Scottie99 wrote: » I’ve noted through this thread that people are getting different sizes of systems, I’m not sure what size would suit my needs. I know an installer would survey then recommend, but I’d like to get info from other experienced folks on here. We’ve a four bed detached house (Meath), roughly 1500sq. (4 persons) Our annual electricity bill is roughly €1560 (€260 bimonthly) We’ve a night meter, roughly 35/40% usage. I’ve an EV doing 26/28K a year. What size of system/battery others do you recommend? What monthly/annual savings do you think the system could save me. Obviously a rough cost after Government Grants. Many thanks.
H.E. Pennypacker wrote: » They'll probably tell you the same thing that they told me - they can't discuss any details about contractors for data protection reasons and that the grant is only payable when the work is done by contractors that are on their approved list. I don't think that the last point is a big deal as once the contractor is tax compliant and uses properly qualified labour then there shouldn't be an issue getting on to the list. Your array looks fantastic BTW
wexfordman2 wrote: » Just got word from the installers the seai checklist is out, so they should be scheduling my install soon, will be calling me tomorrow :-)
Shefwedfan wrote: » Why the majority of the electricity on day rate? b
unkel wrote: » Rip-off.
niallers1 wrote: » Hi Scottie99, Your bi-monthly bill is at least twice what mine is for similiar family size. A bit off topic but have you looked at reducing your usage i.e not leaving appliances on standby oven, tv, microwave, radio, satelite box e.t.c. , turning off lights when not using a room, You should also change out LED lightbulbs. They use hardly any electricity and last years longer . I went for a 4kw with 4.8kw battery. I have it in about 7 weeks now and think it's great. I don't expect to get much out of it in Nov/Dec/Jan but for the rest of the year it will cover most of my electricty needs. in 7 weeks I've generated 362kwh ( October was 192kwh)
unkel wrote: » You are aware that the installer has to be on the SEAI approved Solar PV installer list four you to get the subsidies though? That said, there's a lot to say for doing a DIY install (or with your local man) and with an electrician hooking it up for you and forgetting about the subsidies...
unkel wrote: » Keep us updated tatranska!
Brecken Tart Newscast wrote: » I'll be talking to the others about the price difference between me and Wexford man. They'd want some good excuse for the difference in price !
wexfordman2 wrote: » Is it the same supplier as mine?
Brecken Tart Newscast wrote: » My quote 14 x Solar PV Modules/Panels 325w 1 x 3.6kw Hybrid Inverters3 x 2kw Hybrid Batteries 1 x Eddi 1 x Emergency Isolation 1 x BER Assessment 1 x Warranty €11918 Less € 3800 grant. Wexford ..how does it compare with yours? Edit: I see you have an extra 4 panels and a bigger inverter for the same money !! Quoted me an extra 1500(ex vat) for the bigger inverter and 4 extra panels.
gunnerfitzy wrote: » Is there not a difference in battery configurations? I think Wexfordman2 is getting 2 x 2.5kWh batteries. Only 1 kWh in the difference I know but still a different configuration and possibly manufacturer. Also, I think Wexfordman2 played hardball and squeezed a further reduction in the quote first mentioned.
unkel wrote: » It is plain stupid that tatranska got a quote for a battery system with 4.6kwp and just a 3.6kW hybrid inverter. Do these installers take us for fools or are they just completely incompetent? What if your solar array produces maximum power and your battery is full and your house draws say 5kW? With the suggested setup you will use 3.6kW from the panels (that's all the inverter can give you), send 1kW to the grid for free and at the same time import and pay for 1.4kW from the grid :rolleyes: With a 5kW hybrid inverter you send nothing for free to the grid and there is no need to import and pay for anything from the grid either...
KCross wrote: » I dont think its that simple. If you size the inverter too high you lose more when the production is low... is my understanding..
unkel wrote: » With the suggested setup you will use 3.6kW from the panels (that's all the inverter can give you), send 1kW to the grid for free and at the same time import and pay for 1.4kW from the grid :rolleyes:
air wrote: » On the inverter sizing, it always has been and remains, good practice to undersize the inverter. Every inverter has a minimum base load for operation and this is proportional to it's maximum output capacity. The bigger the inverter the lower the part load efficiency will be in general terms.
air wrote: » Granted it's normally undersized by slightly less than in this instance. With a 5kW array the number of hours in the year (in Ireland) that production will be between 3.6kW and 5kW is quite limited.
air wrote: » With an array of 5kW it is even more likely than normal to be split over 2 strings facing different directions which only serves to reduce peak production further. A multi directional array is generally desirable as it helps increase self consumption by extending the production day in a zero FIT environment such as currently exists.
GaryCocs wrote: » Hi All, I've herself sold on this. I just need to sell it to myself a bit more. It would be useful to know the price of the bee cert if people had it as some are quoting with and others without. Is there somewhere you can calculate daily average return per month per panel or something. Adding a battery in and calculating size v cost, working out what that will do for your demand. I.e. you charge it up during the day. Everyone gets home and uses it in the evening. Should you charge up again on night saver over night and use in morning? I'm averaging 8.69 units per day and 2.92 units per night Is the eddi worth it if you have solar thermal already (I doubt it) A few quotes aren't including the essential load wiring. I'm guessing any electrician can do this. Is it a day's work? An idea of costs? Many additional parts required? Thanks, Gary P.S. bargain alerts will have cost me a fraction of what this thread is going to ðŸ˜
antoinolachtnai wrote: » This is slightly off-topic but is it possible to get these hybrid inverters to discharge towards the grid, i.e., discharge even if there is little or no loadinside the home? How is that done? (This would be importanr if you eanted to use these units to balance the grid.)
KCross wrote: » From analysis of my own consumption a battery makes no financial sense and I'm a high user of electicity. The payback is, imo, 15yrs+ Thats just too long to be a sensible buy. The quotes you get will talk about 7yr paybacks but they are generally rubbish claims as they use standard rate electricity for the calculations and they assume 100% utilisation of the energy by diverting to hot water which is skewing their figures to make it look better than it is. The figure you should be using to calculate your payback should be the night rate of 8c/kWh unless the battery is displacing something that cant be moved to night rate (background load, cooking etc). And when calculating the day rate it should use the discounted rate that everyone can avail of which is around 17c/kWh right now, not the 20-22kWh that the SolarPV providers use in their calculations..... add it all up and the payback will be 15yrs+, not 7.... at least thats what fell out the bottom of my spreadsheet anyway.... YMMV. By the time it has just paid for itself it will be very old tech, degraded and you are then crossing all your fingers that it will last another 10yrs to give you a payback. If anything goes wrong like a failed inverter (which does happen) your TCO is completely shot. It just doesnt make sense, imo. The payback needs to be <10yrs, preferably 5 to make it a sensible investment. There is also the distinct possibility that there will be a Feed-in-tariff in the next 10yrs which will cost ALOT less than battery tech and is much more usable and scalable and you're not worrying about battery degradation etc. If you have stumped up for a battery and then a FiT comes in you will have wasted your investment, imo. I know others on here believe in drawing the grant. I think its foolhardy. Decide for yourself but definitely run the numbers for your house and see what you get.
