Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2022 - No PM requests - See Mod note post #1

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119109462#Comment_119109462

No an Eddi definetely doesn't make sense in your situation. You'd be better off spending the money that the eddi costs on panels, and/or a bigger battery. This is of course assuming that your solar tubes are working well?

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119109462#Comment_119109462

Drop the Eddi.

SemperFidelis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119109462#Comment_119109462

I'm in the same situation and wont be going with the Eddi. The Thermal panels do a great job heating the water most of the time so it will be at max temp before the eddi can divert anything to the heating element.

THE ALM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119109442#Comment_119109442

If the power goes then nothing will be generated and you will be relying on what is stored in the battery at the time.

Easiest way is to run a couple of sockets from the backup connection on the inverter for the essentials.

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119111038#Comment_119111038

Add more pv panels instead or up the battery.

mickdw

Quick query.

Solar pv to be installed in holiday home.

Do all the invertors allow remote viewing / setting via app or what is the story with them. This will be a small system maybe 2.5kw.

Basically will need to alter behaviour re whether excess power goes out to grid or to hot water from distance occasionally

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112611#Comment_119112611

If your not there leave the hot water heating off. Just incase a thermostat fails and it over boils causing damage. Apart from that carry on.

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119112788#Comment_119112788

Not a simple as that. Might be a case of others using the house. It's ok for it to be feeding out to grid when using little power when empty but if someone was to go stay, it would be better to be able set it remotely to divert some power into hot water.

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119113140#Comment_119113140

I switch it of when I go on holidays. No idea how to do that remotely, any ideas?

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119113140#Comment_119113140

You need the remote control on the immersion then, rather than the inverter. Something like an Eddi+Hub. Hard to make financials on that work.

Irish Steve

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119113356#Comment_119113356

The theory is that a cheap Shelly switch could be used (and remotely accessed) to control an immersion, but there are some ongoing software issues with Shelly that may make their ongoing use less than optimal, I'm waiting nearly a week for the couriers to collect my first shelly device to return it to them for recoding after I found out (the hard way) that if a password is set on the device, there's no way to reset it to factory settings, other than use a serial device to reprogramme it. Not exactly pleasing that they've let that level of bug slip through the net for this long.

The devils

First electric bill since install

€33 not inc standing charge for 70 days

€85 inc standing charge

😁😁☀️☀️

smacl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119111201#Comment_119111201

I hadn't been aware of this so did a bit of googling, some decent explanation here; https://www.paradisesolarenergy.com/blog/will-solar-panels-work-during-a-power-outage

idc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119115662#Comment_119115662

Take a look at the FAQ https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058234646/interested-in-solar-pv-read-this-faq-first

and search for "If I get a battery, can I run my house in the event of a power outage?" this details 3 options available from different installers

deravarra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119115602#Comment_119115602

What was it before the install, and what system did you get installed?

robertc4022

hi has anyone installed the hyundai vg shingled panels,and are they worth the extra

thanks

Bobeagleburger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119117657#Comment_119117657

How much extra?

What do you get extra from them? I'd guess not a lot.

There's a company or two that try to justify high prices with supposed superior panels. Marketing and spin come to mind. Don't fall for it!

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119117901#Comment_119117901

I don't have shingled panels but have looked at them previously. But I think the supposed advantage is if you have partly shaded panels they can output more watts than a more traditional type panel with the same amount of shade.

If that is true or not I have no idea.

robertc4022

what researsch iv done seems to have better output on grey days, and dont break the string when part is in shade seem to have very good independent reviews

only can find one company doing them in ireland maybe theirs more but cant locate them so far ,after doing a lot of research on panels and theses are one of the latest technology also 400watt panels ,just trying to see if anyone has install them here

thanks

robertc4022

sorry their about 500 euro for every extra panel installed.if anyone knows of any other installers of these could you please pm me or any other good companies to install pv system

im based in southeast

thanks

DC999

Editing as wasn’t the clearest when I posted it

Hey, 1st off thanks to all who take the time on this forum. It’s been a huge help as I’ve gone from solar ‘wanna be’ to putting the deposit down a few weeks ago. Install due to happen in next month. Looking for your help please on reviewing a design from the company who are doing our install. And that’s around how I can put panels on 3 roofs facing different directions with an invertor that only has 2 strings. Mods, please move if this isn’t the best place to post it. It’s a design question from a quote, not a price question. 

Our design ‘brief’ is we get a balanced level of power from the panels right through the day (we've low usage in morning and gets busier from between 330pm to bedtime when 2 adults and 2 kids are home). Not getting and don't need a battery at this point. Never say never, but not considering for now with the EV at home during day and charging from panel thru Zappi, and hot water tank as my 'battery'. Edit: I’ll rethink that battery piece as suggested in the replies

Installer design is:

String1: 6 panels on SE roof plus 2 on SW roof (SW roof is tiny)

String2: 6 panels on NW with plus 2 on SW roof (SW roof is tiny). He’ll put optimisers on all SW panels he said (which will have longest sun during the day) and said that design won’t drag the other roof connected to it. But how come the invertor won’t chop them back to levels of light hitting the SE and NW strings? As in in late afternoon when the SE one has no direct sun but the most panels on that string, but the SW is in full sun (with 2 panels on that same string) what’s going to happen? From what I've read optimisers stop a panel in shade dragging down the string. But he's proposing putting them on the ones with the most sun to somehow boost the overall string (when other roof is not in direct light)!!

So my big Q is 1) will his design above of 3 roofs (in different directions) work with 2 strings? Fronius 4kw inverter (not sure of model). Pic of roof attached.

2) Or do we drop the small roof SW and put nothing on that (which sucks as gets best sun) and fit as many as we can on the front (NW) and back (SW)? It's 7pm now and that SW roof is still in full sun (it's end of May). But what happens then during the parts of the day when one string is waning (due to position of sun) or the other is ramping up?

Roof info: Roof is tiny and SW one is the smallest. House is only 5m wide. We'll fit about six 1x1.7m panels on the front and back roof. And 4 (maybe 5) at push on middle side (SW) which has sun for longest during the day. I've measured it on Google Maps and been looking to find a similar roof to see what people have fit. I'm happy to fit as many as we can get on. No space in garden from ground mounted panels or no shed roof that isn't in deep shade. Lord knows I've hunted for extra space!!

Cheers for the help!

Solar view of roof (home).png

Mr Q

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119118140#Comment_119118140

That is way over priced for an additional 400w panel. Very unlikely it costs them more than 200

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119118652#Comment_119118652

The language you use is a little confusing. For example, when you say......

Array 1: Most panels on SE hip with 2 on SW hip connected to that (SW roof is tiny)

It's not really clear what "connected to that" means. etc

Ultimately that aside..... you have 3 roofs, and only 2 strings. You can do it with two strings, without optimizers, but you have to have the same number of panels on two of those roofs. What I would suggest is

String 1: Hosting 3-4 panels on the SE roof along with 3-4 panels on the NW roof (if you pick 3, then both roofs have to have 3 panels, if you pick 4 then both have to have 4 etc) The panels on the SE and the NW have to connected in series, and then the two of them together have to be connected in parallel back to the inverter.

String 2: Hosting 5-6 panels on the SW roof, or however many you want on that SW roof.

Going with optimizers you remove the need to match number of panels on the SE and NW roofs, but of course you now have the additional cost of optimizers.

I'd strongly recommend a small battery though. Strongly. I think anyone who doesn't get a small battery to "smooth the clouds" is missing out on a trick.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119119005#Comment_119119005

Thanks for that. Apols if wording is a little clunky in places. Still new to how to describe the the quote in words I understand.

So I can have 'String 1: Hosting 3-4 panels on the SE roof along with 3-4 panels on the NW roof. And I would match the number of panels so don't need optimisers.' But without optimisers will the shaded side not drag the other side down? As in early in morning or in evening when sun isn't hitting both?

And if so does that mean I need optimisers on every panel on that string? That's a huge cost of course.

Then string 2 is the SW roof on its own. That's neater than splitting it between 2 strings like installer suggested.

I'll deffo rethink the small battery option to 'smooth the clouds'.

Cheers

robertc4022

price panel in uk their about 463 pounds each ,seems very expensive .but maybe thats a price not sure

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119119143#Comment_119119143

You are utterly insane to pay that for a panel. Plenty of less expensive options out there.

10 Panels would be €5000 and that's without the brackets, fitting, shipping and so on.

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119119110#Comment_119119110

As long as the number of panels are the same between SE and NW, then your fine. The ones in the shade will be catered for by the MPPT. It's important to tell the installer that the two arrays (SE and NW) are connected together in parallel and that's what goes into the inverter. The tehcnical white paper on this is here if you want it.....

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwi0iYHngJXNAhUF4aYKHfvjBjQQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.energymatters.com.au%2Fimages%2Fnews%2F2013%2Feast-west-solar-paper.pdf&usg=AFQjCNG5Y2HQtSOsvsDZNZXY4GBjkTltjg

(don't worry about the fact that it mentions east/west, the same concept is true for SE/NW or any other combo......as long as the panels are the same and the same number)

newbie2012!

Folks, is there a need for PP for rooftop panels?

we are looking at 16 panels and I’ve googled it, seems currently there is a requirement but due to be scrapped.

Thanks

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119120140#Comment_119120140

Don't worry about it, virtually no one gets it.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119119249#Comment_119119249

Brilliant @bullit_dodger, really appreciate that and the technical white paper is from Fronius (which is inverter installer is supplying). I'll go to him with all that. I did see your replies on that E/W split on a single array from last year. It went over my head and at the time no installer was suggesting I could use 3 roofs (to help with the tiny SW one). Makes more sense now. Cheers