Solar Panels UK - is it worth it?

[RedMod3]

When you get two Powerwalls your charts will look like this

Just brutal downloading for 4 hours, then cut the Grid Off completely

Octopus Smash & Grab Tariff

While my Powerwalls and 7kw Ev Charger is going through the front door, seen in the charts below.

My 3 Phase 11kW charger is kicking the back door in as well, at the same time.

View attachment 792221

We are almost there with this weather. As its warmed in the south, we have now turned off our aircon, and last night my PW charged to 55%; it will be interesting to see if the AI was clever enough. Last night I charged the M3P but as we only single phase, the Smart car will be charged tomorrow.

 

[RedMod3]

Only a 383.5 year pay back

But, I was away and missed the opportunity to plug my Smart car in and soak up that 15p surplus.

The 2nd PW will save a huge amount of money between Autumn through Winter to Spring but not so much in the Summer.

I shall be super-smug when the 2nd PW is installed and my total power costs are 5p kW/h (as we use no gas) while those gas users are paying 7.5p on the price cap.

 

[RedMod3]

I've seen a few comments about CT clamps maybe being the wrong way round. When my installed commissioned by PW after the sun went down, he warned me he may have got the CT clamp the wrong way round with -ve power from solar showing - he suggested I switch the clamp round if that was is case.

Fortunately mine was wired right, but it is a very simple task to reverse the CT clamp, so just try it, there is no need to call in the installer.

 

[PITA]

We are almost there with this weather. As its warmed in the south, we have now turned off our aircon, and last night my PW charged to 55%; it will be interesting to see if the AI was clever enough. Last night I charged the M3P but as we only single phase, the Smart car will be charged tomorrow.

Nice

Even on Single Phase you can have two Ev Wall Chargers.

This'll give you a failover unit if one breaks.

If you use them both at the same time they Load Balance between each other.

Load Balancing means they'll both be at half power 3.5kW each... but once one car stops charging, the other one will automatically jump back up to 7kW to finish the job.

I got around this Load Balancing issue by upgrading to 3 Phase, whereby you have a lot more capacity for multiple charge demands at the same time.

An analogy I've used is it's like having a single home computer on dial-up internet connection... then going to full Broadband with everybody in the house 4k streaming

 

[WannabeOwner]

there is no need to call in the installer

Thanks, but he's got to come back for some other commissioning stuff anyway. I'm not unduly bothered, got lots of other stuff I need to do, and I've scheduled car in TeslaFi to charge at suitable time each day and will just enable that if the PowerWall is nearing 100% by the time.

 

[browellm]

Only jesting. If you've got the dosh, go for it. We're only around once.

 

[RedMod3]

Nice

Even on Single Phase you can have two Ev Wall Chargers.

This'll give you a failover unit if one breaks.

If you use them both at the same time they Load Balance between each other.

Load Balancing means they'll both be at half power 3.5kW each... but once one car stops charging, the other one will automatically jump back up to 7kW to finish the job.

I got around this Load Balancing issue by upgrading to 3 Phase, whereby you have a lot more capacity for multiple charge demands at the same time.

An analogy I've used is it's like having a single home computer on dial-up internet connection... then going to full Broadband with everybody in the house 4k streaming

Understand, however our two 7.4kW EV chargers are on the non-backup supply as I’m quite happy to charge at 5p kWh or 7.5p on renewal, I never wanted them to drain the PW.

We had a power dip a couple of days ago, the first time for months. My NASs connected to UPSs emailed me and our Alexas, not on UPSs went dumb until powered off and on.

What was interesting was that our two Aircon units part cycled and went into an error state appearing to be on, but they were off, and we didn’t notice this until the next day. I’m wondering if the surge power-on requirements were more than 5kW and too much for a single Powerwall. Anyway, all is well now and we are off to a good start today.

 

[Liquidv]

Does anybody know if Solar companies install solar panels ontop of asbestos roofs?

 

[Timyoung84]

8500

That’s very good price. Solar together Essex quoted £9.4k for 12 panels +6.5kWh.

 

[Lx2m3]

Does anybody know if Solar companies install solar panels ontop of asbestos roofs?

I think as asbestos is an unsafe material to work with, no one would want to be involved, apart from a specialist team to remove it.

 

[94jdh]

I think as asbestos is an unsafe material to work with, no one would want to be involved, apart from a specialist team to remove it.

Exactly that, as any activity is likely to disturb it/create dust and put risk of exposure to anyone working with it or the local area.

 

[Ben_]

Any recommendations on how to get started choosing an installer (in Hampshire), please?

 

[Kithran]

Any recommendations on how to get started choosing an installer (in Hampshire), please?

I am also looking for getting quotes for installation in Southampton.

 

[Sixer]

My best recommendation…. Wait a year. The industry is crazy at the moment. Suppliers hiking their prices, installers upping quotes due to supply issues, new batteries coming out.

 

[btc1k]

Any recommendations on how to get started choosing an installer (in Hampshire), please?

Get some quotes, check some reviews...?

 

[RedMod3]

Before you go for quotes, determine what you want ie: how many panels, the make and model of the panels, which inverter you want, optimizers or mini-inverters or none, which battery storage you want, how do you want the system configured, where will everything be installed. You need to be comparing apples with apples and not apples with pears.

 

[The_Cable_Guy]

I am also looking for getting quotes for installation in Southampton.

Me too but just down the road in chandlers ford

 

[Andy718]

We are looking at having 5.92kWh system installed which will use 16 x JA Solar Mono 370W panels, 5.0 KW Hybrid Inverter and a 9.5 Givenergy battery.

I've settled on the battery and inverter but was interested in your thoughts on the panels which have a 19.8% efficiency - a little lower than the panels offered by another installer who suggested Trina Vertex 395W panels with a 20.5% efficiency.

 

[Liquidv]

Anybody have a youtube video or guide for a newbie here regarding solar panels, inverters, batteries etc? Thanks

 

[WannabeOwner]

Anybody have a youtube video or guide for a newbie here regarding solar panels, inverters, batteries etc?

Not sure if you wanted technical, or financial.

here's the latter from EVM - a canny Yorkshireman