Solar Panels UK - is it worth it?

[Pete UK]

You shouldn't get any noticeable cross charging when generating on both, but you might if the dominant inverter isn't receiving much generation due to your position of the panels.
EMS is a fair way off yet, and the best bet for running it effectively is with GivTCP of which there is ready made software available to download on the Facebook page.
The Cloud based option is likely to be related to this at a guess considering Paul Landregan (Givenergy) previous comments on GivTCP.
Ideally, you should have a go at setting it up as cross charging is putting unnecessary cycling on the batteries back and forth.

That’s what I’m seeing too. Whilst generating sufficiently on both - no issues.

Have you set up yours with giveTCP?

Is this separate to home assistant or a plug in part of HA?

This is all new to me. You shouldn’t have to become an IT expert to get the functionality you expect. HA isn’t very intuitive to install ! Can’t imagine my gran doing it.

HA looks great once set up, until it needs changing/ updating etc but….

I had problems installing HA on an old macmini, missing files etc, so gave up for now. Might have to buy one of those yellow HA boxes or whatever it is.

I need an idiots guide to setting up the whole thing including the giveTCP. I’d honestly prefer a local solution to a cloud based one just in case GE aren’t around for ever. Ideally a firmware update fix or just a box that screws into the wall and fixes things. But anything will do for now.

I’ve got another issue as well; plugged the car in last night to dump some kW into it. One inverter was discharging at 3.7kW and the other at only 600w. So after exporting a lot yesterday afternoon, in the evening I had to import from the grid to meet the 32a 7kW or drop the power to 16a to max out at 4.3kW. This morning one battery set was at zero - the properly working inverter side and the other at 98% (the lazy 600w output inverter!).

All very frustrating. But at least it’s summer.

I’ve reached out to the installer to fix the lazy inverter. Maybe this can be done remotely. Or it’s a bad inverter? No idea yet.

Interested to know about how you set up the give TCP. Any pointers? Links?

 

[yessuz]

Doesn't matter really, it's all controlled via the car.

By plug in I meant the bit of software that controls the Tesla car from Home Assistant.

ah, ok, so I would need to set up home assistant + install tesla plugin for that.

 

[94jdh]

That’s what I’m seeing too. Whilst generating sufficiently on both - no issues.

Have you set up yours with giveTCP?

Is this separate to home assistant or a plug in part of HA?

This is all new to me. You shouldn’t have to become an IT expert to get the functionality you expect. HA isn’t very intuitive to install ! Can’t imagine my gran doing it.

HA looks great once set up, until it needs changing/ updating etc but….

I had problems installing HA on an old macmini, missing files etc, so gave up for now. Might have to buy one of those yellow HA boxes or whatever it is.

I need an idiots guide to setting up the whole thing including the giveTCP. I’d honestly prefer a local solution to a cloud based one just in case GE aren’t around for ever. Ideally a firmware update fix or just a box that screws into the wall and fixes things. But anything will do for now.

I’ve got another issue as well; plugged the car in last night to dump some kW into it. One inverter was discharging at 3.7kW and the other at only 600w. So after exporting a lot yesterday afternoon, in the evening I had to import from the grid to meet the 32a 7kW or drop the power to 16a to max out at 4.3kW. This morning one battery set was at zero - the properly working inverter side and the other at 98% (the lazy 600w output inverter!).

All very frustrating. But at least it’s summer.

I’ve reached out to the installer to fix the lazy inverter. Maybe this can be done remotely. Or it’s a bad inverter? No idea yet.

Interested to know about how you set up the give TCP. Any pointers? Links?

Hi,
Try this link for GivTCP, yes it's for HA and I've just bought a Dell wyse of eBay to run it: There are a number of ready made files for dual Inverters etc to download:

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With regards to your problem, I'm not seeing those issues of discharge when I dump to the Grid with Octopus Flux, but have you tried the Givenergy cloud portal and looked in each Inverters settings to make sure one hasn't a reduced discharge rate set?

 

[DaveNN]

Finally got my 4.05kwpv + 10kwhrs battery system completed.
DIY job, with fully legit sparkie labouring on.
All paperwork to be handled by him.

Very content.

I'm using Sofar Battery controller and Sofar pv inverter.
Currently ( swidt) feeding in about 100watts a day ( nothing in reality).
I believe that I can throttle back this, I have RTFM but it's as clear as mud.
Any help/advice wld be very welcome.

 

[YYY2022]

It was exactly one year since my solar install date on 1 July. In my first year I generated 5,764 kWh from my panels. My system is 5.52 kwp, all south facing.

My Powerwall wasn’t installed until March this year but I’ve used less than 10kwh peak since that went in.

Solar panels UK - is it worth it? I think so, definitely yes.

 

[Mrklaw]

terrible today, only squeezed 10kwh so far and 200w at the moment with horrible dark skies won't get much more.

Is this what autumn is like? I dont' like it. Battery is 96% and slowly dropping.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Is this what autumn is like?

Nope. Autumn is like that, only worse, and for fewer hours of insolation each day. And more overcast days too ...

And then there is winter ...

 

[ACarneiro]

terrible today, only squeezed 10kwh so far and 200w at the moment with horrible dark skies won't get much more.

Is this what autumn is like? I dont' like it. Battery is 96% and slowly dropping.

Oh, you’re in for a treat during winter…

 

[Mrklaw]

I’m still holding on by my fingernails to ‘no grid usage‘ for a few bills. When its fully winter I’ll just give up and set the battery to 100% and stop looking at the graphs (no I won’t).

 

[DaveNN]

Was quite a decent day, for Northern.
12kw so far.
Dishwasher, washer, tumble dryer all used and car charged a bit.

 

[Pete UK]

Hi,
Try this link for GivTCP, yes it's for HA and I've just bought a Dell wyse of eBay to run it: There are a number of ready made files for dual Inverters etc to download:

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With regards to your problem, I'm not seeing those issues of discharge when I dump to the Grid with Octopus Flux, but have you tried the Givenergy cloud portal and looked in each Inverters settings to make sure one hasn't a reduced discharge rate set?

Thanks for that. I’ve just joined the group.

Everything set at default (both same). I contacted GE today and they told me it was discharging at a higher rate of 3.6kW before (a day or two back) apart from the car charging event. They did a reset on the inverter(s?) for me. I’ll check next time I plug the car in. It was odd though, I left it for quite a while and no change ~ 613w max discharge and 2.7 being pulled from the grid at the same time.
Hopefully it’s fixed.

terrible today, only squeezed 10kwh so far and 200w at the moment with horrible dark skies won't get much more.

Yeah, only 12.4kW total for me today. Was really hammering it down.

 

[Pink Duck]

Approaching 150 kWh exported to grid as MCS certificate due to arrive in the next couple of days myself. Was surprised to see 7.7 kW exporting earlier given the dark skies not far from home. 20 year projection of return on system is around £64k, so on that basis PV plus battery is worth it. Repay after 9 years from installer estimate, though they can’t account for the likes of Octopus Flux, so I suspect it will be closer to 7.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Repay after 9 years from installer estimate, though they can’t account for the likes of Octopus Flux, so I suspect it will be closer to 7.

Bit of inflation would likely reduce that further ... your self-usage is, in effect, index-linked (and tax free)

 

[Pink Duck]

Inflation was factored in, but at 2% average Interesting point about the 5% VAT. Also with future priced electricity of 50 p/kWh, whereas the reality is that the grid price in future may well lower to 15 before heading down to 11 p/kWh, particularly if the split from gas generation happens.

 

[WannabeOwner]

Interesting point about the 5% VAT

And your income tax (depends on what advanced level of Man Maths you subscribe to ...)

To pay your electricity bill you would have to earn £X and pay £Y in tax leaving you with £Z (matching your electricity bill)

Is that a saving of the higher £X (pay-packet earnings), or £Z (the disposable income available to you).

And miles put into the car [from Solar PV] has a value ... you could log that as peak rate, given it charges during the day, but realistically if you didn't have solar you'd charge 99% of the time at Off Peak tariff. I run some Air Con when PV is generating excess ... that's definitely a peak rate saving, 'coz I don't need the Air Con overnight.

"Lies, damned lies and Statistics"

 

[Pink Duck]

Not a great deal of savings on car versus 7.5 p/kWh from IO before, but yes that was funded from taxable pay and reducing disposable a bit before. Haven't charged or pre-conditioned the car from grid since install come to think of it. Air conditioning did come to mind from recent 25
 °C internal heat while scaffolding was preventing exterior awning blinds from doing their thing. A better approximation may come from analysing my year-on-year monthly spend pattern.

 

[thax1]

I run some Air Con when PV is generating excess ... that's definitely a peak rate saving, 'coz I don't need the Air Con overnight.

I’m tempted by either a multi-branch ac install or maybe air-air heat pump (capable of reverse-cycle) to cool upstairs if we get another August like last. Would be run when the Solar is available.
Anyone aware of any domestic systems that would play nice with home Solar and PW?

 

[ringi]

20 year projection of return on system is around £64k, so on that basis PV plus battery is worth it. Repay after 9 years from installer estimate, though they can’t account for the likes of Octopus Flux, so I suspect it will be closer to 7.

Many of these projections incorrectly assume energy prices will never be lower then last winter.

 

[ACarneiro]

Many of these projections incorrectly assume energy prices will never be lower then last winter.

I do hope you’re right!

 

[WannabeOwner]

I’m tempted by either a multi-branch ac install

Would a mobile-on-wheels and stuff-the-snorkel-out-the-window do?

Although my understanding of those is that they cool the room, but there comes a point where (given they are pumping hot air to outside) they have to pull air from the room, and that has to cause fresh (hot) air to be pulled in from outdoors, so the cooling effect plateaus

Whereas a split unit will do all the waste-heat part outside, and all the cooling part indoors.