Home solar, opinions please (1 Viewer)

[lorger]

We’re currently thinking of have home solar and a battery system fitted and just looking to hear what folks experience with this are, would you recommend solar only or better with batteries?

System I’ve been quoted for is 7.7kw of panels, 2 x 5kw and 6kw inverter, we have a fully facing south roof so even up here we should get plenty of daylight and sunshine

My thinking is if we have batteries we can top up at night and use during the day when it’s dull, in summer hopefully top up from sun and export the rest. I’ll also be fitting a hot water thinkymajig that heats hot water when you have surplus energy so saving on gas.

Total price is £11.5k fitted, estimated to pay back in around 9 years, are these figures realistic as I’ve heard it’s more like 20 years.

 

[Yorick]

When we looked into it, we decided to ignore batteries.
Sell any extra back to the grid and buy leccy when you need it.
Batteries are stupid money with limited life.

 

[MisterB]

the project depends on how much, if anything, you can do yourself? Fogstar have designed their own home battery, i would have bought tow, but had already gone down the Seplos route (also supplied by Fogstar) Their own battery is £2500 for 15kw ...... ! As for an inverter, we have a sunsynk 5kw, will cost around £1500 - if you can charge overnight at a VERY cheap rate, the Solar PV might not be worth installing - if you got 2 x 15kw you could probably run your home on cheap rate electricity - we recently bought a Mitsubishi PHEV so we could go onto the Intelligent Octopus rate at 7.5p per Kw, so we can move virtually all out use onto that rate (inc overnight storage heaters). We also have solar PV but we had it installed around 7 years ago, if i was starting again, i would get battery storage and inverter as a priority. Of course its also dependant on continuing to get a cheap overnight rate.

i have been having a conversation on a different forum, and they are adamant that i shouldnt use my PV energy to charge my battery, but i should sell it all back to my electricity supplier at @15p per Kw and charge the batteries at 7,5p per Kw ....... I need to do some calculations !


Yorick When we looked into it, we decided to ignore batteries.
Sell any extra back to the grid and buy leccy when you need it.
Batteries are stupid money with limited life.

Batteries are actually a good price if you dont go for a 'branded' battery - just need to make sure you get one that can communicate with your inverter, when i get round to assembling my other battery, i will have 28.6Kw if storage battery for under £5k

 

[Stroppy Bird]

It's worth checking with your DNO that they will permit a 6kw inverter.

We had originally been quoted for a 5kw inverter but when the paperwork went in, our DNO, Western Power, would only permit us to have a 3.68kw inverter unless we paid to upgrade their infrastructure.

 

[mikebeaches]

We had 20 PV panels and 2 x 6.5 kWh batteries installed exactly two years ago.

The set up has worked well for us so far. We sell plenty of surplus electricity back to Octopus.

During year one we managed all the electricity we needed for the house from solar, with the exception of 2 days in December when we drew a few kWh from the grid when the batteries ran out.

Year two a bit different because elder son moved back home and weather not so good, resulting in a bit taken from the grid.

But still all good.

Oh and our inverter is 5 kWh.

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[MisterB]

It's worth checking with your DNO that they will permit a 6kw inverter.

We had originally been quoted for a 5kw inverter but when the paperwork went in, our DNO, Western Power, would only permit us to have a 3.68kw inverter unless we paid to upgrade their infrastructure.

I think the issue may have been in relation to feeding back to the grid. I have a 5kw inverter that does NOT feed back to the grid, under a G99 approval in addition to a 3.6kw inverter (+4kw of PV) installed under G98 (which is notification as opposed to the G99 which needed permission)

You can go a lot higher with an inverter NOT feeding back to the grid BUT you need permission of course!

 

[gus-lopez]

When we looked into it, we decided to ignore batteries.
Sell any extra back to the grid and buy leccy when you need it.

Do they pay you in the Canaries for feed back as here it depends. My mate gets no payment for supplying the grid just pays less when he uses electricity from them.Yet another bloke reckons he gets payment but had no idea what?

 

[Stoosal]

We went with 4.6kw panels and 3.6kw inverter which was limited by supplier. Chose not to have batteries and see how it went with that set up before batteries. We have diverter switch for heating hot water or an oil radiator etc.

Remembering its still only February!………We’re not far from you so, today (fairly sunny), the excess power was heating our oil filled radiator when we got up. After heating lounge etc we switched over to hot water. By two ish it had heated our 220 litre water tank. We put over 8kw of excess power into hot water/heating today. Didn’t use any heating oil at all today.

In summer our hot water tank is heated early morning.

We are learning to live a bit differently. We‘re retired now so we can wait for hot water heating for showers/dishes etc. Washing machine has WiFi so we can go out and switch it on when we’re generating excess power etc. Choose between heating hot water or house with excess power etc.

Rough calcs show we have reduced our electricity import by about a third and reduced our heating oil useage by about the same.

The cost of batteries is falling so we might reassess again in the near future but when we installed the lifespan of battery was given at about 12 years ish. The cost of battery and installation etc meant we didn’t really think it was worth it.

Initial calcs for payback is about 12 years but that was before electricity prices soared. They are now starting to fall back but I would say 12 years is still about right over that length of time.

 

[pampam]

Ive asked octopus for a quote but at 68 i just wonder if its worth it

 

[mikebeaches]

Ive asked octopus for a quote but at 68 i just wonder if its worth it

We had exactly the same thoughts, and we were in our 70s...

But it was still a no brainer for us. Payback period is not everything. It's not a question most ask if thinking of buying a new car, or almost any other purchasing decision.

It now feels a bit like paying the mortgage off - we haven't had to pay Octopus anything for well over 18 months, and I think they paid us about £1,500 last year. (PS We don't have gas, but use oil for heating)

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[The Wino]

We had 20 PV panels and 2 x 6.5 kWh batteries installed exactly two years ago.

The set up has worked well for us so far. We sell plenty of surplus electricity back to Octopus.

During year one we managed all the electricity we needed for the house from solar, with the exception of 2 days in December when we drew a few kWh from the grid when the batteries ran out.

Year two a bit different because elder son moved back home and weather not so good, resulting in a bit taken from the grid.

But still all good.

Oh and our inverter is 5 kWh.

What's the payback time roughly on your setup....... sorry just seen your next post!

 

[mikebeaches]

What's the payback time roughly on your setup....... sorry just seen your next post!

Whilst payback period can be considered, in fact it is almost impossible to predict.

1. What will happen to energy prices in the future - nobody can truly say?

2. Will we all be driving electric cars?

3. Will we be heating our homes with heat pumps or other electrical means?

4. How will it affect the value of your house?

5. How long will I last... ?

I'm pretty sure it has either added value to our house, or at least made it a more attractive sale proposition. Who wouldn't want a home without electricity bills?

 

[The Wino]

On the payback of course the calculation if realistic should include interest added every year to the capital to allow for what could realistically be achieved after tax.

 

[mikebeaches]

On the payback of course the calculation if realistic should include interest added every year to the capital to allow for what could realistically be achieved after tax.

Indeed, but again can anyone accurately predict what interest rates will do over the next decade?

 

[The Wino]

Indeed, but again can anyone accurately predict what interest rates will do over the next decade?

No it's the same as the energy prices a wet finger in the air job.

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[mikebeaches]

No it's the same as the energy prices a wet finger in the air job.

Precisely - not saying NOT to do the calculations, but just understand it can only be - as you say - a wet finger in the air.

 

[gus-lopez]

but at 68 i just wonder if its worth it

No.
When I enquired here ,at my wife's insistence , iberdrola stated that it was completely uneconomic for our usage & they wouldn't be interested in fitting them even if we wanted them.

 

[Marky146]

We have 12 panels for a 5Kw system. Powerwall2 and Tesla gateway.

Absolutely delighted with it. In winter it charges on cheap electric overnight and runs in the battery during the day. Only on heavy use days does it revert to grid. From March to October we use nothing at all from the grid. Our Leaf soaks up as much excess as the feed in tariff is less than the overnight so it’s better to use it than sell it.

I pay annually what we did monthly before!

As said before, it’s not all about payback. We added value to the houses, and our monthly bills went right down. So I’m happy to put money into these things. Gas is next to go, heat pump UFH and new windows and more insulation. We’ll get a second Powerwall too. Then our outgoings will be minimal. Just what you need as retirement is on the horizon.

It’s all about cutting monthly outgoings. The roof was replaced at the same time and re-lifed. £18k for all the solar and battery. That would get us £3 max in interest a month, yet saves us £80 a month in electric. No brainer really.

We went with Tesla for the long warranty, and additional features. It’s very good at charging with the weather. On nice days we wake up to 30-40% with hardly any overnight top up. It gets weather reports and instructions online from Tesla.

 

[The Wino]

We have 12 panels for a 5Kw system. Powerwall2 and Tesla gateway.

Absolutely delighted with it. In winter it charges on cheap electric overnight and runs in the battery during the day. Only on heavy use days does it revert to grid. From March to October we use nothing at all from the grid. Our Leaf soaks up as much excess as the feed in tariff is less than the overnight so it’s better to use it than sell it.

I pay annually what we did monthly before!

As said before, it’s not all about payback. We added value to the houses, and our monthly bills went right down. So I’m happy to put money into these things. Gas is next to go, heat pump UFH and new windows and more insulation. We’ll get a second Powerwall too. Then our outgoings will be minimal. Just what you need as retirement is on the horizon.

It’s all about cutting monthly outgoings. The roof was replaced at the same time and re-lifed. £18k for all the solar and battery. That would get us £3 max in interest a month, yet saves us £80 a month in electric. No brainer really.

We went with Tesla for the long warranty, and additional features. It’s very good at charging with the weather. On nice days we wake up to 30-40% with hardly any overnight top up. It gets weather reports and instructions online from Tesla.View attachment 868915

View attachment 868916

You need to look elsewhere for interest rates! We're in an NS and I it would pay just over £1000 a year on 18k

 

[autorouter]

Just on a technical issue, if you buy a non-battery system it can be difficult to convert it to a battery system - it may not be as simple as just buying batteries. There are two kinds of inverter: grid-tied and hybrid. A grid-tied inverter is used on systems with no batteries, because it's a bit cheaper. A hybrid inverter has a built-in battery charger and battery inverter, so it can send power into and out of the battery.

If you get a grid-tied inverter you will need to get a battery charger/inverter if you subsequently add batteries. It would be better if the charger/inverter can communicate with the grid-tied inverter and coordinate its actions, but not all pairings work well. Far better to get a hybrid inverter in the first place, and add batteries when you want.

I think for working people a battery system is best, because otherwise in Spring and Autumn you are leaving for work early and arriving back after work late, and using most electricity just when the sun isn't shining at its best. The power generated during the day is fed back into the grid, and you are using power in the morning and evening peak times. With batteries you can use the power generated during the day in the mornings and evenings. If you are retired or working from home that may change things, of course.

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[LesW]

We had 10x400w panels fitted last year.. we where advised that as we are home all day that a battery pack may not be worthwhile, but available if we wanted, we decided not.

Both over 70, the age didn't even enter our heads, we paid £7000, our three bedroom bungalow is electric only, oil central heating plus woodburner when required, our monthly debit to Octopus has been dropped from £70 to £68, we get hot water for 'free' via a little box installed to heat the immersion by the solar.. we also apply for and get a refunds occasionally.

 

[Coolcats]

We’re currently thinking of have home solar and a battery system fitted and just looking to hear what folks experience with this are, would you recommend solar only or better with batteries?

System I’ve been quoted for is 7.7kw of panels, 2 x 5kw and 6kw inverter, we have a fully facing south roof so even up here we should get plenty of daylight and sunshine

My thinking is if we have batteries we can top up at night and use during the day when it’s dull, in summer hopefully top up from sun and export the rest. I’ll also be fitting a hot water thinkymajig that heats hot water when you have surplus energy so saving on gas.

Total price is £11.5k fitted, estimated to pay back in around 9 years, are these figures realistic as I’ve heard it’s more like 20 years.

Had a system installed last year, the payback is something like 7 years, Absolutly delighted with it. We used the Solar together scheme that most councils subscribe to. This means you get installers that have been checked. The Scheme is a bulk buy which means you should get a competitive price against current costs

Apart from batteries we also had Tigo optimisers installed and make sure if you do it’s a full deployment rather than a partial or blind deployment. Our home is east west facing and panels in both side of the roof.

This was the company that installed

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[lorger]

Apart from batteries we also had Tigo optimisers installed and make sure if you do it’s a full deployment rather than a partial or blind deployment

What are Tigo optimisers?

 

[Coolcats]

What are Tigo optimisers?

Solar panels are normally arranged in ‘strings’. For example I have two solar strings 8 panels in each one in the east and one in the west on the roof

If one panel on the string is producing10% less than the one producing the maximum all 8 pannels produce 10% less. If you fit a Tigo optimiser to each panel they will produce the maximum and not be dragged down by an underperforming or shaded panel

Intelligent Solar Energy Systems | Tigo Energy

Increase the energy output from your solar installation, improve visibility and enhance safety with Tigo Energy’s reliable & flexible MLPE solutions. Get started today.

www.tigoenergy.com

 

[Coolcats]

What are Tigo optimisers?

So far today I have produced 5.1 kw and an additional 531 watts has been reclaimed due to optimisation, whilst 531 watts may not sound a lot it’s enough to run the house for nearly two hours.

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[Marky146]

Folks,

The basic facts are solar gives you free electric ( plus standing charge) on a sunny day. Nothing at night and bugger all during Winter. Batteries are really worthwhile if A you get a crap feed in tariff like we do on the Isle of Man or B you run an EV or electric heating and get cheap overnight electric. Then the battery will save you loads in Winter.

We have a 13.6kw usable battery. It fills by mid afternoon and feeds in or we put it in the Wife’s car if it’s parked at home. This works Late Feb occasionally and mostly March to September. During winter I charge the battery and the Wife’s car overnight and we run on the battery all day with the occasional top up from Solar if its a sunny day.

 

[AJM2]

I just couldn’t make it stack up for me, I was better keeping the money in a high interest account. When I looked into the calculations provided by a few firms their underlying assumptions were nonsense and when I dabbled with them the output changed dramatically.

 

[Baggydave]

Hi. We had ours fitted in 2014 & just got in on the last feed in tariff. Cost £6k for standard set up 3.5kw I think.
we average £650 income per year, tax free, plus the free electric. So it’s paid for itself in 10 years easily. Given the bank interest rates over the same period.
the inverter had to be replaced this year & cost £673. It only had a 5 year warranty unlike panels which have 25.
one of our best decisions.
would I do it now a my age (70) & no feed in tariff? No probably not.
we also have low wattage kettle & toaster etc for use in summer, bit like van ones.
also A rated home appliances like Fridge/freezer/washing machine all help Reduce the bills.
Our combined gas/electric annual use is less than £1000

 

[Coolcats]

I just couldn’t make it stack up for me, I was better keeping the money in a high interest account. When I looked into the calculations provided by a few firms their underlying assumptions were nonsense and when I dabbled with them the output changed dramatically.

My return last year was around £1,800 some months it’s just standing charge and a payment for each kw

Solar should be placed on every home rather than fields the high interest at the bank would have to be near 20% to get the same value. Each deployment is different and the benefits will change with energy pricing

 

[Twoleftfeet]

We’re currently thinking of have home solar and a battery system fitted and just looking to hear what folks experience with this are, would you recommend solar only or better with batteries?

System I’ve been quoted for is 7.7kw of panels, 2 x 5kw and 6kw inverter, we have a fully facing south roof so even up here we should get plenty of daylight and sunshine

My thinking is if we have batteries we can top up at night and use during the day when it’s dull, in summer hopefully top up from sun and export the rest. I’ll also be fitting a hot water thinkymajig that heats hot water when you have surplus energy so saving on gas.

Total price is £11.5k fitted, estimated to pay back in around 9 years, are these figures realistic as I’ve heard it’s more like 20 years.

Go for it, we had panels fitted 11years ago(Expensive), however at the time the government were paying a good return on the feed in tarif, My neighbour had a slightly small set fitted due to roof size, he also had batteries, He's forever watching the smart meter to see how much he's not using, his latest comment, "should have done it years ago"

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