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Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2022 - No PM requests - See Mod note post #1

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    It’s a bit complicated because the grid CT for the myenergi system should really be installed as close as possible to your meter (between meter and main DB); not specifically on the cable between your main DB and the garage DB. If you do this all your stats in the app will be wrong; and also you’re not protecting your main ESB connection from overload. No possibility to pull in a new higher capacity cable?

    also you need to get the DC cables from your roof to your garage; you really need to protect these cables as they will have 500V on them; you mentioned overground cables; how are you proposing to route these?



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    200x14 for the panels: 2800

    1300 for the inverter.

    battery controller: 1000

    5kWh battery: 2800

    mounting and cables: 1000

    eddi: 500

    9400 for all the gear that’s with 13.5% vat as the installer will be buying it.


    17000 before the grant; so he’s charging 7650 for installing all the gear. It’s a lot.

    why do you think you need optimisation?



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,425 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    I think the zappi can do both.

    Grid CT (possibly already has a harvi to do it), is for the grid CT for the whole system, and then you can also have a supply CT to protect the supply cable.

    I don't have a zappi, but I do have an eddi, set the CT to monitor, then you can have it monitor a group, and set a group limit

    (There is no CT connected to my eddi's second CT port)



  • Registered Users Posts: 39 D.flynn


    Ya, i thought as much.

    Neighbours chimney will cast a shadow. I'm trying to determine how many i will need as i may be better off with Microinverters.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    Some Graphs to help. I've two batteries for a total of 10KWhs capacity that can charge up in Parallel though seem to always max out around 50A Dc, 13 AC or approximately 4.4KWh in terms of energy. It really depends on your Inverter and your batteries as well as their configuration as to what can be supported in terms of max charge but you wont be charging your batteries at 32 amps. It takes about 3 hours to go from 10%-90% battery charge with the remaining 10% taking another hour or so.




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    That was the complication raised by the electrician when installing the zappi so we didnt install the wired CT clamp at the time because it would have required a channel to be cut into walls, footpath and drive to route cable from zappi to meter box. I was hoping that using a harvi - see link - might be an option to overcome this but the electrician didnt know anything about how it worked so I left it until I was actually installing solar - nearly 4 years ago!

    Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor | myenergi UK

    I need to discuss this properly with solar installer. When I tried to bring it up with sales guy who called recently I got a glazed-over look so I left it until I can discuss with an actual technician. It may well be that the easiest solution is to relocate zappi to the external house wall, next to electricity meter box, and then install the wired CT clamp. The inverter and battery could then be located in garage and both car and batteries could be charged simultaneously using night rate. The only downside with locating inverter in garage is that it wouldnt be possible to use an eddie to divert excess solar to heat water but as I have a heat pump thats not a big issue

    As for the issue with getting DC cable from house to garage, I hadn't thought too much about it really but there are only 3 options: 1) run cable overhead between the 2 roofs - wont look great as garage is single story hip roof or 2) route cable down external house wall and cut a channel across drive to garage - again very messy or 3) install inverter and batteries in house attic and run DC cable down external wall and then drill through wall and cut through ceiling and internal wall to get to main DB - this option is not getting the necessary support from other half at this point!

    Whats annoying is that all this could have been avoided had I installed a conduit between house and garage when building (or if the builder / electrician had kindly advised that this would be a good idea). I ran into the same problem when installing broadband fibre as the conduit from gate to house turned out to be 1/2 inch blue hydra which already contained a phone cable used for the gates intercom.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,019 ✭✭✭jkforde


    ..

    🌦️ 6.7kwp, 45°, SSW, mid-Galway 🌦️

    "Since I no longer expect anything from mankind except madness, meanness, and mendacity; egotism, cowardice, and self-delusion, I have stopped being a misanthrope." Irving Layton



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    the harvi will work perfectly for your grid CT. And you can connect a wired “solar” CT to the charger to get stats on that.

    you can then connect another wired CT to the zappi in the garage and configure it as a “Group Limit - External CT” - https://www.myenergi.com/wiki/zappi-v2-wiki/installation-3/#LoadBalancing

    or relocate the zappi; that will be better overall.

    I think your overhead DC option is a non runner; too dangerous; there is no protection on these cables.

    cut a channel and install several conduits; future proof it this time.

    option 3 still requires a DC cable from the garage to the house if your still planning on putting the panels on the garage.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    Thanks for these insights as I'm clueless when it coming to everything electricity!

    Just want to clarify the purpose of the wired "solar" CT. Are you referring again to the Zappi charger? Where is that CT located?

    I get your point re overhead DC cables but I hate cutting channels in footpaths and drives. In relation to option 3, I wouldnt be planning to locate anything in the garage. At some point I may install additional panels on the garage roof but I would need a separate inverter for those. This time around all the panels would be on the house roof, as its south facing, and the inverter / batteries would be located in the house attic. I would then have to route the cable from inverter to consumer board by exiting through attic wall, down external wall and in through wall close to where consumer board is located. As I mentioned this will require cutting into ceiling to route cable into the room with the consumer board which is not being appreciated! An alternative option would be to locate the inverter / batteries in the same small room as the consumer board and heat pump but its located in the middle of the ground floor and Id be concerned about a potential fire hazard. In any case the problem of routing the DC cable from the panels would still exist, so no easy solution.

    At the moment Im looking to go with a 8.4kwp system (20 panels), 6kw inverter and 5kwh battery. Reading previous posts would I be right in thinking that I should be looking for a ballpark €12,500 gross quote for this system?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    It's hard to picture your setup so a couple points which may or may not be clear.

    The EV Charger is small potatoes. From the sounds of things they could have taken the power for the EV from the Cabinet as you've indicated the meters actually on the opposite side of the garage wall? Either way, it works and people are getting quoted mad money (almost the cost of a full install) for minor works on Chargers.

    The Inverter requires a CT clamp to measure the amount of power used so that it can optimize pulling from the battery to match consumption. This CT Clamp must be able to talk to the Inverter and specific inverters will require specific makes and models of CT clamps to be installed. I'm not aware of any Inverter that supports a wireless CT but perhaps other know. You can place the CT clamp at the Meter box or at the Consumer unit but it will only be able to see what's behind it.

    You have to get the panels cables to the Inverter and the inverter to a consumer unit. I'm not sure how it matters in terms of cable runs weather you put the inverter in the attic or the small room in the middle of the house. You may not get a choice in where the cables go, as mentioned the DC cables will be operating up to 500volts and I'm sure there are regs regarding maximum runs, armoring, and burying.

    Batteries should be located as close as possible to the Inverter to minimize lose and the entire inverter and batter setup is going to require roughly 1.8meters by 1.5 meters (or more for two batteries) of clearance. That will dictate more than anything else where it can go.

    You maybe limited to 8KWp depending on your inverter overloading ratio, something you should look into, something to keep in mind if you're going south facing as you'll likely hit that peak. In the future you might want to go beyond 8KWp, be aware that there is a different set of applications you need to fill out to be able to have a total generation greater than 6KW, costs about a grand and you're not guaranteed to be allowed. So you could be getting yourself in knots over something you won't be ever able to do or only able to do a significant expense.



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    Wired Solar CT clamp on the Zappi is mainly just to add that data logging facility to the MyEnergi app; its an optional extra. But as Manion says; you do also need a Grid CT clamp hardwired into the inverter, and this needs to be located between the main distro board and the meter.

    Go with option 3 and have everything installed in your plant room. You just have to accept that there will be some disruption; if you get the right trades person that takes pride in the job; you would be shocked at how little dammage they can get away with; a big chunk of being a good electrician is cable routing; just make sure everything is chased into walls; dont accept conduite and your partner will never know it happened once its all repaired.

    If your looking for a Huawei setup (Inverter and Battery) you likley won't get anywhere near that price. See a post I did yesterday with a breakdown of the prices. The guide price is really assuming that you are getting the cheapest inverter and battery possible.



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    You would be far better off just getting a 10mm2 or even 16mm2 SWA run into your plant room from your main board and having another sub distro board installed there (Also run several CAT6 cables for CT clamps). And then you just hook up all your gear to the plant room board.

    Plant room without its own sub board is just silly. The whole point of the room is that your gonna install lots of equipment.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,425 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    As the solis uses a Rs485 meter for it's grid monitoring, a wirelss LoRa transceivers can be used to not have to hard wire the grid CT back to the inverter.

    So that can be an option for people.

    But I'd always prefer a hardwire vs wireless option.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    Would you have a reference to a suitable product? I assume you would need a received as well at the Inverter side. I see products like https://iot-shop.de/en/shop/nv-r718n17-netvox-r718n17-1-phase-current-sensor-75a-4318 but I'm missing how the signal gets to the inverter.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    Thanks Mannion

    Sorry I've obviously not been very clear in my description of my set up. The zappi is installed on the inside of my garage wall. The electricity meter cabinet is located directly across the drive on the house wall 18 metres away. The main consumer board is in a plant room situated towards the middle of the ground floor. Rather than run a 6mm2 cable from charger across drive to the meter cabinet / main consumer board, I took the supply from the garage sub board which is fed by a 6mm2 swa from the main board.

    I'll talk to the solar guys about installation options but the 1st guy who looked at it said I should locate inverter and batteries in a small attic room with the immersion tank. I wasnt thinking at the time but this location is the furthest possible distance from the main consumer board located in the plant room so it would be extremely disruptive to link the inverter to the consumer board from that location. So if the garage is not convenient I have 2 options, locate inverter and batteries on the opposite side of the house attic and route cable from inverter to consumer board by taking the cable down the external wall and in through wall to reach the plant room, or locate inverter and batteries in plant room and link panels to inverter using the same route as above. As you say I'm sure regulations and / or practical technical considerations will dictate which is the best option.

    On the max generation issue, I thought I understood how this works but evidently I was mistaken. I wasnt aware that an 8 or 8.4kwp solar system might exceed max generation threshold for a domestic set up. Is it possible therefore that I could be limited to a 6kwp system? That would be a pity given that I currently use in excess of 11k kw per year. Ive certainly seen a neighbour's ground based south facing system with 20 panels but maybe they are shaded a little by house. Presumably the solar suppliers could advise on max size of system for a south facing roof.

    Sorry again for any confusion caused and silly questions but its great to have access to advice here prior to signing up with a supplier as I think a lot just want a signature and deposit paid and deal with the complications on installation day when theres no time to consider alternatives.

    One final question, I have a fairly tall house probably more like a 2 1/2 storey and one guy suggested that I would have to pay approx €500 extra installation costs to cover the hiring of a 'cherry picker'. Is that a reasonable request?



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    As per earlier post, apologies for confusion, my main consumer board is located in the plant room but unfortunately no cat 5 cable to be found! If only I could go back and start again!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,877 ✭✭✭micks_address


    i have a harvi with clamp lying spare at home if you are interest in buying.. didnt end up using in the end



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,761 ✭✭✭✭Encrypted Pigeon


    Quote

    12 x 410W panels

    1 x 6kWh hybrid inverter

    1 x 5kWh battery

    usual fittings + installation

    (rounding up to obfuscate)

    15,000 before grant excl BER

    18,000 to take it to 18 panels

    this seems a bit on the high side



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    I understand you set up now. Is their no cavities with your house to allow the routing of cables from the main consumer unit to the attic? In all instances I'd rather be running the AC cables as opposed to DC cables. I was similar to yourself with the main consumer unit in the middle of the house, and I though I was in luck with some vent cavities that ran the length of the house, but no such luck as there was a bend and they couldn't get it done. They ended up taking the AC cable from the Inverter down the exterior wall at the back of the house, in through one room, across the ceiling and into the consumer unit. A lot of this comes down to how handy you are or if you're willing to pay for things to be done neat, burying a cable is certainly doable to avoid it being seen inside but then leaves a painting and decorating bit. On the day of my installation there was a crew of 5 lads and when you have that many on site they won't be up for much chit chat on what way to route things so you'd be best served by having the prep work down in advance.

    If you do bring the inverter to the main consumer unit, it will see the load presented by your EV, as such you will have the benefit of charging your car with excess energy. A big plus.

    Regarding maximum. Your inverter will have a maximum rated PV Power, as you can we the 6KW Solis inverter has a Max of 8KWp. It's absolutely fine for you to over provision your Panels relative to your Inverter and it's the Inverter output that decides if you mean the requirements for connecting to the Grid. I bring this up purely because at 8.4KWp you would be fairly well over the recommended max for a Solis inverter (though obviously other brands exist). I myself have an 8.2KWp 20 panel installation but I'll never hit that peak, you probably will. You have two options 1) get 19 Panels or 2) Go for the black panels which are rated at 410Watts. You'd half the margin by which you're over.


    Regarding export to the Grid you can export up to 6KWs but if you want to export more you, there is another process. A few people here have mega installations and again you have a choice when getting a second inverter of either paying the fees to connect more to the grid or installing another device on your own network which will ensure you don't export more than what you are allowed. As with everything in Ireland the minute you come off the beaten track with things, the more your take your chances.

    Regarding a Cherry Picker, I believe the legislation is that anything over 2 stories cannot be accessed off a ladder. The crew that did mine had a scaffolding tower they erected as 20 panels is a min two day job.

    Regarding sales, you've mentioned a couple times talking to sales people. I generally got a sinking feeling whenever I talk to sales people or silver tongued devils as I like to call them. I'd recommend avoiding any crowd with direct marketing or people calling door to door. You'll get a very one size fits all installation.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭DC999


    Mine used scaffolding too which they had in the van. No extra costs. They didn't bring it specially for me. They only realised when they started that was needed as the gutters are old metal ones so ladders would be likely to break them. Wasn't spotted on the site visit.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    Assuming you have a standard single phase connection you are allowed to have up to 6kwh inverter; you can put 8.4kw of panels behind that inverter no problem as you will never export more than 6.

    If you go with a huawei setup (or solar edge)and you have a battery anything over 6kw of solar will be directly used to charge the battery so you could be using / exporting 6kw and also charging the battery with 2.4kw.

    if you don’t have a battery; anything over 6kw will simply not be used; you will see a flat line on your solar production graph at 6kw. But having 20 panels your winter production will be better.

    you can’t have a separate AC connected battery with its own inverter, as this would put you over your limit of 6kw of inverter capacity; so you need to go with a hybrid inverter and a DC battery connected direct to the hybrid inverter to stay within the regs.

    talking about high roofs; etc… all sales talk trying to justify the high price they are gonna quote ya. They are gonna need scaffolding or a cherry picker to do the job safely no matter how high the roof.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    Just to emphasis again, electrical equipment should be operated within the stated manufactures tolerances to hit the stated lifetime expectations. Some 6KW inverters are only rated for 7KWp DC Power for instance.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,571 ✭✭✭con747


    Don't expect anything from life, just be grateful to be alive.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    @Manion

    Great stuff

    Unfortunately my house is all concrete including internal walls and 1st floor so impossible to retro fit cabling without serious disruption which wont be tolerated! So my only option seems to be identical to your set up. Im not in a position to do any of this prep work so I will have to pay for it At least if I have to chase walls for cabling I'll be able to run a couple of cat 6 cables as well which would solve a couple of other problems I have been putting off for some time now.

    Great so I can install 8kwp worth of panels with the 6kw inverter. Thats what I was thinking but again the conflation of kwp, and kw and kwhs gets me all confused, not to mind when the discussion gets into AC / DC volts and amps, love the band but not the units of measurement!

    I hear you on the salesmen pitch. A neighbour signed up recently on the basis of a phone call and salesman visit. No idea what they have signed up for or how the installation process will work other than they are going to save on electricity costs. It really is a buyer beware market out there at present



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,862 ✭✭✭creedp


    @HotSwap

    Thanks for clarifications. I understand it better now. I will have a battery so I think I will proceed with a min of an 8kwp system and see what prices I can get. Will be interesting if different suppliers will mention additional costs for a cherry picker. The house walls are std 2 storey height. its just that the roof is taller than some other houses around me.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    I suppose different crews have different ways of working. It's odd as it's not like they can work from the cherry picker, they'll need roof ladders and the like but then again a cherry picker makes it a lot handier to get materials up and onto the roof.



  • Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,425 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    We had access to a telehandler for mine, makes life so much easier lifting up 24 panels on a high shed roof.



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    Thats true but some other 6kw inverters are rated for 12kw of optimised panels as long as you have a high voltage DC battery connected. There is a vast difference in functionality between cheep equipment and premium equipment.

    Fair play to creedp; they are informing themselves of the basics before they start to get the sales pitch from installers that might not have the customers best interests in mind.

    your gonna find that some installers will simply disregard your opinions and preferences and just quote what suits them. If you do manage to find an installer that actually cares (investigates your annual electricity usage / models your proposed setup to give you an idea of what you can expect in terms of solar production / gives you some estimate of the ROI period of the system / listening to your concerns about where you want the equipment installed / etc…. They may be worth paying a bit extra for.


    good luck :)



  • Registered Users Posts: 32 Abromavich


    Got my panels installed yesterday. They managed to get all 15 (400W) panels on the roof so delighted I could get the full 6kwp system!

    Any advice on the BER cert. My house is a new build and the original BER assesor who did the BER cert less than 2 years ago is looking for €375 for an updated cert to obtain the SEAI solar grant. Other assesors dont seem keen to take it on and are asking if I have: u-values or air tightness testing etc for the current house along with other relevent documentation. I dont want to end up with a worse rating.

    Any advice or any good assesors members could recommend for reasonable price in the north Dublin area?



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    GDPR Data access request the original ber guy and get all the notes he has on your house. Then shop around. And keep the documents safe this time.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 538 ✭✭✭The devils


    I'll take a look when I get into work for the guys contact details I recently used and pm the details

    I use him in October



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    Problem isn’t finding someone Cheeper. The issue is that unless you have documentation proving the specific U values of things like wall insulation / windows / doors / etc.. a BER assessor will just use generic values and you might end up with a lower rating and nothing will have changed in the house; so if you went out of you way and installed expensive windows and doors and extra wall insulation that will not be taken into account.

    I think in this situation since it’s only 2 years; you should attempt to contact the builder to get the specs of the build; or do a GDPR request on the previous BER person and get your details so at least you know which values he plugged into the system the last time. but this will annoy them and prob put them on the defensive.

    best option in this case is to prob just pay what he’s asking; and make sure you get all the values off him this time around.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    Unfortunately there's no requirement to retain the data on the assessors side, and one of the ways the be compliant is to simply delete the information. You previous assessor may simply no long have the needed documentation. In theory a request should work towards the original builder but they have up to 90 days to provide the information.



  • Registered Users Posts: 32 Abromavich


    Thanks for the info Hotswap. I never recieved any documentation when I moved into the house - all I recieved was the BER cert (A2). Would someone other than the assesor have the documentation on the specs of the house? If I went with someone cheaper and ended up with a rating worse than A2 would there be any issue recieving the SEAI grant?



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    That's exactly what happened to me, went from an A2 to an A3 after solar due to lack of supporting documents for the heat pump. It didn't affect the grant. Another accessor won't be able to source a signed commissioning report. The entire system is fucked tbh.



  • Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭cloughy


    I think they got rid of the requirement to have a BER of x after PV install, now anyone who installs PV even if they go from D to C is entitled to a grant, but to be paid it I think you still need a BER.


    Seems strange, if no bar to end up at to be entitled to grant, why still need to submit one unless rules change has not been reflected in the list of documentation required to be paid ghe grant.

    In your case you would think that since you had A2 two years ago, why need to produce a BER for same or maybe A1 after PV install, unless they do some reporting on what BER ratings after PV install, but as they don't capture ghe before it's not like it means much.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭DC999


    Our housing stock is one of the oldest and worst in EU, same as UK. So the BER helps the State know what overall condition the housing stock is in. Which should then influence gov policy on other subsidies, policies, where help is needed…..

    So yeah it’s a pain to pay for and hassle of finding someone and BER is a crude barometer per house. But.. at least it’s something that can be rolled up at a country level and then compared against other EU states



  • Registered Users Posts: 824 ✭✭✭HotSwap


    Gotta keep all the BER assessors busy :)

    It’s madness to think you might go from an A2 -> A3 after getting PV installed. Unless you are right on the limit of A2/A3 and get a tiny PV install; there is hardly any situation where it shouldn’t push you into A1.

    You could go a step further and get a “Technical Assessment” done for which there is a 200 euro SEAI grant. These guys will actually spend the time and effort to calculate the correct values and you will end up with a much more accurate rating. But it will end up costing you 300-400 euro after the grant. But you will end up with heat loss values for each room of you house.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    The current approach is introducing massive inaccuracies into the ratings, making them ultimately less reliable. We're probably A1 but our rating is A3 because we cannot find some paper work from 6 years ago that needs to be signed by the actual person who did the heat pump installation. Sourcing documents from the manufacturer isn't good enough. It's a nonsense.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 32 Abromavich


    Yep it definitely seems broken. Just off the phone to SEAI and explained the situation. They said they totally understand but there is nothing they can do and I still require a new BER cert post solar install. They said it doesnt matter what rating the new BER assesment comes back as to recieve the grant.

    So is the most strightforward option to fork over €375 to the original assessor? I assume they have the original values/docs for new BER and wont use 'default' values. Fed up at this point and just want to get it done.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭DC999




  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    Id verify they have the documentation prior to engaging them.



  • Registered Users Posts: 32 Abromavich


    Yeah good idea! If they dont then I can just go with someone much cheaper.

    Thanks for all the help! Now I just need to figure out how to monitor my PV usage and export amount 😁



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 151 ✭✭dubsaab


    Quote

    9 X 415 panels

    1 X 5KW Hybrid Inverter

    1 X 4.5KW battery

    Usual fittings & installation

    €11,690 incl VAT (Before Grant) Incl BER



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,019 ✭✭✭jkforde


    expensive, consider dropping the battery, just export surplus and get deemed\metered CEG and install a hot water diverter - unless you can DIY\automate the diversion yourself.

    and meanwhile, keep looking for better quotes!

    🌦️ 6.7kwp, 45°, SSW, mid-Galway 🌦️

    "Since I no longer expect anything from mankind except madness, meanness, and mendacity; egotism, cowardice, and self-delusion, I have stopped being a misanthrope." Irving Layton



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Manion


    The price difference between a 5Kw and a 6Kw inverter wholesale is 47 Euro excluding vat, they're doing you no favours underspecing the installation and you'll forever but limited by that. Not all batteries are the same for instance that 4.5 might only have 3.5 KWs usable.



  • Registered Users Posts: 39 D.flynn


    my most recent quotes for Galway (3 options from the same company) are as follows:

    all options use 14 X Bisol Premium 445w mono panels.

    option1 : 6kw renac string inverter (non hybrid) €7050 final cost (inc vat and grant deducted)

    option2: 6kw renac hybrid inverter (not including battery) €7450 final cost (inc vat and grant deducted)

    option3: 5kw alpha inverter with 10.1kwh battery €12700 final cost (inc vat and grant deducted).

    these seem good to me and coincides with the "rule of thumb" in post #1.

    I'm still thinking of going the DIY route to save a good chunk on labour, but if anyone wants to know the name of this company, PM me. a friend living near by had them do an install june last year, and seems to be happy with it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,571 ✭✭✭con747


    Good to see there is still good value with some installers out there. If going with one of them and not DIY lock it in now before the price goes up!

    Don't expect anything from life, just be grateful to be alive.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,415 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    Is there a case for not bothering with batteries and relying on the FIT? Or is it specific to your own use case?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭DC999


    Is DIY a runner for most people?? Based on my experience, I’d caution on the DIY route as the starting point. Lots of people here have gone DIY to expand it once the initial setup is done by an installer. Our install was ~7 days onsite between roofers and sparks (small house so working on multiple small roofs slower them down, and they tripped themselves up on some stuff like running our of kit and needing to go to a supplier).

    Getting heavy panels onto a 2nd story roof and not getting injured… Going onto roofs is beyond competent DIY in my mind – but each to their own. Our metal gutter broke when they were going up a ladder and very nearly hit one of them – scared the life out of him and me. Would have caused serious damage to him. Got lucky.

    When I saw what was involved overall, I realised DIY wouldn’t have been an option for me personally. If I did go down the DIY route (which I looked at), I’d only have a very small setup. And just on my accessible flat roof (which would only give me 5 panels and I’ve 16 in total now).

    No reason you couldn’t DIY another aspect yourself in time. So adding a flat roof say with a few panels and a microinverter for a grand. Or adding a large DIY battery which others have done here…Or, or…



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