22kW install

Thanks to the help from @tictag @MisterSandals and many other members with my initial DIY 1.5kW install I have decided to go full roof PV.

I have sold on my initial equipment and hybrid inverter and invested in 22kW of roof mounted LG all black panels, solar optimisers and 10kw solis grid tie inverter.

Due to the size and being grid tie this wont be a DIY install by me, but by a UK utility company.
The main goal was to be able to charge our EV's during the day with enough spare to feed back in to the grid, I also got a fairly nice deal on feed in tariff. Total install cost £8100 / $10163

The only downside was the additional quote for battery storage, for 48v Li_ion13.8Kw they quoted £8000 / $9800... ouch, which i declined.

Ive now purchased from a seller on here 32x 280AH lifepo4 cells for 16s2p 26.8 KWh and the corresponding A/C coupled solis storage unit for under £4000 / $5020

Quite excited about the future prospect but not so much that I wont be involved in the install side apart from the battery storage after they have left.

Just wanted to thank everyone for your help along the way from my beginners learning curve to where I am now.

The name of this forum is "Show and Tell" not "Tell and Tell."

We demand pictures!

GMB said:

The name of this forum is "Show and Tell" not "Tell and Tell."

We demand pictures!

Click to expand...

+1

GMB said:

The name of this forum is "Show and Tell" not "Tell and Tell."

We demand pictures!

Click to expand...

Its coming, i will get photos during the install and also when the batteries arrive.

Great, if ever I am in the UK now I know where I can charge my phone! That's an awesome leap from 1.5kW to 22kW. My utility only permits new systems up to 50% of prior year's use, sigh. Looking forward to the pictures to make me even more jealous.

PatBlack said:

Great, if ever I am in the UK now I know where I can charge my phone! That's an awesome leap from 1.5kW to 22kW. My utility only permits new systems up to 50% of prior year's use, sigh. Looking forward to the pictures to make me even more jealous.

Click to expand...

You would be more than welcome, Ive had a couple of passers by in the past spot my EV charger in the front garden and asked if they can use it to charge their tesla up of which i've obliged.

So bit of an update, I had my G99 application approved for grid tie and ive had my install date confirmed for next Monday the 17th August, scaffolding arrives Friday and installation to commence on the Monday and hopefully completed within two days. The original idea when they came to do a survey was to place the inverters in my loft/roof space of which I would have added my A/C coupled storage system and LiFePo4 batteries next to, however we have had some pretty warm weather recently and temperatures have exceeded 55 degrees centigrade up there, maxing out at 58 at one point!, i think this is too hot for A) my batteries long term and B) the longevity of the inverters so have decided on an external mounting solution much to my wife's displeasure, all the kit is IP65 rated bar the batteries which still haven't arrived from China. i'm now building a waterproof battery storage unit and have run all the cables for the current sensors, internet back-haul for monitoring, BMS extension screen monitoring and DC isolators etc. I settled on the Sofar Solar ME300SP A/C coupled unit as it has granular control over battery charge rates etc in addition to the Chargery BMS16T. As soon as the install begins I will post loads of photos.

Kit being installed

63x LG Neon 2 345Watt panels, optimizers on each panel, 33 on my main house roof and 30 on my garage roof all south facing. Southern UK
3x Solis 1P 5G Single phase inverters 8kW each
1x Sofar ME3000SP 3kW A/C coupled inverter
32x EVE 280AH LiFePo4 cells 16s2P configuration
2x Chargery 16TBMS
1x Zapi EV car charger 7.5kW to supplement my existing fixed 7.5kW EV charger (The zapi can vary its output depending on PV production so no need to draw from the grid)#


Fingers crossed this goes smoothly, update to follow shortly.

With much reading here and other locations,
a few small books and many questions,
Here we go; 2.5 Kw Grid Tied System to be mounted on the top of our patio cover.
(The only place with direct sunlight)
Parts on order, and delivery of items to start next week.

See attached drawing

Will send photos as assembly starts

DRM

So I'm 3/4 through the install, things haven't gone exactly to plan so far.

I had ordered and paid for the LG neon 2 panels but received Longi panels, although the Longi seem to have very good reviews and a better output.
I had anticipated and specified one large inverter to fit alongside my self installed A/C coupled unit, but when they arrived they didn't have any single large units available so have installed two smaller units, I guess I have 50% redundancy now if one fails

I was very unhappy how the panels arrived, they were just chucked in the back of a van, no protection, nothing, all the edges are scuffed and marked, although its not noticeable on the roof.

I had also specified optimisers on each panel which the installers didn't even know about and so I haven't got those either.

I'm in talks with the suppler to rectify or reduce my bill.

Lastly the installers had no idea how to get the remote monitoring to work so I was essentially left to sort this myself, which I have after lots of back and forth and googling.

I'm still waiting on my batteries from China, they're well overdue now and its been a month since purchase.

I've setup and installed my BMS ready and run cabling to my hall way for the monitor.
Ive modified an outdoor garden waterproof box, insulated and sealed it, and added a heating pad to keep the batteries warm just in-case.

on a positive note, even with the vary unfavourable weather for the last week, the system in its current capacity has been producing 16kWh on average, ive fed more in to the gird than Im able to use, until my batteries turn up this is just wasted production as my feed in tariff isn't set up yet.

But on to pictures.