Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2024 - No PM requests - See Mod note post #1

Janome

First quote but other half was sold on this company really knowing their stuff from speaking to them. Thoughts?

Price after Grant just over 13k

• 12 Panel System with String Inverter

• Duracell Battery – 5kWh including Hybrid Inverter Upgrade

• BER

• Cable Run 0–25m

• Eddie Hot Water Divert

• Tile Roof Mounting

• Atlas Duo N-Type Panel

We use on average 145 units a week. Ev, washing machine and dishwasher at night rate.

StonedRaider

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123896307#Comment_123896307

Too expensive. I reckon you're being overcharged by about €5k-€6k. Keep shopping

Dr Robert

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123896307#Comment_123896307

Rip off. Stay away from whatever company it is. I can only guess

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123895021#Comment_123895021

My 6.3kw system was installed in late June and has generated 2.5Mwh to date

6 panels facing south east, 8 panels facing SW.

bamayang

ok, maybe not that much of a difference. I had about 5k total last year, so def a drop off.

Rang the installer and he’s going to inspect it this week.

keno-daytrader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123895021#Comment_123895021

My system is very close to yours, Im at 6000mW for the year, so something is way off. I would guess one of your strings isnt working.

pawrick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123895021#Comment_123895021

Another one for comparison and similar size to your system, 7.92 kWp installed, 10 panels south west facing & 8 in the opposite direction, location Roscommon so not among the highest areas for generation most likely. It generated 6.5 just shy of being a year installed.

KingCong

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123889358#Comment_123889358

Went with the Sigen in the end, very happy with it so far. Ecoflow is probably just as good though and possibly easier/cheaper to set up with a manual changeover switch.

bamayang

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123901829#Comment_123901829

Ive dug a bit more into this and I'm more confused. It seems like there is some error in the calculation of my Solis output. When I look at the performance for the year, it is showing total generation as 2.9mwh.

But when I export the generation for 2025 and add the monthly totals for each months generation, I am getting 5.1mwh generated - which would be in line with 2024. Seems like the total is not adding up correctly, which is very unusual.

Has anyone ever had an issue like that?

Or is there a more reliable way to view generation than Solis Cloud?

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123904216#Comment_123904216

I'm not being smart but what does the meter show? The meter would be the most accurate indication.

You could download your CSV file from esbn and then upload it to energypal, on the energypal site you can select the dates in question and see how much you've exported.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123904762#Comment_123904762

that only shows export and not generated.

Grey123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123902383#Comment_123902383

Can I ask you what tipped you to Sigen? Maybe I am putting too much value in the changeover. Did you go with some sort of changeover with Sigen?

KingCong

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123905968#Comment_123905968

There wasn't much in it, price-wise was pretty much the same etc (10kwh battery on Ecoflow vs 9kwh on Sigen, but Sigen slightly cheaper). I did as much research on the two as I could, but struggled to find much info/reviews on the Ecoflow, whereas there's tons of info, reviews, videos and real world users posting about the Sigen system, so that mainly gave me a bit more confidence in the Sigen. What info I did find of Ecoflow's other products, mainly from US users on reddit, was on the more negative end of the spectrum so that gave me a bit of pause too. Other minor things was the Sigen had a slightly better IP rating and my inverter/battery is outside (decent post here on some more differences - https://www.facebook.com/groups/882781567218497/posts/1226572972839353/ ). In the end my preferred installer, who had been only doing Ecoflows up to then, decided to start installing Sig's too so I went with them. I didn't have the wall space inside my utility to put the Sig Gateway so getting a manual changeover, which would be the same as with the Ecoflow (they've to come back yet to finish that)

oleras

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123907755#Comment_123907755

Who told you you can get a manual changeover with Sigen ?afaik the gateway is the only possible way, to stay in warranty anyway.

discostu1

Not sure if this is the right thread, by all means over it if its not. I got a text from a pal living in Douglas in Cork. A mice enough part of the city with lots of housing estates. A local Councillor is organizing a scheme called Meitheal Douglas. Basically he goes around to a large housing estate and asks are you interested in Solar. You say yes in a general way. He organizes a Solar Company (I dont have a name) who come around to those who ticked the box and give them a personalized quote. Assuming you are happy with the quote they then do all the install paper work etc. Apparently several estates in Douglas anfmd Grange have already been done.The claim is by buying in bulk reductions of 10 to 15% are achievable. I have no connection with this. I was just wondering us similar happening around the country and what do people think of the idea

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123908875#Comment_123908875

does the local councillor work for that company?

by all means get a quote but get other quotes aswell.

I think a better way of doing it would be to send a RFP of to several companies.
Give us a price for 10,20 and 50 5kw systems.

discostu1

From what I understand he has no connection. There is a committee which I think he sort of chairs but there is a local barrister and I think a retired electrical engineer also involved (I live on the other side of the city so onky getting this from a buddy in Douglas) Im told this group contacted a number of PV installers and 1 seems to have gotten the go ahead. Obviously no one has to get them to do the work. Apparently they have completed work in nearby Grange on several estates. Is this a Cork thing or is it being done else where?

bamayang

Sounds like a good idea. But if you were the one in the centre organising it all, you’d want to be prepared for some amount of drama.

discostu1

I'd say you are right, but having a barrister might smooth some of the crap. A rep of the company will call to each house who have ticked the box and discuss an "individually based" installation. Some households have 5 living in them ,the buddy has a partner. Must try and find out who is doing the work

deezell

Given the disparity in quotes for similar sized systems, often swinging wildly by 60%, it would be relatively easy to present a quote thats 10 to 15% less than some other source. Sounds like a horse designed by a committee to me, which is of course a camel.

Competitive quotes are only possible in a competitive market, and there is a bit more of that around as demand settles. We've still a long way to go before we can buy like from Aldi Australia, a 6.6Kw system with 10kwh battery installed for €3900, €2100 after grant. https://aldisolar.com.au/

Another big retailer there was selling and installing a no battery system for little more than the grant here, I posted this some time back, can't remember who it was.

argentum

Is it possible to have a large battery installed with no panels. Charge the battery at night using a cheap rate and then use this as your main supply during the day time

Soarer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123910031#Comment_123910031

Yup, should be no issue, although installers might think you're mental!

The battery is the workhorse of my installation. The panels are there to supplement.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123910031#Comment_123910031

Absolutely. not sure if it will qualify for grant and zero VAT, someone may know the answer to this, but installation should be modest, bolt to fireproof wall, just an RCBO on the consumer unit and an AC isolator and Spur outlet next to the inverter

deezell

In case you missed it, there was a good feature on Morning Ireland/ 6.01 news about backup power switchover of your solar setup, with or without a battery. Confusion is the title of the story, with installers and regulators tying themselves in knots trying to decide what's allowed. The chap in the report who has succeeded is clear that it's straightforward. Many say it's not permitted, seai and safe electric say its permissable once done by a regi. How its done is still a black art though. After all, the insistence on an automated panel DC switch-off in the event of the grid going down makes it difficult to determine how you can have panel backup if the panels are disconnected, and not available to charge your battery which may be supplying your inverter in backup mode. The story is here anyway.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2025/1013/1538155-solar-panel-east-galway/#:~:text=By%20Colman%20O'Sullivan,We%20can't%20do%20that.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123910461#Comment_123910461

It was the seai own doing, they/their inspectors caused the confusion.

They allowed it at first, then they stopped approving grants that allowed the fireman switch to be turned on when off grid (basically battery only) - generally the fireman switch was tied into a fused spur from the AC isolator of the inverter.

Part of the changeover switch/process usually involves turning off the power to the inverter (so not to feed the inverter its own power as grid)

Then grants started being rejected for any changeover. All this caused installers to come back and rectify stuff at their own cost so they just stopped doing it.

Seai caused this mess.

For full changeover, with panels working, the fireman switch needs to be able to be powered from the backup supply, either via a dedicated supply from the consumer unit or possibly a switched fused spur from before the AC isolator switch.

Changeover process would be, isolate the AC from inverter, and operate the changeover switch. - power restored.

I know with solis you may need to turn all rcbos/mcbs off and bring them back slowly as the initial inrush of everything starting can push the power past the inverters limits and it shuts off for safety.

There is the risk of a "black start" situation where you have not enough battery power to turn on the fireman switch, to turn on the panels to charge. But with careful management it can be avoided.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123910610#Comment_123910610

Fireman switch should be a mechanical external DC breaker, operated by a fireman during a callout. Disabling the inverter from generating grid AC during a power outage already happens, to remove the possibility of inverter AC goung onto the faulty grid. It doesn't need to cut the DC. Regulating to insist that any break in the AC should disconnect the panels is a nonsense. An AC break whether by local breaker or by power cut is not a fire situation. They've tied themselves in knots. Inverters can detect grid loss. Grid loss can automatically switch inverter grid tie to an off grid circuit. It's a question of getting an inverter to run in off grid mode from battery and or panels, when it detects off grid, which I assume can be established by perhaps internal signalling or a simple n/o relay contact denergised from the downed mains. This can be used to switch inverter mode. It shouldn't take nearly 2 grands worth of a relay box like the Sigen one, even if it is instantaneous.

The same shenanigans happens when trying to determine correct wiring, sequence and automation of a simple Grid/Backup Generator switch. This time the confusion is over number of poles, tying neutrals to Earth permanently, where they're tied and the contradiction that occurs when all tied neutrals (grid and genny) are effectively already connected, so using a two pole changeover which changes between two neutrals already tied back at Earth seems to contradict disapproval for single pole live only switching, which it effecttively creates. The oldish thread here on this subject had guys almost at blows, with quotes of reg code numbers and nitty gritty about Earth leakage path current. measurements being the weapons of choice. No resolution was agreed at the end of the thread, and these were qualified electrical engineers by the sound of it.

Have a look if you're techhy at the grid and backup capability of these Sungrow inverters. It's partial backup to 2KW, but they have the ability to take output from an other inverter. Page 47ish

sungrow_SH3-6RS_manual.pdf

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123910968#Comment_123910968

The regs say it has to be an automated switch (shunt) within 1.5 of entry or if not entry 1.5m of roof, on loss of AC power. - This is what's the regs say, we just have to deal with it.

Been over this many times. The main reason is in case of a fire there isn't melted cables that are live that may restart a fire. Not grid isolation or any other reason.

Sigen have decided (like Huawei) that they are using their own smart changeover box etc.

Solis, sunsynk, deye, sofar all just have an Load or eps output that you can use incase if grid loss. (And can give their full output to it). This is much cheaper, and what I have.

Yes it will be a manual switch over but for the 2-3 times a year it may be used, that is fine. And that is much cheaper.

Yes care has to be taken about neutrals and the E-N bond and that takes skill and knowledge to do correctly. And that is inverter dependant. Some switch on the neutral, and use a relay for the E-N bond etc, But we will not open that can of worms!

neonman

I had a solar installer visit my site today to assess my potential needs.

22 panels, battery and ev charger : €13,500k without barrery €10,000

Not sure I need 22 panels, but I want to do the job once, so I can maximise the 0% VAT currently on offer.

Thoughts? is 22 panels overkill?

jsd1004

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123911353#Comment_123911353

I got 24 Panels no battey no charger no grant 9000

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123911086#Comment_123911086

Interesting about full output inverter EPS terminals. These are 220v live when the inverters grid tied output is down due to outage? Are your panels still connected during an outage, or do you have a manual switch to re-energize the panel Isolator from the EPS so you can use panels plus battery for daytime backup. In a non battery system, EPS is impossible if the isolator disconnects panels during an outage, as the inverter now has no DC power source, and you've no alternative AC to re-energise the isolator. Perhaps if you install a manual push to make switch across the isolator DC contacts, giving the inverter time to start its EPS output and then use this to close the isolator contacts for as long as the sun shines. Not brilliant I'll admit without a battery, but there are many batteryless systems out there with sufficient power to keep background house power running in the event of a daylight outage, especially the fridge, but are kiboshed by the panel disconnect.