anyone had an install done lately? I've just had a quote for a 4kw system without batteries, installed during building work so scaffolding is present and wires will be easier to do (no running in etc). its come back at £7k with no batteries, plus an extra £1500 if we want it embedded in-roof (which seems like a pss take if the builders are the people doing the trays as they build the roof).
This seems expensive, but I've no idea if it is or not..
7k.
prices are meant to be coming down not up. Was someone not that long ago in the thread not getting 4kwp and 5kwh battery for that money
Got mine installed last winter.
4.5Kw array for ~£6300. That was just the solar panel part of the work.
I got a 10Kw battery for £7100 as well.
That was the best quote by quite a margin.
Stabilizers - I'm assuming that included scaffolding etc? I might also add a battery but not at these prices 😕
Just been quoted £7850 for
- roof survey
- 8 solar panels (Exiom 425W Mono All Black Module)
- Growatt Ark 5.12kWh battery storage (usable capacity 4.6kWh)
- Growatt Inverter and (I assume) Growatt AC Coupled Battery Inverter
- installation, scaffolding
Example upgrades: to 7.68 kWh battery would be +£400, to 12 panels +£1000
No idea if that's decent or not, so links/thoughts appreciated whilst I read back through this thread!
*Should add this is from the Solar Together scheme (Bristol)
got 3.9, and 10.4 battery in august, for 11k
the battery is a no brainer
Example upgrades: to 7.68 kWh battery would be +£400, to 12 panels +£1000
You can never have too much battery, and more battery afterwards is more expensive as it will include VAT. I would take the larger battery. £1000 for just four more panels seems a lot though, doesn't it? I thought the panels were the cheap bit of the whole thing...
I genuinely don't know if that's expensive or not. Supplied breakdown for number of panels and cost below.
PANELS PRICE
- 4 £3,463.00
- 5 £3,833.00
- 6 £4,125.00
- 7 £4,472.00
- 8 £4,841.00
- 9 £5,217.00
- 10 £5,484.00
- 11 £5,649.00
- 12 £5,838.00
- 13 £5,999.00
- 14 £6,206.00
- 15 £6,355.00
- 16 £6,506.00
Battery wise, 3 options are given:
- DC - SMALL 4.60 £2,516.00
- DC - MEDIUM 6.90 £3,134.00
- DC - LARGE 11.50 £4,370.00
I've filled out a form with my energy provider to see what they come back with, and may contact a specialist solar company also.
Anyone in Bristol/SW able to recommend a good one?
Anyone in Bristol/SW able to recommend a good one?
We got a fairly competitive quote from
https://www.greenenergysolar.co.uk/
Based in Cardiff but cover a wider area. We didn't use them in the end but they were quick to quote and set out the options clearly.
Solar Together scheme
Rarely a good option on both cost and quality.
Generally Subcontracted to lowest bidder by reverse auction.
Based in Cardiff but cover a wider area. We didn’t use them in the end but they were quick to quote and set out the options clearly.
Thanks. If you're happy to post, who did you use in the end?
Rarely a good option on both cost and quality.
Can you elaborate please? Do you mean terms of the products used (Exiom and Growatt)?
Generally Subcontracted to lowest bidder by reverse auction.
rarely results in quality install.
plenty of horror stories of solar together installs all over the internet. particularly solar forums.
equally horrible stories from "installers" doing the same.
a good installer is more important than the kit installed.
a good installer is more important than the kit installed
Fair point. Will certainly get alternative quotes and advice. Thoughts on install via energy companies e.g. Octopus?
North Yorkshire, quote through from reputable and well reviewed business:
- 13*410w Inset black mono panels
- 5kw Fox ESS inverter
- Solar iBoost
- Tesla Powerwall 2 (13.5kwh)
- All installation, sign offs and scaffolding
£13,600.
I'm interested to understand what putting some on some of our east/west aspects can do (above is pure south facing). We're also looking at going ASHP, and we have an EV, so I'm keen to generate as much as we can.
My array is entirely E/W facing (well 11° towards south on the East side). It works really well. 10 panels on the E side and 8 on the W side on separate strings. Get as many panels as you can, they are cheap. Just make sure they are on different strings where needed.
I’m interested to understand what putting some on some of our east/west aspects can do
You can just plug some numbers into PVGIS to get a forecast for a particular size of array - it'll be better if you know azimuth, roof pitch and any shading issues but it's pretty much the same merhod as any installer would use.
@Jolsa - we ended up going with a local installer (Surrey/Hants borders) and they wouldn't cover your area.
Yeah, I’m thinking keep the 5.5 on the south roof, then try and stick 2kwh each on the east and west, should really increase our early and late generation and when the sun is a bit higher our peak generation should be fairly chunky
Generally Subcontracted to lowest bidder by reverse auction.
Installer on the Bristol scheme is Infinity Renewables. Does anyone have any experience with them?
I have the same quote as @Jolsa
Quick one - our proposed install is peak 8.6kwh production, with 5.5kwh south facing and then 1.5kwh facing east and west respectively. The installer is proposing a 6kwh solar edge inverter. Do you think this will be ok, and we won’t see too much clipping?
what have you read about clipping and why do you believe it to be a concern ? just interested as everyone seems to cry about it as if its an issue .
But realistically if you had the roof space and money your array would sized to take advantage of the lowest sun production not the highest. independantly you would size your inverter to your peak power requirements.
IF you dont suffer clipping id say your array is undersized or you have not the space for a bigger array but its not the mega issue folk make out.
realistically, id say you'd probably only have an issue late afternoons peak summer time, so potentially lose a smidge, on a good day, as it transitions through. what you will get though is a nice little trickle of later noon power.
Perfect. Thanks! I hadn’t realised the impact on low power situations, so makes total sense!
I picked up the loop app the other day which is great for showing usage at different times of the day. What I'm struggling to find out is how much energy a (say) 3kw system really generates per hour (from an unbiased source) - south facing roof in the south east. Do any of you have stats that'll give me a rough idea in say winter vs spring/autumn vs summer?
Have you tried plugging your location and roof details into the PVGIS website. Lots of variables to play with and from all accounts the results are very accurate.
3.9kw south roof, near portsmouth
quick data gathering, from my inverter
mid Aug to mid Sep 503 kw/h
mid Sep to mid Oct 315kw/h
mid Oct to now 161 kw/h
Perfect, thanks!
hasten to add, get batteries, its a no brainer to allow you to charge at cheaper rates
Does anyone know of a company with experience of Huawei systems, that would be up for a nice easy inverter swap? I'm north west Leeds/Bradford.
5KW Huawei invertor
16 panels
270l iStore hot water/heat pump
$7860 (4k in GBP)
At the moment pulling in 40kWh / day (light hitting from 430am to 730pm)
Heads up for any octopus/battery users. There's a saving session in about an hour and as far as I can see, you can discharge and export and get £4 per unit.
We'll be out of the house anyway so should be able to send 5 units or so. Not going to pay for christmas but if there are regular events it will soften the blow a bit.
yup been doing this, first hour session got me over 8 quid.. next one was hour and half and twice the money so i have no idea how much that would be (not calculated yet)
It's just because there's high demand and no wind ATM.
I'm not sure it's anything to do with how much you export.
I think the payment is worked out on the difference between what you use during the saving session and what you would normally use in the same period.
So if you're usually using battery power (and not importing much) then you're not going to get much money.
We're away from the house this weekend so it's our best chance to earn a little - but we don't use that much between those times normally so the saving won't be notable!
I’m not sure it’s anything to do with how much you export.
It wasn't last year but it is this year. Reducing your import will earn you a bit; exporting from a battery can earn you a lot...
My 4.8kwh (+1kwh after a few months) system, with 14 KW of battery storage, has now been up and running for 12 months. It supplies 2 households (me and bro) and a farm business. System is grid tied to import when no solar, but is set to zero export. Figures for the 12 month period are as follows
5876 KW total consumption
4512 KW solar generation
1915 KW imported from Grid
My business tariff over this period has been 60p a kw. So figures are;
cost of imported electric £1149 (was actually less as there were some government subsidies up until April 2023)
due to inverter inefficiencies the actual energy saved via the Solar amounts to 5876-1915= 3961KW, or a saving of £2376 over the year.
System cost was around £12K as a DIY install using Victron equipment. Next 3 years I have fixed tariff at 29p/kwh so I expect savings to halve. Would suggest a 9-10 year pay back on the system on current usage.
£4 per unit, wow need to pay attention more often.
Ha. Well that didn't work!
The Solar edge battery controls are still beta and the new manual control has a "discharge" option, but it seems that doesn't mean forced export. I'm not sure exactly what it does, because for the savings period we imported significantly more than normal despite having a full battery 🙁
I guess, looking on the bright side, it's shifted our baseline so any future export will count for more.
Even if you're not on octopus you can use the free loop app to opt in
I’m not sure it’s anything to do with how much you export.
I think the payment is worked out on the difference between what you use during the saving session and what you would normally use in the same period.
Where did you read that because it's wrong.
So far I'm around 55 quid in the black from the saving sessions this yearpurely from exporting - as I never use electric at peak due to peak rate being 45p/KW so it's nothing to do with reduction in use
If your an octopus user you can join a whatsapp Chanel where the announce the sessions sometimes at short notice so remote access to your inverters programming is critical
looking on the bright side, it’s shifted our baseline so any future export will count for more.
Not a lot as I think octopus go back quite a long way to get your average use.
30 kWh exported so far, hope they carry on at £4/kWh. 🤑
Not a lot as I think octopus go back quite a long way to get your average use.
Direct from the FAQs I read to understand how it works.
We first look at your meter readings from the same time as the Session over the past 10 weekdays (excluding any days with a Saving Session). We use those to find the average amount of electricity you typically use then.
Actually I think it's only 10 days history. Can't remember where I read that. Will try and double check but it looks like your perception is a bit off. They seem to be pretty keen to get people to load shift. You even get credit just for opting in even if you don't manage to save. Maybe it's about conditioning folk to adapt when necessary?
Ha. Thanks for the immediate (indeed, previous, not sure why that post didn't appear...) fact check
November update – 5.5kWp array, S facing in the SW. 20kWh of battery storage.
237kWh Generated
353kWh Imported
67kWh Exported
Running total for the year is ~5650kWh of generation.
Results are in with one session still be be counted.
You saved 10.53 kWh, earning you 33696 Octopoints – worth £42.12
Was that exporting?
We managed 0.17kWh 😃
8kw exported over the 2 sessoons here 32quid along with the previous export session. The 4 sessions so far will just about cover all my import for the month. They expect more sessions in January also.
You saved 21.23 kWh, earning you 67944 Octopoints – worth £84.92.
Not too shabby.
I feel I am missing out here, does anyone know a way to make a Tesla powerwall II discharge to the grid? I've googled but found very little UK-specific info.
Wow. Kinda wish I’d charged and then discharged now.
Yeap me too. Need to work out how to force the solar edge battery to discharge.
@Fueled I found this on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Powerwall/s/JWzS4HhQ3I
TLDR message Tesla using the app and ask for the ‘energy exports’ option to be turned on [edit] or get in touch with your installer [/edit].
I have not, yet, asked for this to be done.
^^ the powerwall, I know nothing about them, but I assume you have DNO setup to be allowed to export to grid when it was installed?
re the saving sessions, pretty epic so far on my little 10 kwh battery:
Thanks for being part of our Saving Sessions on 29th November and 1st December.
You saved 14.86 kWh, earning you 47552 Octopoints – worth £59.43
easily worth doing, although i doubt the figures as i can only export at 3.6kwh and at most those two sessions are 3 hours combined
"You saved 5.59kWh, earning you 17904 Octopoints - worth £22.38."
Accurate I reckon, GivEnergy app says 5.60kWh over the two sessions. House load was 2.20kWh during those 3 hours. Battery discharge is capped at 2.6kWh unfortunately.
I had to pester solar edge chat to enable the manual control on my battery profile. They also need to push a firmware update to your battery and inverter, but once that's done you get an extra layer of control. I can now force export, but am limited to 5kw so any demand in the house reduces this.
I didn't have the firmware upgrade at first so the first couple of saving sessions netted me a total of 27p. Not the bonanza i'd hoped for! fingers crossed for some sessions soon.
Thanks @lodger I think I have the manual control option in the app already so will have a play. Do you know what firmware version you were upgraded too?
no sorry. cant work out how to check the version.
The manual control (on mine at least) seems to have a glitch where it doesn't save the changes so you have to keep closing the app and trying again until it registers.
That's a good point. I also can't find it via their app or the web interface. Got 'SMCU 1.0.67 DCDC 0.0.79 BMS 0.6.' from home assistant though.
So, the savings events are coming thick and fast, but the model means there are rapidly diminishing returns. If I keep exporting, my 10 day average shifts to negative and my 'savings' are reduced - or eliminated completely. Starts to be worthwhile using as much as possible at peak times on non-savings days to shift the average.
I waste way too much brain time on this!
Hah Lodger, I was thinking exactly the same thing. It does encourage the wrong behaviour moving usage to 5-7 on a non savings day if your tariff allows.
I'm surprised they've not in some way stopped people discharging to game the event but I guess if this is all about maiming the availability in the network at peak times then the discharge of energy back into the network is beneficial
So, the savings events are coming thick and fast, but the model means there are rapidly diminishing returns. If I keep exporting, my 10 day average shifts to negative and m
Who's tariff are you on ? Octopus specifically does not include savings days in your 10 day average .
Also for those of you on apple octoaid tells you your baseline for the sessions
Im setting my batteries to charge 5-6 on non event days. They are only small so its used up by the morning in winter but increases usage. Im 60 quid up atm.
it seems you can use the points to buy a t shirt or something in the future
Think i'm 100 up over the saving sessions, last couple still calculating.
As a above, they ignore previous saving sessions in the calcs. However, my export time, if i have nay spare, is usually within that window so my baseline is ~-1.5 to start with, on flux it would be less than ideal to charge on those times for me.
Mine is all automated through home assistant and predbat anyway, opt in, maintain a charge if needed and then dump
Hey all...
This post will be in the 'solar thread' and the 'electric car thread'..
Basically, looking for some advice/charger advice..
I've a nissan leaf - doesn't YET do car2home..
At present, I only charge it at work (have a charger installed there)..
We're currently with UW, and pay about 28p/kWh at ALL times. Our electricity useage for November was... 550kWh. this isn't including gas CH (2 combi boilers)....!
Our bills are, as you imagine, quite big.
I'm thinking about switching to Octopus EV tarriff..
Standing charge is the same.. Day rate is 31.21p, but overnight would be 7.5p. Not just for EV charging, but all electricity.
We could run the dishwasher/tumble drier/washing machines (yup, pleural) overnight...
Those are 'big money items' and would hopefully offset the higher daytime cost.
I could also get a Zappi charger installed (£1000) which could potentially future proof the house for a solar array..
Big question... as I don't actually charge my EV at home (as said - I charge at work, but ultimately I'm the business that pay the electricity at work at 20p/kWh) will i see major savings??
DrP
I can't add much DrP beyond not baselining against your existing rate or the standard variable rate (svr), rather against alternatives like octopus tracker which comes out historically about 30% less than svr without having to overly worry about pushing usage off peak. Just my tuppence
cheers - will look into that too...
My dream would be to have a whopping south facing solar array, with batteries, and to produce most of our electric energy. However, install costs need to be looked into.
DrP
Your plan might be scuppered from the beginning as you can't switch to Intelligent Octopus without a compatible car or charger, and they make you do a test charge during the switch. You can check this on their website if you click the "I'm not an Octopus customer" button.
You can go onto generic Octopus Go without a compatible car, which I believe is 9.5p for a shorter period. Would recommend doing the maffs to see if it's worth the hassle of getting up early to shuffle wet washing into the tumble dryer. If you're only saving 20p/day by doing stuff overnight then that's going to be flattened by the increased unit cost during the day.
It's a gem of a tariff if you have batteries - I've paid 7.5p/kWh for all my electricity use for the last year - but doesn't sound ideal for you. If you do decide to switch, make sure you use a referral code because you get £50 back.
You can go onto generic Octopus Go without a compatible car, which I believe is 9.5p for a shorter period. Would recommend doing the maffs to see if it’s worth the hassle of getting up early to shuffle wet washing into the tumble dryer. If you’re only saving 20p/day by doing stuff overnight then that’s going to be flattened by the increased unit cost during the day.
This is the big issue..
Our house is like a Chinese laundary at times..and in all honesty, despite my winging and moaning, I appear to be the only one who would actually put a washing machine etc on timer...
Will give it some thought.
Batteries (or a leaf that does c2h) and solar would be the ideal.
In fact... if they DID upgrade the leaf to c2h, i'd pop to Lidl and fill it up at 14p/kWh, then power the house from that~!!!!
DrP
Eon Next Drive is slightly more expensive than Octopus Go but has a much longer cheap period, from midnight to 7am. This means you can put stuff on timers to finish just before you get up so you can sort the washing out as it finishes instead of it sitting in a puddle from 4:30am, that kind of thing.
Saving session on Octopus between 5 and 6 today. Battery seems to be discharging :D. Tried to configure at lunch time but kept getting errors and gave up. Then came back a bit later on and tried again and it worked.
👍. I’m doing this too.
Slightly random q…
I don’t have a roof that I can put panels on (listed building, any areas I could potentially get permission are North facing).
I do however have a 7ft high beech hedge running 40m up the side of the garden (in direct sunlight all day).
Would I be able to mount panels on top of the hedge (on some form of pole / frame)?
Would this likely kill the hedge?
I didn't know that, thanks.
Still pays to waste on the other days, but not quite so much!
Frustrating/weird how long it takes to work out your usage and savings. Octopus and my inverter never agree either, which is a bit annoying. But I'm not sure who I trust more. We can use 90KWh on a bad winter day so the fine margins make a difference!
re panels on a hedge....
just consider how much panel; space you need to make it worthwhile, then you'd need a frame that can support the panels AND keep them secure in strong winds... not going to be easy or practical..
it's not uncommon for people to put panels on ground frames if you have the space
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67494082
I have a bad habit of oversimplified thinking but would houses having batteries even without solar be a way of soaking up this excess energy for later use? Judging by the above article they would need to be in the right area...
Not sure if it is the demand locally, or something akin to the cable coming out of the wind farm not being fat enough.
But it is frustrating that the aspects that feel like they should be easy are not being addressed. Lots of people have smart meters now, but most people have no way of being given cheap electricity and being told "now is a really good time to charge your cars up!". How hard can that bit be?
Thanks to advice from @prettygreenparrot, I'm now all set up ready to discharge from my battery. So now there probably won't be any more saving sessions again knowing my luck!
Could be one today. There has been notification of a test event sent to suppliers today, normally a saving session follows later on
Looks like a session will be between 5-6pm today check your provider for notifications as they always dont sent out in time
