DIY grid-tie solar in the city: Full installation | start to finish | 4kW | Solar car port 

I was the opposite in dad terms so I had to figure it out. But we get there. He likes work so far!

Thanks Ben, I do what I can. It's amazing what you find when you keep your eyes open and ask.

Ultimately the flashing didn’t work and I ended up putting box profile beneath

I do my best. Why do you need certification? The feed in tariff is gone so there is no money to be made, maybe so you can get a few pence per kWh from your energy supplier, but I imagine there is a cost benefit analysis to be done there. If you are thinking of doing it on a roof, even single storey a scaffold will make it far easier. Have a look at my solar playlist, I show some other installations that I have done.

You should!

Thanks 238! How's that sawstop table going for ya?

Thanks Tommy.

That’s a good idea!

Cheers

Thanks!

You might be right about the timber, I hadn't thought of America as a source for the timber, Quite amazing that those centre rings could be from 17XX and have travelled around the world before carrying a burden for 100+ years! Wonderful! I took your advice on 25 degrees, when there is no sun but good light and cloud the panels kick out anything up to about 500w, so there seems to be good refraction of light through the clouds. I had a few points in the video that I didn't make fully: If the panels are putting out 1.6kW when the sun is at such a low angle, I imagine it will be far better from March onwards as the sun gets up into the sky. Any idea what the birds were, I mentioned geese, but I'm not sure?

Owen, I'm sure they were geese, we get plenty of them flying over here, most of the time lower than in this video. The last home life has a brief video clip of them, cheers

Thanks Buddy!

@@bootsowen I really like the video and you very smart 🤩

The ones with the big plastic washers are from wickes for polycarbonate roofing. Any other ones probably came from toolstation. I have used a screw with a big washer on it and then drill a hole in a milk bottle lid as a plastic insulating washer.

Some people love rules, some countries have different rules. You need to follow the IEE wiring regs in the UK, and if you want to sell the power to the grid you will need some kind of cert. rules are very important. You could just go for it and see what happens with a plug installation. as for load calcs, it all depends on the shed, a solar panel weighs about 20 kg, I weigh 70 kg, if I would walk on the roof (point load) I would be happy to put 3 or 4 panels on it ( uniformly distributed load) It's your house and your call. Sounds like you're making work for yourself!

I used flashing tape. But it doesn’t work. For a solar pergola with no sheeting beneath it you’d be better having a network of gutters. I ended up removing all the panels and putting box profile beneath

It depends on where you are. follow local rules. Don't be afraid to play, just play safely. A qualified electrician can sign stuff off.

I found the timber on building sites locally. As the guys who are doing roofs for any demolition timber. There is a set of 14-16 3.6 kw panels and an inverter in Inverness or Aberdeen on gumtree at the moment £500. They come up from time to time. I was looking for about 4 months until I got some an hour away. It’s hit and miss. Some places seem to always have them for sale, they get them used from solar farms. Or ask a roofer who installs them. They know where they are being upgraded. Or ask an installer if they have some damaged ones. Broken glass ones can still be working but are more likely to fail. This is the advice I was given and it seems useless until you get some. But you will. Keep asking everyone and scour eBay and gumtree. Full sets of used panels near me have certainly become more expensive in the last 6 months.

Thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated.

You sound like you are in USA, rules are different depending on where you are, so such advice about permission or permits are somewhat redundant on a platform like yt.

I was thinking I could do an overclocked DC direct hotwire smash!

@@bootsowen ooooh that would be interesting

I used bituminous flashing tape, but it didn't work, it leaked through the sealant on the panels, I wasn't expecting that. In the end I took all of the panels off and laid box profile steel roofing sheets, then put the panels back on.

@@bootsowen Thanks for info.Yes, I have the same problem, I'm thinking of how to make a roof using only PV panels. I'm looking for a solution.

No worries. You learn about electrical stuff by studying it. The iee wiring regs are the standard in the U.K. and Ireland is similar. You don’t say where you are so the USA and other countries are completely different. In the U.K. you can do the work yourself if it is inspected by building control or if you are competent i.e.an electrician. Mine would be compliant with MCS, it wasn’t completely finished in the video, and you can get a used system mcs accredited by an mcs installer. The trick with these things is to know the rules. Work to the rules and have someone who is qualified check it. I didn’t register the installation because there is no feed in tariff so there is no point anymore. Have a look at Andy Reynolds wind and solar book. It is a good start. I spent about 8 years learning about electricals and I still know very little. So take time. A good start is to buy a small 1or 2kw grid tie inverter and panels to about half the rating of the inverter. Just put a plug on the inverter and plug it in. I have shown this in my testing inverters videos. Finally: don’t take advice from some guy on the internet even if he has terrific hair. Electricity is very dangerous and one zap of the wrong kind. Dc or ac could give you half a day out with the undertaker.

​@@bootsowenyou've just filled in so many knowledge gaps that I've had for ages!!! Thanks man your videos are super insightful.

I don’t understand what you mean. There is no export facility on my meter. It only counts up or stays still when exporting.

I’m not sure I understand what you mean?

@@bootsowen amp meter goes between the + and like a lamp.. it looked like you measured directly on the solarpanel output ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-x2NLYydxbo4.html

If you use the correct setting and cable port on your multimeter you don’t need to do this.

I have only had these installed since November. Today on May 2022 I have saved about £43 (185kWh used at home) on electric since then and about £65 has escaped into the grid (279kwh). Total generation 464kWh so far. I paid £500 or £600 for the whole system and have only installed about 2.5/3.6 kw of the panels. If I could use all the power payback would be 2 or 3 years. As it stands it will be 5ish. But if energy prices go up payback will be faster. I guess if you buy them new then it will take longer.

I should have mentioned. My system is about 10 years old.

Glad you enjoyed, have you got solar panels, I'd say you get a bit more sun that we do!

@@bootsowen I live in an apartment even if I want to I can't

You might be the fella who would eat no fat?

@@bootsowen Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

I had on off grid system in Ireland using generators etc. and gypsies pulled the door off with a vehicle and a steel chain and stole all my equipment. The door frame was pulled out by its bolts and the door was never seen again.

That’s tough. I am quite lucky where I am that it is very busy. On the other hand I might like a bit of quiet. Solar doesn’t seem to be something that is worth stealing but vandalism would ruin it. People might think the inverters are worth money but I have bought a few recently for £25 each. It’s the hassle factor if someone wrecks your stuff. I wonder if there is an irony in putting something behind a steel door. In that it makes it more worth stealing.

@@bootsowen Yes. That's what the Gards said about my 'fortifications'.It draws them in. . Although I do believe also, that the thieves AND vandals ( everything gets smashed ) have the backing of the local community as I bought in among an established country community where families had owned half a field each for hundreds of years. They are determined to make me pack up and leave.