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Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2020

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Comments

  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Still seems very high.

    What's your electricity usage in units / year as a matter of interest?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    As stated earlier I can't get the figures to stack up other than going with a company doing the whole lot.

    Best quote I have got for a 6.8kw system (20 panels) with 5kw battery is €7600 after grant fitted. If I go on to solartricity or midsummer and put that sort of system together the figures work out at approx. €6800 + vat then the cost of fitting them and an electrician to connect and check everything. I could probably haggle a few euro off that price but realistically not enough to warrant doing it myself. Even if fitting myself with zero cost there is the time involved in doing the job (and I love doing jobs like this) and the electrician which would probably be €150-200 assuming it is a straight forward job for him.

    You would at least want to knock 1k off getting everything yourself to start seeing any savings.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    Talking to one of the installers for quote received they wouldn't fit more than 20 panels in case there was an inspection afterwards.

    I do intend to have the rails extended to allow for fitting extra panels down the line when grant and all has been approved, which they don't have a problem with. It is there reputation to make sure the job is done correctly which I totally understand.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,750 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    I came to the same conclusion "the alm". Different people will of course have different viewpoints here. While I'm know my way around a multimeter, and I'm sure I could have done it, the bottom line to me was "Do I want to be going up on my roof multiple times drilling holes for the first time into the very structure which protects my house?". Probably not the project to be "learning as you go" :-)

    As for the "they wouldn't fit more than 20 panels", there could be a number of reasons for this. The planning permission exemption for solar installations is not more than 50% of the surface area of your roof and/or not more than 12m2. A stupid rule really that many/most people here will skirt or break, but in terms of the SEAI folks approving the grant the companies don't want to flaunt it too much.

    The other reason is (probably) that most inverters have a max dc input of around 600volts. Different inverters have different limits. Depends on your configuration of course, such as if your panels are south or east/west etc you may be limited by this and to go more than 20 panels you may require a 2nd inverter or a higher power rated one.

    If it's not too nosey, what's your usage? Anything above 5Kwp is "getting serious" :-) While I think getting as many panels as you can is generally good advice to everyone, you don't want to be paying needlessly to supply the grid 80% of the time either.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    I'd say it is the 50% rule as I could fit 40 panels on the south facing side of the roof alone. Looking at the inverter specs I'd say 24x340w panels is pushing the limit so this is what I will aim for and get them to extend the mounting rails a couple of meters either side to accommodate extra panels down the line. I'll also get them to mount the rails so that another row can be added when/if things become more advanced and change in the future.

    The biggest issues I see with the fitting would have been getting a ripper to remove tiles without damaging any, the rest is just connecting cables and sockets!!!

    Have an EV and Eddi just installed so have a use for any excess and I have just fitted a larger cylinder (think fitting panels would be easier) for this purpose.



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  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    An SEAI inspection?

    Do they have a limit of the number of panels?

    Planning aside.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,486 ✭✭✭Psygnosis


    Hi,

    Can I get a PM for installer in the Cork area.



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


    I dont think installers or the SEAI look at the planning side at all. Its an unwritten rule that it can be ignored. Many here have systems 4-6kWp which would break those planning rules and SEAI grants were provided.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    Yeah, I'm not sure where the 20 panel limit comes from regarding the installation as it is '12m2 of 50% of the total roof area, whichever is lesser' so about 7 panels puts you over the limit.



  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    The 20 panel limit doesn't exist afaik.


    The 12m2 of 50% of the total roof area is a planning limit. SEAI inspections won't fail for that limit afaik.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭THE ALM


    That is why the query to the installer as they stated that 20no. was the max allowed.

    Edit: ESB have a limit of 6kw into the grid so maybe basing it on this figure



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,750 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    Yeah, my own installation only last week would flaunt that 12m2 limit. 14 panels at a rough approximation of 1m2 each (they are bigger than 1m2 each) puts it over that 12m2. I'd probably be ok on the 50% side though as I've a one story extension out the back so if counting that roof space I'd be fine.

    When i mentioned inverter rating, it wasn't so much the wattage, but the voltage. The panels are usually connected in series, and they have I believe an internal voltage about 38-40V, so stringing 20 of them together could give you 750-800V. Now that's a theoretical max, in reality if you have a east/west split for example you wouldn't see that. Even if all south facing, they'd probably split them into 2x strings of 10 each. But while your inverter might be able to take the watts, it might be limited on the voltage if they went more than 20 panels and it would either require 2 inverters or a higher rated one (more cost). What I don't know is if inverters have 2 strings and is the limit of say 600V per string, or the combined. Dunno.

    Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can educate me/us.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 7,421 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    600v per string, but you have to take cold weather into consideration, - colder it is, the higher the voltage. So a bright freezing day could put the voltage too high, even if your not generating much current.

    With the longi 365w panels, 12 panels per string is the limit on a solis inverter.



  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]



    Is the voltage by string displayed on the Solis app?



  • Posts: 7,681 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    What happens if you're over 6kw as many of you are?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭MAULBROOK


    Its the inverter that limits it to 6kw not the amount of panels.

    Single phase 6kw (mainly domestic dwellings)

    3 phase 11kw (mainly commercial)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭MAULBROOK




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭MAULBROOK




  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]




  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,700 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Re SEAI and number of panels, my bro had a v similar setup to mine (way over 12m2) and got a SEAI inspection, no issue whatsoever with the amount of panels

    My stuff on Adverts, mostly Tesla Pre Highland Model 3

    Public Profile active ads for slave1



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  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,700 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    Zappi2 has frequent firmware updates so should not be out of date ever.

    This requires an additional piece of kit called a Hub.

    As Alkers said, it's main advantage over others is seamless PV integration and it's sister product (EDDI hot water element diverter) along with nifty App

    My stuff on Adverts, mostly Tesla Pre Highland Model 3

    Public Profile active ads for slave1



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,325 ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    Be aware also that to get the EV charger grant, you need to have an EV! As when you apply for the grant payment, you need to send in the logbook of the car (if you buy 2nd hand), or the car SEAI grant application number (if buying the car new), as well as a photo of the car on your driveway with the charger in view!!!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,750 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    I was just quoting what the "official story is", but yeah, completely ridiculous rule. Always has been. If you think that panels are (roughly) a 1m2 and have an average production capacity of 350w, then you are talking about limiting people to 4kwp?! And that's with today's efficient cell. 5-6 years ago when they had less efficient cells, it was worse. In this day and age of wanting to entice people to "go green" and maximise alternative energies, thankfully it's a rule which is pretty much ignored by everyone.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 319 ✭✭RTT


    Hi guys,

    Got the following quote following recommendations from some of you good folk on here and about to pull the trigger. Just wanted to run it by some of you first. I have an EV but no hot water cylinder as we have an oil combi boiler. The optimisers have pushed the price up obviously but due to trees they are necessary.

    Quotation for 6.1kwp system on the house Description of Goods and Services Quantity Remarks Modules- 340w JA Mono panels with 25- year efficiency warranty and 10-year manufacturer’s warranty 

    18x 340w JA panels Monocrystalline = 6.120kwp system 18x optimisers for the shading of the panels. 

    Inverter –RHI-5K-48ES Solis hybrid MPPT comes with 5-year warranty 1x Solis hybrid inverter Comes with dongle for online monitoring Mounting Kit- 

    Renosol roof mount All Required Check Meter- Emlite M19 1 x Check meter Records all power generated by the solar panels 

    Scaffolding As required All required Electrical Work 1x DC isolators 1x AC isolator 1x Shut of switch 

    Batteries- pure drive 1x 5kwh Pure drive battery Solar Switch- for heating hot water through the solar panels with surplus power N/A 

    EV Charger- Zappi 1x Zappi 7.2kw charger Hub and CTs to link up to solar. 

    All required Paperwork Included 

    Customer to get BER done Installation 

    Time Approx. 2 days Depending on weather 

    Grand Total (including VAT) €13,500.00 - €3,000.00 (grant) = €10,500


    Thanks in advance



  • Posts: 45,738 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Seems extortionate. How much are the optimizers adding to it?

    Have no idea how much a Zappi costs though. There's a separate grant for EV charger I think?



  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 18,700 Mod ✭✭✭✭slave1


    You are missing the €600 EV grant from that quote, you can apply for that yourself

    My stuff on Adverts, mostly Tesla Pre Highland Model 3

    Public Profile active ads for slave1



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 635 ✭✭✭idc


    I think optimiser are approx 45-50 euro for single panel (higher for dual panel) so thats already 810 euro at midsummer prices ! ( Dual panel version would be 531 but if you have irregular shading then with dual optimiser makes each pair operator like a single panel so if one is affected by shade then output of both panels is reduced by same amount as the affected shaded panel)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 319 ✭✭RTT




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,146 ✭✭✭randomname2005


    Hi all,

    I have this quote, pre grant, and would like some thoughts from people more experienced than myself..


    10 PANELS 340 WATT JA SOLAR 25 YEARS GUARANTEE

    SOLIS HYBRID INVERTER 3.6 KW 

    4.8 KW BATTERY

    EDDI WATER DIVERTER 

    WI FI DONGLE 

    9000 EUROS INC.VAT.


    Is it going to be a waste having the battery and water diverter?


    Thanks in advance

    Rn



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭MAULBROOK


    First thins first, the price is too high. by 2k ish

    Can you fit more panels, if you can get a bigger inverter.

    The battery is a good size IMO anything less is pointless. Plus you get a grant for it.

    The water diverter works for me and i think you should keep it.



This discussion has been closed.
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