I like using the Sofar Powerall 400 volt batteries, €1200 each and you can add more at any time. I do worry if they are as safe, however the cabling is so much neater.
No mention of the inherant 90% efficiency of charging and dischargind LIFePO4 batteries. Or does he have a source for magic batteries? It will put that payback further away than he's telling customers. The trouble with simple calculations to promote sales. P.S. Checking the May update I'd suggeest hiring people more suited to the role a go back to fitting and happiness. Let someone else do the maths.
Thanks for the comment, as per some previous comment replies this is an entry level video. You are right that there are many other factors to consider however going very deep can alienate some viewers. Equally a simple video like this can be underwhelming for others that want a more technical deep dive into the savings. Getting the mix is hard to achieve. I will always take on constructive criticism but can I suggest that the best way to deliver that criticism is not to personally attack me. Thanks
have solar edge improved the backup interface yet? when you first installed the stand alone one it took an age to detect and switch are they any closer to the giv energy speed yet?
It seems to have become slightly quicker at about 4 seconds now but that may be site specific. There is a setting in there that mentions ‘fast switchover’ but when we tried it it didn’t seem to work that well. It’s working well on the standard setting however.
That antenna is for the SolarEdge Home Network, but you can have another one for WiFi, and the inverter has an RJ45 connection option for wired internet access
There's a DC isolator within the inventer so no need for separate isolator sola edge are the only ones that do this I only know this as I done the same thing and put a separate one in then my sola edge rep come down and said and his words here, you dickhead there's a isolator inside the inverter 😂
Our system has two 5kW inverters and 25 455W panels in the last two weeks we frequently hit 8.5 and sometimes 9kW there are only five south facing panels with 10 east and 10 west. We also have a 20kWh battery. I would be very concerned that a lot of energy in May to August is wasted on that system.
I've yet to see clipped energy being used by my SE system in typical modes. I can force it by selecting 'Charge from clipped solar power' and, as long as there is space in the battery, it works fine. Unfortunately this mode precludes normal charging, which is what this setting aims to do. That said, in typical UK conditions the 8 kW 'Hub' inverter tends to run at its peak power of just over 10 kW. Presumably in hotter countries with constant clear-blue skies you would only expect 8 kW. It does make the 8 kW inverter a very good choice for the UK.
Forgive me if I've misunderstood but if you select 'discharge to minimise import' your battery will discharge as normal if needed when clouds come or sun goes down but will also charge with clipped solar if it becomes available and your battery has room.
Looks good Jamie - did you fit any SPD's at the panel end as well as near the inverters and how did you earth the installation at the panel end? I don't see any clues in the videos but I may have missed this.
you need to face the ct clamp the correct way,there is an arrow on ct clamp ct = current transformer most should point towards consumer unit but read instructions
Mega video. Question….how can a residential home export up to 60kw of solar power + if you force discharged the batteries? Thought there would be a capped peak on what your allowed and what the house was physically capable of? My homes 100amp fuse would explode 😂 And how hard was it to get permission to export this much to the national grid? Thanks Tom
Don't forget its a three phase system, pretty sure he said the Solaredge inverters were 30kW each, so presumably 10kW each per phase, per inverter, add in the 4.6kW for AC connected batteries and that is 24.6kW export capability per phase. A massive amount, on the 100 amp limit at 240v, presuming I've done my late night maths correctly. Did they really get DNO permission for that, it looks rural. Personally I would have not used Solaredge, a DC connected battery system would have allowed for more battery inverter power.
Thanks for the comment. I can’t remember the exact export limit but the limit is controlled via the SolarEdge modbus. In reality this house uses so much power that the majority is used in the house. This install was part of a three phase upgrade due to the amount of power the property uses.
We are currently looking to install a system to cover our 66,000 Kwh per year usage but can't find much information about planning permission for ground mounted solar. Could you please share any information about the planning side for these projects. Is it relatively simple to get permission?
Hi Jamie, we helped this customer with that side of things. It is up to the customer to complete but we help as much as we can. Are you still looking for a contractor to support you on that installation as we would be more than happy to help.
I also try to serve the high end of the market, its a tough gig, after all the money you make or save with solar is a pure mathematical sum based on the equipment you install. So we are competing with firms that put everything in the loft and never use scaffolding to install panels. My only advice to you would be to try to grow a maintenance division alongside your existing installation division. you can offer service level agreements to your existing installs and charge more to take on new clients that don't have the right paperwork or safety equipment.
I agree with @BillsCountrysideAdventures , racking would make really good use of the height you have in the store. You could then load the vans with the forklift too, let the stores person get stuff ready and the installers just come in, open the back doors and get loaded up.
Sam mate, I've owned and run small and big business. From what I can see, rack it out, get a forklift. Get a manager in office. You need staff in the office, streamline your process, you need warehouse guy to do all the odd jobs. Your right about your installers, drop off and go back out. Your staff are the key to getting things right, just keep trying and never give up.
I can help you with some of getting back office work like getting the vans organised and vehicle service organised so you can get more productive time for the technicians to work faster
Great insight on the progress your making. What type of solar panels does your company use at the present and is there any new technology coming down the pipeline. Thanks Alan
Great install! Can I ask you where I could source some similar document holders like the one on this job? Finding it hard to get nice looking document holders for our installations.
Very nice installation and helpful video. Just wondering why 4x single 6mm2 cable was used when a single twin & earth 16mm2 cable would give greater capacity and cost less.
