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Renewable Energy Photo Thread

  • 04-08-2022 9:23pm
    #1
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    There have been some great photos of Boardsies' Renewable Energy setups posted over the years, but they have been lost in the various threads at this stage.

    I'm setting up this dedicated thread which might make it easier for show off your new install or DIY project, and for new posters to find/get ideas. All sorts of renewable energy setups welcome.. but I suspect Solar PV will make up most of the photos. 🙂

    MOD: Comments are permitted, but they must be constructive/helpful. No negative/nit-pic comments please, or else we'll have to go down route of photos only.

    Post edited by Jonathan on


«134

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,423 ✭✭✭con747


    5 x 345w East and 7 x 345w South for now with 5kwh Diverter and 10kwh Pure drive batteries in the Midlands.


    Don't expect anything from life, just be grateful to be alive.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1 joshuyasolar


    10 KW System using Deye Inverter and BSLBATT Powerwall Battery bank of 15.3kwh



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Nice compact setup for dual inverters and those batteries



  • Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭TerraSolis


    My 6.39 kWp ground mount & its maintenance crew 🐑



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,745 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    room for moar!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,499 ✭✭✭DC999


    Omg. My roof has no more space and a tiny garden so can't put more anywhere. Jealoussssssssss



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,415 ✭✭✭SD_DRACULA


    Loving the neatness of those setups above but when stuff is out of sight in the attic it looks like this 😂

    7kwp South facing on a 6kwh Solis hybrid inverter


    Post edited by SD_DRACULA on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,472 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    7.44kWp system. House facing west, garage south.


    Back when the install was done by a pro and was tidy...


    And then when I got stuck in and did some DIY, 20kWh LiFePo4 battery.


    I'll tidy it eventually, I promise.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    DIY Installation on my Shed. Finished about a week ago. 2.3Kwp in total all facing 180deg exactly (due south). Micro-inverters used for the install. 2x2 panel micro-inverters for the guys on the roof and then 2x1 panel micro-inverters for the two vertical ones. I could have used 2 panel micro-inverters for the lot and saved 300 euros, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I was using micro-inverters for the first time so wasn't sure what to expect, hence using 1x panel inverters for the vertical ones as they were the 1st part of the project.

    Far left of the picture on the roof 2x400w panels at 30deg incline, then 2x 345W panels at 10deg slope and finally 2x400w panels vertically mounted on replaceable structs, so the panels can go flush against the wall when I want to use the decking area. Currently the vertical panels are angled at 57 degress (in relation to the horizontal plane) Got as very solid 13kwhr out of them on Monday, 12.5Kwhr yesterday and probably again same today.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,477 ✭✭✭✭Ha Long Bay


    System installed back in February 7.2kw south facing. 6kw inverter and 2 X 5kw Puredrive batteries.





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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    @DrPhilG - "7.44kWp system. House facing west, garage south."

    With those roofs, I would have 30kwp up, I swear! 😁


    But seriously, not doing east on the other side of the house?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,472 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    The thought has crossed my mind, but other than always wanting bigger, what's the point?


    I've already got enough to be nearly off grid 5 months of the year. Stacking the east side or adding more on the west would still not carry me through the winter months, and I'd be exporting bucket loads all summer.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 618 ✭✭✭bonoman66


    System installed recently on July 20th. Appreciate its not totally ideal being in the attic due to the higher temps there, especially in this very hot weather we've been having recently, but there was absolutely no other place in our small house for the equipment - so attic it had to be. Solis 6kW Hybrid Inverter mounted on concrete wall & fire resistant board mounted on 2 sides. 4 Power Sockets available for me to use in the event of a mains / grid failure. These are fed from the Pure Drive battery source etc.. I usually leave the attic trap door open in this type of really hot weather to help with airflow passing through the attic. I also have a Wi-Fi Temperature Sensor up there which I keep an eye on via an app on my phone. Ambient Temperature in attic has reached approx 35 Celsius in this hot weather. Inverter Temp under heavy load ( - eg when max solar energy being generated or when the full load of battery is being drawn at once) reaches approx 58 to 62 Degrees Celcius. Fireboard surface temps, at their nearest points to Inverter Casing / Heat sink, reach approx 42 Degrees Celcius at times where Inverter is under heaviest load. Its connected to 16 x 370W panels (5.92kWp system). 8 Panels are SE Facing & 8 Panels are NW facing. Since July 20th, when the system went live, Its generated 516 kWh, so pretty good I think. Last few days have all been over 30 kWh each. 2 x 5kWh PureDrive batteries for a total of 10kWh battery capacity. This typically covers house load from 7pm to 7am at present. House load from 12 Midnight to 7am is approx 1.4kWh (200W per hour). At present, at 7am, there is usually approx 34% remaining in the battery). System appears to be working flawlessly so far (have I just jinxed it :-)) & its exceeded my expectations. Just waiting on the Eddi to be installed. Here are a few pics for anyone interested...


    Post edited by bonoman66 on


  • Registered Users Posts: 899 ✭✭✭ColemanY2K


    Nice setup👌

    🌞 7.79kWp PV System. Comprised of 4.92kWp Tilting Ground Mount + 2.87kWp @ 27°, azimuth 180°, West Waterford 🌞



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 618 ✭✭✭bonoman66


    Thank you. Every day is a learning day, but no regrets so far.


    It'll be interesting in the Winter months when I get a feel for what the system can / cannot do at that time of year & how I may need to adapt my habits to try maximize available energy generated..



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    I see your point, but if you buy well and DIY install it could be a sound low risk investment even if you export it all. I most certainly would start making a few calculations on that. Also in the near future we will all use far more electricity than we use now, so basing your production on your current needs is disregarding your future needs

    And of course some of us are solar addicts, more more more 😁I had 4kwp two years ago, 8kwp last year, 11kwp now and 15kwp next year. Then I will be totally maxed out unfortunately. In your gaff I'd say close to 50-60kWp is possible before you can even think of ground mount. Not a bit jealous of all that space!



  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Are you not in Dublin? How have you managed to fit 15kWp? Are you renting your neighbor's roof off them?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Haha, just under 11kwp at the moment @Jonathan, haven't done my front north facing roof yet, but yeah, small semi D in Lucan, but have a large shed and a sneaky array on my outside boundary wall too. And yes the thought to put panels on my neigbour's roof did cross my mind, have I got a problem? 😁😮



  • Registered Users Posts: 186 ✭✭Fantana2


    Can we get photos of your set up? Probably the biggest PV set up on a semi D and it’s probably the common house type in Ireland so could be great inspiration for others.

    6.96kwp South facing



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 788 ✭✭✭hick



    +1 on those photos @unkel

    funny to see all the consistency in the KB installs, though I don’t have a nice laminated a4 sheet, must get onto him!

    I have a modest 5.5kW 14 panel facing SSW, double pitch roof so it’s on both front facing roofs 8 front and 6 on inside. Contemplating but a few (6/7) on the back as I have the space and in the summer it will get the sun from the morning and through a fair part of the day. Due to the low pitch even the front panels are producing a few 100W from 6am and go right up to 2130, so would hope they’d produce a decent amount. Haven’t taken update photo since battery went in. Have built a frame that will take 4 (or 20kW)



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Not so keen to put up photos. On previous threads people were admonished even for putting up pics of perfect installs that some viewers seem to have critique of. I know the new moderators on this forum have stated they won't allow that sort of stuff and fair play to them, but I'd still rather not.


    Anyway, I have only 1.45kwp on my main roof, 5 old panels that have to compete for space with 3 velux windows and 40 solar thermal tubes. Another 5 panels (total 1.825kwp) on my kitchen extension. Still nothing to write home about. Until I had a large shed build early last year, which now has 14 panels on it (5.25kwp) and a sneaky 7 panel string on my outside boundary wall (2.66kwp) and a single panel on a micro inverter (0.375kwp), total 11.56kwp


    Next year or so I will cover my virgin north facing road facing roof with panels, not quite sure how many will fit and what the shading situation is (chimney) but I guess about 4kwp, for a grand final total of about 15kwp



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,745 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    I have a great install photo showing panel size (and the optional scaffolding that wasnt really needed) but I'm not posting for same reasons...



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 581 ✭✭✭idc


    So far this thread seems to be minimal on comments on photo posts which is kinda good, maybe it should even be marked that people just post photos without making comments on setups explicitly.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 788 ✭✭✭hick


    +1

    In the words of my young fella…down with haters



  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Have amended my OP now to include reference to same.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,499 ✭✭✭DC999


    @Jonathan, I have a lot of jealousy on this thread. Some largers setups, larger budgets, larger everything.... Does that count as negative? :)



  • Registered Users Posts: 24 banana5kin


    Where did you get or what sort of hinges did you use on the vertical panels. Have a cabin that I'll be doing the same on (2 panels East and 2 West).



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    LOL - the answer is quite mundane. The frame for the panels is simply 2x4 wood. I varnished it, then painted it with black gloss paint, and then finally (after the picture was taken) wrapped the whole wood frame with waterproof gorilla tape. Including taping over the screws so that water doesn't have an easy entry point to the wood. The 6 base mounts, which are on the roof are again 2x4 but covered in "roof flashing", and as for the hinges.....they are simply door hinges down in Woodies for €2.99. Cheap-n-cheerful.

    Aside: The reason the hinge is offset from the center is that I had to move the panels a few inches to the right, and I didn't want to re-drill into the shed roof and move the mounting.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭poker--addict


    I have seen some interesting ground mount setups. "Lean-to" style, sheds, car ports, tree-anchors requiring no concrete, manual tilting options.

    Might be worth a thread for sharing ideas or advice.

    I came across this pergola image on a group elsewhere. Makes a lot of sense for anyone needing shade in their garden. Ensuring a setup is able to stand firm against any wind load would be important on my own site.



    😎



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  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    Have merged the threads as they are very similar.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    That’s a good but not great Summer orientation as the maximum high Summer angle is 60degrees, that would be very poor for the remainder of the year and would have virtually no run off. It’s likely a DIY enthusiast who’s maximising their PV collection but payback questionable. Having said that, if I was “out the country” and had an acre I’d have an A frame car port facing E/W filled with 8 560w panels (hitting the market this month) each side



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    What makes you say that? Near flat is good as it gets sun all day around. My shed is near flat. Covered with 14*375wp. Never get that maximum but get most of it quite a lot



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    This explains it better, I'm just saying it's not optimal, same as North is not optimal for us...but you got to work with what you have



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭poker--addict


    You may both be right. I think unkel suggests if you plug it into a calculator the gap between optimum angle and a small slope will be minimal?

    😎



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,372 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    Heres a near perfect day on a hot august day.

    low slope max 12degrees, very walkable. NE/SW 4.3 kwp each string.

    and one of the smoothest days in May

    Flat roofs work really well in summer, you just dont get it on the good days in winter. bad days.. well it doesnt really make a difference!



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,764 ✭✭✭poker--addict


    7.5KW system facing 210 degress, annual totals as per https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/index.php

    10degree slope 6441KW

    35degree slope 6785KW

    40degree slope 6682KW.

    Given how completely different such setups are, the difference is small enough that most users would not notice, and factors seasonality and weather records.


    That said, I would add a little more slope to my pergola too 😎

    😎



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    You need a solid 10 deg slope anyway, just for rainwater runoff.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    @poker--addict - thanks for the figures, you've proven that there is feck all in it. You should just work with the roofs you have, any money spent on making a different angle or even making it adjustable is just wasted really (unless you are extremely limited for space)

    Also flat will give more in morning and evening than bigger angle, so it might even be possible that the 6441kWh will make you more money than the 6682kWh where you either lose more, push more through your battery (20% loss round trip on an AC side battery system), or have more FIT and less self use



  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    A few of you may know Damien Maguire's YouTube channel for his ICE to EV conversions (*looks at @unkel*), but his latest video has lots of interesting DIY renewable energy projects.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    I only recently found out that both Damien and myself used the same inverter roughly at the same time for both our first grid-tied PV systems, about 5 years ago 😁


    This lad - I think I paid GBP50 for it on eBay 😂


    You can see Damien's one in the video above.

    Post edited by unkel on


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,349 ✭✭✭✭SteelyDanJalapeno


    Christ how many regulations is he breaking in that video, could play bingo with that



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    Most of the stuff he is showing is DC off grid. There are no regulations for that.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,583 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    Normally I'd tend to agree with you mate......but using earth cable as phase.......hmmm, that pushes the boundary of what even a cowboy like me would do!!

    Yeah I know it's off grid and he's probably the only one to be looking at it and he knows, but still....electricity will kill you stone dead if not treated right. Good wiring is a skill worth doing . I suspect he may even have done it for a laugh to invoke a response on the video?

    Still though I'll give him credit, he's progressed the field of information in the sector and that in itself is worth acknowledging. Respect on that front



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Working on CT clamps in the Zappi2 today, this is what it looks like with cover off




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,625 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    Hi slave1. A rubber grommet on rear cable entry/exit would be as good addition as the edge of that cut-out would wear though the cable easy enough.



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 19,254 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    There's an unseen sealed piece to the rear. Thankfully in installer left the unused CAT6 TP in the body of the Zappi2 so I had a two minute job to connect up the third CT sensor, would have been sooooo messy otherwise. As a rule of thumb I always leave as much cable as possible spooled, you never know...



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,275 ✭✭✭Ubbquittious


    There isn't a whole pile to them after.

    I wonder would this do as an alternative? https://www.tindie.com/products/edgetech/highly-integrated-evse-ev-charger-controller/

    obviously you don't get the nice housing & leads with it but its potentially a whole lot cheaper (I am no expert though as I have neither EV nor charger)



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭steamdave


    Back in the summer when it was hot, someone posted a pic of their cooling system for their inverter. That got my interest and so over the previous couple of months I've gathered together the few bits to make up my version. I acquired 2 brand new Papst fans (about the same size as a computer cooling fan, but mains powered) that were being thrown out ! I had to BUY a thermostat which nearly broke the bank at 6EU. the bits of cable and the plywood frame came from the 'always handy' corner.

    So here is the system ready to keep the inverter cool when the warm weather arrives. I've set the thermostat to come on at 35 deg. There is a 40mm gap behind the fans for natural convection from the inverter and the fans blow directly onto the air duct.

    I did wonder about getting the fans to suck up air rather than blow. I'll see how it performs and change over if I think it necessary.

    Roll on the warm weather an some decent generation. I don't like the cold and wet dark days.

    Dave



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 65,842 ✭✭✭✭unkel
    Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!


    I think you need the fans to blow upwards. This basically sucks the rising hot air out of the inverter quicker than it does by natural convection.



  • Registered Users Posts: 63 ✭✭steamdave


    That was my initial thought, but I wondered whether that would draw much hot air out of the inverter. There are no air ducts apart from the one on top. It will only take a few minutes to change the fans from blow to suck.

    Dave



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