Good point - I will check its a fully installed price with the g99
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
And another email from the hive quote offering 1k off the quote
Has there been any big changes this mo th?
Has there been any big changes this mo th?
Soldato
Likely to be work drying up.
People tend to want solar in the spring and early summer as they think it will gain them more
People tend to want solar in the spring and early summer as they think it will gain them more
No, it’s just the additional margin solar installers were charging when demand outstripped supply, the same applied all the way up the supply chain.
Now supply has increased and demand has dropped, prices are coming down quickly. Realistically I don’t know how much lower the equipment costs are going to get, it’s very competitive out there at the moment.
It’s such a silly nonsense when people do these sort of things.
Any sensible person would realise you don’t get any less benefit out of the system installing it in October than you do in June, it just lacks the instant gratification.
Soldato
Yep, especially when its panels and batteries as winter is when the batteries are more valuable vs the summer.
Soldato
@Welshman @gpuerrilla This is the correct thread for the questions you're asking in the Solar panel production thread 
G100 export limitation is set in the inverter, or sometimes a separate export limit box (no idea how that works). The inverter needs to be certified for G100. You can check if an inverter is certified at https://connect-direct.energynetworks.org/device-databases/search-gen
I've no experience of G100, as I was lucky, but they may need to witness it being setup and commissioned.
G100 export limitation is set in the inverter, or sometimes a separate export limit box (no idea how that works). The inverter needs to be certified for G100. You can check if an inverter is certified at https://connect-direct.energynetworks.org/device-databases/search-gen
I've no experience of G100, as I was lucky, but they may need to witness it being setup and commissioned.
Soldato
Ive amended application to fit 4.6kw inverter instead……so no G100 required then@Welshman @gpuerrilla This is the correct thread for the questions you're asking in the Solar panel production thread
G100 export limitation is set in the inverter, or sometimes a separate export limit box (no idea how that works). The inverter needs to be certified for G100. You can check if an inverter is certified at https://connect-direct.energynetworks.org/device-databases/search-gen
I've no experience of G100, as I was lucky, but they may need to witness it being setup and commissioned.
Soldato
I was just in the process of replying to your DM, suggesting a 4.6kW inverter.
It came via a pallet delivery company in a create on the back of a 7.5T lorry with tail lift - pretty standard for a large delivery like that. It was unloaded with a standard pallet jack and wheeled into the garage easy enough.
Soldato
Ahh I see so you only have to jump over more hoops if your exceeding what they say is the max. I need to see what max I can have then, but in any case if you have a large battery a limiter will just have to take care of it.
Soldato
Limiting is interesting.
Mine is in the installer menu, in there is a load of funky stuff which even my installer were unaware of, like a special routine for battery balancing if you add new batteries alongside old ones.
Now how do I know, well I found the installer passcode. So I can see all the installer options. Which BTW is not supposed to happen in the UK.
In the UK part of the certification is that the bits like limiting export are behind an installer passcode so that should you be capped then you cannot simply override it when the installer leaves.
I have actually at times changed mine down. If I have been trying to basically empty the batteries then at full discharge that can happen quickly and if its a day with variable weather I need to keep some incase its poor later.
I only obviously do this when exporting for a reason, power up / free leccy incoming, long saving session.
I have occasionally done it when exporting on Agile when the pricing was already low, but I was looking to fully charge when the pricing went negative. Just so it wasn't so obvious should octopus have looked more closely.
I suspect with some effort you could find most of the installer codes online. Especially if you watch the videos of them entering the installer section on eg youtube. They will probably grey out the keypad, but by the hand movement your going to have a very good idea of the relative positions of the numbers they are entering.
Mine is in the installer menu, in there is a load of funky stuff which even my installer were unaware of, like a special routine for battery balancing if you add new batteries alongside old ones.
Now how do I know, well I found the installer passcode. So I can see all the installer options. Which BTW is not supposed to happen in the UK.
In the UK part of the certification is that the bits like limiting export are behind an installer passcode so that should you be capped then you cannot simply override it when the installer leaves.
I have actually at times changed mine down. If I have been trying to basically empty the batteries then at full discharge that can happen quickly and if its a day with variable weather I need to keep some incase its poor later.
I only obviously do this when exporting for a reason, power up / free leccy incoming, long saving session.
I have occasionally done it when exporting on Agile when the pricing was already low, but I was looking to fully charge when the pricing went negative. Just so it wasn't so obvious should octopus have looked more closely.
I suspect with some effort you could find most of the installer codes online. Especially if you watch the videos of them entering the installer section on eg youtube. They will probably grey out the keypad, but by the hand movement your going to have a very good idea of the relative positions of the numbers they are entering.
Soldato
with growatt you can do it within the app and no passcode needed. found that out last night when i clicked on it lol
Soldato
Thats interesting as its specifically against the certification requirements in the UK.
Although if its a 3.68k inverter then it wouldn't matter as you have that right anyway.
Its basically this "It's technically not possible to DIY a G100 compliant system because the limitation setting has to be password protected with a password that only the manufacturer or certified installer knows."
Soldato
yeh mine is a 3.6 currently, so its probably why no password protection on it.
Soldato
It was exactly why I was exploring the limit end of the contract with the DNO. I also watched a video where this consortium of network operators inputting to the Energy Networks Association shared the 3.6 figure was a safe end of the calculation and the true value was a little bit higher.
Soldato
Back in the summer I upgraded the firmware of my Quattro, something I've done many times, then got a warning that grid feed in (export) was set to zero and I needed to setup the grid codes, except I couldn't.
When you first set it up, you can set the grid codes, after that you need the factory set installer password, after some frantic Googling I found it, problem solved. The new firmware altered the way the the grid codes was stored, this they needed re-entering. The grid codes basically just tell the system what country it's installed in.
Soldato
In addition to you not knowing the installer codes etc, as part of the G99/G100 process the DNO can insist on witnessing the testing of the export limitation scheme.
Soldato
One of them damn why did I do this moments. That always seem to happen at like 11pm or just before your supposed to be going out or something
Soldato
But this is not ideal, as you can see if you alter the firmware or adjust the export limit the witness was not really as robust as it could be. As the observations have mentioned, its down to local assessment what amount you can export and this can also change over time. Interesting nonetheless but if at the DNO level they have no interest in facilitating it, its down to the consumer to drive the innovation and pertaining rules.
Soldato
Yup. I am limited to 5kW but there's been no checking or anything. I am 99.9% sure it'll never be checked and I doubt it'll ever be increased (but I can see it being reduced as the grid, at least locally to me, is verging on collapse).