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Given that there’s a number of organisations including OVO who are promoting solar PV systems, I thought it might be useful to note a few things about my own journey so far. 

We had solar panels installed in early 2012

Preparing for the install

and more recently added battery storage.

Retrofit Inverter for battery storage

The systems mostly look after themselves but we’ve found support and expertise difficult to find. Our original installer moved out of the industry and so although we were able to get initial queries answered, any follow up from other suppliers has not been straightforward. No understanding of any equipment apart from those they install themselves, difficulty in matching different parts of the system when wanting any additional equipment, and a lack of technical understanding in the technology space of measurement and monitoring. 

Dual panel array facing East and West

To be clear, we have not had any operational problems with the original equipment installed and it shows no signs of reduced performance or reliability. Given that has already given over 10 years of generation and more than paid back on the investment, we would certainly recommend having a solar installation if you can. The batteries are another notch along, giving support through much of the year and providing full evening coverage for many months in a busy household. They do require a close look at costs vs returns but as there is a high desire to be as self-sufficient as possible, I would suggest that they are worth the additional cost, even if provisioned for a later install. You find that you tend to watch generation and consumption and dislike the feed back to the grid (however useful that might be to the network as a whole), and so batteries can significantly help with self consumption. 

The latest technology has made improvements in efficiency and I expect this to continue but as with all similar innovation, a timely decision is useful, otherwise opportunities can be missed. 

Our general advice would be:

• Ask for recommendations from other people from your installer. 

• Determine your general max kw peaks so that your system can support most of the demands of your household. 

• Ensure you get an approved MCS installer so that they can provide full documentation needed. 

• Provision for a system upgrade path if possible. 

If for some reason fitting is out of the question for your property, consider other options which include community power sources. This option also allows the financial returns to move with you should you have the need. 

Good timing @BPLightlog I’ve just had an installer round this morning.  It’s important to me to know exactly what equipment is going to be installed and we talked through this, including not cutting corners with low grade fittings and cables etc. I had got a much cheaper quote from our local council’s Solar Together scheme which I decided against as I didn’t know the max kW peaks at the time. Good thing too as I’d have chosen too small an array. I’ve hesitated about getting the max that can fit on the roof, but I’m going to get the max now to avoid having to add at a later date.

Regarding battery storage I’m not ready to commit, so they’ve suggested I get a hybrid inverter now which can support a battery in the future, or if finances and technology permits, could support a new V2G EV.

Good timing @BPLightlog I’ve just had an installer round this morning.  It’s important to me to know exactly what equipment is going to be installed and we talked through this, including not cutting corners with low grade fittings and cables etc. I had got a much cheaper quote from our local council’s Solar Together scheme which I decided against as I didn’t know the max kW peaks at the time. Good thing too as I’d have chosen too small an array. I’ve hesitated about getting the max that can fit on the roof, but I’m going to get the max now to avoid having to add at a later date.

Regarding battery storage I’m not ready to commit, so they’ve suggested I get a hybrid inverter now which can support a battery in the future, or if finances and technology permits, could support a new V2G EV.

Sounds good @juliamc and yes, a hybrid inverter is a sensible choice. On the battery side, we doubled our capacity in the first 12 months so that’s another consideration for later. 

What a fantastic photo this is:

 

 

Dual panel array facing East and West

 

 

One from your drone, @BPLightlog?

One from your drone, @BPLightlog?

It is indeed @Tim_OVO . I do the occasional roof inspection so thought I’d try to get an image of the full panel set in situ. 

It’s a funny old world isn’t it ? A year has passed and I haven’t got the PV yet, but have now got a GivEnergy 13.5kW battery (All in One with a 6kW inverter) plus a GivEnergy Gateway. 

@BPLightlog  can you remind me why the inverter kW is less than the PV output ? eg for a 4.25kW array I’m offered a 3.6kW inverter, or for a 7.56kW array it’s a 6kW inverter ?

Thanks, as ever !

The rating for the panels are based on optimum conditions and so inevitably deliver a little less. The inverter copes with higher inputs and so the most cost effective option is to slightly under size. 

The inverter is also the control which is rated within the max allowed by your DNO. 
 

Hello @juliamc,

while I fully accept @BPLightlog’s advice, and was advised the same at the time, I chose to match array and inverter output. What influenced me, and may not apply to modern electronics, was an aversion to running anything at its rated capacity, with the associated extra heat released.

3.6kw is still a daily occurrence, and occasionally it pushes 4kw. Yes it cost a little more, but is rarely pushed to the limit, which I hope will be repaid by a longer life.

My inverter is in the garage so is largely protected from high temperatures, but if you are putting the inverter in the roof space then take this approach. In the summer it’s HOT up there. 

It’s probably worth a note here on appliance replacement when solar PV and battery is the driver. 
Our kettle was ready for changing - occasionally not switching on - and so rather than wait for a complete breakdown, I began to research options to replace. 
With our inverter/battery system rated at 3.6kW, as we approach the darker evenings, it is important that as much power as possible is able to be supplied without grid draw and I had noticed the current kettle drawing just over 3kW leaving limited overhead for anything else at the same time. 
After some time, I found some 2.2kW kettles which looked interesting. Thinking carefully about replacement becomes part of the process when considering/utilising solar/battery supply. 
Now in situ, we can carry on enjoying an evening ‘cuppa’ without an energy calculation. 

Hey @BPLightlog,

 

Thanks for the update and it’s interesting to hear you make those considerations. Something that people could easily overlook when thinking of taking the leap to a solar journey. I’m a big fan of the evening cuppa to see the day off 😁

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