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

PCR

Got a quote for 10 430w jinko solar panels and inverter.

optimiser €600 (€60 per panel that will need an optimiser)

ground rod (if it can’t be located) €300

zappi charger incl vat €1500

including grants total comes to €8300.

EDIT: Eddi included

this is coming out 2k cheaper than the quote I got from SSE Airtricity so I think it is good value.

Am I on the right track price-wise?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121444257#Comment_121444257

Seems very expensive to me for both systems. A lot of waffle in that quote as well.

tonysopprano

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121446596#Comment_121446596

Davidhunt.ie/solar, this should be your starting point

staples7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121446596#Comment_121446596

If you pull it back to panels and take off the 2400 of additional items you're at about 5.9k for 10 panels and inverter. ive been quoted 6300 for 17 inc BER, hybrid inverter.

Its not the worst though

PCR

Thanks. When I discount charger, optimizer etc. it’s just over the acceptable range but not extortionate, I’ll get one more quote and decide.

SodiumCooled

Hi All,

I am just wondering if anyone could give me a rough guide on what I should expect to pay for a PV install on a new build (so no grant). I wasn't planning on getting the PV until a later date (e.g. an undecided time after being moved in) but my electrician has now asked if i'd be interested as he wants to get into PV installing and would be interested in getting a few under his belt along with the 0% VAT which may not last I am considering going ahead.

I am waiting on his price and he has said he plans to more or less do it to break even (i.e. give me a good price) but I'd be interested to get an idea of what I should be paying. I will be going max number of panels (20 I think), installation, mounting hooks and whatever else goes with it. I also want a battery but how much battery would people be recommended 5Kwh more and price wise (house is approx 265 sqm, A2W, MVHR, no electric car currently and not planning one in the near/medium term).

Basically a rough guide price on what anyone in the know would recommend I install. Scaffolding is still in place so no cost needed for access. Many thanks.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452396#Comment_121452396

As the sparks is brand new to it, simplify the design and just get panels. 

So no battery and no battery-ready inverter (called hybrid inverter). You can always get a battery at a later stage. If you’ve a smart meter you get paid for unused units (called FIT). A 5kWh battery is way too small to contribute towards your A2W, MVHR and run the house. Batteries take a lot of understanding to get working properly, and he’s new to it. That’s why I’d suggest ignore the battery for now.

Don’t get a water heater either (like an Eddi). FIT makes them redundant cost wise.

Track back here to see the costs for installs. Then you'll want your sparks to be a lot cheaper. He’s learning on the job! And get a few quotes which will help the cost conversation with your sparks. To compare, look at quotes for larger systems like 8kWp with 5.5kW inverters (which is the max you can get without paying the ESB €1000+ to upgrade your connection). Smaller installs tend to cost more per kWp due to labour costs being high for all installs.

Unless you know and trust him, think twice about you being customer number 1. I know we’ve all to learn somehow. So it’s all a balancing act. That said, with just panels (compared to adding a battery too) there is way less to go wrong. 

staples7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452547#Comment_121452547

Id be wondering if getting a string inverter now instead of a hybrid is good advice..... Surely you'd want to spend a little extra and go hybrid to cover yourself for batteries down the line. Just my 2 cents

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452773#Comment_121452773

Hybrid inverters are string inverters, they are capable of input for seperate sets of panels (strings). Better to call the non hybrid, er, non hybrid or non battery to avoid confusion. A hybrid optioned inverter could cost 5-600 more for the same power capacity. The 20 panels mentioned would not be able to output in full on a grid tied inverter,, so be aware that the potential 10KW they produce will not be available on grid, as this is limited to 5kw by regulations. Oversizing will extend your low season output though. An inverter with a partial off grid load can split the output between on and off grid, your electrician could wire a section of your house to be off grid, but fed by the mains (or a battery) during dark or power cuts. Sungrow make such models, with about 2+kw to the off grid circuit, (lights, ring main, fridge etc but not kitchen or heavy current outlets). A new build is an ideal opportunity for learning! Get the tilers to put in the hooks.

SodiumCooled

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121452936#Comment_121452936

Hi, thanks for the feedback and advise. I appreciate the fact he is doing it for the first time but he is very competent and has the support of who is supply him who he has said already are very helpful in getting him up to speed. I also thing he will take his time and make sure its done right a thing i would question looking at some of the installs done by established people around my area (e.g. a system oriented north for no reason at all).

While I get what you are saying on leaving out the battery I don't think its worth doing without battery (nor does my sparks) and I feel that's the general consensus nowadays so from what you are saying I should be looking at 10kwh of battery back up and the inverter to go with it. Also if I was to get the battery later I wouldn't get 0% VAT if I understand the scheme correctly.

I will look back through the thread at other pricing but just for comparison I should be looking at 10Kw systems + battery/inverters to match what I described?

As for the hooks, unfortunately this conversation only stared half way though first fix so house was long roofed but my roofer has already agreed to come back to fit the hooks so a bit more work but the fact scaffolding is still there makes it more straight forward.

wexfordman2

Of you don't get a battery, then you will lose out on the 0% vat element of the battery when you go to install one or upgrade later.

If you have no medium term plans in an ev, then I would certainly go for a bettery, and prob 10kwh worth.

The point about batteries now as much as anything else, is the ability to offset your usage, especially with the advent of smart metres and smart tarrifs.

For example, some inverters are very smart, they can link in to your ESB tarrifs, and decide when to charge or discharge based on that (ie, reserve battery power for your peak hours between 5 and 7).

Another features is predictive generation, so your inverter will decide in whether to charge.yoir battery from the off peak grid based on how much solar is predicted to be generated next day.

Not all inverters offer those kind of features though.

I have those, but only a 5kwh battery and am seriously.considering upgrading with another 10kwh.

If you don't go for a battery, and you really really should imho, IF you are based nearby and IF your electrician is up for it, I would happily pay you for your 0% vat battery (if it is same brand as well). Way too many ifs I know, and I partly say it in jest :-)

wexfordman2

Oh yeah, run a cat6 cable to your inverter, for its internet connectivity,.try not to go wifi!

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454149#Comment_121454149

Run 2!

One for internet, second for CT's etc

wexfordman2

The one for CT'S would I assume be part of the overall solar install, the one for internet would be seperate to avoid wireless connectivity if he could.

SodiumCooled

Aside from bathrooms - the utility where the batteries would likely sit is the only room in the house not to have at least 2xCAT6 cables 🙈. Should be possible to still run one or two though will say it to the electrician. Ideally I would put the batteries in the garage but don't think it's a runner as he said they will need to sit near the consumer unit where the cable from the panels will also be routed to which is all in the utility.

A bit of an aside but I know the batteries and panels don't work in a power cut. I will be getting a change over switch installed and I was wondering do the panels/batteries sit on the consumer side of the switch i.e. will the genie fool them into operating during a power cut?

wexfordman2

Typically the batteries can be set to run a small number of sockets in the event of a power cut, so even if you are putting in agenie and changeover switch I would still plan for the batteries to run say your broadband/wifi and a tv with at least one downstairs socket for charging phones etc.

What make of diverter is he proposing ?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454305#Comment_121454305

Both batteries and panels can work in a power cut, I have a change over switch to power the whole house and had the fireman switches removed so the panels work in a power cut. Since you are not going through the SEAI there is no reason for the fireman switches as it's only required if getting the grant. They don't use them in the north or the UK.

chatb0x1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121444257#Comment_121444257

Thats seems to be a very high price. Im getting the same inverter - no bat and 9 435 JA double glass panels(slightly cheaper than Jinko) eddi for less than half that.

I must have got 10 quotes all lower than that.

SodiumCooled

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454667#Comment_121454667

No specifics discussed really as yet apart from saying glass glass (I think) panels are more expensive but the best and we would be going for these. Other than that just measuring etc and discussing the hooks.

ParaHappyman

Hi everyone, looking for thoughts and advice please. Considering either of the following two options from a recent quote:

Option #3 - 7.29 KWP connected to Renac 5KW Inverter

18 x REC Premium 405W Monocrystalline Twin Peak 5 modules

Bisol Mounting system

1 x Projoy Fire Safety Switch

AC Switchgear

Renac 5kW String Inverter

Costing

€8,000 Final Cost

Option #4 - 7.29 KWP connected to Alpha Inverter with 10.1KW Battery

18 x REC Premium 405W Monocrystalline Twin Peak 5 modules

Bisol Mounting system

1 x Projoy Fire Safety Switch

AC Switchgear

Alpha 5kWp Inverter kitted to 10.1kWh storage capacity

Costing

€13,000 Final Cost

Is this a good price? Are 405w panels a bit low and should I be aiming for 430w etc?

New to all of this and looking for advice. Grant not applicable as it is a new build. Thanks

Cyrus

Just been thinking about it (as have bought a shelly em and am looking at our usage) re whether getting a battery makes sense.

In the winter, before any car charging, we are using around 45KWh per day split 30 day and 15 night, when the car is charging that is more like 105 split 30 day 75 night .

Summer general usage will be a lot lower as the heatpump wont be in use so much.

But in reality is a 5 KWH battery worth my while? itll only run the house in winter for a few hours if i charge up on the night rate, that would be longer in summer but youd generate plenty of solar anyway and could sell the rest to the grid....

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465344#Comment_121465344

 

I’d agree with your own thought process based on your usage. No, a 5kWh battery isn't worth it based on 45kWh a day in winter ex the EV. It’s too small to make any contribution. Ignore the battery for now.

Step 1 is load shift what you can to night-rate as save cash that way.

How? If you’ve UFH you can move the heatpump to run a lot on night rate (see the heatpump thread here). Heat the hotwater tank on the heatpump during the night rate (assuming it’s a well insulated tank it won’t lose much heat). Load shift dishwasher, washing, drying... to night. Keep up the good energy monitoring to track progress!

Get paid FIT for unused solar.

Btw, your EV stats aren’t right unless you only charge the EV once or twice a week. But that won't impact your logic as EV will be on cheap night rate.

Step 2 - in time… look at the option for a large DIY battery in time (see another thread here on that).

 

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465731#Comment_121465731

Thanks!

yes i only charge once or twice a week (big battery 86.5KWH)

heatpump is currently set to heat water at night, unfortunately my dishwasher doesnt have a time delay but will move as much as i can to night rate.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467021#Comment_121467021

You're better off doing more frequent shorter EV charges if it won't all fit in the cheap night rate. If it's a Zappi there is an option to add X kWh's per day.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467395#Comment_121467395

the charger is set to only charge during the night rate window so if it needs a top up the next evening it gets it.

Boots87

Hi All,

Please help. I have spent way too long mulling over all of this so I pray someone can help me. My motivation is to try and become as self sufficient as possible - i want to make the world a small bit better if possible for my kids and save a few bob would be nice too.

I currently have 4 solar panels which were installed on my new build house in 2018. My PV meter in my fuseboard has recorded approx 900kw/h in a calendar year. No fancy app to get a good understanding of what exactly I am getting from these solar panels. I have imported about 3300kw/h since September 2022 via display on my actual smart meter itself.

I have analysed my data via esb account and can see my average daily usage since June 2023 on this dashboard to now is around 7.5kw. I am exporting back a fair bit and since june 22nd to 31st october generated approx 160kwh which I will be credited for via FIT. Basically I find my setup pretty good but as mentioned above its difficult to determine an accurate reflection of my average daily consumption as the esb app just shows what I import and export, there is no way to really know how much energy I obtain via my panels before the grid kicks in. This has really fired my brain for ages trying to understand this

I am putting my annual usage around 3700kwh mark

I have considered adding new efficient panels and have been quoted for 14 including battery 9k after grant. I read that its a good idea to fill the roof. I am east west so splitting it might be a good option. I have no EV and wife not onboard about switching to one anytime soon. I work from home 3 days and always someone home (grandparents minding 2 kids).

Based on the above is 5.6kwp a good choice or too much? What is meant by the expected annual yield? Should I defer battery for now/add more less panels? Should I stay as I am (0.33 import rate now, €450 Gov credits due, 0.21 FIT)? Finally EDDI sounds appealing but in summer would the water be hot at 7am?

I guess my usage will go up as kids get bigger and im hopeful EVs will become the norm. I like the idea of a nice app to manage all of this. I may be a little over specced on 14 panels and id probably rule out the battery at least for the first while. East West config would possibly work well giving me juice in the morning and evening to coincide with my peaks.

However, my hunch is that its probably best option for me to stay as I am for now and obtain more data but looking forward to some feedback. These grant changes and salesmen have me under pressure 😂

Alan McG

Nobody ever complained about having put too much soar PV on the roof - Max it out.

You're somewhat right about the battery - it doesn't offer as much value now that export is so good. However this assumes a flat 24h rate. If you switch to a Night meter, or a time of use tariff then this isn't as true. And exporting electricity during the day actually makes more financial sense than using it yourself.

To get a balance between "self-sufficiency" (which I don't actually believe is possible in Ireland with PV) and cost you might consider installing a ~7.5Kwh battery and charging it up over night at the cheap rate. This will cover your normal day use. Initially, I went with a small Pylontech battery, which is pretty basic, but it meant that I could add further batteries myself as my family’s usage changed & costs reduced. If I went with some of the more expensive "fancier" batteries I would have needed to get an installer in each time, vastly increasing the cost.

With the move to everything electric you'll definitely get the use & payback from this setup over the coming years, and you might as well strike while the grant iron is hot!

Cyrus

Hi Folks

just got this quote, main thing im wondering about is the invertor if i want to add a battery in the future, is this a good one?

4.35 kw system

10 x 435w Jinko N type black panels

Sofar inverter (3K...6KTLM-G3)

Fire shunt isolator

Van Der Valk roofing system

AC And DC cabling

Associated MCB board works

System app monitor for phone

Ber certificate

AmpMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470081#Comment_121470081

The ESB do 👊

HotSwap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470555#Comment_121470555

Not true. You can have as many panels as you want by planning law and the only thing ESB care about is the export capacity of your inverter.