My 16kWp Domestic System

graememk · 31-08-2022 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119549846#Comment_119549846

Running about 2.7k now, (buy in dollars, Ali express exchange rate is brutal)

Phase 4 has started.. for ones that know, know.

mp3guy · 31-08-2022 10:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119547038#Comment_119547038

Off-grid is about as useful for people to consider as domestic wind is. Only for extreme hobbyists willing to lose time, money and convenience. Nothing wrong with it, people spend stupid money on other kinds of wild lifestyles.

bullit_dodger · 31-08-2022 10:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119551331#Comment_119551331

Yup. You + me = same page mp3guy. :-)

It's "technically" doable, but not without some serious outlay of wonga for marginal benefits for the environment (infact it may even be negative benefit as you have to so overprovision your panels to cover the rubbish days and panels aren't without some environmental cost)....

Hardly seems worth it, just so you can tick a box that your off grid, but it's a question of values ultimately.

slave1 · 01-09-2022 5:12am

It’s doable without having an EV over Winter but would require a generator over Winter, April to September very achievable for <€20k

ELM327 · 01-09-2022 8:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119549846#Comment_119549846

That and the panels too. The cost isnt the issue here. I'm quite ham fisted so wouldnt necessarily be looking to DIY much, and I am aware I'm paying extra €€ for that.

My next add on (another 8kWp, 20kWh, + second inverter) I may try DIY it. But that won't be this year.

unkel · 01-09-2022 9:12am

@ELM327 - If you might try DIY your next setup (and have a look at the forum, a lot of people with zero experience in this have done it before and got a lot of help on the forum), may I suggest you go for a small battery first? You will save a lot of money and you won't fall into the trap of having a system that will simply never pay for itself. That would be a waste, wouldn't it? Just go get one 5kWh module instead of 4

slave1 · 01-09-2022 10:25am

I agree, but you got to look at your life too, I've sooooooo much going on (DIY'ing a second array/all other work/life stuff) that my 20kWh battery pack from Ali Express is with me 9months and not installed yet (but getting closer.....)

ELM327 · 01-09-2022 11:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119552349#Comment_119552349

Arah at this stage I'd have to ask for money back if I was to do that, I've already paid most of the amount and the install is on Monday next. It's a sunk cost (fallacy?!) at this point. I intend to DIY in the future too but I'm aiming big so whether it's 5kWh or 20kWh now I'm still going to need a lot more kWp and kWh in the future anyway. I've been watching youtubes of american off grid setups with 50+kWp. I have the space so I'm considering doing it here and to get to that level it's going to require doing some DIY.

I have seen the threads here and am learning so much that I have to read and reread some threads a few times. Very helpful resource, this site and the FB group

unkel · 01-09-2022 11:55am

I know you have the money for it and once you decide, that's it. But it's a shame that you didn't do a bit more research / ask questions here first. A lot of us were in your position a good few years ago and some of use have made similar mistakes. Any time I look on some of the Irish facebook groups I have to facepalm on the amounts of money people spend on setups that should only have cost a fraction of what they paid. Great for the installers' pockets of course. But not good when it comes to pay back time. Many systems installed in Ireland will never pay for themselves. What's the point of that?

mp3guy · 13-08-2023 9:10pm

Hey folks. Not much to report as of late, when it comes to domestic solar I effectively "completed it, mate". No upgrades in scope (maybe in a few years I'll squeeze another 10-12 panels on and upgrade an inverter).

Have some annual stats to share that people might find interesting:

So the energy price increases have largely "benefited" me in terms of decreased time to break even. Unfortunately still getting skewered by deemed export on Energia on the day/night meter, but things are changing in the next few months at home with a heat pump incoming to soak up anything I'm exporting (both for heating and cooling).

Also upgrading my MIC to something very fun... more on that later. Ended up foregoing NC7 too, wasn't worth it.

unkel · 13-08-2023 10:48pm

Thanks for the update!

It's less than 2.5 years since you started this thread and I admit at the time I thought you were going OTT. I don't think that anymore, in fact I'm now very similar in size, which is crazy as I have a very modest size semi-detached house in a Dublin suburb. Also complete here, except for the heat pump heating to replace my gas boiler probably later this year or next year.

I'm not that much into the reporting side of things, or even doing pay back period calculations, but I do know that since some time in May, I have not bought any electricity from the grid really and that includes all electricity in the house, 2 EVs, all my hotwater and even a bit of crypto mining. Have exported little to nothing thanks to my very large DIY battery setup

idc · 17-08-2023 7:32am

Still surprised how your setup is actually compliant with esbn rules given the following

https://www.esbnetworks.ie/docs/default-source/publications/conditions-governing-the-connection-and-operation-of-micro-generation-policy.pdf?sfvrsn=fdcb2515_17

and most specifically the second line.

Screenshot_20230817_082543_Samsung Notes.jpg

mp3guy · 17-08-2023 1:51pm

All I know is that I contracted my well established installer with design, certification, notification, compliance and sign off at the time of install (Nov 2020/Apr 2021). SEAI visited, ESBN have been here two or three times to look at voltage issues, and ESBN were notified during NC6 and the partial NC7 application.

icylava · 06-10-2023 1:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119531118#Comment_119531118

Are you saying that even with an NC7 application on a single phase, there are no inverters in the market to export more than 6kW? I thought NC7 allows up to 17kVA on single-phase

graememk · 06-10-2023 1:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121201245#Comment_121201245

As a single inverter, none on the Irish market, but you could import a sunsynk from the UK.

To get more you can just have multiple inverters

icylava · 06-10-2023 1:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119546666#Comment_119546666

I can't stand wasting any electricity generated from solar.... so I need to get onto NC7...

unkel · 06-10-2023 4:32pm

There's a 16kW single phase Sunsynk / Deye available now. Want 😎

slave1 · 06-10-2023 4:43pm

Just the one😎

unkel · 06-10-2023 5:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121202139#Comment_121202139

If I had a 3ph 80A per phase connection, I'd want 3. And I would duly submit an NC8. And retire on the income of my semi-commercial solar PV mini farm 😁

mp3guy · 06-10-2023 6:00pm

Looks like just 2 MPPT though?

unkel · 06-10-2023 6:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121202446#Comment_121202446

3

And they are all "double" as you can parallel your input strings into them

Here's the spec sheet:

https://www.deyeinverter.com/deyeinverter/2023/07/31/datasheet_sun-(12-16k)k-sg01lp1-eu_230731_en.pdf

mp3guy · 06-10-2023 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121202628#Comment_121202628

What does that mean? Can you have 6 aspects?

mp3guy · 06-10-2023 7:45pm

Either way, 3 would suit me perfectly. Hopefully this and future hardware are available in years time when I want to upgrade. A big battery behind that would be great, and up to 13kW back up power wow!

unkel · 06-10-2023 10:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121202662#Comment_121202662

Well, 3 MPPTs, so not really optimal for 6 different aspects. Do you have 6 different aspects? 😶

The high amperage means you could have i.e. two 500V strings West, two 500V strings East and two 500V strings South, all twos paralleled. Like 72 panels all performing to their max MPPT power on this single inverter. This is immense.

mp3guy · 20-10-2023 4:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120974168#Comment_120974168

Alright, the wheels are finally turning:

That's right, upgrading to 29kVa MIC on single phase. Once this is in I'll be applying for full whack 17kW NC7.

graememk · 20-10-2023 4:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263583#Comment_121263583

What's the tails requirements for the 29? 35mm²?

It will be about 140-150ish amps?

How big are you planning on going with solar? As export limiting is allowed with the nc7 you could over spec everything and export limit down to 17

mp3guy · 20-10-2023 4:52pm

Tails are 35mm² indeed.

It'll be a 125A MCB on the consumer unit and a 160A fuse at the meter.

Actually not planning to go much bigger at the moment, I have a bit of space but I might wait until current kit pays off (9 more years) before upgrading/changing.

slave1 · 20-10-2023 5:39pm

Are you anywhere near NC4?

mp3guy · 20-10-2023 5:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263901#Comment_121263901

Unmetered public lighting? Nowhere near.

graememk · 20-10-2023 5:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121263977#Comment_121263977

I think he meant NC8! But the Max on that is also 17kva (72 amps) for single phase

My 16kWp Domestic System

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