Sunny Suffolk (UK)... 100% non DIY...!!!

Thanks for the welcome.

Straight to it...

I am in no way ever going to try and do a DIY install... is this still the right place to ask questions.. I will asume its ok and plough on regardless.

I have about 4 quotes with varying sizes of systems. I am leaning towards the biggest system in order to make the best "bang for my buck" with regard scaffolding and intrusive works on the house.

Below is an example of a suggested system:

1. 33 x Hyundai 395 panels (13.1kw Capacity) 19 south/south west - 14 on East/North East
2. 2 x Sofa Hybrid Inverter (size not specified).
3. 15.3kwh Sofar amass Battery
4. Iboost
5. Zappi charger
6. Bird guard
7. SEG export certificate
8. 10 year workmanship warranty
9. 25 year panel warranty (manufacturer)
10. full commissioning.

I have gone back and asked a plethora of questions. IE

• What size is the inverter
• change iboost for eddi system
• can we scope the use of micro inverters (brand not specified) as i ave a chimney and a soil vent that will cast shadow
• can we explore solar optemisers and reduce the inverters to 1 in order to again protect from shading.
• What is included in the 10 year workmanship warranty. Does this include the scaffolding required etc. with they replace the inverters/panels if they fail and claim on my behalf etc.

For my new forum friends I ask...

• is there anything that I am not asking?
• is there anything on this set up that i should be steering clear of?
• what would you swap out in order to give the best bang for buck?
• What have i not considered or been quoted for?

TIA

Al.

Thanks @Supervstech

Found it...!

Cool

Soooooooooo, this is awkward...

OK so I'm gonna just plough on regardless...

Asked for a new quote with solar optimisers...

1. 33 x Hyundai 395W panels (13.1kw Capacity) 19 south/south west - 14 on East/North East
2. Tigo Solar Optimisers
3. 1 x Growatt Hybrid Inverter
4. 15kwh Growatt Battery
5. Eddi Solar Diverter
6. Zappi EV Charger
7. Bird guard
8. SEG export certificate
9. 10 year workmanship warranty
10. 25 year panel warranty (manufacturer)
11. full commissioning

Again, open to critique as required.

have you requested a quote via projectsolar.io for comparison. If you have chimney shading you would definitely want optimizers or micro inverters.

Never heard of projectsolar.io.... now googling...

BigA1 said:

Never heard of projectsolar.io.... now googling...

Click to expand...

Ahhhhh, slight issue... Sunny Suffolk in the UK...!

BigA1 said:

Ahhhhh, slight issue... Sunny Suffolk in the UK...!

Click to expand...

LOL. Too many Suffolks.

Soooo the saga continues...

The company I was discussing the system with have ghosted ? me...

I have called, I have left messages, I have emailed... and nothing.

I think my questions regarding options and constantly giving them homework to give me options and explain to me where the cost differences were and how they built up their quotes was too much for the salesman to cope with.

I got the impression he was very much used to selling systems to people who knew nothing and cared not a shiz about what they were getting as long as they were getting solar panels on their roof.

I knew nothing buy took the time to learn through "Googling" the he'll out of each and every option available and reading forums like this where real world usage and opinions are available.

I then went on companies House to research the company further and its owner... 15 wound up businesses in the last 8 years... more red flags...!

Now discussing a similar system with another provider who has performed an install a few doors down.

1. 32 x Q Cells ML G9 385W panels (12.32kw Capacity) 18 south/south west - 14 on East/North East
2. Tigo Solar Optimisers
3. 1 x G2 GivEnergy 3.6kW Hybrid inverter (possibly larger TBC)
4. 2x GivEnergy 8.2kWh Eco LiFePO4 Battery. (10.4 kWh)
5. Eddi Solar Diverter
6. Zappi EV Charger
7. Bird guard
8. SEG export certificate
9. 10 year workmanship warranty
10. 25 year panel warranty (manufacturer)
11. Full commissioning

Anyway, I'll keep posting to myself unless anyone else wants to chip in.

So after chatting with soooooooo many of this forums users, I was emboldened and took the plunge, ordering a system to be installed in Mid Sept.

I'm having a new roof at the same time so it made sense to keep the scaffold up a little longer and bang up as many PV panels as I could squeeze on.

I sure you'll all be pleased to know after agonising and many an hour chewing the cud with you guys that I went with an alternative supplier and took their suggestion of using GivEnergy instead of the Sofar instalation I was initially looking at...

It will effectively be 2 optemised systems with their own inverter for each aray. The batteries will be fed by both but because its an East/West roof they'll both be working at their hardest different ends of the day.

• 32x Q Cells ML G9 385W 25 YEAR OUTPUT WARRANTY solar panel
• 32 x Tigo Panel Optimisers and
• 2x G2 GivEnergy 3.6kW Hybrid inverter
• 1 X Zappi 7kw EV Charger
• Reinforced BirdBlocker 30M KIT
• 2x GivEnergy 8.2kWh Eco LiFePO4 Battery (5.2 kWh)

I had all the tails changed for 25mm on Monday and my main fuse upgraded by the power company to 100A on Tuesday.

Tomorrow/Thurs the sparks will be back to run a new 80A cable supply from my main CU into the garage, into an new CU, where my solar is going to be installed with lots of spare ways for all the good stuff I want the solar to power.

Anyways, thanks all for your incredible help and the tremendous insights you've provided to someone starting out on their own solar journey.

I may pop back from time to time to update you all on just how great everything is.

Ok ok ok.... ill post up some images...!!! Patience guys (and girls)...

All the prepatory works are now complete with a brand spanking 16 way CU ready for all the Solar/Battery/EV gear to be hooked right up...

New 100amp fuse from the DNO with 25mm tails all round. New supply breaching the external wall... and some expandable foam I can reach to tidy up.

80amp feed from the main intake routed up the side of the house, through the loft space and back down into the other side of the house (through another loft space) into the garage.



I need to grow me some balls and get up there to trim the expandable building foam that fills those gaps. Although I'd imagine (and I think I'd prefer) the solar guys will look to route the cables through the same spaces for ease.

We're good to go with an installation date of 19th Sept... after were back from Merica...

Thansk again for taking the time to ask questions respond to my queries and generally be a thriving active community... its supper appreciated...!!!

Roofing work starts next week with scaffold going up on Monday... I answer all your questions then...!

Painted the installation wall today... Matt Black so the white electric goodies look proper Gucci and stand out... pics to follow...

There ya go... a black wall...!

Scaffold is up... and ugly as shit...


Yeah there's still some "other" renovations ongoing... even bigger jobs than the solar...

So there has been some developments...

I've been constantly reaffirming my install date and checking with the POC I have "Jerome" about the installs capabilities, asking about potentially using the newer gen 2 Givenergy equipment etc... and while he has been reasonably responsive, I was told I would recieve a call from their office to arrange/firm up the dates. The same dates I have been reaffirming with my POC...!

The install date was the 19th... yep HRH popping her clogs means that over here the world stops and my install has to be moved.

I then queried the one day allocated for install... to which the lady on the phone says (add "caricature" level Essex accent) "yeah, blimey... you're booked in for 32 panels, I doubt they'll get that done in a day".

I didn't even consider this would be a one day install... I now know its not but I would have thought it'd be a minimum of 3 days maybe a week to do all pannels, inverters batteries car charger etc... told you I know nothing...!

So anyway, they wanted to bump me back a week... I got a little stroppy and told them while I understand the world apparently can't operate effectively while the Queen gets stuck in the earth (technically in a tomb with all the other royal family cadavers in St Pauls Cathedral), I don't want to be waiting much past this week and if achievable I still want it done the week I have agreed for the scaffold to be left up...

The then said because of the size of the install they need to come and do a physical survey... yep 5 days before the original install date, they're now talking about a site survey... little bit of a flag...!

They managed to get someone out yesterday who was in the area and this is where the fun begins...

The system I was sold and paid a deposit for, isn't going to work according to the surveyor.

It will need a AC coupled system comprising of:

• 26 x Q Cells ML G9 385W panels
• 2 x Fox X Series dual MPPT Inverters
• Give.AC3.0 Inverter
• 2 x G2 GivEnergy 9.5kWh LiFePO4 Batteries (integrated DC breaker)

I've not read up enough on the AC coupled systems.

Can anyone, one of the many thousands following this thread, give me a brief rundown of what I am getting now in comparison to what I thought I was getting.

I also am a little bemused by the issue with charging the car from the stored energy... I'm guessing if I have nearly 20kWh stored in the batteries that's not going to touch the sides of my circa 100kWh motor?

So is my only option an off peak tariff and charge it on the cheap?

I genuinely didn't figure this one out until today when I started thinking about the numbers more.

Thanks for reading this far...

Roofs off...!!!



Thats as far up the ladder I was willing to go.

INSTALL DAY...





They reckon it'll be smashed out in 1 day...

Bit of a blow in that they've provided a wallbox car charger not the Zappi I specifically requested.

Told them not to install it... but to run all the cables/ducting etc.

Exciting day for you. Mass confusion from sales and installer, nothing new.

Errmmmmm

Water... I didn't order a hydro system.




Maybe it's the Gen 2 GivEnergy batteries... are they water cooled? ?

Oh dear.
Did this so many years ago. Had a squeaky floor board in my bedroom, nailed that sucker down. A few mins later Mum was pondering why it was raining hot water from the kitchen ceiling.

Dificult to get decent shots with the scaff still in place but it's on and chucking power into the system.

Sparks is going to have to return to finish off tomorrow I think...

This just happened...
?

It's all in... not a bloody clue what it's doing right now, and to be honest while I'm not let down I am left feeling like my excitement was a little bit too much...

Obviously you don't want fireworks with this type of stuff... however there was no "tadah" moment... it all just quietly kind of happened.







And a little bit of a blow to morale... a dirty big water mark from where the sparks drilled through a water pipe...



The batteries seem to be doing their thing...


What I don't understand is why I'm exporting to or filling up from the grid...?


Anyways, now comes the bit I will have to DIY... How to use it to it's best and most efficient best.

Exciting. Thanks for documenting! Nice plumbing layout too.