Solar install

[bluesky]

Good afternoon,

We run a small campsite and had the great idea of purchasing solar panels and fitting them to a shed roof to save on our electric bill. We now have 32 x JA Solar 380w panels sat ready to install.

From what I understand is that because we have a single phase supply we need to contact the DNO for a G99 application to see what they will allow us to feed back the grid.

What I’m wondering is, rather than applying for G99 could we install all 32 panels and just have a limiter fitted that would only allow 3.68kW to be fed back to the grid and we could therefore just notify the DNO with a G98 form?

What would happen with the excess electric that is generated, can it just be dumped? I guess we could install batteries that would be charged up during the day by the solar array and then used overnight but I read mixed information about battery storage not being up to it at the moment and then what size to go for?

Should we be looking to go off-grid so that the house and campsite run from batteries and we use the electric supply to keep the batteries charged (like a generator connection I’ve seen on inverters) – would this be a better way to go?

Thanks for any advice, I know we’ve probably gone about this the wrong way and should have gone through an accredited installer from the start, trying to find an installer to help now is proving to be impossible!

Mike

 

[binky]

1/ is your shed roof strong enough?
2/ you can get inverters with export limitation
3/ you should use a G100 application
4/ do you have hot water tanks for the showers/ wash rooms, if you do, use leccy to heat water rather than install batteries / install a smaller battery set
5/ going off-grid is probably more hassle than it's worth to you. It's fine if you are used to living under such circumstances, but otherwise, is difficult to adapt to.

 

[stuboy]

Binky, you took the words.... ;-) Mike where abouts are you?
Stuart

 

[Gian]

1/ is your shed roof strong enough?
2/ you can get inverters with export limitation
3/ you should use a G100 application
4/ do you have hot water tanks for the showers/ wash rooms, if you do, use leccy to heat water rather than install batteries / install a smaller battery set
5/ going off-grid is probably more hassle than it's worth to you. It's fine if you are used to living under such circumstances, but otherwise, is difficult to adapt to.

Binky is 100% on this. With that amount of PV you should not waist it . Heat up water, offer free ev charging to customers. In the summer you have these issues but winter you may find it works in your favour .

 

[binky]

Binky is 100% on this. With that amount of PV you should not waist it . Heat up water, offer free ev charging to customers. In the summer you have these issues but winter you may find it works in your favour .

It's nearly 12kw of panels, if the roof is facing the right way, even winter output should be reasonably high. Great thing about camping is that highest demand coincides with the best solar outputs.

 

[Julian_S]

As I understand it the price they pay to buy your electrickery is peanuts, which sounds nuts to me given that Boris is rushing out nuclear plants to plug a hole in production. Given that we have weeks of poor light in winter I wonder if you could just go off-grid in summer only? Say 6 months on, 6 months off, then you would also save on the standing charge that seems to have risen sharply. Just tell EON to bugger off in April and then ask them to reconnect in October? Would it work? You may need a small generator to top up the batteries in summer if we have a spell of poor light.

 

[bluesky]

Thanks for the replies, yes the shed roof is strong enough and south facing, good idea about heating hot water tank rather than wasting energy although I think storing surplus in batteries might be more useful as they would help to keep electric usage down even more.

Is the G100 application simply a notification to the DNO that we would only be exporting the limited 3.68kW amount? Would we need to send a G98 application in as well or is that not necessary?

Can you recommend any inverters that have the export limitation feature or G100 approval?

 

[revor]

I would check if you can export more than 3.68. I was clipping a lot at 3.68 with my 6 Kw system with battery so enquired with DNO what it would take to export more they came back quickly sent me some forms to send in and within hours got go ahead for 5kw export. To export more would cost £750 for a survey /test and not worth it. So worth checking what you can do for your site. To get export payment you will need an MCS certificate.
If you go with Octopus you get a good rate on variable export last month got a couple of pence more per kWh than my consumption tariff. If you are on a commercial supply you can't have this option. But if you are registerd VAT business you can get that back I guess and also offset against your business.
You mention going off grid if you do you may want to include a wind turbine in which case go for LA battery as they are easier to include than Li .
There is a company Zhyphen https://zhyphen.com/ that do off grid systems e.g. medical centres for 3rd world countries that have no power so if you have a decent amount to invest you could maybe consider this option. As you are accommodating campers your green credentials could be an USP for you. I would like to now add a small turbine but have shot myself in the foot as combining my system using a Li battery is a non starter.

 

[binky]

I would like to now add a small turbine but have shot myself in the foot as combining my system using a Li battery is a non starter.

I keep looking at small wind turbines, in the 500/600w range, but getting a grid tied inverter is rather hard, although Soladin do a unit. I'm contemplating whether or not I could tap the turbine into the DC side of my solar panels. Only trouble with that is the FiT provider would almost certainly notice the performance hike and query what I've been doing - I'm on the original high tariff, and risking that is definetly not in my interests.

 

[binky]

Is the G100 application simply a notification to the DNO that we would only be exporting the limited 3.68kW amount? Would we need to send a G98 application in as well or is that not necessary?

Can you recommend any inverters that have the export limitation feature or G100 approval?

Just the one application form G99 or G100 - given the size of your system I would use the G100.

Solis or Solax give a lot of value for money and have the export limitation features you need. I've fitted a few Solis units, and they seem to be proving reliable. Solax have a better app though!

Any idea what your energy consumption is with say a full site or half full site?

 

[Gian]

It's nearly 12kw of panels, if the roof is facing the right way, even winter output should be reasonably high. Great thing about camping is that highest demand coincides with the best solar outputs.

I am in midwales and my 13kw system in winter does very little . I am increasing it by another 4kw just for winter only.

 

[binky]

I am in midwales and my 13kw system in winter does very little . I am increasing it by another 4kw just for winter only.

this winter has been awful, constantly overcast skies has resulted in very poor perfromance. If you have the option, mount your new panels at something like 60deg or even vertical to improve their aspect to the sun and enhance winter outputs.

 

[stuboy]

Just the one application form G99 or G100 - given the size of your system I would use the G100.

Solis or Solax give a lot of value for money and have the export limitation features you need. I've fitted a few Solis units, and they seem to be proving reliable. Solax have a better app though!

Any idea what your energy consumption is with say a full site or half full site?

The new Solis website is excellent, so much better than the old one, have you transferred all your plant to the new one?

 

[binky]

The new Solis website is excellent, so much better than the old one, have you transferred all your plant to the new one?

I don't have a Solis, my system is far to old for that, I'm just working on customer feedback from the last few years. There's one particular feature on the hybrid inverters which is/ was far easier to use on the Solax, namely the ability to force a charge up of the batteries mid winter, when they have got all sulky because of being discharged almost fully for too long. Solis may well have improved that by now.

 

[Murdoch]

The new Solis website is excellent, so much better than the old one, have you transferred all your plant to the new one?

Have you got a link for this please?

 

[stuboy]

https://www.soliscloud.com/#/homepage
Its 100 times better than the old version.
Warning its slightly addictive watching your graph during the day!
Cheers
Stuart

 

[binky]

https://www.soliscloud.com/#/homepage
Its 100 times better than the old version.
Warning its slightly addictive watching your graph during the day!
Cheers
Stuart

ah yes, nothing like a solar array to turn you into a weather watcher

 

[Murdoch]

https://www.soliscloud.com/#/homepage
Its 100 times better than the old version.
Warning its slightly addictive watching your graph during the day!
Cheers
Stuart

thanks for that. Most useful

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