Thank you for this. Very timely as I was trying to figure this calculator out only yesterday, and left feeling somewhat inadequate…. Will run it again now!
Thanks Gary, the solar related information you provide on the your channel is by far the best & most informative on the internet. Cracking job, well done & keep it up.
Another great video Gary. Although I am now well up and running on my solar journey and happy with the choices I made, your videos always confirm and reinforce those choices so will be really helpful to anyone considering solar. By far the best and most informative channel on the subject. Well done
Thanks Gary! Great tool. Now I know how solar companies calculate yearly generation! The great news is my 3.2 kWh system should cover most of our usage 😃 Need to see what numbers will tell after startup.
Do you know what, I wasn't sure how the azimuth should be treated for installations in the Southern hemisphere - and now you've clarified - thanks! :-)
Excellent content, congrats Gary. I'm very happy your channel suddenly pooped up by the YT algorithm. I was very interested in micro inverters after your episode, and I agree it's the way to go for the future. However, I have not yet grasped what other 'units' it requires to even get simply system up and running. I'm particular interested to have it as a small evaluation project. Thus, the monitoring data over time becomes very important. Cheers.
Excellent vidéo Gary, some very useful aids High lites there. My sister is thinking of installing a solar array so I’ll recommend & refer your channel to her. 👍
Really enjoy these videos. I have had a solar array for almost 10 years now and find it really useful but I have one question. I have started getting unsolicitated phone calls offering me service of my inverter and panels. I have checked the paperwork supplied by the installer who unfortunately has changed his business and there is no mention of regular inspections/maintenance. Can anyone advise if this is necessary and if so what sort of costs can I expect (UK).
Hi Alec, glad you're liking my videos. In general, I am always wary of people calling me out of the blue, wanting to do business, especially over the phone. And particularly with solar, there is so much demand at the moment, and limited supply, no reputable solar company needs to be cold-calling...
What financial impact does a heat pump make in the UK rather than using Gas for hot water and heating? Does it affect the size of array that makes sense?
Hi John, that's quite a big question, and one I can't answer yet, as I've only just started my research into heat pumps (future video). Perhaps someone else is able to answer your questions...
Hi John. Im in the advanced stages of planning a heat pump and solar installation. Im having my pump fitted in April and the solar will be in june/july time. My daily usage is about 15KW currently and im expecting this to rise to 20Kw with the pump. Ive gathered this estimate from how much 2 other peoples usage has changed after having pumps installed, they both live in my village. So in short, if you want to be more self sufficient then you will need to up size your solar and just as importantly your battery im currently aiming for a 10kw panel array and 30kw of batteries. Im an electrician so ill build DIY batteries to keep the cost down. One thing you could consider (and its what im going to do) is to pick a inverter thats scalable such as SunSync. They can run in parallel. So in my case im starting our with a 8kw inverter and 30 KW of battery, and they are well matched for my projected load but if i need more i can just put another inverter and battery pack onto my existing setup. You can only plan for so much "theory" but you should be able to make a good guess.
Thanks Gary great channel for understanding all the important information regarding solar. With the ever changing energy tariffs being offered by octopus energy have you an opinion on the new Flux tariff and to which type of home solar generators it’s most suited. Kind regards matt
Hi Matt, thanks for the great feedback! :-) You'll be pleased to hear that I'm working on a video on Octopus Flux - it'll be released in about a week's time. Just editing another video first.
Very informative video. I had a small solar array (2.4kwh) installed 6 weeks ago under the Warmer Homes scheme. I'm still waiting for the installer (Carbon Rewind) to provide me with an MCS certificate so that I can apply to my energy provider to get some export payments.
Thanks again for another amazingly clear and useful video Gary. Great help for those of us in the process of trying to design our systems, avoiding costly mistakes. Please keep up the good work. The lessons are absolutely invaluable! Already with Octopus 'Go Faster', so can't help you out with the 'fifty notes', unfortunately, but will certainly recommend your vids to others.
Thanks Graham - great to have your feedback! And no worries about the referral - just happy that you're with Octopus - they're lightyears ahead of the competition when it comes to solar/battery/EV etc. :-)
Thanks so much for your work Gary, all the videos are an incredibly useful resource! I've been reading so much about over-sizing, but I'm still unsure which hybrid inverter to choose - 3.68kW or 5kW? It's for a 4.51kWp 2-string array, with 9.6kwh batteries. I'm unlikely to add future panels, having maxed out a WSW facing roof. Any instinctive thoughts? 🙏
Hi Ben, so if you go 3.68kW you only have to complete G98 certification, which is easy (self-certification by your installer). If 5kW then your installer will have to apply for a G99 certification, which might take a few weeks or even months depending on your DNO. Given your new array size, it looks like 3.68kW is sufficient. And assuming it's a GivEnergy Hybrid inverter, any generation about that level (up to 4.51kW) will go straight to the batteries - so not lost. Thanks, btw, for your kind words about my videos. I'll keep them coming :-)
@@GaryDoesSolar thanks so much Gary! I'm not too worried about having to apply for the G99 and all that brings. It's just that one minute I read that I should get a 5kW inverter, then the next I should get the 3.68kW inverter! I think my installer will recommend the 3.68kW... and I'm starting to think that might be the best on balance. It will be a Solis hybrid inverter 👍
@@benmatthewsuk Ok, I believe the same is true for the Solis hybrid (check with your installer). If you're generating the maximum 4.51kW, then 0.83kW will automatically go to your batteries, and the remaining 3.68kW will be: - output to power your home appliances - exported - also used to charge your battery (or some combination of the above depending on your settings) Good luck with whatever you decide 👍
@@GaryDoesSolar that's perfectly clear, thank you Gary! If only everyone was able to explain it so well! I've just watched a couple of videos from installers that explain inverters are more efficient if working close to capacity, so then 3.68kW would make absolute sense.
Many people set up a camera or smartphone on a tripod (or other fixed position) pointed at the roof, then take photos every 30 minutes to build up a picture of the shading throughout the day. But there are software tools like Easy PV that you might like to try - they use solar modelling to show actual shading... Take a look at this video (4m20s in): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RTgM7j2yLIw.html
Say I have an existing W, N, E arrays connected with microinverters, would it be possible to add a South array with a string inverter? I so, how would they merge together to power the house?
thanks gary, my install now up and running as it should, and pretty much matching these estimates, i have decided to add a 2nd 5kw battery myself to give me 10kw of batt storage which will mean i will use more of what i generate, currently on octopus agile, as i don't have an EV, but still able to charge battery cheaper than 34p, but in the coming months won't need to charge from grid at all when is your install scheduled? and where are you going to put the batteries ?
Oh wow - great news, Stefan! Glad to hear the installation went ok - and yeah, sunnier days are ahead :-) My installation delayed another month, but near 100% it'll happen on 20 March now. GivEnergy equipment including 2x9.5kWh batteries on a 7kWp array. If I had my time again, I would have gone for microinverters, kept the batteries but put each on its own 3kW inverter. It was too late to change the order though. No matter, I will hopefully be able to make some videos on the GE equipment...
@@nickkitson My house usage is typically anywhere between 1kW and 6kW throughout the day - and so if there is no sun later in the day, but I have two full 9.5kWh batteries - the hybrid inverter can only discharge them at 3.6kW - so I'll still be pulling 2.4kW from the grid at my highest consumption (early evening). Having a 3kW inverter on each of those batteries means I can discharge both batteries at the same time = 6kW, which would cover my consumption.
@@GaryDoesSolar Good point. We have an induction hob as well as electric oven so are in the same position. If we do go the micro inverter route I guess we could get 2 ac coupled batteries. Is it possible to limit such an installation to exporting no more than 3.68kW
@@nickkitson I believe it technically is (via the Envoy controller), but it's more a question of whether the DNO would accept that software limitation... 😕
Based on your latest video release, I've been doing a little reaserch into the Enphase products and largely liked what I found. That said, there is an old saying, if something sounds too good to be true, it possibly is. I came across the the following video which appears to highlight two issues with an Enphase installation, in particular systems efficienc and different warranties for different products. If you have time, I'd welcome your observations "Just Get Solar" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sVzem0aRnpM.html
The PHOTOVOLTAIC GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM only shjows a small percentagfe of actual houses in my village, my hosue is was built in 1970s so they are using very out of date maps. Not very useful
Hi there. Now, the map on the PVGIS site may not be up to date, but that's not important. The reason you put in your location is to find out the level of sunshine at that location - it doesn't matter whether your property is shown on the map or not, so don't worry, the data is still correct for your property.
@@GaryDoesSolar I was hoping to get more information on roof orientation effect on solar performance. I have a West and south facing roofs in an 'L' shape with the west facing roof placing the south facing in shadow in the morning. Using your spreadsheet which is helpful. But unsure how to model two roof input.
@@apiscator444Ok, for an assessment on a multi-roof property, you might want to try my Solarazma Pro utility here: www.garydoessolar.com/solarazma_pro_intro/
@@apiscator444Ok, for an assessment on a multi-roof property, you might want to try my Solarazma Pro utility here: www.garydoessolar.com/solarazma_pro_intro/
@@apiscator444 Ok, vfor an assessment on a multi-roof property, you might want to try my Solarazma Pro utility here: www.garydoessolar.com/solarazma_pro_intro/
