Soldato
Sexy
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
Soldato
Are you quoting that from LR Renewables website? As that's the only place I can find mention of a MIC 3600-X, on that website they advertise it as a dual tracker, yet in the write up underneath they state it only has one tracker, it appears they don't know what they are talking about, you need to check the manufactures specification. There isn't an MIC 3600-X on the ENA register either.
What's the model number on your inverter?
PS. I posted this in this thread, which is more appropriate.
Soldato
Soldato
I got the inverter specs on my desk up in my office…its defo dual mppt. So will check in the morning when i go back into work.
Soldato
I put the first 4 on the bar this afternoon. Pretty straight forward to be honest, hardest part was getting them onto the roof on my own. Now for the garage ones but need to wait for my roofer mate.
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Soldato
@Nathan you need to edit your picture link, just use the picture button and enter the URL.
What panels are those, they look pretty big, also whats the plastic underneath the frames, looks like plastic bags?
What panels are those, they look pretty big, also whats the plastic underneath the frames, looks like plastic bags?
Soldato
Ah ok, will sort it in a bit.
Panels are these 410W
ENF Ltd.
Risen Energy Co., Ltd. Solar Panel Series RSM40-8-390-410M. Detailed profile including pictures, certification details and manufacturer PDF
www.enfsolar.com
Plastic is some bags I taped on the end of the connectors. Going to put the extensions on tomorrow and into the bar, then change to armoured 4mm which is inside trunking into the garage.
The mounts aren’t symmetrical which is doing my head in but it’s where the rafters were as I built them every 500. I have bought 2 more mid mounts from China to place between them so they have greater support. Onto the slate roof next :/
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Soldato
I actually managed to find some proper sealing plugs for when I put some of my panels up, did think about bags, but knowing my luck they'd get damp inside as I didn't know exactly when the rest would be done.
Soldato
Still doesn't say anywhere that it would provide power over your internal wiring like a AC coupled inverter.maybe this link shows the solution better - you can see in the pictures that the generator is plug into the mains
EcoFlow PowerStream Microinverter
EcoFlow BKW-Battery Cable (sold separately) is needed for connection with an EcoFlow Portable Power Station. Recommended to use with EcoFlow Smart Plugs (sold separately). 0% of energy waste Power for day and night Smart Control & Monitoring: Smart Plugs & EcoFlow App Quick & Easy Registrationuk.ecoflow.com
I don't see how it would be able to do that without being able to measure import/export to the grid. Can't do that from just a 3 pin plug.
Other products I've seen from EcoFlow that advertise that ability show an additional AC coupling that you can wire in to your home that allows that function.
This one.
Buy EcoFlow Smart Home Panel — EcoFlow UK - EcoFlow UK
Official EcoFlow Smart Home Panel: ✓ Warranty: 3 Years ✓ Installation: Wall mount. Click to learn more!
uk.ecoflow.com
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Soldato
Theres a panel on the wall to the right of the ecoflow system, thats wired directly into the socket
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Soldato
That panel is the balcony system. The bigger box is just one of their standard portable batteries.
In other images, it's sitting on top of the battery.
They're being very vague about how it works. But I think it must be using the smart plug(s) to measure load (shown in this image). So any devices you want the system to power would need to go through one of their plugs.
In other images, it's sitting on top of the battery.
They're being very vague about how it works. But I think it must be using the smart plug(s) to measure load (shown in this image). So any devices you want the system to power would need to go through one of their plugs.
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Got a proper picture of the first install on Saturday! PRetty funky!Funny how once you get Panels installed you notice more and more the installations of various houses. was out on my bike at the weekend and spotted this ground mounted array which appeared to be on a movable jig, it was fairly sizeable being above the hedgeline, but looking at maps it looks like it moves, it was 4 or 6 panels in size.
Google Maps
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.www.google.com
also saw this in majorca on the north side of the island where the hills/mountain top must block a fair amount of the light during the day over the main house, but they'd managed to put them right at the bottom of their land overhanging a wall.
New item by Paul Morris
photos.app.goo.gl
Both have given me some food for thought about looking at mounting vertical panels on my tilehung house on the south side with optimisers which would in theory provide real benefit over the winter from my shaded strings with no optimisers and probably not cost a significant amount more than retrofitting. I think I could get potentially 8 panels on in total, will speak to my installer to see what is possible.
Soldato
Does look like a motorised sun tracking system but makes you wonder if its really that worthwhile for 4 panels
Soldato
4 panels always facing the ideal direction - should make a big difference. IMO, increasing power early and late in the day is much more important that peak power a noon. It's what I've been making changes to improve for this year.
indeed, plus the right angle throughout the year too could make a massive amount extra in the winter months.
Soldato
I just meant from the perspective of those systems I have seen are not cheap, even remotely. I would highly doubt the payback vs additional costs on just spending that on maxing panels on that space they are using.
A sun tracking system I would estimate would probably be 30-50% more generation than a south only when the sun is high.
In winter much less since in winter the sun comes up in the SE and sets in the SW, its actually the opposite to what you expect vs static panels, looking at their setup I assume the majority are south facing already as it wouldn't have made sense to put them where they did otherwise.
The time of generation vs amount is a balance, if you have enough storage to basically get you past your troughs then time of generation is irrelevant (bar Flux now that is a thing). Maxing production more important especially in times of low yield (ie winter)
Eg a south array with decent amounts of battery is always going to beat facing those panels east or west.
Without battery however having as wide a generation window as possible will of course be more optimal.
I can't imagine that many people are getting solar without batteries now. Adding batteries doesn't push the ROI out far and adds a load of flexibilty in, plus you can add whole house backup etc.
I expect TOU tariffs will become more of a thing as we go greener and having batteries will add a lot of additional cost prevention to peoples domestic bill by being able to negate the worst.
A sun tracking system I would estimate would probably be 30-50% more generation than a south only when the sun is high.
In winter much less since in winter the sun comes up in the SE and sets in the SW, its actually the opposite to what you expect vs static panels, looking at their setup I assume the majority are south facing already as it wouldn't have made sense to put them where they did otherwise.
The time of generation vs amount is a balance, if you have enough storage to basically get you past your troughs then time of generation is irrelevant (bar Flux now that is a thing). Maxing production more important especially in times of low yield (ie winter)
Eg a south array with decent amounts of battery is always going to beat facing those panels east or west.
Without battery however having as wide a generation window as possible will of course be more optimal.
I can't imagine that many people are getting solar without batteries now. Adding batteries doesn't push the ROI out far and adds a load of flexibilty in, plus you can add whole house backup etc.
I expect TOU tariffs will become more of a thing as we go greener and having batteries will add a lot of additional cost prevention to peoples domestic bill by being able to negate the worst.
Soldato
- Joined
- 1 Oct 2006
- Posts
- 14,218
12th May installation booked in.
Was on hiatus whilst we had a new consumer installed, which led to discovering a continuity fault on the ring main, which led to finding a very charred and melted cable in the kitchen.
Looks like a kitchen fitter (prob 20 years ago) stuck something through the skirting, wall, conduit and into the neutral side of the cable. Then the arse-hat just left it. Took us 3 days to find it, testing everything but glad we did.
Now the happy owner of a Contactum consumer, sorted wiring and space for the inverter.
edit - Added pictures to the original album that started this journey. https://photos.app.goo.gl/fMXKdmtzvFz5pbzQ8
All fixed, ready for solar. And some sun!
Was on hiatus whilst we had a new consumer installed, which led to discovering a continuity fault on the ring main, which led to finding a very charred and melted cable in the kitchen.
Looks like a kitchen fitter (prob 20 years ago) stuck something through the skirting, wall, conduit and into the neutral side of the cable. Then the arse-hat just left it. Took us 3 days to find it, testing everything but glad we did.
Now the happy owner of a Contactum consumer, sorted wiring and space for the inverter.
edit - Added pictures to the original album that started this journey. https://photos.app.goo.gl/fMXKdmtzvFz5pbzQ8
All fixed, ready for solar. And some sun!
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Soldato
Looks to me like something someone in the trade, or a competent DIYer would do.
Sometimes, ROI is secondary to the challenge (naming no names here
)
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Soldato
Very interesting, needs a video maybe time lapse photos to show how well it could work. I hope over the years if its improving efficiency it becomes normal and affordable as more people get solar