Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

Ron-ski said:
Hopefully it's not solar together, but it still sounds like a mess.

If you add more PV and batteries, it depends how you add them whether you need to tell the DNO.

If you use only the existing inverters (without altering any export limitation) , then you've not increased your generating capacity, and do not need to inform the DNO. This scenario would be adding more solar to your existing hybrid inverter or more battery capacity to it.

If however you installed another inverter for more PV, or a separate battery as part of a AC connected battery then you will have increased your generating capacity and will need to tell the DNO via a G99 application.

G100 is only required if the DNO turn down your G99 and thus you need to limit export power.
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No not them, I'm up north. I really don't understand how one can run a business this way because they must have lost 2-3 man-days in aborted work plus the scaffolding being up for so long. The margins really must be much better than industrial work if you can take that kind of margin and not sweat. I've been tempted to pick up electrical work as a trade and learn to do this kind of work myself (I often wonder whether going to uni and doing chemical engineering was ever the right choice, grass greener type of thing), trouble is I'm not sure how you run a profitable business sustainably in this kind of market. As soon as the subsidies dry up so will the profits.

I don't actually know what I got my g99 for, guess there's no reason for the installer to withhold that. I'll find out and at least that'll tell me if I have margin to upgrade later. I do think I could put a couple of extra panels in around a velux.
 
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shroomz said:
No not them, I'm up north. I really don't understand how one can run a business this way because they must have lost 2-3 man-days in aborted work plus the scaffolding being up for so long. The margins really must be much better than industrial work if you can take that kind of margin and not sweat. I've been tempted to pick up electrical work as a trade and learn to do this kind of work myself (I often wonder whether going to uni and doing chemical engineering was ever the right choice, grass greener type of thing), trouble is I'm not sure how you run a profitable business sustainably in this kind of market. As soon as the subsidies dry up so will the profits.

I don't actually know what I got my g99 for, guess there's no reason for the installer to withhold that. I'll find out and at least that'll tell me if I have margin to upgrade later. I do think I could put a couple of extra panels in around a velux.
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There are no ongoing costs for scaffolding, maybe if you had it up for an extremely long time, usually you just pay the fixed cost to get it erected, then the scaffolders store their scaffold at you're premises for weeks after its finished with until they eventually come and take it down. Putting it up is what earns them money, so no hurry to take it down if they have others to put up, they also have limited storage at their yards.

There is a lot of profit in installing solar, and other associated things. The company I used back in 2015 started out in 2010, and they are still going now. If its only a couple of panels, and you need scaffold to put them up, also if they will drag down other panels (could use optimisers) then likely not worth it.

In all likely hood they applied for 5kW as that's what they are installing, highly unlikely they applied for more, but if additional panels could be added to the existing system then that makes no difference to the G99.
father-ted said:
We got a letter from National Grid stating that we are limited to 6kw export in this area.
Is this 'normal'?
Thanks
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There is no normal, it depends entirely on local infrastructure and if there are any other system generating and feeding back to the grid. I applied and got 11.68kW but could have got more.
 
I’ve had my GE system for about 9 months now, it’s the All in One with gateway.

I did have one issue with the gateway out of the box, it wasn’t passing the solar data over to the inverter/app. GE replaced the guts and it’s worked fine since. It didn’t actually impact the core functionality, it was just the telemetry side of things.

Other than that, it hasn’t skipped a beat. I wouldn’t be concerned about the kit, I’d be more concerned about your installer.
 
Right. More questions. Having ok’ed a PW3 and 18 panels install as part of a house refurb, the architects and main contractor has identified the roof needs replacing (hooray!)

The cheaper option (about 4k difference) is go with in roof panels vs re-roof and put panels on top. Are there any downsides to in-roof installs to be aware of? My reading around suggested slightly less efficient was the main one but given the price difference it feels they’d have to be a lot less efficient to offset £4k upfront cost difference.
 
@Alex_L They will be slightly less efficient, as the heat that builds up behind them can't escape as easily as when they are on rails, how much I've no idea (apparently only 3% reduction). Some panel manufacturers may not cover warranty on panels when in roof - some stipulate minimum spacing/air flow, but that's likely a non issue really.

I think the benefits out way the downsides, less bird problems, as no gaps for them to get behind, and they are so much better looking when in roof, and you save a wedge of cash, always a bonus.
 
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fraseredwards said:
With an in roof / flush system? I would thought the same if not more expensive, trays and more complexity, Vs simple tile fitment?
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tamzzy said:
they're cheaper relative to putting a new roof on and then placing the solar panels on top (ie: double work)
if redoing the roof, then one uses the roof tray to mount the panels and the panels form part of the roofing
so... less material needed, one less scaffolding cost and overall less man-hours required for installation
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^
 
fraseredwards said:
With an in roof / flush system? I would thought the same if not more expensive, trays and more complexity, Vs simple tile fitment?
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You save money when you are re-roofing (rather than retrofitting) on both labour and materials because you don't need to tile a huge area of the roof and tiles are not cheap.

Edit: too slow.
 
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Alex_L said:
The cheaper option (about 4k difference) is go with in roof panels vs re-roof and put panels on top.
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fraseredwards said:
With an in roof / flush system? I would thought the same if not more expensive, trays and more complexity, Vs simple tile fitment?
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As per Alex's words in his post, for them its £4k cheaper to go in roof as they are having to have the roof replaced.
 
Thanks all. Sounds like in-roof is the way forward. The cost saving is slightly less that I’d hoped but appears looking at the quantity surveyors numbers it’s basically only the cost of fitting the slates we save on.

My only outstanding question is life time of the trays the solar gets installed in given skate at least is a known quantity in terms of life time and I fear plastic won’t last as long.

So far an endeavour to do the right thing on renewables is looking very expensive given the terrifying costs of roofing.
 
You'd save money on the slate and the time it would take to fit the roof tiles, the trays I think are more expensive than rails, but clearly there's a saving somewhere, obviously the scaffolding shifts to a cost of doing the roof, and will be there for the panels.

Solar panel have a life of over 25 years (this refers to their performance not structural life which will be much longer), so you really do hope they've used a suitable plastic to make the trays, uPVC windows clearly exceed this, drainpipes, guttering, soffit and fascia boatds, even some roof fixings are now plastic.
 
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Ron-ski said:
Very nice, what have you gone for?
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Good choice, my 5kW version of the same inverter has been spot on. It's a piece of cake to get working with home assistant and the UK support is great. Be aware it will only work with Foxs own batteries though if you go that route.
 
surely in roof is less efficient there's no airflow below the panels for cooling

*Yup just looked as much as 10% less efficient*
 
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reef said:
Good choice, my 5kW version of the same inverter has been spot on. It's a piece of cake to get working with home assistant and the UK support is great. Be aware it will only work with Foxs own batteries though if you go that route.
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