Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

deezell · 25-03-2026 04:25PM

I'd also imagine that once they trouser the grant, which would easily pay the trade materials cost of a non hybrid 8 panel system, they would then sell your HP agreement to an agency, or perhaps you would already have signed up to that brokered by them, like car dealers used to do.

Dogsdodogsstuff · 25-03-2026 07:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124340070#Comment_124340070

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124340094#Comment_124340094

so it’s overly expensive, prob not worth it ?

Prob need to read more advice in this thread as it seems better to get quotes from different companies.

white_westie · 02-04-2026 06:11PM

Looking to get solar for the house, and have a few initial questions.

House is smallish semi-detached typical mid 80's estate house in dublin with a low angled hipped roof.
Front of house is roughly south facing 190deg, side is west facing at 280deg, no obstructions. Roof angle is 26deg.
We also have a single story rear extension across the back of the house, with 2 low angled hipped roofs - roof angle 23deg no obstructions, except shadow of house itself in the mornings.
Garden is small, no garage, so no options for shed or ground mounting panels.

Looking around our estate only about 20-30 houses of 280 have solar installed.
Max panels installed on front or back roofs is 4 (some even only have 3), sides have 4 (1 has 5).

So for my house, I think I could get maybe 10 panels installed - 4 on front roof south facing, 4/5 on side west facing, plus maybe 2/3 on extension west facing. Panels would have to be fitted a mixture of portrait and landscape to fit the hipped roof.

Q. Would a 10 panel installation be worth it?
Not talking about payback, just would it produce anything useful!

Have done some high level reading about panels and inverters and my understanding is that there are a number of restrictions.
Inverters can only support max 2 strings.
Panels with mixed orientation cannot/should not be mixed on the same string.

Agree with the concept to fill the roof with panels, but not sure how that would work in a mixed roof orientation.
i.e. I could probably install 4 panels on each of the 3 slopes (S,W,N) for 12, and put another 5/6 on extension slopes (E,W).

I have read that there is a benefit of installed panels split over an E-W roof - same type and number of panels on each slope to keep the balance.
Q. Does that equally apply to a S-N split (cannot find where I read it).
i.e. could I put 4 panels each on the front roof S and back roof N to give 8 panels on a string?

Looking through the threads here, not many postings with similiar roofs, hence the questions.
If anyone has any opinions/suggestions I would be grateful!

Understand batteries are probably a good option now, but more interested in what can I generate first!

For completeness, I dont't have an EV (probably not an option), electricity annual usage is around the 4600kWh, approx 12.5kWh per day (consistant over the last few years), house occupied all day.

As you know, here in Ireland with our snake oil salesmen, if you are getting anything done, you have to know a lot yourself before you start asking for quotes!

TIA

josip · 02-04-2026 06:51PM

Have you checked out this site to see what you could generate?

https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/#PVP

If you have 5 + 5 E/W you should be able to generate around 3500 kWh per year with 475W panels, depending on your location. With a small roof, you'll have to go for the most powerful panels you can.

Have you joined the Irish Solar Owners Facebook group? There are a lot of installers on their and not a lot of snake oil.

Measure your roof and check what panel sizes best fit your roof bearing in mind the SEAI/planning setbacks. If your neighbours have only gotten 4 panels per aspect on their aspects, then that's probably what you will get also. Installers are unlikely to take a risk with setback distances or a complex rail layout for the sake of 1 extra panel when they've got a full pipeline of work.

I'll let others reply about the 3 MPPTs per inverter. I think there are solutions involving optimisers/micro inverters and there are inverters that also support triple aspects. But you'll probably need to find the right installer. You don't want an installation where 1/3 is constantly hobbled by another 1/3.

tom1ie · 02-04-2026 07:36PM

Hello all, so after getting knocked back by a trusted installer who reckons the south facing roof is a no go because of the large dormer, (I’d get max 3 panels on the south side) and due to the fact I’m not really sure if I have the available space for a ground mount (3 kids a dog and a cat enjoy the garden), I’ve come across a uk company that install almost clear PV panels (efficiency is from 118W per metre2.
We would be in the market for getting a veranda built over the patio but only if all the light wasn’t blocked out by regular PV panels.
Has anyone heard of these being installed in Ireland?

https://www.polysolar.co.uk

Gerry · 03-04-2026 11:38AM

Anyone got an opinion on or using SAJ H1 hybrid inverter

I've no issue with the brand, current non hybrid saj has been perfect.

there's one on adverts

seems like a reasonable deal. battery compatibility seems fine - would likely be getting a dyness.

Or do I hold out for a solis

Cheers

Busman Paddy Lasty · 03-04-2026 11:42AM

There's a company in Dunboyne business park that does building facade panels, they might do the clear ones too.

https://clearenergy.ie/

Have you looked at what's using so much in your house? Any reduction is immediate payback.

tom1ie · 03-04-2026 11:57AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360324#Comment_124360324

I’d say three kids and the tumble dryer on all the time.
Tbf myself and the missus WFH so that’s two laptops + 4 screens, printer, heating, grill, microwave, TV (at break time of course) etc etc.

Thanks for sending on those details I’ll follow up with that company and see if they do anything like that.
I’ve emailed Polysolar but heard nothing back as of yet but I’ll update if and when I do.

Busman Paddy Lasty · 03-04-2026 01:46PM

3 kids. Nuff said!

Gerry · 03-04-2026 02:48PM

the grill and the dryer are 90% of it. Just splashed out on a heatpump dryer as in the same boat, 3 kids.

tom1ie · 04-04-2026 09:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360811#Comment_124360811

It’s extremely difficult to get clothes dry without using a tumble dryer- I’ve a heat pump condenser a rated dryer myself but it’s on constantly.
I’ve often wondered would ya be better off allowing clothes to air dry in the house in one of those clothes tent things with a dehumidifier or something.

josip · 04-04-2026 11:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124362178#Comment_124362178

Old ways are the best Tom, outside clothes line from March to October. But it is time consuming.

Winter months it's inside on a big clothes horse and that's one of the reasons we installed MHRV when we moved in. Otherwise, there'd be problems with damp.

tom1ie · 04-04-2026 11:40AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124362358#Comment_124362358

yeah Absolutely, I have the three kids under no illusions that the hanging of washing on the line and bringing mine the washing in is their job 😂

No MHRV in the Tom household so tumble dryer it is, or maybe I’ll try drying the clothes in the utility room (smaller room) with a dehumidifier.

Anyway I think I’ve dragged this thread off track! Sorry all!!

deezell · 04-04-2026 12:07PM

That's what a heat pump dryer is, a dehumidifier in a closed loop, same principle as AC. Its going to be far more efficient if the drying chamber is the internal drum rather than the a utility room. Heat pumps dryers are very efficient, but I'd recommend the better brands like siemens or Bosch. I had to send back two hotpot heatpump dryers because of mechanical noise due to poor construction build and quality ( I lifted the lid on the replacement and could see what was causing the thumping, poor construction and shape of the drum). I refused a third, took a refund and bought a Neff, a variant of a Bosch series 6. Bosch dryers are built to last, super silent, brushless motors. They've unfortunately increased in price in recent years.

Gerry · 04-04-2026 01:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360312#Comment_124360312

anyone got opinion on the saj

Solar for Beginners [ask your questions here]

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