what brands are best

[Solardaveo]

well i am semi new to this game and dont know the brands and with so many and so many fakes and horror stories i though i would ask .
i recently had some good business and have £4000 in savings, i will be getting more trade in a few month but to ensure i dont spend it i want to start putting it into my equipment, im a hands on guy i lean alot when i get my hands in and on and master most, i can read n read n read until i put it in my hands it doesn't become clear haha

i am after discussion going for a 16kw solar panel system, but will be starting with 12kw of panels and adding another 4kwh later on before winter , prices vary alot ive seen panels for as little as 80 and asmuch as 600, ive no idea where to start or what panels are best what i do know is the 20year garentee some advertise seems appealing lol,

so i am looking for brands of solar panels and inverters and plan to buy my batteries later on as i have access to some big deep cycle batteries (non lithium )
and am guessing on the inverter 3phase is better more efficient and will handle 3phase tools ?

if anyone can recommend me or point me to websites UK based i would be much appreciated,

 

[timselectric]

In the UK, I would recommend Sunsynk.
They are a distributor of Deye products. Deye makes high quality products with many features.
And Sunsynk has distribution in the UK. So you can purchase and receive support, locally.

 

[MisterSandals]

so i am looking for brands of solar panels

To me, this is like shopping for gasoline or sugar…mostly price based.

But, having bigger panels (fewer mounting bits and connectors, they can be expensive!) is generally preferred and often cheaper per watt.

Making sure the panels can be connected/configured for common/preferred charge controllers is highly advised before buying either.

 

[timselectric]

Exactly
No point in shopping for solar panels or batteries. Until you have decided what you will be connecting them to.

 

[Solardaveo]

Exactly
No point in shopping for solar panels or batteries. Until you have decided what you will be connecting them to.

how do you mean ? solar pannels will be powering my house/farm, so Sun>solar>inverter>batteries/power im not connecting to the grid if thats what you mean, im miles from anything

 

[timselectric]

how do you mean ? solar pannels will be powering my house/farm, so Sun>solar>inverter>batteries/power im not connecting to the grid if thats what you mean, im miles from anything

First, you need to select your inverter and SCC or AIO to cover your needs.
Then you choose the panels that best fit your SCC.
And the correct batteries for the inverter choice.

 

[timselectric]

Panels are not the first decision.
Just like you wouldn't buy a large tank of gasoline.
Before you decide if you're going to buy a gasoline or diesel tractor.

 

[Solardaveo]

Panels are not the first decision.
Just like you wouldn't buy a large tank of gasoline.
Before you decide if you're going to buy a gasoline or diesel tractor.

surely the amount of power you need would equate to shat amount of panels you have, which would tell you what inverter you'd need?
i mean i cant choose a 5kw inverter and then wanna run 30kw panels later on right ?
i was on here on the other forums about my power needs and was informed that id need 16kwh solar panels, to get through winter, and in summer this will run overpowered, so id need alot less even 8kwh would over do it, but come winter id need 16kwh and stil run my genny,

so surely if i was gona run 16kwh panels, thats the ballgame to start with as it tells me i need 2 inverters of 8kwh ? thats what i got on the other thread on here, guy mailed me n we talked for agis about it, as he was in similar boat but currently doing it

batteries , cant store or keep as well as panels and inverters, they can die and fuckup if i am not connecting them up , i do not want Lithium as i have had nothing but problems with them there expensive and u only fuck them up 1nce n there gone, so i will be using deep leads, like many do and seem to on videos, ive even seen a guy mixing lithium and deep cells wether it was 2 seperate kits or not, i dont know but feels like here im getting blocked?

google says ''The first is the size of the inverter. Choose an inverter that handles solar panel output but avoids energy waste.''

so obviosuly i need to choose my solar kwh first before i decide inverter type, i didnt say i only wanted to buy panels, i said panels and inverters,
but to buy the inverter i need to know what power i am gona be using, thats 16kwh, total, but figured getting 12kwh would do and i coudl add later as was suggested last month, plenty seem to add to their system when they dont get enough so why cant i?
so
''
How do I match my solar panels to my inverter?


The inverter watt capacity is equal to solar array size.

This is the most common way of thinking about solar inversion, and it's pretty straightforward. If you have a 3000 watt inverter, you connect it to a 3000 watt solar array.''

so i want a 16kwh system so id need 2 8kwh inverters correct ?

then online says batteries can be added if more are needed with a bit of wiring so i am confused how this cant be left to last ?


i dont think gasoline is an equal comparison, and to be honest we did do that, we ordered a tank of red delivered knowing we was getting the tractor as we got it cheap on a deal, the dude pulled outa trade and i ended up gettin a different tractor, but i had the fuel ready to burn, so i did do that which is why i cant see your example fitting, gas is a battery full of power, or a tank fulll of gas, they will only deliver what solar panel you put in (engine) then that converts in transmition, to howmuch power can be delivered
i can guy a tank of gass (battery with power) endless but i can only use it as fast as my panels (engine) will go,

no matter howmuch fuel i own a nissan micra will not beat a ferrari, i first need a big engine(pannels) and matching transmission (inverter) i can get the gas and tank (power and batteries) later and borrow the gas(electric) or buy it as i need to get it up and running,

now that makes more sense,
i cant workout why 1 part of this form i am told to select what power i need (i use 12-15 kwh ) they did all workings out on my location ans said 12kwh upto 16kwh would do, so id need matching inverter batteries i can do later
i plan on using batteries lead deep cycle not lithium,
what i have seen and like the look of is somthing like this, now i am probly wrong and got wrogn batteries here, but aslogn as it aint LI i dont care,
but i dont see how i cant buy that later on as it seems the part fragile to dieing if left, also as its not a very tehnicle its a battery?

where as the solar i wil be sat with for years using to drive any power to my batteries, which coudl be changed if they die or whatever alot seem to mix n match a few too,

12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine

12V solar panel solar charging kits for motorhome caravan boat campervan yacht marine off-grid

www.photonicuniverse.com

if i am wrong correct me , im not being arsy i am baffled and being shot around allover, i started this because every company wanted and toldme different things, numbers prices, somuch someone here said there lying and taking me for a ride, so i wanted to make it myself, i feel liek im given road blocks for nothing i just wana put my money down where its safe, im not moving for 6months were saving, so i am and have bough timber/toilets/ sinks everythign read to go n set down, my last thing i neeed is Power! thats all i wana do, my power, and all i know is on here i was tol i am to use 16kwh, ( when cold n cloudy i have gassifiers, whihc to be honest almost do my needs anyway, my river so i have river power, and my 3 generators. biodigest genny and my petrol and lpg genny ) but i want to rely on solar ! if its inverters first i dont care ill buy it, but the bloody sites are confusing and full of models and competeing markets, so i dont wana blindly buy what i find to get told again ''hey thats not as good as this one''

and what is scc as it only comes up with cancer ''Squamous cell carcinoma''
and aio is
All-in-One

All-in-One (AIO) pc


ps. so its a scc charge controller, ye isnt that gona be chose after the inverter ? liek the lil bits u put together seems liek the last items ?

 

[MisterSandals]

i mean i cant choose a 5kw inverter and then wanna run 30kw panels later on right ?

Why not?

The 5kW inverter means it outputs 5kW. This can vary by maker whether that is 5kW pass thru from grid, as purely inverted power from battery or a combination of the two (grid support).

The battery voltage and max charging amps, which can vary by maker (read the specs!) are what determines how much solar it can use.

30000W solar / 58V charging = 517A charging capability (pretty unrealistic for a product to do this).

A more realistic charging capability would be about 100A. This does not mean you could not have a 30kW array but rather that for a 48V battery, it would only pull 58V x 100A = 5800W from the array to charge the battery. I think some higher end inverters can pull this 5800W to charge and at the same time invert another 5kW to loads. Any remaining power the array could produce would be unused (search for "over paneling").

But this highlights the need to consider the overall array and inverter specs, including watts and voltage, before buying panels, inverter and batteries. I think the experts call it "planning".

 

[timselectric]

SCC is Solar Charge Controller.
AIO is All In One. Which includes the SCC.

Solar panels come in many different types.
They have different voltage and amperage outputs.
SCC's also come with different requirements.
The two need to be selected to work with each other.
It's much easier to match the panels to the SCC.
The object is to not purchase items that will not work properly with your other items.

All choices should be made before you spend any money. But everything does not have to be purchased before you begin building your system. It can be done in stages. You don't want to get to the last stage. Only to find out that what you already have installed won't work with what you just purchased.

For an off grid system, the order of equipment choices are as follows.

1. Choose an inverter that is large enough to cover your highest instantaneous load.
2. Choose enough battery capacity to cover your loads during the times of no solar production.
3. Choose enough solar to cover your loads and recharge the batteries.

If you are using an AIO. The SCC is part of #1 above.
If not, it's part of #3.

 

[Solardaveo]

SCC is Solar Charge Controller.
AIO is All In One. Which includes the SCC.

Solar panels come in many different types.
They have different voltage and amperage outputs.
SCC's also come with different requirements.
The two need to be selected to work with each other.
It's much easier to match the panels to the SCC.
The object is to not purchase items that will not work properly with your other items.

All choices should be made before you spend any money. But everything does not have to be purchased before you begin building your system. It can be done in stages. You don't want to get to the last stage. Only to find out that what you already have installed won't work with what you just purchased.

For an off grid system, the order of equipment choices are as follows.

1. Choose an inverter that is large enough to cover your highest instantaneous load.
2. Choose enough battery capacity to cover your loads during the times of no solar production.
3. Choose enough solar to cover your loads and recharge the batteries.

If you are using an AIO. The SCC is part of #1 above.
If not, it's part of #3.

thankyou, its a crazy thing this lol, some say its so easy others dont lol, not sure i understand what he meant with teh inverter , i mean i understood when someone told me to divide the total to the inverters, but now confused its by max load at 1 time used? so if u dont use more than 7kwh at a time, a 7kwh inverter could control asmany pannels as you want is that what your saying?


1. Choose an inverter that is large enough to cover your highest instantaneous load. this means my max useage like appliance wise? my welder is 6.5kw at times, and my main house load is 3kwh , my daily useage is 15-18kwh welder is my biggest drawing tool,
2. Choose enough battery capacity to cover your loads during the times of no solar production. my consumption is 15kwh aday-18kwh max was told 60-80kw batteries to cover 3-4 days power,
3. Choose enough solar to cover your loads and recharge the batteries. we worked out with the 16kw solar i would cover myself, just about and crazy in summer

aio seems, best most straight foaward right? i want an ethernet from it to a pc, not a wifi, for monitering it, data etc

 

[timselectric]

1. Choose an inverter that is large enough to cover your highest instantaneous load. this means my max useage like appliance wise? my welder is 6.5kw at times,

Yes, this plus whatever might be running at the same time. Add a little for headroom. And make sure that any surge loads (things that take more power when first starting) are covered.

and my main house load is 3kwh , my daily useage is 15-18kwh welder is my biggest drawing tool,

This doesn't apply to the inverter.
Kwh is power over time. That only applies to the battery and solar.

2. Choose enough battery capacity to cover your loads during the times of no solar production. my consumption is 15kwh aday-18kwh max was told 60-80kw batteries to cover 3-4 days power,

Sounds about right.

3. Choose enough solar to cover your loads and recharge the batteries. we worked out with the 16kw solar i would cover myself, just about and crazy in summer

This is dependent on how much sunshine you get in your location. It's different for everyone.
I can tell you this. It's almost always not enough. lol

aio seems, best most straight foaward right?

Definitely the simplest to install.

i want an ethernet from it to a pc, not a wifi, for monitering it, data etc

You will have to do some research for that option.
I don't know anything about that.

 

[SilverbackMP]

Maybe Victron? Many of them can stack. Get one 5k and add another when you can. Or start off with a 10k that might cover your needs fo good. Option to add another if it doesn’t. Good support…if purchased from authorized dealers. Dedicated forums and FB groups with recipes already hammered out. UK based I think (though their equipment is made in India). Considered Tier 1 by many folks.

 

[Solardaveo]

so i dont need inverter to match my solar kw i need it to match my max load, is that why you say the 10k and be done?
yeah my usage is small, tv/xbox in evening maybe pc. my fridge and freezer ofc, we do alot on logs , so really the off cooking mixer n blender, few lights, phones etc thats it lol even then were on old burner phones not smart so a charge lasts a week or 2, rest is my workshop lights/machienery, and welders, for me and my sons, which racks up our bill to 18kwh, hes making a gasifier atm said to run the workshop, atm it drains it haha,
so sanders/welders/grinders/thicknesssers etc all 600-1500watt ish except the welder, if all that falls in the under 10k mark which im sure it does we arnt all on at once time with eevrything lol its not a school hehe

so if i get a 10k inverter that would be my end game then yeah ? does the 3 phase allow 3 pahse tools? cause theyr un cheaper and costless to buy

 

[JBertok]

so i dont need inverter to match my solar kw i need it to match my max load, is that why you say the 10k and be done?...

...so if i get a 10k inverter that would be my end game then yeah ? does the 3 phase allow 3 pahse tools? cause theyr un cheaper and costless to buy

Is it possible that advice is coming from a context of grid-tied inverter system specification? That's the only type of solar installation where this would be a concern because grid-tied system generally have no battery and must immediately invert the DC to AC to feed back to the grid. Not what you're doing; you need an off-grid inverter.

You've brought up machinery and tools a few times. I think you would be best served by a modular system with expandable low-frequency inverters. Low-frequency inverters have massively heavy transformers in them and provide superior startup surge capacity for inductive loads. All high-frequency inverters struggle with transient loads, and I think this is worth researching for your application because it's going to narrow down your choices for inverters. If three-phase power is desired, there are a number of modular off-grid inverters that allow synchronization of three units in 3-phase mode to provide that. Motors need surge capacity, use LRA (Locked Rotor Amps) spec off the motor nameplate to calculate the surge draw.

Your power flow diagram in your second post will actually look more like this for an off-grid system:

Sun --> Photovoltaic Array (HV DC) --> Solar Combiner and Disconnect (HV DC) --> Solar Charge Controllers (HV DC to LV DC) --> Battery Bank (LV DC) --> Inverters (LV DC to AC) --> A/C Distribution Panel(s)