Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2022 - No PM requests - See Mod note post #1

graememk · 02-11-2023 12:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313373#Comment_121313373

on the rough guide of the quote analyser http://davidhunt.ie/solar/ its good,

Id seriously consider ditching the eddi, and check on the inverter, is it a sofar? If so is it an EP or ES? the EP has a higher discharge rate from batteries.

Gumbo · 02-11-2023 1:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313426#Comment_121313426

David seems to approve 😂

It’s not my install. Family member.

I’ll get the full details in the morning.

We couldn’t get anywhere near that price from actual installers in Dublin at the moment. The closest was €7700 after grant.

Eddi is only €500 so be mad to say no at this time as they’d never be able to get the hot water divertor installed in the future at that price IMO. I know I really like my Eddi if even for that sense of free hot water!

HotSwap · 02-11-2023 8:27am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313345#Comment_121313345

I’m not sure why you would need blocks. Maybe they are being used as ballast to weight down the mounts. I would avoid this type of mount; and go for something more permanent (ideally mounted on a concrete base). Ask them all to specify exactly the ground mounting system they plan to use.

Mywifetoldme · 02-11-2023 9:27am

A neighbour has blocks as ballast, I can't remember if they have a concrete base.

What do you think about the price?

HotSwap · 02-11-2023 8:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313798#Comment_121313798

Well you can’t have a 6kwh inverter anymore; so get them to include an inverter that’s allowed by ESBN and it might drop the price a bit.

Also it’s impossible to say if it’s a good price or not without knowing the specifics of the ground mount system they intend to use. Some are very expensive aluminium racks bolted to a concrete base and others are flimsy plastic tubs you fill with gravel.

Are they supplying the conduit that will go in the trench? Are they using 6mm2 DC cable so that the voltage drop is within SEAI specs?

work you need is to do dig a trench between the panels and house?

blocks; depending on how many you need will cost several 100 euro; and digging a long trench you’d be doing well to get it for 500-750 if you bring in someone with a digger and a person to operate it. More again if they need to be careful and hand dig parts of it around trees / fencing / etc…

crisco10 · 03-11-2023 10:30am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313070#Comment_121313070

Cant speak to technical merits of the equipment but..

I agree with http://davidhunt.ie/solar/

The value of the grant for this size array would be 2400. Using the rule of thumb of €1000 per kW of panels, €420 per kWh of battery, and say €600 for the Eddi, and €300 for the BER, that should be about €10086 for that system (after grant). But it's only a rule of thumb. Just don't go above €1300 per kW of panels and €550 per kWh battery (ex VAT), which would give you €12863 after grant. Your quote of €11885 is at the upper end of the recommended range. Get a few more quotes.The value of the grant for this size array would be 2400. Using the rule of thumb of €1000 per kW of panels, €420 per kWh of battery, and say €600 for the Eddi, and €300 for the BER, that should be about €10086 for that system (after grant). But it's only a rule of thumb. Just don't go above €1300 per kW of panels and €550 per kWh battery (ex VAT), which would give you €12863 after grant. Your quote of €11885 is at the upper end of the recommended range. Get a few more quotes.

kave2 · 03-11-2023 3:00pm

Hi all, looking into getting solar so still learning. Here is the first quote received.

10 panels - QCELLS 400w

Eddi diverter

BER rating included

App

34c for excess back to grid if I switch to SSE Airtricity

Cost 8200e after grant.

Was told this system would produce 3436kWh per year, our usage is 2200kWh. We are heating our hot water cylinder with gas so 10 panels should cover that too. However when I entered this quote into analyzer it seem like very expensive.

niallo27 · 03-11-2023 3:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121319963#Comment_121319963

That is really expensive, that quote should be 6k at max after grant, keep looking

graememk · 03-11-2023 3:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121319963#Comment_121319963

It is, keep looking, we all know who that company is too.. they have to make back the extra FIT somewhere.

homewardbound11 · 03-11-2023 6:01pm

looking into solar PV at the moment, Mayo area . Are PMs allowed for recommendations .

con747 · 03-11-2023 9:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121321025#Comment_121321025

No PM's allowed on this thread because it becomes a nightmare with everyone asking, but there is a list here https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058243236/solar-pv-boards-members-installer-information#latest

pad406 · 03-11-2023 9:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313070#Comment_121313070

I'm only new at this, but I paid almost the exact same for

7.22kwP (17 panels @ 425w)

10.4kwH battery

Eddi

And everything else needed, BER included too

Comer1 · 04-11-2023 12:25pm

Got my third and final quote.

7.3kw system

10kWh battery

BER

€18000 after grant.

Outrageous!

Mywifetoldme · 04-11-2023 4:55pm

Here is my second quote.

7.5KW ground mounted

17 Sharp 435 watt photovoltaic solar panels

All K2 fixtures and fittings.

1 number 5KW Solax Hybrid inverter

1 Eddie

1 fire switch.

Ac and Dc switch's and cabling for full installation.

€11,690 after grant

5.8KWh solax triple power battery

€3,345

Emergency power supply

€1,350

Thanking you in advance.

Seventy Plus · 04-11-2023 10:18pm

Two Inverters Required?

I would like to put panels on SE; SW; and NW. I was initially told that SW and NW could be on one string. Had a good quote for that.

Now I am been told that NW should be on a string to an additional inverter.

I am aware that NW would generate far less, but am not concerned about that.

Could I get away with One Inverter?

Mr Q · 05-11-2023 12:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121326059#Comment_121326059

Yes it's possible to have 3 orientations on one inverter. But the strings would need to be the same size for the two that share an input I think.

deezell · 05-11-2023 6:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121326059#Comment_121326059

Combining two panel arrays from different orientations onto one string input is best achieved by joining them in parallel. They will behave substantially as a single string of their individual equal sizes, i.e, if they are both 8 panels, they will produce the voltage of a single 8 panel string, but with a flatter spread of current output as the sun traverses from SW to NW, over a 90° span. As the sun moves to W, both will be equally illuminated, but with an angular reduction of cosine 45°, about 70% of their combined peak output. The most you can expect therefore is the output of an 8 panel SW string as the sun moves SW, to the output of 70% of a 16 panel array, about 10 panels but with the vertical angle of the setting sun further reducing this, and finishing with the NW panels only contributing as the sun sinks at NW in the summer. It will be well gone before it gets NW at this time of year.

Its would not be economical to invest in a seperate inverter for a NW oriented array. It would produce nothing for the greater part of the year, and little in the midsummer 3 months. It will barely even justify the panel cost if you add them in parallel to the SW array but ar least they will not limit the SW output.

If you add them in series, your entire output will be capped by the NW array performance, the string will be virtually useless unless optimisers are added, more cost and only modest increase over the SW array only.

I've not taken into account the vertical orientation of the panels, but could assume a 35° roof, which will of course alter the production profile of the NW panels marginallly as the declining sun moves SW.

deezell · 05-11-2023 9:15am

This sun calculator is a useful nerdy tool for determining percentage of maximum panel output at a time and date. It has a w/m² irradiation calculator (this is not panel output, but sun input/m², panel output is 18-20% of this multipled by panel area).

https://www.suncalc.org/#/53.2864,-8.1486,4/2023.08.05/18:50/1/3.

With the sun exactly west, about halfway to the autumn equinox on the 5th August, Sun is 21° above the horizon, NW facing panels on a 35° roof will have a cos 45° effective horizontal area and sin (35+21)° vertical, .7 by .82, about 57%. Irradiation of the sun at this place (midlands), date and time is about half the constant, so the panel output is about 28.5%. Thus 8 NW panels when they are beginning to produce will act like a little over 2, and will fall rapidly within an hour, as though the early August sun moves NW, it declines rapidly, so within 90 minutes panel effective area is 59%, but irradiation is down to 30%, .59 ×.3 is 18%, and the 8 panels are effectively 1.5 peak. This is just a few weeks either side if midsummer. Two hours after the sun is West, it's just above the horizon, and panel output is negligible. A few weeks after, you're done until May the following year. NW panels have virtually no output outside of May to mid August. I note that some panel production is possible from ambient daylight but have not calculated these, as the purpose of the exercise is to compare optimally oriented panels to sub optimal.

Citizenpain · 05-11-2023 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121307332#Comment_121307332

Still a good quote I think .My install with 2 less panels but a good few optimisers was only a few hundred less. AlphaEss

Comer1 · 05-11-2023 11:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121327109#Comment_121327109

I agree, that's why I'm going for it. My other two quotes were €14,600 and €18,000 after grant deduction.

japunia · 05-11-2023 3:36pm

Hello everyone

I got my quote

5kW of Inverter Power

SOLIS - Ningbo Ginlong Technologies

12 x 435 Watt Panels

Eco-Smart Energy Diverter 3.6kw

PV OPTIMIZER

2 x TS4-A-O

for 6300euro after the grant

Any thoughts on that quote, or should I look for more ?? thanks in advance

TheBadBeardDude · 05-11-2023 7:16pm

I posted this is another thread but maybe I should have posted here instead so forgive the double post.

First time posting in this forum. Thinking of getting panels but have no idea about what I should consider for my house.

Our estimated usage for 2022 was 4,270 kWh if I'm reading the bill correctly.

It's an old council house, NW facing.

One company I came across is €8.5k for the following:

High power output of 4.0 – 4.2kWp
High-end 10-panel system
Includes Inverter
5kWh Battery
Solar Generation: ~3,600kWh

Is that a good deal? Should I get a battery? Their next package up is nearly twice the cost and I don't think I can fit the number of panels they're offering.

Any advise of what not to fall for when talking to these companies would be appreciated as I know they're trying to sell as much as they can and I can't really afford to buy more than I require.

graememk · 05-11-2023 7:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121328976#Comment_121328976

Look for more quotes, and if your trying to get the most for the least amount of money, stay as simple as possible, Fit as many panels as possible, but don't worry about batteries or solar diverters (eddi).

The closer you can get to 1k/kWp the better, but with smaller systems its harder to reach.

You say your house is NW facing, is the SE roof free?

TheBadBeardDude · 05-11-2023 7:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121329088#Comment_121329088

Hi, thanks for reply.

Yes, the back SE facing side is free and actually exceptional in the Summer.

graememk · 05-11-2023 7:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121329102#Comment_121329102

SE would be the roof to start on with anyway. But keep looking for quotes

kave2 · 06-11-2023 11:08am

Got another quote,

10x panels 435w JA Mono panels

5kw solis inverter

eddi

Total 8400, after grant 6000€. Battery is 2k extra if I decide to get one.

Lot cheaper then previous one but as per price analyser it still seems to be bit too expensive. Any thoughts on this quote?

Bawnmore · 06-11-2023 11:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121313426#Comment_121313426

Are the Sofar EP fairly flexible with what batteries they'll take? We have a quote which includes one currently but won't be going with batteries initially - want to make sure we can keep options open when we do.