Domestic solar PV quotes 2018

joujoujou

Not bad at all.

rob w

worlds goodest teecher wrote: »

A PV contractor recently told me that by installing solar a 4kW PV system and battery in a house, at a min I could reasonably expect to improve an BER rating by one letter, ie D2 - C2. Correct?

Interesting, I've been trying to work this out for myself lately to see how it would work out for me too!

I've thrown together a quick spreadsheet (attached) that I think works out the reduction in kwh/m2/yr for a given size array, orientation, roof pitch and floor area of house.

Edit: This has pretty much been extracted from the DEAP examples provided on the SEAI website!

Maybe someone who has had a BER re-done after a PV install could verify their results on it to see if this works properly? You just need to populate 3 cells (in blue) to calculate the output.

jimbobmalones

Anybody have up to date (last 3 months) quotes
on a simple 2kwh system (or thereabouts)?

Shefwedfan

jimbobmalones wrote: »

Anybody have up to date (last 3 months) quotes
on a simple 2kwh system (or thereabouts)?

The grants changed so all quotes would need to be refrehed

KCross

jimbobmalones wrote: »

Anybody have up to date (last 3 months) quotes
on a simple 2kwh system (or thereabouts)?

I asked for some new quotes since the grant changed.

I have been quoted approx €5500 for a 3.6kWp, net of grant, on a slate roof (which tends to increase the install costs).

I also looked at direct labour route and forego the grant and came to the conclusion that it would be about €4500 to install similar sized system that way.


So, I need to run the numbers again and see if its worth biting this time around at €5500 but my gut is telling me no.

One thing that has got me thinking though is that there is a possibility that the grant will be removed (or curtailed) in the next budget if FiT arrives in 2021. That might mean that buying now would be the better option as you get the grant AND the benefit of FiT next year but thats a guess/gamble..... decisions decisions.

Shefwedfan

Just checking, where do people put the battery etc. Does it have to be right beside the fuse board or can it be anywhere?

I was going to put up in attic but a good distance away from the fuseboard but right under the panels

unkel

I wouldn't be too happy with a massive lithium battery inside the house for safety reasons. Tesla agree, they refuse to install their power wall in a living area. They only do outdoors or in garages.

As for efficiency (you were probably asking for that), it doesn't matter how far from the fuse board (consumer unit) it is, but the distance between battery and battery inverter (if on AC side) or distance between battery and hybrid solar inverter (if on DC side) needs to be minimal, no more than a few feet ideally

Shefwedfan

unkel wrote: »

I wouldn't be too happy with a massive lithium battery inside the house for safety reasons. Tesla agree, they refuse to install their power wall in a living area. They only do outdoors or in garages.

As for efficiency (you were probably asking for that), it doesn't matter how far from the fuse board (consumer unit) it is, but the distance between battery and battery inverter (if on AC side) or distance between battery and hybrid solar inverter (if on DC side) needs to be minimal, no more than a few feet ideally

Wasn't really efficiency. just wondering if restrictions on distance. I could install in a shed outside of house but it would be a bit of a run with the cable so thats why I thought of in attic

championc

KCross wrote: »

I asked for some new quotes since the grant changed.

I have been quoted approx €5500 for a 3.6kWp, net of grant, on a slate roof (which tends to increase the install costs).

I also looked at direct labour route and forego the grant and came to the conclusion that it would be about €4500 to install similar sized system that way.


So, I need to run the numbers again and see if its worth biting this time around at €5500 but my gut is telling me no.

One thing that has got me thinking though is that there is a possibility that the grant will be removed (or curtailed) in the next budget if FiT arrives in 2021. That might mean that buying now would be the better option as you get the grant AND the benefit of FiT next year but thats a guess/gamble..... decisions decisions.

With Smart Meters coming, surely we're more likely to head towards a Net Metering model ?

KCross

championc wrote: »

With Smart Meters coming, surely we're more likely to head towards a Net Metering model ?

Why would that be more likely?

We’ll be offered the least amount possible. Net metering would be expensive for the providers I would have thought?

eamon_l

I applied for the grant on the last day.

I had a quote for a 3kWp system but the installers said they could fit an extra 4 panels so now I'm getting a 4.2kWp system with a 2.4kw battery on an east-west orientation (4-10 split). The 4 extra panels are costing €1,400 (€350 each) so I hope I have made the right choice.

I cant seem to amend the SEAI Grant claim changing the size of the system so I have emailed them to clarify so I can get the maximum grant available. Has anyone else had this issue?

When I get up and running I will let everyone know how it is performing. Zappi 2 is arriving the end of the month so my PHEV will be all set to charge by solar pv.

championc

eamon_l wrote: »

I applied for the grant on the last day.

I had a quote for a 3kWp system but the installers said they could fit an extra 4 panels so now I'm getting a 4.2kWp system with a 2.4kw battery on an east-west orientation (4-10 split). The 4 extra panels are costing €1,400 (€350 each) so I hope I have made the right choice.

I cant seem to amend the SEAI Grant claim changing the size of the system so I have emailed them to clarify so I can get the maximum grant available. Has anyone else had this issue?

When I get up and running I will let everyone know how it is performing. Zappi 2 is arriving the end of the month so my PHEV will be all set to charge by solar pv.

Ensure that the proposed inverter has inputs for 2 separate PV strings, otherwise the shading on the full side will kill your output

Bif

eamon_l wrote: »

I applied for the grant on the last day.

I had a quote for a 3kWp system but the installers said they could fit an extra 4 panels so now I'm getting a 4.2kWp system with a 2.4kw battery on an east-west orientation (4-10 split). The 4 extra panels are costing €1,400 (€350 each) so I hope I have made the right choice.

I cant seem to amend the SEAI Grant claim changing the size of the system so I have emailed them to clarify so I can get the maximum grant available. Has anyone else had this issue?

When I get up and running I will let everyone know how it is performing. Zappi 2 is arriving the end of the month so my PHEV will be all set to charge by solar pv.

Sounds good. Can you tell us the overall net cost of this setup? Thanks.

championc

Shefwedfan wrote: »

The grants changed so all quotes would need to be refrehed

Surely the grant should have no affect on the original materials and labor costs

unkel

championc wrote: »

Surely the grant should have no affect on the original materials and labor costs

Grant goes up, the original material and labour costs go up
Grant goes down, the original material and labour costs stay the same

Shefwedfan

championc wrote: »

Surely the grant should have no affect on the original materials and labor costs

You would think but not the way the contractors use the grant


At the moment the grant is just used for extra margin for installers

Zenith74

So the roofing team are coming to put up our panels on Monday, super excited!

Just curious what level of access they need to the attic? Do they remove a tile to fix in the frame then put the tile back, or do they feed it in under the tiles then go inside to screw it in-place from there? Wondering how much of the junk in our attic I should move out of their way!

Thanks!

joujoujou

Panel guys who installed them for me done all the job from the outside, needed no access to the attic (but, obviously, electrician who installed battery, inverter and other bits and pieces, did).

They removed few tiles and after putting brackets covered holes where tiles were, with plastic, shaped for brackets, elements.

If unsure, why not ring them and ask?

Zenith74

joujoujou wrote: »

Panel guys who installed them for me done all the job from the outside, needed no access to the attic (but, obviously, electrician who installed battery, inverter and other bits and pieces, did).

They removed few tiles and after putting brackets covered holes where tiles were, with plastic, shaped for brackets, elements.

If unsure, why not ring them and ask?

Great thanks! Not really unsure, more curiosity and excitement has me wondering these things :-).

joujoujou

You're welcome.

Enjoy!

Shefwedfan

nstall on Tuesday....

For the battery, what’s the story with just buying online and hooking up additional ones? Anything I need to make sure they put in to allow?

garo

What existing battery and inverter are you getting? A compatible battery should be quite easy to add later on. That’s my plan with the Pylontech set up I currently have. If getting a bracket or case for the battery make sure there is room for additional batteries.

jimbobmalones

jimmyging wrote: »

Pm me as well please if you wouldn’t mind as unkel says these guys deserve the business

I know its a while back but would someone please pm me the name of this installer/firm as I'm only going to be going ahead if I get a reasonable number.


Cheers


J

photosmart

Could anybody recommend a hybrid inverter that would allow gel batteries

(as opposed to lithium) to be installed?


I'm thinking of going with a basic system and adding gel batteries


P

Shefwedfan

photosmart wrote: »

Could anybody recommend a hybrid inverter that would allow gel batteries

(as opposed to lithium) to be installed?


I'm thinking of going with a basic system and adding gel batteries


P

Would it be cheaper? Based on a quick google it would cost less just to buy a lithium battery

championc

photosmart wrote: »

Could anybody recommend a hybrid inverter that would allow gel batteries (as opposed to lithium) to be installed?

I'm thinking of going with a basic system and adding gel batteries

I think Sofar is the only manufacturer who appears to support Lead-Acid batteries.

Have a look at the Sofar HYD 3000. I think it's the only one which will support Lead-Acid batteries. I acquired a rake of batteries so it had to be the basis of my system, while it still supports the other battery types for the future.

Manual - https://midsummer.ie/pdfs/sofar-hyd-user-manual-191101-v1.2.pdf

An added advantage of this unit is that it will allow you to charge the batteries from mains Grid power at night, allowing the power to then be used by your house during the day.

Ginger83

Hi could I get some thoughts on this please?

18 x 310w all black mono crystalline panels
1 x solis hybrid 5kw inverter (upgrade from standard inverter but means you are battery ready)
1 x mounting kit
1 x myenergy eddi immersion diverter
1 x installation
1 x all required consumables
1 x all required paperwork
1 x final BER cert

€8000 including Vat but excluding grant.

Mr Q

Ginger83 wrote: »

Hi could I get some thoughts on this please?

18 x 310w all black mono crystalline panels
1 x solis hybrid 5kw inverter (upgrade from standard inverter but means you are battery ready)
1 x mounting kit
1 x myenergy eddi immersion diverter
1 x installation
1 x all required consumables
1 x all required paperwork
1 x final BER cert

€8000 including Vat but excluding grant.

Are you sure that doesn't include the grant?

Ginger83

Mr Q wrote: »

Are you sure that doesn't include the grant?

Its excluding grant

unkel

Ginger83 wrote: »

Hi could I get some thoughts on this please?

18 x 310w all black mono crystalline panels
1 x solis hybrid 5kw inverter (upgrade from standard inverter but means you are battery ready)
1 x mounting kit
1 x myenergy eddi immersion diverter
1 x installation
1 x all required consumables
1 x all required paperwork
1 x final BER cert

€8000 including Vat but excluding grant.

Your grant is going to be tiny if you are not going for a battery.