Electronics technician looking for advice

[Gezmonder]

I was recently quoted 2.5k for installation of a small 2.4kw solar system plus ~10kwh battery system. No scaffolding required on an easily accessible flat garage roof.

Having trained and working as an electronics technician back in the day and years doing basic electrical DIY at home, I am quite happy to do this work myself and have a quote for kit ready to pull the trigger on, then I started reading about these DNO regs. I've zero interested on exporting out to the grid I just want to charge from it off peak and use solar to top it up during the day.

Am I going to be permitted to do this not having any registrations or relevant qualification? Seeing G98,99 and 100 applications all over the place on here.

 

[Sinewaved]

Yes, install yourself make sure the install is done well, get electrician to wire it into the CU. Send off your completed g98 and you should really notify BC. Also make sure the panels dont protrude above the highest part of the roof. Could be tricky as its a flat garage roof?

 

[Gezmonder]

It's a long south facing double length garage but pitched at about 20 degrees so shouldn't be too bad. Am planning on using Renusol sandbag mounts as that's what the MCS installer quoted.

I just downloaded the G98 from UK Power Networks, it's a VERY basic Word document

So I can get away with hiring a standard domestic qualified electrician for half a day or so and use his details on the form?

 

[binky]

It's a long south facing double length garage but pitched at about 20 degrees so shouldn't be too bad. Am planning on using Renusol sandbag mounts as that's what the MCS installer quoted.

I just downloaded the G98 from UK Power Networks, it's a VERY basic Word document

So I can get away with hiring a standard domestic qualified electrician for half a day or so and use his details on the form?

not sure they can be used at that pitch of roof, and you will have to check weight bearing capability of the roof itself.

 

[Gezmonder]

not sure they can be used at that pitch of roof, and you will have to check weight bearing capability of the roof itself.

Actually I just measured it, it's 9 degrees. The solar installers who quoted designed it in and were happy to install onto that roof (which is new) so not worried about that part.

 

[binky]

Actually I just measured it, it's 9 degrees. The solar installers who quoted designed it in and were happy to install onto that roof (which is new) so not worried about that part.

What's the roof covering, slate, tile, metal, or felt?

 

[Gezmonder]

Felt. Not the sort of stuff that goes of your shed, proper thick stuff.

 

[SolarNoob]

Worth checking too if you can get cheap off rate, I assumed I could but it seems octopus go tariff requires you to have an EV which I don’t

 

[Gezmonder]

Worth checking too if you can get cheap off rate, I assumed I could but it seems octopus go tariff requires you to have an EV which I don’t

I already have it, and an EV. With Bulb currently who require no such proof of ownership to go on the EV tariff anyway.

 

[Andy1733]

Not sure I'm reading your op correctly.
What 10kw battery's are they quoting for at £2500?

 

[Gezmonder]

2.5k was just the labour costs for what would be one day's work.

 

[Andy1733]

Ok got ya.

 

[binky]

2.5k was just the labour costs for what would be one day's work.

it's one day for several people, normally a team of 3 or 4, plus office time designing a sytem to fit your roof, site visit and discussion (sales pitch), MCS fees, warranty fees, and experience.

 

[Gezmonder]

Yes I got all that schpiel from them when I challenged the price. It's two guys for one day so 1.2k+ day rate as far as I'm concerned.

I know how these things work, I work in IT consulting, there's all kinds of costs behind the scenes but the clients just pay a day rate at the end of the day. 1.2k will get you a senior high end specialist who's paid over 100k a year salary.

These are business to business costs so are more palatable, not business to a Joe Public consumer. They are also making about 50% markup on the kit. These solar companies are taking the piss, or making hay whilst the sun shines, depending on how you care to look at it.

 

[binky]

2 guys for 1 day is a little worrying as that is a lot of work for 2 people. Haymaking is very much alive and well with demand outstripping supply.

 

[Gezmonder]

2 guys for 1 day is a little worrying as that is a lot of work for 2 people. Haymaking is very much alive and well with demand outstripping supply.

It really isn't a lot of work for two guys - It's six solar panels on a low access roof, no scaffold. cable runs dropping down into the very same garage with the battery and and inverter fixing to an empty wall other than the consumer unit which they can wire into which has two spare ways on it. A mate of mine had a much larger 16 panel system installed onto a normal tiled house roof having to use scaffold. It took three guys and they were done by 15:00.

 

[binky]

6 panels is a doddle, I would do that by myself in a day without much straining. Cancel them, do it yourself and get a sparky to do the wiring

 

[Gezmonder]

6 panels is a doddle, I would do that by myself in a day without much straining. Cancel them, do it yourself and get a sparky to do the wiring

Yep, already decided - thanks for your input binky. Just finalising the kit order at the moment. I told the suppliers that I will want to split off the EV to continue charging from the grid off peak as it will completely sap the batteries on a small solar system like that with 10-12kwh of storage. So they have just removed the hybrid inverter from the quote and added a much cheaper 'Super Off-Grid Inverter' (about half the price) as they say it will do everything I need (charge the batteries from the grid off peak, charge from solar, allow the house to consume battery power regularly during the day and as a UPS during power cuts) - Just wondering what's actually 'off-grid' about it.....

 

[binky]

is the battery system a separate inverter to the solar? I am a little confused as to what they are installing as I don't understand how you can have an off grid inverter connected to the grid, or does that just feed the batteries and batteries are connected to house etc.

 

[Gezmonder]

Same, also confused when they dropped the hybrid unit. There's only one item on the kit list. These guys don't install, they just supply all the bits to my requirements.

I will give them a bell on Monday as maybe something being lost over email.