Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[alphaomega16]

I would only go with micro inverters if the panels were facing different directions or there was significant shading. Otherwise, you're adding multiple points of failure in hard to access locations.

Replacing a single main inverter is relatively quick and simple.

Got a chimney on roof that starts shading panels ~6pm, will take a while to get someone out to look at panels if one of them goes duff and in the mean time the rest wont generate. Failure rate is extremely low on them.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

I was yeah but how is the charge rate too low? I thought the batteries were fine with octopus?

You need to check the gen 3 charge rate.
Depends what tariff you move onto but you need quite a high charge rate to charge 19kwh of batteries in most of the cheap rate windows.
Eg go is 4 hours so you would need to charge at close to 5kw in order to fill them (if empty) in the 4 hour window.

@katie279 had an issue with GE charge rate on I believe Gen 2? and could not charge in the go window with 1 inverter.

 

[alphaomega16]

You need to check the gen 3 charge rate.
Depends what tariff you move onto but you need quite a high charge rate to charge 19kwh of batteries in most of the cheap rate windows.
Eg go is 4 hours so you would need to charge at close to 5kw in order to fill them (if empty) in the 4 hour window.

@katie279 had an issue with GE charge rate on I believe Gen 2? and could not charge in the go window with 1 inverter.

oh I dont mind not charging to 100% every time, since I can't get close to 5kw solar install the max I could top out at is 3.6 if I go for the non micro inverter route, I would have gone for a 5kw inverter on a sub 4kw solar install but that is not a good idea from what ive heard and read.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Got a chimney on roof that starts shading panels ~6pm, will take a while to get someone out to look at panels if one of them goes duff and in the mean time the rest wont generate. Failure rate is extremely low on them.

Modern panels will in effect self isolate if a problem effectively via diversions.
Mine do so in two halves even

Micro inverters do help a bit but the ROI isnt likely unless you have a large issue.

Do you mean 6pm at current sun positioning?
Thats quite late TBH unless array is pure west I wouldn't worry about that timing, E or S will be falling off a cliff by then anyway

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

oh I dont mind not charging to 100% every time.

Whats your daily usage in kwh?

 

[alphaomega16]

Whats your daily usage in kwh?

Thanks to my mum 18-23, it was 10-15 before she turned hot tub on (It helps ease some of her pain in joints)

<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FmnduOV_a1le4S4HcNzeY_xeU/edit#gid=1757689889>

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Thanks to my mum 18-23, it was 10-15 before she turned hot tub on (It helps ease some of her pain in joints)

<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...FmnduOV_a1le4S4HcNzeY_xeU/edit#gid=1757689889>

Looking at your data I would be wanting to get those batteries filled or nearly filled ever day.

You need a plan for charging them IMO

 

[alphaomega16]

Looking at your data I would be wanting to get those batteries filled or nearly filled ever day.

You need a plan for charging them IMO

only way to do that during the 4h cheap window is a separate inverter just to charge batteries, should be able to charge them up partially most days to cover the inbetween bits and whatnot.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

only way to do that is a separate inverter just to charge batteries

Or talk to installer about it.

My SOLAX will charge at 5.5kw

Its daft IMO to add so much battery storage that you cannot reasonably charge it daily in the winter.

 

[alphaomega16]

Or talk to installer about it.

My SOLAX will charge at 5.5kw

Its daft IMO to add so much battery storage that you cannot reasonably charge it daily in the winter.

What solax you got?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

What solax you got?

https://www.solaxpower.com/x-ess-g4/​

 

[alphaomega16]

https://www.solaxpower.com/x-ess-g4/​

ah you got an AIO system

GE do one of those but for some reason doesn't list charge rate in watts

GivEnergy All In One - 6kwh AC charger & 13.5 kW Compatible with Octopus Tarrifs – ITS Technologies

GivEnergy All In One 6kW AC coupled charger with 13.5kWh battery and Gatweay included. Givenergy inverters have the API to connect to Octopus Agile & Flux to buy electricity at cheap rates and even sell back to the national grid at high rates through GivBack SEG payments.

www.itstechnologies.shop

I would like to expand in the future but that means sorting out and getting something built in back garden to support a few extra panels.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

ah you got an AIO system

GE do one of those but for some reason doesn't list charge rate in watts

GivEnergy All In One - 6kwh AC charger & 13.5 kW Compatible with Octopus Tarrifs – ITS Technologies

GivEnergy All In One 6kW AC coupled charger with 13.5kWh battery and Gatweay included. Givenergy inverters have the API to connect to Octopus Agile & Flux to buy electricity at cheap rates and even sell back to the national grid at high rates through GivBack SEG payments.

www.itstechnologies.shop

I would like to expand in the future but that means sorting out and getting something built in back garden to support a few extra panels.

Its not AIO just looks like it

 

[alphaomega16]

Its not AIO just looks like it

oh, thought it was as that is what it said on the site, my bad.

Its a tall boi, what version do you have of it?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

oh, thought it was as that is what it said on the site, my bad.

Its a tall boi

Mine isn't setup like that

3 batteries in one stack, by its side is 4th battery, BMS on top of that, mate box on top of that, inverter on the top

 

[alphaomega16]

Mine isn't setup like that

3 batteries in one stack, by its side is 4th battery, BMS on top of that, mate box on top of that, inverter on the top

Is it a 5kw inverter?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Is it a 5kw inverter?

Yep

 

[katie279]

Yep, I'm getting a second Gen 2 inverter (it's identical to the Gen 3) to allow 7.2kw per hour charging per night during the winter. Have 19kwh if batteries and five times that for cars, so the max charge is the most important factor really...

 

[alphaomega16]

Yep

yeah that is what I was talking about, considering the array I set up it would be a 3.8kw system on a 5kw inverter if I wanted the extra charge rate, not surprised you could get up to 5.5 I would have loved to have done that and could if I had somewhere to set up 4 panels in back garden but I would have to have something built first.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

yeah that is what I was talking about, considering the array I set up it would be a 3.8kw system on a 5kw inverter if I wanted the extra charge rate, not surprised you could get up to 5.5 I would have loved to have done that and could if I had somewhere to set up 4 panels in back garden but I would have to have something built first.

Your array size and inverter size do not need to be that closely linked when you have batteries as well
You, well your installer, should be speccing a hybrid to match both