Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715260#Comment_119715260

To allow you to import more power from the grid. Not much of issue for those still on D/N meters, but could be an issue for those with 2/3 hour cheap in smart meters tariffs.

Tbh, a 12kVA connection with a MyEnergi grid limit is more than sufficient for most. The Eddi/Zappi will derate themselves to allow you to humm along close to and not exceed the 12kVA limit.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715260#Comment_119715260

Maybe u have a big lathe or welder in the shed. You'd want to be making good use of it to pay the 5k though

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715330#Comment_119715330

OK, so if you're spiking in demand for short period of time to make use of low tarriff. It's not necessarily the meter that limiting the power, just the fact your looking for it all at the one time.. charge car, charge battery, and potentially do it faster than if you had a standard line into the house?

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715382#Comment_119715382

For a domestic user, yes.

If you have industrial or farm equipment, you might need a larger supply for inrush currents. Light dipping at startup etc.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715260#Comment_119715260

Some farms and workshops are still classed as "domestic"

Really big house? Multiple car chargers?

The option is there.. if you pay for it.

*Not all farms use a lot of power, but some do.

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715410#Comment_119715410

Yea. It was in a domestic setting I was curious. We have 3 phase in for a big woodwork unit on another property. Big motor etc on it. I just couldn't figure out why you'd need a heavy line into a house. But jt makes sence now, if it was cost effective

Richard tea

Hello all, Im hoping to have a system installed next year. Im still undecided on a DIY or get a company to do the work. Just want to get some info right in my head first. Im trying to work out a layout option. I have a length of back garden roughly 28 foot long against a wall that is South facing according to a compass on my phone. In the attached pic I would like to have the setup in the garden shed but im not sure if its possible. At the moment heating water and cutting down on the electric bill are my goals. The current electric supply from the house to the shed is a standard 3 core cable. Is that an issue? These eddi devices...can this be set up in the shed? With technology moving so fast what is the best type of pv solar panel? is there a new generation due out next year etc. The only work I would plan on doing myself is mounting the panels. All electric and plumbing work would be cqarried out by a qualified trades person. Im not sure about a battery at the moment but if I did decide to add one in the future is it possible?

Hope thats not too confusing and someone can give me some pointers.

solar.png

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119715260#Comment_119715260

Theres nights I'm pulling 14-15kW for a few hours straight so it's actually slightly over spec from my CU. My current MIC is 12kVa and we have a 63A fuse in the CU but 80A at the main fuse. I reckon we're between the 63 and 80 on a regular basis so I'd like more headroom.

Also, if you're moving to NC7 instead of NC6 which I am considering doing in the future, you are limited by your MIC - you can't export more than your MIC. If I'm ever forced onto a smart meter then I'm going to go full send into FIT

unkel

There's also the likelihood that we won't have a 9 hour long slot in future for cheap electricity, but a shorter slot. You will need as much power as you can get to charge up everything you got and run all your stuff 😁

My last measurement was that I use 96% of the electricity I buy from the grid from night rate, so only a few units from expensive and unclean day rate.

ELM327

Shnakey barstewards

Just checked the letter of offer again and , not only is it for 16kVa not 20, but they have me down as changing from MCC02 to a smart meter MCC. Eh no.

unkel

Ah well, there's still a lot you can do with 15kW * 9h 😁

What you can do is charge up your car (7kW) every night, but only for 5h, and charge your powerwall (5kW), but only for 4h. Consecutively. That leaves a lot of juice for other stuff.

Personally if I had a large house + land like yourself, I would do the sums for a 3ph connection, even if that cost €4-5k. My plan would be an enormous PV setup and making money (forever) from the FIT. Purely as a for profit business. You'd pay income tax on the profit (being the FIT you get), minus ALL your costs, including the hardware, the 3ph upgrade and all install costs

Fantana2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717915#Comment_119717915

Sounds interesting, what sort of set up would you be thinking on 3phase? Is there a different FIT rate for a mini generator Vs micro?

Gorteen

This may be a very silly question....

If there are power cuts, will I have limited protection from cuts because my PV panels charge my battery?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119719550#Comment_119719550

Your panels won't power your battery in a power cut, but if you have an EPS (emergency power supply) fitted you can use what power is in your battery to run an extension lead to power certain things like routers, tv, kettle, toaster, microwave. If your installer put a double socket beside your inverter that is it, if not you can get one fitted to it.

hairyslug

Looking for some advice. I’ve been looking at the europa site and trying to estimate how well a 4kw set up will work for us. We wouldn’t be opting for a battery yet and relying of FIT to try and balance the books. We use a little under 1/3 of our daily usage (about 3kw) between 3.30pm and 5pm which means that a lot of solar generated before then will be directed to back onto the grid. Outside of the summer months, are people generating much as it approaches 5pm. Also, does anyone know what the tax rate is once your FIT hits €200.

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119721739#Comment_119721739

Will you be South facing or east West?

Considering it almost dark at 5 in the winter, solar generation then will be nothing more than ambient light generating solar power

I'm pretty sure the tax declaration is up to you to put into your self assessment. It's a form of income you return with your taxes in October. If you are on the high rate you will pay high rate on the income after the tax free allowance of 200

Fantana2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119722193#Comment_119722193

Surely you can offset the expenses of installing the solar though?

hairyslug

Thanks, it’ll be split S/E and S/W, I hadn’t even thought about tax credits so we should be ok

Manion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119722309#Comment_119722309

No you cannot.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119724584#Comment_119724584

Who says? If you have to pay income tax on a business that you are setting up to make a profit, you can deduct the costs from your income. Now of course you will have to convince Revenue that it is indeed a for profit business. I don't think that is difficult if your setup is many times bigger than you could possibly use yourself. I.e. if you have a large barn and / or big ground mount setup with PV panels.

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119724620#Comment_119724620

I'm not an accountant but..

In order to write off diesel expenses of my personal vehicle, it needs to be used 20% of the business I do versus personal use. Home esb bills, I can get some write off on the bills, bit not all, so I would expect with solar, it would be the same, ie, if you have an income of 400, less the 200 TFA You're taxable at the balance.

A capital expenses is usually written of over 8 years at 12.5%. You're not going to be allowed write off the entire 12.5% against your profit I would expect, probably a portion of. You'll find the revenue tend to have all angles covered, and it wouldn't make sence anyhow, that something that is installed for personal domestic benefit can be written off completely.

I think at the moment there isn't a hard and fast rule, with solar, there is a thinking that all revenue from solar from domestic properties should be tax free to encourage people to install, which makes sence, but at this point, from what I can see, it's a bit up in the air

I'm a little like yourself, I would like to generate as much as I can, for example I have a property that I could fill with panels, and there's no electrical use, but I'm not sure how I could benefit when it appears they only credit bills, rather than a cheque in the post

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119717915#Comment_119717915

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119724620#Comment_119724620

Theres a lot more setup costs for that though. I reckon to get to a good stage of consistent excess, I'd need to be 3 phase on NC7. Both of those would be expensive - particularly adding 3 phase. Then I'd need another inverter (2 more for 3 phase ideally). Then I'd probably need to go all out and treble or more my existing 8kWp.

I mean, it's not a bad idea and there's a school of thought that suggests it. If I could write off the capital expenses at 12.5% like a normal business then it would make sense. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it for when I am inevitably forced onto a smart meter

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119724689#Comment_119724689

They credit bills but as your account will be in credit you can ask for a cheque for the balance. So when you move supplier once a year, you get a cheque back.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119724689#Comment_119724689

Also, for the 12.5% I suspect it would be the same as a sole trader buying an asset that is for personal and business use. They prescribe the breakdown fora car as (business KM)/(total KM)*12.5%*purchase price

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725069#Comment_119725069

Yes. That's ultimately how I would understand it, therefore, on the profits most households would make for their excess beyond the (200) the tax relief on a few hundred euro would be pretty insignificant

Paul Kiernan

After doing a bit of research I'm hoping to do a DIY install of a fairly simple system on an easily accessible full sun flat roof (SE 4mx16m). I'm thinking of a 6kw Solis non-hybrid inverter with two strings. A few things I'm not sure of -

How many panels (in total KWp) can I use with the 6kw inverter?

What's the ideal angle for the panels as facing south they might partially shade each other?

What else do I need other than mounts, cables, connectors? I presume some isolators? Fire switch (where does it have to go)?

I'll obviously need a RECI to connect up and sign off for the FIT.

Any help appreciated, thanks, Paul

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725237#Comment_119725237

If you don't know those things are you sure you should be DIYing the setup?

Max you can put on a 6kW inverter is about 8kWp

AckwelFoley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725237#Comment_119725237

35 degrees would be considered optimum. See below

I'm not sure how you mean they may shade each other?

Optimizers will be needed on all panels on the string where there is shading, not just on the effected panel

Paul Kiernan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725253#Comment_119725253

That's a fair point, esp. as I'll miss out on the grant with self-install. I reckon said system will cost about 6k to self-install compared to maybe 10k after grant. That's a big difference! I'm competent and careful. I can learn. And there's no guarantee a professional won't mess up some of the connections or leave a leak in my roof!

Paul Kiernan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119725273#Comment_119725273

Interesting graph that. Mainly in how little you lose with sub-optimal orientation. I presume that is specific to Ireland and optimised for full year?

By shading I mean the top of the panel in front shading the panel behind it!