Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2020

SouthWesterly

irishchris wrote: »

2.7kwh today on a dull day with 51kwh produced this month

Is that with your expanded system?
I'm still on the fence with this and looking to see if it's at least going to pay for itself in winter.

idc

SouthWesterly wrote: »

A quick question for those who got the solar as a service deal.
What daily output are you getting these days?

Maybe post your question in daily generation thread ?
And it makes no difference if they got solar as a service or self install. You really want to be asking about kWh generated, kWp and orientation.

irishchris

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Is that with your expanded system?
I'm still on the fence with this and looking to see if it's at least going to pay for itself in winter.

Yes that is just with my 2.8 solar as a service install. Still midway through my self install, attempting to cut through concrete pavement if it ever dries up later as have the rest of the run dug out already from that

Alkers

SouthWesterly wrote: »

Is that with your expanded system?
I'm still on the fence with this and looking to see if it's at least going to pay for itself in winter.

It will be your usage as opposed to what the panels generate that will determine whether it pays for itself or not, at least until a FIT is introduced.

gomamochi1

Deagol wrote: »

I'm only making 2.3kwh at the moment on my 6.1kw system I have shadow from the house blocking a lot of the sun at this time of the year. I'm working on an idea to rise up the panels a bit to try and help.

Same here pure sh1t gen from me also. Low Winter sun plus shading by trees even with leaves gone just about generating 1.5kWh on a 4.8 km system based in louth. Hoping to self install south facing panels on hips of my roof in the coming year.

citizen6

Any concerns on the following spec - are Bisol, Alpha and Santon good suppliers?

Panels: 16 x Bisol 390w Monocrystalline modules (All black modules)
Alpha 5 kWp Inverter with 5.7kWh battery
Santon Fire Safety Switch & Santon Switch Gear

Thanks.

Geeyfds53573

citizen6 wrote: »

Any concerns on the following spec - are Bisol, Alpha and Santon good suppliers?

Panels: 16 x Bisol 390w Monocrystalline modules (All black modules)
Alpha 5 kWp Inverter with 5.7kWh battery
Santon Fire Safety Switch & Santon Switch Gear

Thanks.

I’ve researched a lot alpha awesome if the price is good and you near the west go for it

citizen6

Geeyfds53573 wrote: »

I’ve researched a lot alpha awesome if the price is good and you near the west go for it

Just curious, why do you say in the west?

Also, does anyone have an Alpha battery/inverter and have they had any issues with them?

Geeyfds53573

citizen6 wrote: »

Just curious, why do you say in the west?

Also, does anyone have an Alpha battery/inverter and have they had any issues with them?

Only one company I know of have a contract with Bisol but I could be wrong. Others here posted before about similar setups. Alpha like all the inverters that have everything built into the one box are a bit more expensive but have a lot of functionality and handle big setups so should be as good as what’s out there. My two cents.

Geeyfds53573

Geeyfds53573 wrote: »

Only one company I know of have a contract with Bisol but I could be wrong. Others here posted before about similar setups. Alpha like all the inverters that have everything built into the one box are a bit more expensive but have a lot of functionality and handle big setups so should be as good as what’s out there. My two cents.

Jut to add by near I meant for after sales support or future work I feel you should go with a supplier that is a company and from near where you are getting the install done but that may be just me.

_dof_

Geeyfds53573 wrote: »

Only one company I know of have a contract with Bisol but I could be wrong. Others here posted before about similar setups. Alpha like all the inverters that have everything built into the one box are a bit more expensive but have a lot of functionality and handle big setups so should be as good as what’s out there. My two cents.

Yeah, I've the Alpha inverter and battery from a company in Athenry, probably the same company.

I'm happy with the setup, it's installed a year now and I've had no problems with the system. The only issue is with their backend server software, I've noticed some of the data for some days was wrong, e.g. it was reporting a big profit generated from 100s of kwhs generated on a day in April, so that was throwing the profit figures miles off. I found a few days with dodgy figures, but I logged tickets with support and they fixed them. I'm a bit concerned that the figures could be so wrong and it needed the customer to spot it and get it fixed.

It's all fixed now and reports >800 euro profix for the year, so that looks like around 8 years payback period.

championc

_dof_ wrote: »

It's all fixed now and reports >800 euro profix for the year, so that looks like around 8 years payback period.

Are you sure ? What's your annual consumption ? How much have you configured as how much each kWh generated is worth ?

800 saving would imply the generation and use of about 4,000 kWh (using 0.20c / kWh), using all of this power during day tariff times.

unkel

Which of course is an illusion...

Everyone in here is all for renewables, but we have to work with realistic financial figures, folks.

_dof_

championc wrote: »

Are you sure ? What's your annual consumption ? How much have you configured as how much each kWh generated is worth ?

800 saving would imply the generation and use of about 4,000 kWh (using 0.20c / kWh), using all of this power during day tariff times.

According to the stats, it generated 4,307kWh, configured at 20c/kWh, of which around 500kWh donated to ESBN, all the rest was self consumption during day tariff times. There was also 87 euro worth of savings due to load shifting since in the darker days, I charge the 5.7kWh battery on night rate at 10c/kWh and discharge it during the day time, so saving around 50c per day.

slave1

Check your supplier and move, I’m just over 6c at night rate with Energia

DrPhilG

slave1 wrote: »

Check your supplier and move, I’m just over 6c at night rate with Energia

Same here. 10c night rate is scandalous.

Deagol

DrPhilG wrote: »

Same here. 10c night rate is scandalous.

I don't even get night rate so stop complaining

Though I think when I get a smart meter I can get night rate then?

graememk

Deagol wrote: »

I don't even get night rate so stop complaining

Though I think when I get a smart meter I can get night rate then?

It's free to switch, just call up your supplier (eg energia) and switch.

You want to be using at least ,30% night rate to make up for the higher day prices, and higher standing charge.

That being said my day rate is ,15c on energia with a "36" % discount... I was too early for the 41% they are doing now

championc

Deagol wrote: »

Though I think when I get a smart meter I can get night rate then?

Day / Night meters have been around for about 40 years at least. While current Day / Night meters are Digital, Smart meters are only available for standard 24hr tariffs

Deagol

championc wrote: »

Day / Night meters have been around for about 40 years at least. While current Day / Night meters are Digital, Smart meters are only available for standard 24hr tariffs

I checked it up and I can get a night rate meter fitted but it's an extra €60 a year. My maths makes it that I'll only make that a year using night rate power so not worth the effort. I guess it only makes sense if you have storage heaters or something?

championc

Deagol wrote: »

I checked it up and I can get a night rate meter fitted but it's an extra €60 a year. My maths makes it that I'll only make that a year using night rate power so not worth the effort. I guess it only makes sense if you have storage heaters or something?

Indeed, I currently recharge my 10kw of LiFePO4 batteries fully each night. Even on a sunny day now, they discharge until at least 10:30 when they would recharge the lost charge of 08:00 to 10:30. On a half decent day, I use no full rate units at all.

The hope during the summer will be to link the inverter to internet weather forecasting and automatically recharge somewhat in advance of bad weather days. The ultimate hope is naturally to use as few full price units as possible

slave1

Deagol wrote: »

I checked it up and I can get a night rate meter fitted but it's an extra €60 a year. My maths makes it that I'll only make that a year using night rate power so not worth the effort. I guess it only makes sense if you have storage heaters or something?

Immersion, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer etc all make night rate well worthwhile

championc

slave1 wrote: »

Immersion, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer etc all make night rate well worthwhile

Batteries and an EV will do it too.

It's important to look at the standing charges costs when looking to change supplier of electricity.

SouthWesterly

Deagol wrote: »

I checked it up and I can get a night rate meter fitted but it's an extra €60 a year. My maths makes it that I'll only make that a year using night rate power so not worth the effort. I guess it only makes sense if you have storage heaters or something?

I've 3 chest freezers and run the washing machine, drier and dishwasher at night.

Deagol

SouthWesterly wrote: »

I've 3 chest freezers and run the washing machine, drier and dishwasher at night.

I've got to ask - what do you need 3 chest freezers for Or should I start running now after asking that question

Deagol

championc wrote: »

Batteries and an EV will do it too.

It's important to look at the standing charges costs when looking to change supplier of electricity.

Yeah - the EV makes a lot of sense - expecting to buy in a couple of years when the current diesel is paid for!

Deagol

championc wrote: »

Indeed, I currently recharge my 10kw of LiFePO4 batteries fully each night. Even on a sunny day now, they discharge until at least 10:30 when they would recharge the lost charge of 08:00 to 10:30. On a half decent day, I use no full rate units at all.

The hope during the summer will be to link the inverter to internet weather forecasting and automatically recharge somewhat in advance of bad weather days. The ultimate hope is naturally to use as few full price units as possible

I have a 5kw battery and worked out that charging it on night rate wouldn't pay for the extra standing charge on it's own - a 10kw battery would make it worthwhile for sure.

Thanks everyone for the answers - it's always enlightening to see these answers!

SouthWesterly

Deagol wrote: »

I've got to ask - what do you need 3 chest freezers for Or should I start running now after asking that question

One has half a cow. The other home raised chicken and foraged fruit and the third has 2 lambs and some turkey I bought in tesco yesterday at 75% off.
You did ask:)

championc

Deagol wrote: »

I have a 5kw battery and worked out that charging it on night rate wouldn't pay for the extra standing charge on it's own - a 10kw battery would make it worthwhile for sure.

Thanks everyone for the answers - it's always enlightening to see these answers!

To be honest, when you can buy 10kW of LiFePO4's for €1250, customs and charges paid, delivered to your door, it will certainly pay for itself. I certainly cannot see a payback for commercial prebuilt packs (like the Pylontechs).

championc

Deagol wrote: »

Yeah - the EV makes a lot of sense - expecting to buy in a couple of years when the current diesel is paid for!

You should start doing your sums now. How much is your diesel costing per annum to run, and over the next 3 years ? And what will your diesel be worth in 3 years, bearing in mind that I think it's safe to say that diesels will become less desirable as ever year passes.

You'll have way less running costs and potentially less depreciation too (well bepending on it's age)