Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

[Nathan]

My 5 new panels have arrived, next day delivery from the supplier which was nice. Will take me up to 8kw of pv and max out the inverter.

Want to fit them next week but away for the week with work hate it when work gets in the way of life!

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Battery update!

Got a date scheduled for mid July.

I just had confirmation they are going with my test plan.
- Empty all batteries to 10% SOC (minimum)
- Charge the batteries individually one by one and monitor the charge used via the cloud (solar disabled since it makes data gathering easier). This should take around 1 hour per battery since they are nominally 3.1kwh so just under 3kwh should be needed.
They I believe charge at around 3kw each (manufacturer claims 1 hour charge), but max of 5.5kw when more than 1 is in a string on the inverter.
So should charge in around an hour each.

Hopefully one of the batteries will obviously misbehave. I think they are bringing a spare with them, little vague in this area.
If more than one is faulty, eek!
Based on the fact that I take in around 80% of what I should. That would lean to that if one of the batteries individually is seriously misbehaving it should only take probably 2kw before jumping to 100% SOC.

Its certainly going to be interesting and I am a little nervous there could be more than one issue.

Please all cross everything you can for me.

 

[rodders]

Hi all,

Brother in law has had a quote for a 5.2kwh and 10kwh battery.

Inverter is growatt and so is the battery.

Trust pilot giving bad reviews, but mainly on the software side.

Anyone have experience with growatt, good or bad?

 

[Welshman]

Hi all,

Brother in law has had a quote for a 5.2kwh and 10kwh battery.

Inverter is growatt and so is the battery.

Trust pilot giving bad reviews, but mainly on the software side.

Anyone have experience with growatt, good or bad?

Have a growatt, no issues in the first 8mths so far……

 

[Harbz]

if people don’t mind can you post your battery/inverter/panels and approx cost please so i can compare? I should be getting some quotes in soon.

 

[rodders]

Have a growatt, no issues in the first 8mths so far……

What software app are you using?

 

[Welshman]

What software app are you using?

Well, i got the shine app, but then i also got an energy hive and an iotawatt to set-up. So im pretty covered of the shineapp doesnt work…..but its very rare that it doesnt.

 

[rodders]

Maybe a lot of people who moan are just dumbos!

 

[alphaomega16]

Is there something wrong with forums today? Site has changed to all green? Thought my monitor was borked.

 

[Ron-ski]

@alphaomega16 very bottom left of the page, change the style back to blue

 

[Journey]

Is there something wrong with forums today? Site has changed to all green? Thought my monitor was borked.

It's gone green since you are taking part in the solar revolution, making clean green electricity!

 

[alphaomega16]

@alphaomega16 very bottom left of the page, change the style back to blue

Thanks for the heads up, not sure why it changed by itself.

 

[deanjesper]

I can't see many posts about Jinko Tiger 430W panels. I've had a quote for 14 of those with a 5kw GivEnergy inverter and a 5.2kwh GivEnergy battery. Can anyone recommend? Installer claims they come with a 30 year product warranty.

Two other quotes are for Perlight 420W panels with a 5kw Sunsynk Inverter and 5.3kwh Sunsynk battery. 25 year product warranty on the panels.

Another company is quoting JA Solar but they only come with a 12 year product warranty.

The two companies selling Sunsynk say to avoid GivEnergy but reviews on here seem good.

 

[Harbz]

I just had some quotes (from the same installer), how do these look and any advice please?

Option 1 - 7.98Kwh:
19 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
GivEnergy 5kW hybrid inverter
Gen2 GivEnergy 9.5kWh LiFePO4 Battery
£13099

Option 2 - 10.08kwh:
24 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
SolarEdge optimisers
SolarEdge 8000 HD Wave
SolarEdge 10kwh Battery
£16699

Both options + extra for bird protection.

 

[94JDH]

I can't see many posts about Jinko Tiger 430W panels. I've had a quote for 14 of those with a 5kw GivEnergy inverter and a 5.2kwh GivEnergy battery. Can anyone recommend? Installer claims they come with a 30 year product warranty.

Two other quotes are for Perlight 420W panels with a 5kw Sunsynk Inverter and 5.3kwh Sunsynk battery. 25 year product warranty on the panels.

Another company is quoting JA Solar but they only come with a 12 year product warranty.

The two companies selling Sunsynk say to avoid GivEnergy but reviews on here seem good.

I'm having these (Jinko) as a replacement to my original 18 No. JA 390w ( long story..) will be fitted next week along with two Gen3: Givenergy inverters.

 

[Ron-ski]

original 18 No. JA 390w ( long story..)

Presumably not something that's been fitted and now being replaced?

 

[deanjesper]

I just had some quotes (from the same installer), how do these look and any advice please?

Option 1 - 7.98Kwh:
19 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
GivEnergy 5kW hybrid inverter
Gen2 GivEnergy 9.5kWh LiFePO4 Battery
£13099

Option 2 - 10.08kwh:
24 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
SolarEdge optimisers
SolarEdge 8000 HD Wave
SolarEdge 10kwh Battery
£16699

Both options + extra for bird protection.

Option 1 sounds about right based on my quote (give or take £100). No option for Gen3 battery?

 

[94JDH]

Presumably not something that's been fitted and now being replaced?

Sub par installation via First4solar, credit card claim via section 75 and another company rectifying all the DC side of the installation. I've had some panel failures, so for warranty, all being replaced.

 

[Harbz]

I just had some quotes (from the same installer), how do these look and any advice please?

Option 1 - 7.98Kwh:
19 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
GivEnergy 5kW hybrid inverter
Gen2 GivEnergy 9.5kWh LiFePO4 Battery
£13099

Option 2 - 10.08kwh:
24 Jinko Tiger Neo 54c 420W N-Type All Black Mono solar panels
SolarEdge optimisers
SolarEdge 8000 HD Wave
SolarEdge 10kwh Battery
£16699

Both options + extra for bird protection.

Can someone advise if option 2 for £3600 extra would be worth it? Half of the panels are in direct sunlight between 7-1pm, the others are shaded then. In the afternoon the other half get sunlight while the first half is shaded.

 

[deanjesper]

Can someone advise if option 2 for £3600 extra would be worth it? Half of the panels are in direct sunlight between 7-1pm, the others are shaded then. In the afternoon the other half get sunlight while the first half is shaded.

Are only the five additional panels shaded?