Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

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What's with all the care to expand?

Thanks in advance

Doesn't seem too bad, just make sure the G99 application in and either allowed/denied, before they start work!

Also, ask for an itemised quote showing the full list of items being specified and their costs

If you want a battery, then buying now should save you the VAT as you're buying a complete install. The cost to add a 2nd battery isn't bad, but then the cost to install the first battery isn't great and quite expensive. I see someone mentioned these batteries can only output 2.4kW max, which is pretty poor and would write these batteries off for me.

Definitely get some more quotes and ask for those to be fully itemised also!

So all in I reckon it'd save me £1-2 per day having a battery, assuming an average £1.50 that's £547/year saving against a £5,310 cost for a piece of kit that has a useful economic life of 10 years so it just about breaks even. I can get a far better return on that £5,310 by investing it.

Abyss has certainly done some calcs, only you will know if it's worthwhile.

Although I don't agree with the 10year useful life of a battery. They won't suddenly turn into a damp squid or die at that point, they'll still have loads of useful capactiy available.

 

[Journey]

They won't suddenly turn into a damp squid or die at that point

What an odd expression, why would a battery turn in a sea creature?

I do agree though LiFePO4 certainly won't just stop working, just decreased capacity.

 

[Valo]

Morning,
Looking for some advice, total newbie when it comes to Solar & batteries etc, with prices for electricity and solar/batteries going up I feel like i need to jump in now. Plus got a bit of cash unexpectedly so before i go out and buy a new bike i don’t need, best do something fairly sensible..

In a 4 bed house, in East Scotland, 4 people, 2 kids, no EV (yet) and not moving house. From the EST calculator a 9kWp will produce 5,875 kWh per year. Our current yearly electricity usage is 8,300 kWh.

Had a quote last month but decided to increase the system so got a new one today

8.5kw Solar (supply, install, certified) & DNO
22x Trina 390w panels
Schletter mounts
Bird guards
£9,520

Sun sync 8kW Hybrid inverter &
Sun sync 5.2 kWh battery £ 3,790 or
Sun sync 10.4 kWh battery £ 5,310

Current Electricity bills on a fixed rate till September 2023 Daily charge 24p & 24p Electricity so just over £2k per year.

Advice required -
Is this system the best for my situation? My basic thoughts are if i produce 5,875 per year in the summer that will cover nearly all electricity usage, in the winter will use batteries more but signing up to Octopus Go, charge when cheap and drain in during the day/night, with the rest coming from the grid.

Thanks in advance

Would you be able to give me details of the company who quoted you?

 

[Bug One]

They won't suddenly turn into a damp squid

Spoiler

 

[teknokid]

Hi all, Looking for a bit of OCUK advice.
Had my solar installed a week ago, 2 inverters, single battery and 16 panels. Originally I spec'd a Fox inverter and fox batteries, but they couldn't source these so offered an alternative of two inverters and a battery.

Salesman told me the two inverters could run with the single battery, but as I now know, that's not possible. Alas - we can only store ~60% of what we produce (they did connect slightly more panels to the battery connected inverter). It also caps the output of the battery, again, I was told I would get increased battery potential as I had two inverters. The end results is 2.6kw peak from the battery vs the 5kw original spec'd for the fox install.

They accept they mis-sold me, and that the salesman was wrong, but have only offered one actual solution so far, which is to switch to a single inverter (5kw) to tidy it up. My panels are 6.2kw's worth though, so I'm not keen on that either. It's also still limited on charge/discharge rates, which for me is quite key.

I've said I'd wait for a Fox inverter to become available and be fitted, which they don't want to do. They've therefore said they're going to remove the full system from my house over the next few days. This has caused a great deal of stress, so in all honesty I'd be glad to see it all gone. But... What do I need to look for in terms of them making my house 'right' and is there anything I should get in writing before hand beyond the obvious 'you will return my house/roof to how you found it'. We'll obviously have filler in the brick work where they drilled holes, but not a lot can be done about that...

Thoughts OCUK?

 

[Journey]

Thoughts OCUK?

Have them sell you a very cheap second battery, and arrange payments over 12/24 months with no interest, or remove the kit and re-install what you originally asked for/were sold.

EDIT: if they do remove the kit you'd want rectification work to be done by a builder and they'd have to pay for it, and compensate you for wasting your time.

 

[SoliD]

Jesus that sounds awful. I think trading standards might be worth a call to find out where you stand as I would not want to be having filler added to brick/roof tiles.

 

[teknokid]

So battery POV - I suggested that as an option which went down like a lead balloon (I wasn't willing to pay an extra to 'fix' the system). I also subsequently found out that Givenergy who make the inverters don't support two hybrid inverters in one system, so another faux pas.

Fortunately the roof tiles were removed and replaced with some rubber mounts (I didn't see them annoyingly). But, we have all our roof tiles in one piece, so they should go straight back in. The filler in the walls is the real bugger.

 

[Journey]

So battery POV - I suggested that as an option which went down like a lead balloon (I wasn't willing to pay an extra to 'fix' the system). I also subsequently found out that Givenergy who make the inverters don't support two hybrid inverters in one system, so another faux pas.

It would be effectively two separate systems if each had a battery attached, one PV string and one battery to each HY inverter. Have you spoken to GivEnergy? If not I'd give them a call they have excellent customer support, and maybe ask what route they can suggest. Perhaps you can find a solution that would move things forward for you.

I understand not wanting to put any money into it, but have they offered any money off the system at all? Are they using two 3.6Kw inverters, and is it a 5.2kWh battery, 8.2 or 9.5? If it is a larger one swap it for 2x 5.2's at their cost, it will cost them less in the long run.

 

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What an odd expression, why would a battery turn in a sea creature?

I do agree though LiFePO4 certainly won't just stop working, just decreased capacity.

Very odd expression indeed, it seems my phone autocorrected squib to squid and completely ruined the phrase in hilarious fashion

So battery POV - I suggested that as an option which went down like a lead balloon (I wasn't willing to pay an extra to 'fix' the system). I also subsequently found out that Givenergy who make the inverters don't support two hybrid inverters in one system, so another faux pas.

Fortunately the roof tiles were removed and replaced with some rubber mounts (I didn't see them annoyingly). But, we have all our roof tiles in one piece, so they should go straight back in. The filler in the walls is the real bugger.

Wow, your situation is awful to hear, there really are some cowboys out there.

Please let us know who the company who that did the install, at least we can avoid them!

Not sure what you can do, did you pay some of it at least on credit card, what have you actually paid them?

To be honest, you don't have to let them remove a single thing off your house, or even come onto your property.

 

[teknokid]

Very odd expression indeed, it seems my phone autocorrected squib to squid and completely ruined the phrase in hilarious fashion

Wow, your situation is awful to hear, there really are some cowboys out there.

Please let us know who the company who that did the install, at least we can avoid them!

Not sure what you can do, did you pay some of it at least on credit card, what have you actually paid them?

To be honest, you don't have to let them remove a single thing off your house, or even come onot your property.

None of it paid for up front at least, so we won’t be out of pocket. Just want the house back the way it was!

It would be effectively two separate systems if each had a battery attached, one PV string and one battery to each HY inverter. Have you spoken to GivEnergy? If not I'd give them a call they have excellent customer support, and maybe ask what route they can suggest. Perhaps you can find a solution that would move things forward for you.

I understand not wanting to put any money into it, but have they offered any money off the system at all? Are they using two 3.6Kw inverters, and is it a 5.2kWh battery, 8.2 or 9.5? If it is a larger one swap it for 2x 5.2's at their cost, it will cost them less in the long run.

Yeah giv confirmed they didn’t support two hybrid inverters at the mo. It may come in the future, but I can’t wait forever! It was a 5.2 battery annoyingly, and the 2.6’s are hopeless for KW output too, so all in all sub optimal.

 

[Journey]

None of it paid for up front at least, so we won’t be out of pocket. Just want the house back the way it was!



Yeah giv confirmed they didn’t support two hybrid inverters at the mo. It may come in the future, but I can’t wait forever! It was a 5.2 battery annoyingly, and the 2.6’s are hopeless for KW output too, so all in all sub optimal.

So no chance they could do a second 5.2kWh pack for the price of an upgrade to an 8.2kWh pack? At the prices your were quoted when you ordered not the new silly pricing. I know the 2.6's are useless hence not even mentioning it.

 

[teknokid]

So no chance they could do a second 5.2kWh pack for the price of an upgrade to an 8.2kWh pack? At the prices your were quoted when you ordered not the new silly pricing. I know the 2.6's are useless hence not even mentioning it.

How would this help though? The two inverters wouldn’t work correctly together anyway according to giv. They were unwilling to budge an inch either way, all rather frustrating. It’s a shame as the panels themselves look great and seem to produce a decent amount of juice

 

[Journey]

How would this help though? The two inverters wouldn’t work correctly together anyway according to giv. They were unwilling to budge an inch either way, all rather frustrating. It’s a shame as the panels themselves look great and seem to produce a decent amount of juice

It would be split into two complete separate systems, as opposed to a single system with two inverters. So each system would be a 3.6kW inverter wit ha 5.2kWh battery linked to 50% of the panels with a single string, and that would be on an individual DC and AC shut off, with separate sub-consumer units and meter. So basically you'd have two entire solar installs, but they'd both feed back to your main consumer unit, and grid.

 

[teknokid]

It would be split into two complete separate systems, as opposed to a single system with two inverters. So each system would be a 3.6kW inverter wit ha 5.2kWh battery linked to 50% of the panels with a single string, and that would be on an individual DC and AC shut off, with separate sub-consumer units and meter. So basically you'd have two entire solar installs, but they'd both feed back to your main consumer unit, and grid.

The problem is giv we’re saying the batteries would then charge/discharge each other as the inverters don’t communicate with each ocher.. at least that’s how I understood it, this was from them directly so I’m not sure I’d risk going against what they’d said..

 

[Journey]

The problem is giv we’re saying the batteries would then charge/discharge each other as the inverters don’t communicate with each ocher.. at least that’s how I understood it, this was from them directly so I’m not sure I’d risk going against what they’d said..

Yeah if they have 100% told you that, then they need to fix that so the inverters talk to each other.

 

[94JDH]

The problem is giv we’re saying the batteries would then charge/discharge each other as the inverters don’t communicate with each ocher.. at least that’s how I understood it, this was from them directly so I’m not sure I’d risk going against what they’d said..

Strange this one, as a number of users on Givenergy forums have dual hybrid inverters with a battery to each and they work fine - only issue seems to be seeing it as one generation unit on the app, not two.
I'm actually having a a dual hybrid system fitted in a few weeks, with separate batteries.

 

[SBo]

How would this help though? The two inverters wouldn’t work correctly together anyway according to giv. They were unwilling to budge an inch either way, all rather frustrating. It’s a shame as the panels themselves look great and seem to produce a decent amount of juice

Can your installer source 2x LuxPowerTek hybrid inverters? The UK distributor are called Infinity Innovations. Aside from being a great inverter i am pretty sure that they do support pairing on one phase via a data cable connection between them, but II could confirm for you.

 

[Scooby2004]

Would you be able to give me details of the company who quoted you?

They are Eco power innovations, they have done a number of houses near me in Edinburgh and recommended

 

[teknokid]

Strange this one, as a number of users on Givenergy forums have dual hybrid inverters with a battery to each and they work fine - only issue seems to be seeing it as one generation unit on the app, not two.
I'm actually having a a dual hybrid system fitted in a few weeks, with separate batteries.

I’ve yet to see anyone else running dual hybrids, but if this is true then that’s slightly encouraging. I’m only going by what the giv rep said on a giv Facebook support/help page. Either way, a second battery wasn’t offered to me and it’s a no go. All very disappointing!