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Solar PV Hints, Tips & Troubleshooting

DrPhilG

Well I've reached the point of driving everyone nuts on the PV quotes thread, and since I now have my system installed and running my endless questions no longer belong there.

So I figured I'd ask here, and also provide a home for others in the same boat, with general questions and advice on managing post-install.

My first question (of many) is how do people best manage their production in order to reduce grid export? Despite being overcast and miserable a fair bit of the day, I've produced 24kWh so far today, but ended up exporting 11.

Not too bad when we're home, as the wife did a few loads of washing and drying, put on the dishwasher etc.

But we're both at work tomorrow so other than a timed or remotely activated washer/dryer run we would end up exporting a lot more.

Extra battery capacity or a water diverter would help, but they don't tend to justify their costs in the long term.

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MAULBROOK

drdidlittle wrote: »

Anyone have issues with their Solar IBoost blowing the immersion? Getting water hot signal on panel but water not 'hot'. 0 energy used yesterday. Immersion only went in last autumn. Looks like the thermostat is gone in it.

Yep i have blown 2. just got 2 new ones from Screwfix. one for spair
They are far cheaper than anyone.

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/tesla-incoly-immersion-heater-element-1-head-14/7041r

drdidlittle

Anyone have issues with their Solar IBoost blowing the immersion? Getting water hot signal on panel but water not 'hot'. 0 energy used yesterday. Immersion only went in last autumn. Looks like the thermostat is gone in it.

championc

When you have continuous super weather like that, I find too that the output is lower. So I experience exactly what you describe

slave1

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi all

Got a 3.2kw system installed.

Previous weeks the highest generation i got was 15kwhr and this was a cloudy sunny day. It was hitting 3.1kW in generating.
Today not a cloud in the sky and the max the panels are getting is 2.3 and so far generated 11kwhr. Could a cable have come loose on the roof and not getting 2 panels?

When it’s hot the voltage will drop, less voltage means less kW, on cloudy days the panels don’t get as hot so you will get higher “highs”

[Deleted User]

6 wrote: »

You should be getting more I'd assume.

What orientation are you?

Orientation is west so its from 1 o clock i normally started hitting 3kw, weather was unreal today and not a cloud in the sky so was expecting a lot more

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hi all

Got a 3.2kw system installed.

Previous weeks the highest generation i got was 15kwhr and this was a cloudy sunny day. It was hitting 3.1kW in generating.
Today not a cloud in the sky and the max the panels are getting is 2.3 and so far generated 11kwhr. Could a cable have come loose on the roof and not getting 2 panels?

You should be getting more I'd assume.

What orientation are you?

[Deleted User]

Hi all

Got a 3.2kw system installed.

Previous weeks the highest generation i got was 15kwhr and this was a cloudy sunny day. It was hitting 3.1kW in generating.
Today not a cloud in the sky and the max the panels are getting is 2.3 and so far generated 11kwhr. Could a cable have come loose on the roof and not getting 2 panels?

slave1

Have you made a Master and Slave, sounds like you've half the Harvi going to both EDDI and Zappi

DrPhilG

Any myenergi experts here?

My hub has been acting the whack for months, I finally got around to chasing myenergi for a replacement.

Made the foolish decision to install the new one today and the whole system has just shat the bed.

Eddi screen seems to be showing import/export but not solar generation.

Zappi showing solar generation but not import/export.

New hub has a green light for Zappi, red light for Eddi and no light for Harvi.

graememk

Nedved85 wrote: »

It's a corrugated roof so I may need to ring them to see whats best in that instance. It may not work with what I have.

No plans to add more panels at present.. but I fully appreciate getting a larger inverter just in case. If I was to add some it would be on the house itself which is a bit away from the shed though.

Theres a different (cheaper) mounting method for steel roofs. Its a little bracket that takes 2 tec screws(they will supply stainless Steel ones) and screwed direct into the steel.

Is your roof trapezoidal or round corrugated? - just need an adapter plate for the round one. its the way all mine are mounted.

My panels are about 50 m away from the inverter (thats in armored cable thou) and my inverter is a bit under 100m from my consumer unit.

gman2k

Nedved85 wrote: »

Hi all,

I have a small steel shed that could fit 5 x 360 Watt solar panels (south facing - nothing blocking them) and have them installed for a reasonably small figure by an electrician.

Sub board is already in the shed (which is connected back to the main board in the house).

Looking at this kit here:

https://solartricity.ie/kit-1-1x5/

Would I be a bit mad to bother getting this installed or is it worth doing?

Anything to watch out for?

Thanks.

I started my solar journey with a similar layout. I switched to a 3.6kw dual string Solis inverter after six months as I added more panels.

championc

Nedved85 wrote: »

If I was to add some it would be on the house itself which is a bit away from the shed though.

Absolutely nothing wrong with even a 50m cable run from a house roof to a shed at the bottom of the garden. I speak from personal experience

Nedved85

Deagol wrote: »

My opinion: Won't do you any harm to fit it! But it's not going to do much in winter months especially. I would suggest unless you are 100% certain you won't add more panels, to get a bigger inverter as the price is very similar for bigger ones.
I assume the shed has a slate roof? The kit you've specced is for slate, I'm not sure it would work on corrugated but someone else here will have to talk to that.

It's a corrugated roof so I may need to ring them to see whats best in that instance. It may not work with what I have.

No plans to add more panels at present.. but I fully appreciate getting a larger inverter just in case. If I was to add some it would be on the house itself which is a bit away from the shed though.

Deagol

Nedved85 wrote: »

Hi all,

I have a small steel shed that could fit 5 x 360 Watt solar panels (south facing - nothing blocking them) and have them installed for a reasonably small figure by an electrician.

Sub board is already in the shed (which is connected back to the main board in the house).

Looking at this kit here:

https://solartricity.ie/kit-1-1x5/

Would I be a bit mad to bother getting this installed or is it worth doing?

Anything to watch out for?

Thanks.

My opinion: Won't do you any harm to fit it! But it's not going to do much in winter months especially. I would suggest unless you are 100% certain you won't add more panels, to get a bigger inverter as the price is very similar for bigger ones.
I assume the shed has a slate roof? The kit you've specced is for slate, I'm not sure it would work on corrugated but someone else here will have to talk to that.

Nedved85

Hi all,

I have a small steel shed that could fit 5 x 360 Watt solar panels (south facing - nothing blocking them) and have them installed for a reasonably small figure by an electrician.

Sub board is already in the shed (which is connected back to the main board in the house).

Looking at this kit here:

https://solartricity.ie/kit-1-1x5/

Would I be a bit mad to bother getting this installed or is it worth doing?

Anything to watch out for?

Thanks.

Deagol

MAULBROOK wrote: »

What ever was cheapest.

Thanks, off to the inter web I go and order a new one.

I only knew because I was getting a new tank a few months ago and did my research

I had it wrong way round above. Incoloy is cheaper but 'will do' for hard water, titanium is the expensive one (obvious now I think about it) but it's the gold standard.

MAULBROOK

Deagol wrote: »

You should be using titanium elements if you're in a hard water area. Do you know if that's what you've already have?

What ever was cheapest.

Thanks, off to the inter web I go and order a new one.

Deagol

MAULBROOK wrote: »

Has anyone been burning out the emersion element. Gone through 2 in the last 18 months. Another one today, ok I'm in a very hard water area but using a water softener system. Haven't burnet out a kettle in over 5 years.
I boost fitted.
Can anyone recommend a good quality element, I'm willing to give an expensive one a go.

You should be using titanium elements if you're in a hard water area. Do you know if that's what you've already have? You can also get Incoloy ones but I'd guess they are pricey.

MAULBROOK

Has anyone been burning out the emersion element. Gone through 2 in the last 18 months. Another one today, ok I'm in a very hard water area but using a water softener system. Haven't burnet out a kettle in over 5 years.
I boost fitted.
Can anyone recommend a good quality element, I'm willing to give an expensive one a go.

championc

buzz11 wrote: »

OK thanks for that, at least theres a possibility if the cables can't be run but I'd nearly run them on the external wall if I have to

Hopefully the new scheme in July will be a good incentive to get pulling and dragging cables

You are far better to concentrate on having as high a self use rate as possible. With a cracking day and maybe a 4kW system, you'd be lucky to make a quid

buzz11

air wrote: »

A possible alternative would be to put 5 panels on the West face instead of 6 and put 10 instead of 11 on the South. Split the South array into two strings of 5 each and then put all 3 strings in parallel.

Possible issues:
You will have significant clipping of your production, most likely limited by the maximum input current limit on your inverter.
You'll need to assess your cable size to determine if it's safe for 3x the maximum short circuit current of your panels.
Voltage losses could could be high depending on the length of the cable run.

Would it be possible to use the existing cables to pull through a new pair at all? Any conduit used?

OK thanks for that, at least theres a possibility if the cables can't be run but I'd nearly run them on the external wall if I have to

Hopefully the new scheme in July will be a good incentive to get pulling and dragging cables

air

buzz11 wrote: »

OK thats where I'm a bit screwed, its an airtight house with membranes between attic and 1st floor plus the attic is insulated with a type of cellulose fibre stuff so moving around the attic is a real pain...it'll be a job in itself to get an extra 2 cables down.

A possible alternative would be to put 5 panels on the West face instead of 6 and put 10 instead of 11 on the South. Split the South array into two strings of 5 each and then put all 3 strings in parallel.

Possible issues:
You will have significant clipping of your production, most likely limited by the maximum input current limit on your inverter.
You'll need to assess your cable size to determine if it's safe for 3x the maximum short circuit current of your panels.
Voltage losses could could be high depending on the length of the cable run.

Would it be possible to use the existing cables to pull through a new pair at all? Any conduit used?

[Deleted User]

My Smappee is giving crazy consumption readings today. 11 kWh since 2pm. My usual is 10 kWh over 24 hours. Only used base load during that time.

Had to check the meter to make sure, and thankfully it's not real consumption!

Anyone ever have any similar issues?

buzz11

graememk wrote: »

You then need an inverter with 2 mppt trackers (strings)(sounds like yours is a single string)

Which would mean 2 more wires coming into the inverter

OK thats where I'm a bit screwed, its an airtight house with membranes between attic and 1st floor plus the attic is insulated with a type of cellulose fibre stuff so moving around the attic is a real pain...it'll be a job in itself to get an extra 2 cables down.

graememk

buzz11 wrote: »

Great thanks folks, yes I'd need a new inverter to handle the expansion of the system

Final question; if I add another string of 6 panels (320w each) with a different aspect, how are these wired to the inverter?

The inverter has two MC4 connections so presumably the wiring for strings on different aspects join at some point?

So to summarise the system would have
1 string of 11 panels south facing and
1 string of 6 panels west facing

TIA

You then need an inverter with 2 mppt trackers (strings)(sounds like yours is a single string)

Which would mean 2 more wires coming into the inverter

buzz11

Great thanks folks, yes I'd need a new inverter to handle the expansion of the system

Final question; if I add another string of 6 panels (320w each) with a different aspect, how are these wired to the inverter?

The inverter has two MC4 connections so presumably the wiring for strings on different aspects join at some point?

So to summarise the system would have
1 string of 11 panels south facing and
1 string of 6 panels west facing

TIA

air

graememk wrote: »

Another thing to consider is the new panels going to be facing the same as the currently 5?

He said they are the same aspect / angle.

air

If you're just adding panels to the same string there will be no increase in current so the existing cable will work fine.
Just be sure to check that your inverter can handle the maximum open circuit voltage that can be produced by your proposed new 13 panel string.

graememk

Another thing to consider is the new panels going to be facing the same as the currently 5?

Deagol

buzz11 wrote: »

Can someone help me out with this question;

I have 5 panels on my roof and I'm thinking of adding upto 8 more, with the same aspect/angle etc

The inverter is located in the utility room on the ground floor - is there a maximum number of panels that can utilise the existing 4mm cable running to the utility room?

Reason that I ask, is that it will be very difficult to run a new cable from roof to ground floor so I want to utilise the existing cable.

I'm not an electrician (and not sure if we have one on the forum?) but 4mm2 is enough for 35A DC from references I have. 13 panels would be something about 11amps so I can't see any reason you couldn't utilize it.

BUT, I would strongly advise to get proper advise from a sparks. I'd say if you ring the original installer he might be happy enough to give you a wee bit of free advise.