Watertight SOLAR pergola UPGRADE (8 X 400W panels) with GSE Trays

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With a love of the changing energy industry, I will do all I can to play with energy technology. This week I install 8 Eurener 400w solar panels on GSE in roof system on top of a DIY garden pergola. To share the energy transition journey! The modern day equivalent of the industrial revolution.... Ooo whatever could I have planned...
Items used for the build:
A few 6x2s
20ish roofing batterns
Protect A1 felt from screw fix (I don’t require breathability with it being an open space below) www.screwfix.c...
GSE Trays - midsummerwhole...
Solar panels - midsummerwhole...
End clamps - midsummerwhole...
Mid clamps - midsummerwhole...
Screws midsummerwhole...
Plastic wedge - midsummerwhole...
A few cable clips I had in stock.
Music by: Bensound
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Music by Bensound.com/royalty-free-music
License code: 1SIYJHQ3XMW6YPVR
Cyberreality - Mehul Choudhary
/ mehulchoudhary
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported - CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/3wVnIXs
Music promoted by Audio Library bit.ly/3TDW3TT

Опубликовано:

25 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 193

@neilwani1178 3 месяца назад

Such a wonderful idea. Watertight on top and shade below and free electricity.

@matbowden9156 25 дней назад

Fine, I'll say it, is there a way to do it, less the roofing felt/shade? I'm hugely interested in this, but it would effectively be a lean to over my bi-folds, so well... I'd prefer to not block out all the sun, and/or give myself a 2nd mortgage 😂 Anyone?

@martyt419 2 месяца назад

Whoa - I didn't know there were tray systems - always thought you had to use rails to mount panels to - good to know! - great review

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

They are designed for in roof installations but I’m very happy with the end product. Thanks for commenting

@wandango5913 4 месяца назад

Loved this install and a great idea, I was planning to build a pergola and wondered what everyone else was doing to make it water tight, this is a win win, subscribed for more and saved the video for when I’m ready to build👍🏻

@StartledPancake 28 дней назад

I applied a thin layer of high quality watertight rubber sealant between than panels then drilled and bolted them together. It cost about 10 euros and works perfectly. Mines been up for a year with no leaks. Wouldn't for it for a proper roof, but for a pergola its more than enough.

@davenortonvideographer 3 месяца назад

I made a solar carport out of 6 x 235w panels that used to be on my roof prior to upgrading; as a recycling project they work fine, keep the car cleaner and produce a fair amount of solar in the summer. Every little helps! 😉

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Fantastic use of the old panels. I do wonder who’s going to recycle all the old panels in 20-30 years

@tracy419 2 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryManfrom various things I've read over the years, it's kinda like batteries. They are repurposing them, sending them to countries where they can be used in villages, etc and working on various methods to recycle them and recover materials. Shredding them, etc.

@JackieAustin-j8d 5 месяцев назад

Brilliant video. Thank you for sharing and your time to do so.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for watching

@bikerchrisukk 4 месяца назад

It's always a bit eerie when YT suggested a video that helps me - I'm extending a building and adding solar and it's not worth tiling, so I was looking for something like these GSE trays - perfect! Cheers and well done with the work, working in the rain sucks 👍

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

On a general house roof you would have edging and generally some tiles around the perimeter. They have a comprehensive PDF instructions. I’ve been very happy with the trays and would use again

@philipcharlesworth91 5 месяцев назад

Hi, did a GSE on the back of my house last year. Enjoyed watching someone going through the same learning curve I did. Nice Job.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for your comment. Did you use the full or half trays?

@michealroche1931 2 месяца назад

You mind me asking how does it perform with heavy rain? Any water leaking in around or under the trays?

@GilbertP57 3 месяца назад

The little groove in the GSE is for the vertical cables. You don't need to go under for those runs!

@GilbertP57 3 месяца назад

I have photos of my installation that I could share. We also earthed all the panels and ran the earth the same route.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Wait what. Really. That would have been useful to have found in the instructions. … Sure drop your install photos to my email in the bio. I’ll take a look. Thank you

@Whereswally606 4 месяца назад

Love seeing others get on the solar pergola band wagon. Just done my second one. First at the back and second at the side of my house. Bolted the second set together and clamped from below. Gse and new panels was outside my budget, I.e. as little as possible. Lovely job BTW. When I renew my 265w panels I may go for gse. We shall see. My 10 strip of rubber seal from tool station isn't doing that badly. Plus m6 nuts bolts and penny washers.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Nice to hear rubber seals are doing well. I’ve had a few suggesting them but not anyone mention that they have been sealing well over time. I wonder how long these 400w panels will last before we get a new super duper tech that I want to upgrade too 😂😂

@euanmcgill918 5 месяцев назад

Lovely stuff, nice to see a video showing what is involved in a GSE install, gives me hope for doing one on my roof 😂

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

A lot of vids I watched beforehand showed. ‘We are going to install’ then ‘bam we’ve installed’. Not the actual process. I could (not going to)😂😂 train a monkey to install them. I’m sure you will be fine.

@euanmcgill918 5 месяцев назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan exactly, I need the detail! 😁

@matbowden9156 25 дней назад

Ditto! The fella deserves much more than this, but here... Have a star emoji ✨

@sergea1138 4 месяца назад

Really great project, I discovered something new today with the GSE Tray.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed

@SamFigueroa Месяц назад

26:40 I'd grab a straight flexible stick, like a rod of bamboo and tape it to that. The 1m mason bit was a good idea, I think it just didn't work well because it was too rigid.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

I would agree 6 months later I realise how much of an idiot I was on camera 😂😂 least it provided the world some entertainment.

@Ulbre 5 месяцев назад

G'day from an Aussie in Asia. Really enjoyed this video mate. I must say though, when working outdoors, clouds are an absolute luxury over here and back home!!!! You make a good video and inject an appropriate amount of good humour. Worked for a pommy company in the middle east for 8 years including 5 months of paid training (partying) in the UK. Good times, great memories. I think you'll do well if you progress this to a business. Hope you do and good luck.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Always nice to hear positive comments. Thank you. Nice to hear your experience. Australia sure has shown the rest of the world how to take on solar. I mean you’ve got the sun for it 😂

@harounsamadi2527 3 месяца назад

Gay 😮😢

@sharimctiver8952 3 месяца назад

Nice job! I would have managed to put my boot through that tar paper several times!!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

I tried. It somehow gives you a false sense of security as you get higher up the roof 😂😂😂 thanks for your comment and for watching

@stevenewbank 3 месяца назад

I think you've done a great job.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Thank you. Wanted it to be neat and tidy

@seekwithallyourheart77 4 месяца назад

Thank you. Well done. Exactly what I needed

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed. I would like to say the pergola came first but it was just a posh excuse for a ground mounted solar. Making it water tight has been a game changer. We use it so much more in the British weather

@redbunnyclassic 4 месяца назад

A+ for effort!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you

@simonpaine2347 4 месяца назад

To make the connection between the 2 rows, put a pull string in when you place the trays.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

That would have been such a good idea. Didn’t actually think that through. Thank you for sharing. Next time I will follow your advise. There was enough cable between rows but and other poster suggested fly leads that might be a good idea too

@thoreberlin 3 месяца назад

What really is required is cheap reliable systems for water tightening the gaps in between semi transparent bifacial modules. You can already get below 25€/m2 with those, but there is no cheap way to use them for a small tight roof, which lets light on the back side of the panels.

@crichardson4789 4 месяца назад

Excellent channel and content. Dont change!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you. That’s very kind. Please let me know if there are any videos you would like to see

@healeydave 5 месяцев назад

You should include links to the products you used in the description for viewers that might be interested in any of the products. Whilst costs may change and get out dates I always like to see them too. just for a point of reference. 👍🏻

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

A good shout. Leave it with me

@cunrah 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Thanks for adding them! This has helped me.

@remog38 5 месяцев назад

Tip for bracket install if using stainless steel fixings use lube as they lock up easily

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

I’m pretty sure these screws were galv. Stainless is very brittle. Good shout on using lube.

@gavjlewis 4 месяца назад

I'm a bit cheapskate so I would have probably mounted them in the tradition way and just put marine ply down with a pond liner glued to it and just put sealant around where the rail bracket fixing were. I guess it is nice to have a try of in roof systems and they do look super sleek when fitted. I do worry about cooling though as there is no air flow beneath like on a standard rail system so will affect output on hot sunny days.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

True. It was also important to me to look at something nice while we are relaxing below it. I take your point about cooling. If I was to do it again I would counter batten so there was more airflow between the battens and the panels. However, it’s all open below so some head transfer can happen. I’ve been tempted on a DIY water spray system video

@TheRonskiman 4 месяца назад

Looks nice, but would it have not been better to use bifacial panels, bolted from underneath and rubber sealing strips fitted between the panels?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I was a little restricted on panel choice because I wanted to have 2 rows of panels totalling around 3.6m in height. Any higher and I would have need longer timbers and a redesign. As well as getting into the maximum height permitted for a garden structure. A lot of the bifacial panels that I see advertised for more watts tend to be a lot bigger. I went with Eurener mepv 120 ultra premium 400w. They have a module efficiency of 22.3%. Dimensions 1727x1039mm I also wanted to play with the trays for future house roof installs.

@matbowden9156 25 дней назад

What do you suggest?

@ge2719 Месяц назад

seems like a very good solution. the panels act more like the roof, no space for pigeons to move in under them. no need to have a roof covered in tiles and then also panels.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

Exactly. Possibly a small loss in efficiency with heat but panels get hot in the sun regardless. I really think all new houses should come with in roof panels installed. There isn’t much difference in price between tiles and trays plus panels

@Jeremy-vb6tv 2 месяца назад

Do the drip trays not catch and direct the water downward? Why is the felt/plastic wrap underneath needed?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

Belt and braces. The trays are designed to be screwed into battens on roofs. So I was going to have them anyway seems sensible to spend £40 more on roofing felt

@Cagsjdr5 4 месяца назад

I would absolutely have to move those joists and lengthen it- my ADHD perfectionism wouldn’t cope with a half arsed job either 😂

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Glad to hear it. A bit more work but worth it in the end. I kinda think the structure looks pretty and didn’t want to destroy that by just bolting on bits of timber that were lacking the strength of a full rework. My mild ADHD wakes me up at night wishing I counter battened for an air gap then the next sentence I’m questioning where can I put panels next …

@CaptainProton1 14 дней назад

I did the same but without the expensive mounts, just panels and a bit of silicon smeared between the panel gaps. Totally waterproof and full access to panels and cables. A bit more unsightly compared to yours though.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 14 дней назад

Neat was very important to me. Although if I’m honest I’ve struggled to finish the guttering. Don’t tell anyone tho 😬🤓

@Ash-Col 4 месяца назад

I love the GSE system but can't find an installer in the west mids area that will fit them!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

A lot of installers get uncomfortable when it involves more than bolting brackets onto joists

@cunrah 4 месяца назад

Love your channel! Subbed! Keep up the great videos!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thanks for the sub. Means a lot. Tell your friends

@simonpannett8810 4 месяца назад

I am amazed you did not put your foot through the felting!! Also walking on wet wood might lead to a fall??

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I’ve got a circus qualification so always land on my feet.🦶 🐆

@chriss2295 3 месяца назад

Governments should provide panels to the general public. Loosen laws on installation. That’s where the real revolution will happen.

@fernarias 3 месяца назад

Panels aren't expensive anymore but I do agree on regulations since most new systems are plug and play.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Almost makes second hand panels a bit pointless as I found out

@FischerNilsA 3 месяца назад

Yeah, no! When hoisting tons of big heavy electic panes up high on roofs? Regulation is direly necessary. For the electric work to have standards which dont torch the roof, and for installation standards so panels dont rip off and brain somebody walking below. For the house-network, so that doesnt kill you or blow out. Regulations are your friend in building tech. More so in roofs and electric grid. . I dont want to give the smear merchants further ammunition when the first baby stroller is hit by someone who never tighened a screw, hanging balcony solar at his sixth floor flat.

@fernarias 3 месяца назад

@@FischerNilsA Most of the shoddy work I've seen is from professionals who try to finish as fast as possible. Regulations make a 5k install cost 15k with 5k for the financing.

@FischerNilsA 3 месяца назад

@@fernarias I´m not saying every current regulation is good, you will notice. I´m saying _"no regulation"_ in building and electic safety rules - as the op demanded? Is a baaad idea. Really bad.

@daviddawson9099 4 месяца назад

Great job well done.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you for your comment. Please let me know if there is anything else you would like to see in videos

@daviddawson9099 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan it would be interesting to see a stand alone solar and battery set up powering a car charger. So like a car port with battery and charger and solar array so an EV could be completely powered by the sun for local travel.

@tomking8674 5 месяцев назад

My favourite quote was, "If only I had... longer arms?"

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

I wish it was even a joke 😂😂

@michaelsmithers4900 Месяц назад

The extended ends on the pergola will add nice extra shade on sunny days, if you get some😉

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

As a man of many unfinished projects .. we shall see 😂

@kdlange6052 3 месяца назад

9:57 you could have saved yourself some pain & aggravation if you had used a piece of plywood to slide around over the battens giving yourself a secure platform to work off of

@kevinlally7653 4 месяца назад

Fab video - really well made and great content. Subscribed! Have you also put panels on the "!Furze" shed?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you. I haven’t so far because I either need more storage or more inverters / export ability. I plan to get into this in future videos. I’ve currently got around 15KWh total battery storage and I can fill this up easily on a sunny day. I could export more if I got another inverter. Or more battery storage. All planned.. My usage will go up in future with an electric van and one day a heat pump too but we are talking next few years. The other big problem with the furze shed was that the roof was made from 3x2s . So it’s not the strongest roof structure. I need to find a way for it to take panels but spread the weight from the ends. I recon it will only fit 4 panels east west, and it’s shaded heavily from Oct to Mar. Diminishing returns. Still it’s a space that needs filling 😂😂

@dazhornblower5719 3 месяца назад

What size timbers are you using? I have a garden room and I am wondering if they will support that set up. Mine are 150 by 50 with 400mm gaps

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

I’ve used the same timbers and I should expect you will be fine. My centres are slightly wider at 600mm. Another consideration is the span. Longer spans need thicker timber. There are online calculators that might help. Failing that a structural engineer would be your go too

@sei-himcheong1604 3 месяца назад

Do you need a planning permission for a solar pergola?

@DaleKlein Месяц назад

Seems like it would be watertight without the underlayment paper. Then there would be air circulation available under the panels for lower panel temperature and more production.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

Yes I’m sure they would. But the manual calls for membrane. I wanted to practise for house roofs and make sure I didn’t get pesky leaks. Like everything in life it’s a compromise

@matbowden9156 25 дней назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryManDoesn't doing it the way give you a better aesthetic? So yeah, what you gain on the slide, you lose on the roundabout 😂 I'm keen to have mine more transparent, so I'll probably keep looking for now, but great work 👍

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 25 дней назад

@@matbowden9156 if your looking for panels on timber there are rubber sealing strips out there but not sure how they handle changing weather and temps over time.

@matbowden9156 25 дней назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Cheers! Found some on flea bay. I think I'll go with that, and bifacial panels, as I want some light to come through 😁

@DannyAndrijanic 4 месяца назад

6:14, Kitty in yard at rear.

@DeviloftheHelll 3 месяца назад

next time you redo it, membrane, 1 layer of wood strip on top of the joist then perpendicular the rest, water will have somewhere to run without rotting the wood, and the panels will have nice airflow under them.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Yes I definitely would counter batten next time. Good news on the GSE trays I would say very little if any water makes it through to the membrane. Very impressed with the trays I do wonder how many watts I’ve cost myself 😂 thanks for commenting

@iancox6341 4 месяца назад

Can I ask why you didn't use micro inverters for each panel to maximise output?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Good question. Largely because I have an off grid inverter already. A MPP solar 4024. So it was just a case of swapping the panels. But also because shading only affects the bottoms of the panels in the time of year production is reduced (dead of winter for a part of the morning). So I’m not sure I would gain much from them. I guess I could do a test in future and see how much difference it makes. From a 3.2kw array at the end of April I’ve seen 3kw max so far. So I’m not loosing a lot right now for not using micro inverters

@AaronBregg 4 месяца назад

Any updates on how the project is holding up in the rain? (Great vid BTW)

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

The trays are performing perfectly. With the added protection of the roofing membrane. We’ve got an egg chair underneath which we cleaned at the start of the spring and it’s bone try and not needing to be brought in after use.

@AaronBregg 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Awesome to hear. Thanks!

@jj81453 5 месяцев назад

Have never heard of such a thing, this is great! Seeing as we would like to have a pergola installed at some point do you have any issues with the pitch of the roof? I read that near flat is not ideal for panels, i'm assuming there is a slight angle on yours?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Hard to tell from the filming but I have an angle of around 10 degrees if I remember correctly. I chose the pergola to angle south in a part of the garden that receives a lot of the sun. Slowly making it a little snug with a bamboo entrance

@patdunphy4714 4 месяца назад

Back again. Could you let me know the cost of your system? As I have been looking at doing the same here. Thank you

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

No worries. Happy to share. The total cost is around £3000 for a 3.2kw solar system with 7.1kwh of batteries. The inverter is rated for 4000 watt output Inverter £550 Batteries £1100 (batteries have come down now so could knock £400 off that price) Solar panels trays and extra timber £1300 £200 ish for cable, MC4 connectors and additional consumer unit

@SecretSanta 22 дня назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan That's a wonderful breakdown - thank you. Please could I ask ... So you have the 4K inverter, brill. But then how do you use it yourself? Have you connected into the mains ? If so, how/what did you use :-) Or do you just plug in certain items and run them from the inverter directly. Thanks for a great video and open dialogue.

@phasedout6769 4 месяца назад

Been installing solar for years. Please do away with the wago connectors in the Wiska box. Wago connectors aren't rated for that kind of DC voltage. Side note, if you'd of made a small fly lead between the top and bottom rows you'd of struggled less and put less strain on that particular connection. Other than that, nice install for a pergola.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you for the advice. I have small fly leads and that would have been a good idea. Noted for future. . . The wagos are 211-612. Rated for 41amps and 450v. 6mm cable. My array is only 12amp and 336v. What would you recommend ?

@phasedout6769 4 месяца назад

@TheOfficialBatteryMan I believe that to be the AC rating for the wago connectors. I had the same argument with an MCS inspector once upon a time and he wasn't keen on the use of Wago connectors with DC. So was forced to use MC4s I've always bought additional MC4s and any joints have been done with MC4s since. Think a kit off geofry bezos is £20 or some such. Cheap relatively speaking, any ingress of water to the Wiska box is therefore additionally protected by the mc4 connector. I can see the guys logic. Have you used boot lace ferrules before putting the cable in the wago?. Since it's multi strand.

@paoc1791 5 месяцев назад

Interesting build. Why did you not rest the joists on the corner posts. It would have provided better transfer of weight. You are now depending solely on the fastener to transmit the load. As the roof is light I think it'll be probably fine.

@paoc1791 5 месяцев назад

Also need more than just a screw up through the roof joists to fix them to the structure. The torsional forces are not being addressed. I would recommend some noggins between the roof joists (to stop the roof going sideways and the roof joists falling flat onto their sides. I would also use some universal anchors at a minimum to tie the structure together (Simpson Strong-Tie A35E)

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Largely down to a very DIY structure. If I was to build from scratch again I would make the entire footprint larger. I’m using coach bolts and 6x2 joists. All joints are glued

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Would you expect the roofing battens to do some work toward stopping the roof joists falling flat? They do of course have birdsmouth cuts not shown in the video.

@paoc1791 5 месяцев назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I'd get some noggins added between the roof joists as a minimum. I wouldn't trust battens to hold it together.

@Useitorloseit1 5 месяцев назад

I'm going to use IronRidge Camo clamps and racking on my Pergola. Camo clamps will allow panel seams to be glued and or taped the with Butyl tape. I want to have the light that is provided with Bifacial Panels. Thanks for the video, I had no Idea those plastic waterproof bits were available! Why did you put down the Felt? Wouldn't the Panels be cooler without it?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

I’ve never seen those clamps before. Thanks for sharing. I had to carefully choose panels that worked for my existing structure size. That meant around 1.8m long and 1.1m ish wide. Otherwise I would either have to large a structure or wasted roof space. I wanted a fully maintenance free system hence plastic trays. Plastic has been part of roofing materials for some time near me. Think ridges or valleys. I put felt down as a belt and braces method this is what would go down when using the trays on roofs. I felt it would look neater from the underside and wanted practise using the system for using on roofs in the future. Heat could have been countered with counter battening providing an air gap. I do regret not doing this however it’s still far more exposed than it would be on a traditional roof allowing some air flow

@Useitorloseit1 5 месяцев назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I'm in The Seattle area, Washington State. Doesn't look like the plastic panels are available around here. Sure wish they were. As of right now. Industry standard here is. Put down asphalt shingles. Then proceeded to drill a bunch of holes to mount the Panels. Then remove everything when roofing needs replacing, 20 to 30 years. Or install the very expensive Tesla roof. Don't want to trust, glued panels and Camo clamps to protect million dollar home. Probably couldn't get insurance!

@YKLABATYD-nn6kc Месяц назад

You forgot to put battens parallel to rafters above your water barrier, it would improve ventilation and lower panel temperature and increase production.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

You are completely right. I didn’t counter batten. If I was to do the project again I defo would. There is also some other elements to consider for a pergola. How it looks is important and with it raised up would it look right? Also there is free movement of air below unlike a confined roof space

@johnbanks8065 4 месяца назад

Nice video. What are your thoughts on the GSE system? I'm thinking of using it when I get round to getting solar; lots of advantages, especially in that trays and panels will be lighter than the existing tiles so no weight issues on an older roof, with only the disadvantage of slightly reduced output due to lack of ventilation. Would love to see a video of your DIY water cooling system 👍, I've often pondered something similar.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thank you my friend. Loved the GSE trays. Well worth the money. They are neat and secure. Hard to really measure the power reduction for them. Most panels on a roof on a hot day will be very toasty anyway.

@johnbanks8065 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan My roof is split into 3 parts, so potentially 6 different arrays, although most will be quite small (likely 2 arrays of 2 panels, 3 arrays of 4 panels and then the main array of 8-10 panels). Are arrays that small viable? None of them would really work on the same string as they each face different orientation, slope and shading issues. I'd like to get as many panels up there as possible given the marginal cost of a panel or two is generally a lot lower than the system average cost per panel. What would be the likely best option; a single inverter with optimisers where necessary, a couple of smaller inverters, or microinverters?

@Texacate Месяц назад

Can you elaborate on why you wanted a water tight ceiling, under your pergola. Are you running ceiling fans or something that cannot get wet? I will be building a solar pergola soon, but Im going with bifacial panels, and will probably run a small grid of gutters underneath to divert 95% of the water. If it starts to rain a lot, I'm going back in the house...

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

Good question. I’m in the UK. It rains a lot. It’s nice to have somewhere In the garden we are not waiting for it to dry out to use. We can leave seat covers out for the season and can consider things like an outdoor tv without worrying about it getting damaged.

@robertt8273 2 месяца назад

Why do you have to run the wire under the plastic? I see there is a gap in yhe raised plastic. Isnt that to run the wire down to the next panel. Going across couldnt you just make a small slot in the raised part of the plastic? Just s thought.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

I could say because people like to see a man’s struggles through incompetence… But looking back they could have probably gone over the trays to connect rows to the next row. I think I got fixated on connecting them as I had going across. Going across the rows they are designed to go under to maintain the water tightness. I should think it would be easier in a roof with space to the side to get around the panels rather than the drop offs I had at the side.

@grahamhorwood9689 2 месяца назад

Nice build. Thinking of doing something similar in my garden to add onto my existing solar as I can’t get any more panels on my roof. What is the pitch of your pergola in terms of the angle of solar panels towards the sky.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

Pretty shallow 15 degrees I think. I wanted it to look right. Over that span any steeper and I feel it would have looked odd. Not had issues with that angle.

@freethink3r 4 месяца назад

Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing your build. Would you be able to do a quick video on the construction of your pergola? I am considering building something similar and would like to know what timber you used, how you connected it all together, the height (front and back) and angle (slope).

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Thanks. I’ll find a sunny day to share the construction. In the meantime a timber deck made from 6x2s all supported on concrete pads. Corners are 100mm posts if I remember right and the rest of the construction is 6x2s If I was to build again I might consider adding more rigidity with larger corner posts. The corner posts are also in spikes concreted into the ground.

@freethink3r 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan thanks for your reply. Do you happen to know the height of the front and back of the pergola from ground level?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

@@freethink3r I would have to say that it’s 2.5m tall, based on the max height your allowed in my area without planning permission. And I’m pretty sure it has a 15degree slope. Any shallower and you’re getting into dirty panel issues.

@EverydayLife621 5 месяцев назад

Take a bow sir!, I've got the same system (purchased 12 months ago), but (its been so wet) that i have not been able to permamently fix my system - where are you?, I'm in the midlands & would be happy to pay somone to help me out!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 5 месяцев назад

Thanks for the comment. What’s holding you back other than the weather? Is yours going into your house roof? Stripping a house roof in the UK spring doesn’t sound fun

@patdunphy4714 4 месяца назад

Wow a lot cheaper than I thought. Question. How did you hook up to the house? Ps I am in the south of France.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Connected to an off grid inverter which has its own circuits it feeds. Effectively taken some loads off the house. The inverter has the ability to feed grid or generator input to power those loads and charge the batteries. Useful for winter when the sun isn’t so uhh present

@JamieKnowles 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan I'd love to see more on the inverter/battery side if you fancy doing another video on that in the future? I'm planning on doing the same once i've worked out my plan for the structure the panels will sit on

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

@@JamieKnowles Based on the interest in this video Ive got a video planned with that in mind. Hopefully I can share a few ‘what I would do different next time’ s to save others the hassle

@mondotv4216 4 месяца назад

Great vid and hard work. Couple of suggestions - surely there's a way of attaching solar panels to aluminium rails that's watertight and get's rid of the membrane and trays? I think there's a C and H channel design that allows you to slide the panels in then clamp then down on a watertight gasket. Or just silicone for a pergola. The membrane is a bit ugly - I don't think it would get the wife seal of approval.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I might not have shown off the membrane from the seating area very well. Personally I feel it fits in really nicely with the roof timbers. It provided a clean look. The previous panels did look a little messy with all the cabling for all 18 panels no matter how neat you made it. We might put some low key lights up in that space for evening sit outs.

@mondotv4216 4 месяца назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Yeah the rails I saw had cable mgt built in but they wouldn’t be cheap. There the same ones they use for solar shelters over car parks and I think they nearly always use bifacial panels to let light in.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

@@mondotv4216 ooo if you find a product name i would like to look them up

@TheRonskiman 4 месяца назад

Bi-facials panels bolted from underneath, with rubber sealing strips between panels.

@AlecMuller 4 месяца назад

What's the advantage of the GSE trays? They look like a lot of extra material and expense. Did you look into solar panel seam gaskets?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I didn’t look into seam gaskets. I don’t really trust gaskets in the sun to last 25 years. Are they used more commonly where your from? The trays cost me around £280. For 8 trays. To me money well spent. They provide a watertight roof which will last years, made from PP a Recyclable material and are easy to install. They are fairly light and once positioned and secured, the panels sit in place on them. This makes install easier and helps manage the weight of the panels. One big contributing factor for me was that they are designed to be used in roof on tiled or slate roofs. I want to be familiar with the system as I plan to use them in future on house roofs as a full kit for flush mounted in-roof solar systems.

@MrFish1968 25 дней назад

When you say a peak of 2500 watts in April do you mean per hour or per day?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 25 дней назад

A peak of 2500 instantaneous watts. In not so sunny August I’ve been seeing 10kWh a day. That’s more than half my home usage. So I’m happy.

@taj-ma-haul9094 Месяц назад

sorry if I missed this, but what is your rafter spacing?

@Tim_Kent Месяц назад

5:10 619 mm ☮️

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 21 день назад

I wouldn’t go over 600mm centres if you can

@taj-ma-haul9094 21 день назад

If my converter is correct, 24” = 610mm I prefer 16” (410mm), but with solar panels being mounted you get a lot of stabilization. 24” (610mm) should be fine as long as it’s thick enough for the length of it. Here in the Sonoran desert we get some frequent Monsoon winds hitting 100+ mph. You have to take that into consideration as well. All of my posts are steel, rafters are steel with the panel mounting rails out of aluminum- they’ve held up to 4 years of monsoons.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 21 день назад

Excellent. There are online roofing building calculators too. Sounds like you have it sussed

@heathmorgan 27 дней назад

Hi Just stumbled to your video and was wondering if it is possible to self contain solar on a property, for clarification, we have a cabin and hot tub in our garden the cabin has an electric shower and a few lights but the hot tub obviously has its pump and heater, is it possible to run this small area on solar and disconnect it from the house ? thank you and have subscribed

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 27 дней назад

Hi good question the simple answer is ‘Yes’ the more complicated answer is a question. Why run it off grid and not make use of the grid? Length of cable run from the main house? The loads you describe use both lots of power (shower) and lots of energy (hot tub) this means high powered inverter atleast 10kw and lots of battery storage. You would need a decent solar set up to maintain that. Does your property have a decent amount of space?

@heathmorgan 20 дней назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Thanks for the reply, he main reason for containing the cabin etc is because of the distance from the main property being about 300 meters and the electric meter being the opposite side of the house and the cable would be a nightmare to run because of tree roots etc, a major problem, oh and also the house is thatched and listed.

@СергейНеобязательно-з1у 18 дней назад

Just wonder What is the overall cost for these?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 18 дней назад

I think I spent around £1200-£1400 on panels, trays, roofing underlay and battens. The trays are designed to be used in roof and pretty much replace the cost of roof tiles. Personally I feel a fantastic idea for roofs

@drcmotorsports 3 месяца назад

Those tools are a Capital Expenditure and can be depreciated over time, lol. No need in adding them in the final cost of this one project.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Sounds like you’ve been making up excuses to buy tools for years 😂😂 Your totally right

@kdlange6052 3 месяца назад

3:22 and you wanted to work in the sun on a roof! You should be happy it cloudy

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Where I live we don’t get enough of it. Kinda makes you question why I’ve put solar panels up doesn’t it 😂😂

@harounsamadi2527 3 месяца назад

Ok Aber es geht definitiv auch viel einfacher, wenn man viele Profi Getue und Material weg lässt … Habe so eine in Garten gebaut sogar da darunter mit Rankpflanzen

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

Well done. All worth it in the end

@patdunphy4714 4 месяца назад

Looking good, what is the solar panel company? I will be doing this myself.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I’ve put together a list of most of the materials used in the video description. Email me some pics when you’re done. Would love to see your take on using the system

@serverrackbatteryusa 3 месяца назад

add our battery to your product list.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 3 месяца назад

If you want to send one over we can test it out and pop it on the channel if we like it. Email me

@MatthewEng2593 4 месяца назад

You can stand on solar panels. They won't break

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

I wouldn’t want to do anything that could cause them to degrade faster

@superdannyj 18 дней назад

How much were they

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 18 дней назад

Which part buddy?

@superdannyj 18 дней назад

⁠so sorry how much were the panels ?

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 18 дней назад

@@superdannyj£72 each from Midsummer Wholesale

@superdannyj 17 дней назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryManthats good and what make model are they please ?

@superdannyj 5 дней назад

@@TheOfficialBatteryMan Aiko Neostar?

@sorbetingle 4 месяца назад

Are you a fan of Dom Jolly?😁

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

Where is this going? 😂😂😂 I mean I’ve seen him live so yes

@martyn334 4 месяца назад

panels for £10 bargain!

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 4 месяца назад

They had there drawbacks for sure. 90v. Rubbish in cloudy weather. Not as efficient. I’ve learnt that one new high efficiency panel is better than lots of old tech panels. Would always stretch for new if you can.

@byardelectrical 2 месяца назад

Of all the electrical jobs you could have encouraged people to take on, its solar. DC voltage is no joke- we have enough dodgy solar installs as it is...

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

Couldn’t agree more. Lots of dodgy installs around. I had a solar installer attempt to use guttering as a cable tray a few years ago. They were MCS accredited! DIY off grid solar is not out of the possibility’s for ‘well educated’ non electrician mere mortals. I largely avoided the electrical side of this install not discussing cable sizes, protective devices. Inverter sizing so on. Hopefully those that can’t install or shouldn’t will show these idea’s to their competent electrician to work along with. I’ll be sure to consider disclaimers for future projects.

@pinkeye00 3 месяца назад

That step from the shed to the perg is cringe.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 2 месяца назад

I’ve done things that are more cringey than that 😂😂 I might share a few on the channel

@AndrewLumsden 20 дней назад

Per-go-la, not Per-gue-la!! 🙄😖

@TheOfficialBatteryMan 18 дней назад

Wa-go. Wey-go. Not sure why I struggle with the English language so much 😂😂

@guyzan 2 месяца назад

There's little to no sunlight in baritania... Wasted effort.

@TheOfficialBatteryMan Месяц назад

I’ve decided this is the funniest comment on the channel so far. Like the people of Baritania walk about with candles to see. Meanwhile I’m putting solar panels in my garden happy as Larry 😂