Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619848#Comment_120619848

Doing one cycle of peak shaving per day will save you the guts of 6kWh * (0.43-0.13) unit rate difference * 365 days minus some losses = €600 per year and does more good to us all than a few PV panels.

padjocollins

https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/solar-panels-perovskite-renewable-energy-b2342287.html may 2023 , solar panels 33 boost in efficiency . of course expensive when it comes out but hopefully over time it’ll come down a lot

cgcsb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120619848#Comment_120619848

Thanks. I may opt for the batter in the future.

Folded

After finding a company that has good reviews and gave me a decent quote, I signed a contract to lock in an install date but I'm surprised that there won't be any site survey beforehand. Is that common, is the Google Map view really enough? Is it fair to assume they can't be any issue installing the inverter into the attic? I'm scared they'll find a problem and have to install it elsewhere when there's no space in the house elsewhere and no garage.

JayBee66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625887#Comment_120625887

I had a useless salesman from Active8 who knew nothing and then a local installer who came round and looked but all the calcs were done with software and a satellite photo so I suppose it can be done without a site survey. Maybe you just have a plain roof without complications.

I'd think twice about an inverter in the attic. Most of the installs I see on here seem to require additional cooling. Attics get very hot in the summer. Also, every owner can't keep their hands off the front panel until they install Home Assistant so you'll be up and down the attic ladder for months.

If you are in an urban area then the outside will be sterile enough. I'm rural and an outdoor inverter/battery would immediately become a motel for a few million woodlice and a colony of shrews trying to eat them.

Ginger83

I received this from ESB.

"I can confirm that your NC6 details were received and processed. You appear to have a dual tariff meter in situ at present so you will need to contact your energy supplier to discuss a suitable smart tariff and request to be prioritised for a smart meter."

Is this compulsory? Will it affect FIT?

Folded

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120625945#Comment_120625945

Good to know, thanks a lot for the reply. Didn't realise having it outside was even an option, that would be ideal. Very urban area. I was concerned the inverter would end up fitted in a bedroom or something, there really isn't a lot of space inside the house...

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120627361#Comment_120627361

You will get a deemed FIT because you are on a Day/Night.

If you want a measured FIT you would need a smart meter (id sit tight for now as they do plan on rolling out smart meters for people on day night tariffs.. and keep the day/night tariff)

JayBee66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120627489#Comment_120627489

Which inverter/battery combination are you getting? An all-in-one (inverter and battery together - such as my KStar or Libbi) is best suited for that purpose. Solis inverters tend to come with another company's battery so that would need a fair amount of conduit to tidy it up.

Folded

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120627874#Comment_120627874

No battery yet, just a Solis hybrid inverter for now...

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120627905#Comment_120627905

You will find the majority of people here had no option but install it in the attic so it's not an issue, with the Solis hybrid inverter you can now control it via the app so you don't need to go up to it to change settings anymore. The only downside is you only get a 5 minute delayed view of what's happening with input and output, most people can live with that though.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120627674#Comment_120627674

So the best thing for now is to do nothing?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628294#Comment_120628294

Work out how much you are exporting, if you are exporting more than the deemed FIT formula then you would be better off with a smart meter.

mollymac57

Sorry in case my Qs have been covered already but I’m new to this forum having just had my 4.15kw PV system installed including Eddi but no battery. Im using as much generated electricity during daytime with the balance going back to the grid (NC 6 form sent in and waiting response).

The hot water tank is fully heated so plenty of hot water for daily washing. I’m charging phones and laptops during the day and using heavy usage devices eg: washing machine during day time as we are at home during the day. What are the best other methods for using the electricity generated? Are smart plugs a good investment? Any other advice or tips? Many thanks.

Ginger83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628436#Comment_120628436

I exported 1122kWh in a little under 3 months

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628489#Comment_120628489

Smart plugs are good so are smart bulbs get them when on offer in the sales. I got an induction hob, Air Fryer oven, battery hoover and changed all my garden and DIY tools to battery ones. I still need to use the petrol mower sometimes but the battery one is ok when the grass is short. Slow cookers, Instant Pots all help. I only use the main oven a few times a year now but there is only 2 of us here.

I put the electric shower on 1 element so the solar and batteries can power it as well when the weather gets warmer. Plenty more savings I can't put my finger on now though.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628508#Comment_120628508

I sent you the formula before so work out based on your suppliers FIT rate what you would be due on deemed FIT, then work out what your metered FIT would be for what you exported. You will know then which is best for you.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628436#Comment_120628436

There's a bit more to it than that. If you have a smart meter you have the opportunity to empty your battery into the grid for FIT payment. But in general the smart meter plans are worse than the day / night plans, that's why most of us don't want a smart meter until we are forced to.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628727#Comment_120628727

Would that not depend on how much you export though? If you export far more than deemed FIT surely a smart meter is beneficial depending on your suppliers rates.

unkel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628874#Comment_120628874

Yes of course, but my point was that there is more to it than what you would naturally export

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628874#Comment_120628874

Would it be?

You'd have to make sure that you werent making more on FIT but losing more on night rate being higher

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630361#Comment_120630361

If people don’t have ‘diverters’ (Eddi for water, Zappi for car, house battery), they will export a lot. Same if they are a low usage household. Meaning a smart meter tariff could be better. Challenge is people have to run the numbers themselves to find out. As you said ‘You'd have to make sure…’

I’ve only 1 of those ‘diverters’ myself – EV. So we export a lot at this time of year.

Our (modest 5kWp E/W) solar this month produced 145% of what we needed (including EV charging). So we’ll always be exporting that extra 45% (irrespective of how much battery capacity we had). Unless we use more electricity for no reason other than ‘to use it or lose it’. Personally I won’t do that, I’d rather it went to the grid for others to use even if I didn’t get paid for it. Each to their own as they are paying for their setup. 

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630461#Comment_120630461

I have no diverters at all. I've exported 400kWh since September last year. I use over 1000kwh in the EV alone every month, combine that with usage in a 6 bed house with 2 teenagers and 2 work from home tech professionals and we see a lot of usage. My battery is rarely at 100% as between car charging and heating water over and above base line, my 8kWp system doesnt generate that 45% equivalent in my house. We're almost at 800kWh generated this month so far and almost all of that is domestically used. I'd rather burn the electricity heating space in my garage than send it to the grid for free.

cgcsb

Does anyone know how to use the seai grant application portal?. I can create a profile but can't seem to start an application and there's no way to submit contact details, pressing submit just reloads the page.

EDIT:

You have to use chrome apparently

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630476#Comment_120630476

Wow that's not a lot! I've exported 350Kwh since jan1st this year, and I've a lot going on in the house also, albeit the EV is the key there. I don't have one and if you have an EV you have a great sink for the excess.

While I can appreciate the heating the garage comment (lol) ..... I'm hoping it was a little tongue and cheek. Don't get me wrong, i get it....why should you spend €10k+ and have some other company reaping your investment for free. Still not great from an environmental aspect is it?

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630787#Comment_120630787

I mean it's tongue in cheek to the extent that I'm not going to buy a garage heater just to waste energy - it was to show I aim to export as little as possible.

My plans for the rest of the year include further efforts to minimize export, get the eddi (which is sitting in my utility for months) installed, get more batteries, collect our second EV, maybe think about having a zappi installed. I didnt expect to be paid anything for export and, while the couple of quid under deemed fit is nice, that wont be long term and its more cost efficient and environmentally friendly to use your own energy first rather than importing from the grid. Not that Im bothered by the environmental aspect - but I know a lot are. The attraction for me is self sustainability from a doomsday perspective.

Looking back on my exports, the only real other days with significant exports were when I was away for a stag weekend and another week, and the mrs wouldnt be bothered with micromanaging solar !

testtech05

Hi All, looking for a bit of advice. I am looking into option for solar on a new build and just had a rep out to survey and see what sort of roof space i have.

Long story short I have a south facing rood with room for 16 panels approx 6.8kW total. My question is does it make sense to over size the system that much when we are limited to a 5kW inverter? I guess it would help on less sunny days or in winter to increase the overall generation but I am just wondering what more knowledgeable people think on the subject?

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631028#Comment_120631028

Oversize relative to a 5kw inverter?

Absolutely. I worked out the math on that before, and while 6kw would be better.....in reality, you will only be dropping 1Kw (potentially) for 2-3 hrs on the sunniest days of the year. Maybe 30-40 days out of the year. The rest of the time the inverter is able to handle the loading without clipping and you'll benifit from the extra panels. The 5kw verses a 6kw is like a penalty of 1-2% i reckon out of your yearly totals. Not worth worrying about in reality.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631028#Comment_120631028

Think about the addage that Ireland experiences roughly 50% cloud cover and that it becomes even more prevalent the further West you travel. When you over-size on the panels for the cloudy days you maximise the return for that 50% of the time. I'm of the opinion that all arrays should be over-sized for this reason to the tune of 15 to 25%.

ELM327

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631028#Comment_120631028

I have 8.2kW on a 6kW inverter.

On a brilliant day I have seen peaks of 8.2 so I know you can oversize it a good bit. Where its most important however is the days when youre getting less than peak.