price was okay. After 3 months of waiting for stock, they then put the price up by £1300 so I told them to forget it. They then called me 3 months later to arrange install!
 
SoliD said:
I know it was talked about a while back, but can't seem to find it, but I believe Givenergy were looking to bring in better support for 2 inverters, just wondering if anyone is running one yet, contemplating adding a Gen2 now the prices appear to be falling to maximise charging capability for my batteries.
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@katie279 was looking at doing this, pretty sure she had a second inverter fitted.
 
SoliD said:
I know it was talked about a while back, but can't seem to find it, but I believe Givenergy were looking to bring in better support for 2 inverters, just wondering if anyone is running one yet, contemplating adding a Gen2 now the prices appear to be falling to maximise charging capability for my batteries.
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I've two Gen2 inverters now, previously two Gen1 versions.
Everything ran well on the Gen1's, no issues with cross charging etc.
However, that can't be said with the Gen2 versions - lots of cross charging, other issues which seem to have been resolved in the most part ( I'm on the latest beta firmware).
The two inverters balancing correctly will only be resolved by either waiting for the hardware solution (EMS) whenever it becomes available or using a software solution HA GivTCP which I'm considering running and apparently is very successful.
 
@94JDH I believe there is a way to do this with CT clamps, I think if the second inverters CT clamp was around both the grid supply and the second inverter then those two would cancel out, and once the first inverter was at maximum you'll start drawing from the grid and then the second inverter will see it and kick in. Unfortunately I read this somewhere quite a long time ago so I may be remembering incorrectly, but it was something along those lines. I'm not sure on the implications if both have solar connected either.
 
We have 3 inverters. 2 are standard inverters, one a Hybrid 6KW. All 3 have 32 amp cables going to the CU. We have effectively 3 different systems from our solar panels which are 3.995KW, 4.8KW and 5.4KW. The single CT goes to the Hybrid. The only issue we have is that the poor old Hybrid was never designed to measure power above 9.995kw (why would it as it is only desgined to handle 6kw itself?). Once we exceed 10kw it seems to start again at 0. 005KW. It messes up the figures but this is a small price to pay.

We wanted to get the max out of the system to sustain ourselves in a green way, and this is what we do. Financially we would be in a bad way were it not for the fact that we are still on the original FIT tariff.

Choosing panels is really tricky.

Our new panels are the Hyundai 400 watt shingle. They are each subdivided into 10 sections of 40 watts each to combat shading issues, which was the most compelling reason for choosing them over others. I was pleased to see the other day that the 14 panels on my south roof were producing 5.32kw. I am happy with 98.5% of stated output. The day was cold and the sun angle very close to perfect, so ideal conditions.
 
Ron-ski said:
@94JDH I believe there is a way to do this with CT clamps, I think if the second inverters CT clamp was around both the grid supply and the second inverter then those two would cancel out, and once the first inverter was at maximum you'll start drawing from the grid and then the second inverter will see it and kick in. Unfortunately I read this somewhere quite a long time ago so I may be remembering incorrectly, but it was something along those lines. I'm not sure on the implications if both have solar connected either.
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If this does work, it probably wouldn't be practical in my case. The inverters are both in a detached garage running from a single supply on an 80m 25mm armoured cable.
The EM115 units are at the other end of armoured CAT6 cable which both are adjacent to the incoming supply in the house.
I'm guessing this would be impossible due to the limited length of the CT clamps unless a separate one back in the garage?
 
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I've been a bit busy but had my install done just over two weeks ago by EVi Group from Dunfermline and cannot fault them. Everything went smoothly and was finished within a day and a half.
I was also pleasantly surprised with them installing Gen2 GivEnergy equipment to, as my original quote that I signed off just before Christmas was for Gen1.

I've also completed my move to Octopus and just waiting on my G98 coming through before applying to move on to Flux.
 
Need to run PV cable to my shed in the coming weeks for 5 panels. The trunking ends at the bottom of my garage (inverter/battery in garage) wall, I am planning on taking the cable up my garage wall. Is PVC conduit ok for the task for DC cable?
 
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sparkymark75 said:
I would hope so given the price they charge!
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With the quotes I received from three other companies EVi weren't that bad interns of price. Yes, they where on the expensive side but not the most expensive quote I received, plus they where going to install the equipment and system I wanted which was GivEnergy.
I enquired with a lot of other companies and asked for quotes. I either never got a reply to my enquiry, dismissed my request of system or quoted for what they had available with lead-times so bad it was laughable!
 
Valo said:
With the quotes I received from three other companies EVi weren't that bad interns of price. Yes, they where on the expensive side but not the most expensive quote I received, plus they where going to install the equipment and system I wanted which was GivEnergy.
I enquired with a lot of other companies and asked for quotes. I either never got a reply to my enquiry, dismissed my request of system or quoted for what they had available with lead-times so bad it was laughable!
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I'm using the Home Energy Scotland interest free loan to fund my Battery install and it feels like some of them hike the price up because of that!
 
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