Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2020

This is a very good video which explains how a string works vs a string with optimisers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkszib57M0g

I don't think the Premium for Solax or Huawei or Sonne inverters is worth it. The Chionese made inverters are pretty good and much cheaper. The things I would look for when choosing an inverter are:

Max DC Output

Max AC input per string

Input voltage and current ranges

Monitoring support - Does the inverter company have a web/app based monitoring solution? Could I send the data to my own server if I wanted?

Efficiency curve

I could very well be paying over the odds still, but its by a country mile the best quote received so far, and the outfit in question have received some fairly good endorsements on Boards of late, and as sales reps go, the guy was a lot nicer than the guy that was out with me the previous week.

The fact they are giving me the SEAI grant discount at the front end tells me that the work will be done to the required standard, as otherwise they won't get fully paid.

I'd say I'm going to go with them.

Have been getting quotes and looking at the DIY route myself and, realistically, the difference in price for me buying all the components and the best quote we got was approx. an extra €600 fitted. I had inquired about panels at a very good price which would have made a difference but these were sold out and would have pushed the difference to about €1200.

Now the company are going to get the €3000 grant and will obviously be buying at better prices than I will manage but the €600 difference will be worth it to get the system installed by expects doing it daily and will be done in a fraction of the time it would take me to do it and I will also have the extra cost of an electrician connecting everything up.

The €3000 grant I wouldn't see anyway if going DIY so it rules this money out but the installers are certainly getting well paid for a day or two's work with the grant and there buying prices.

The DIY route really doesn't make sense for us when I take the hassle and getting time to do into the equation unless I managed to get much better prices for buying the materials and the prices for everything at the minute only seems to be going up with lead times hard to call for a lot if things.

EDIT: Actually looking at prices again and it would cost me more to buy the components than to get it installed

If I was starting again,I would probably get SaaS, buy it out, and then do a DIY an upgrade / expansion.

However, I am comfortable jumping up on my own roof

Actually there's a thought - and I've not looked (or needed), but what's the landscape out there like for people adding on to existing installations?

I'd imagine that you can be a little more "lax" when your paying for it yourself and not subjected to the rigors of needing to have things as exact to get the grant application passed. Not that I'm suggesting a free for all, but I'm sure we all have spaces where we could have "squeezed" in another panel :) LOL

has anyone gone through that process (other than self-install)

That's absolutely the point. The it's will be dotted and the t's crossed with a SaaS install.

The most important thing with any install is that the starting point is in a corner, rather than symmetrically in the middle, if you have any notions of adding extra panels later.

Personally, I cannot see the same panels being on my roof in 5 years time. So people talking about 25 years guarantees on panels .......

And also, people seem to have forgotten the fact that the life expectancy of inverters is really only about 10 years.

Could someone DM me some recommended installers? I'm in Kildare if it makes any difference. I spoke to one today who told me electric bill would reduce 80-90% without even knowing the orientation or size of my roof! It was pure sales speel so alarm bells rang for me and I also realised I don't know enough about solar to make an educated decision!

You need an optimizer or two, keep an eye on shading on your panels and get them fitted to the ones effected.

What does a Zappi EV charger usually add, I don’t have an EV, but wonder if I should get one installed while I am at it and grants are there?

another way to word it, how quickly is the EV charger technology evolving, and would a Zappi be out of date in a year?

Go with the other one for 10500 less grant of 3000

11500 is about a 1000 too high tbh.