Solar PV Ordered!

Sharon1985

Celestine wrote: »

Just ordered my 2k system and should be installed in a few weeks. Does anyone know where i can get a little spreadsheet or something similar so I can recored my energy consumption before and after installation?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

did you not get a monitoring device with install? :money:

see this http://www.sma.de/en/products/monitoring-systems/sunny-beam-with-bluetoothr.html


this is an sma product for sma inverter ? who did you choose for install if I may ask? has you are local to me .

thenudeone

Just had an interesting chat with Fronius's technical support.

My supplier had wanted to put an IG TL 3.0 inverter on a 3.5kW system, which I had queried.

Two things I learned, which might be helpful for others:

• In summer, because panels heat up (45degC) their efficiency drops due to the heat, so a lower outpout inverter can handle all of the output the panels can produce. Panels are more likely to approach their peak output on a very sunny winter's day, when an undersized invertor will lose some of the possible output.
• The IG TL 3.0; 3.6; 4.0 are mechanically identical; the only difference is the software, so there is no harm in using a larger spec invertor (which is different to what I had been told by the installer, which was that larger inverter are slightly less efficient at lower powers)

zeupater

thenudeone wrote: »

Just had an interesting chat with Fronius's technical support.

My supplier had wanted to put an IG TL 3.0 inverter on a 3.5kW system, which I had queried.



Two things I learned, which might be helpful for others:

• In summer, because panels heat up (45degC) their efficiency drops due to the heat, so a lower outpout inverter can handle all of the output the panels can produce. Panels are more likely to approach their peak output on a very sunny winter's day, when an undersized invertor will lose some of the possible output.
• The IG TL 3.0; 3.6; 4.0 are mechanically identical; the only difference is the software, so there is no harm in using a larger spec invertor (which is different to what I had been told by the installer, which was that larger inverter are slightly less efficient at lower powers)

Hi

And they are correct, panels do become less efficient as their temperature increases, usually at 0.5% per degreeC above 25C, so at a normal operating temperature in full sun of 45C you would lose around 10% of their nominal rating.

The question regarding panel temperature is different when you look at normal summer conditions in the UK, such as today, where we've had mixed sun, clouds & showers resulting in numerous spells of excellent performance as the panels operate at lower temperatures, where creating a restriction at the inverter would have effected the daily total by quite a few percentage points.

Then again, whatever the nominal rating of the designed array is, what is the effect of the manufacturing tolerances on the panel pack you actually receive .... where you might be content with restricting performance on a pack at nominal tolerance, you might have a different view if they were all supplied at top tolerance :doh:.

HTH
Z

66chorisia

My panels 2.1 kw, 12 panels Yingli Supplied by Solar PV Ltd have produced the first year 1830 kw. SW facing roof IP1 2NY,Ipswich. Significantly less than the SAP calculation of 2520,another company estimated SAP of 1800. I used Solar PV Ltd as they were significantly lower in price for the same set up. No problems with the installation. Some companies are not advising that inverters cost more than £1000 and a relpacement is probable in about ten years, Solar PV did advise me of this.

LydiaJ

Just in case it's of any use to anyone....

I've had quotes from 5 companies now. Hugely varying quality of sales reps.
Evo Energy - Very knowledgeable salesman, happy to answer my endless questions that I've emailed him since his visit, no pressure to come to a decision.
Solar Technology PV Energy - Salesman not so knowledgeable, but pleasant and helpful, and again no high pressure sales tactics. I find it rather off-putting that their website gets confused at one point between kW and kWh.
NSA Electrical - Salesman heard I'd already had some quotes so didn't bother giving me any info "because we're all selling the same things really". Said he wasn't going to do anything dodgy like offering a discount for signing today, and then told me they'd got a container load of panels at a cheaper rate than usual, so the price of those was down at the moment, but he couldn't be sure when it would go back up when the cheaper ones ran out, and it would be good to order them asap. :rotfl:
SIG Energy Management - Another helpful and knowledgeable salesman who took a lot of time to discuss with me how the wiring could be routed through my house, which is an odd layout because of the way it's been extended.
Green Sun - Salesman most insistent I should sign up today, despite my saying repeatedly that I didn't want to decide immediately. Suggested I sign up anyway even if not sure because there was always the cooling off period, and then that I buy from them anyway because they would refund the difference if I found the same panels cheaper elsewhere. I didn't give in.

Another point that people might find helpful is that several of these companies were happy to offer a discount for doing more than one house at the same time. My next door neighbour is also interested in getting PV panels, so we'll be able to get them cheaper if we coordinate who we get them from and when.

jetski690

LydiaJ wrote: »

NSA Electrical - Salesman heard I'd already had some quotes so didn't bother giving me any info "because we're all selling the same things really". Said he wasn't going to do anything dodgy like offering a discount for signing today, and then told me they'd got a container load of panels at a cheaper rate than usual, so the price of those was down at the moment, but he couldn't be sure when it would go back up when the cheaper ones ran out, and it would be good to order them asap. :rotfl:

Hi Lydia,although that sounds laughable there actually was a story that a big european contract order had collapsed and Schucco had a load of panels to get rid of and a few firms did buy up bulk orders a lot cheaper then normal so if the panels were Schucco the story could very well be plausible.

albyota

LydiaJ wrote: »

Just in case it's of any use to anyone....

I've had quotes from 5 companies now. Hugely varying quality of sales reps.
Evo Energy - Very knowledgeable salesman, happy to answer my endless questions that I've emailed him since his visit, no pressure to come to a decision.
Solar Technology PV Energy - Salesman not so knowledgeable, but pleasant and helpful, and again no high pressure sales tactics. I find it rather off-putting that their website gets confused at one point between kW and kWh.
NSA Electrical - Salesman heard I'd already had some quotes so didn't bother giving me any info "because we're all selling the same things really". Said he wasn't going to do anything dodgy like offering a discount for signing today, and then told me they'd got a container load of panels at a cheaper rate than usual, so the price of those was down at the moment, but he couldn't be sure when it would go back up when the cheaper ones ran out, and it would be good to order them asap. :rotfl:
SIG Energy Management - Another helpful and knowledgeable salesman who took a lot of time to discuss with me how the wiring could be routed through my house, which is an odd layout because of the way it's been extended.
Green Sun - Salesman most insistent I should sign up today, despite my saying repeatedly that I didn't want to decide immediately. Suggested I sign up anyway even if not sure because there was always the cooling off period, and then that I buy from them anyway because they would refund the difference if I found the same panels cheaper elsewhere. I didn't give in.

Another point that people might find helpful is that several of these companies were happy to offer a discount for doing more than one house at the same time. My next door neighbour is also interested in getting PV panels, so we'll be able to get them cheaper if we coordinate who we get them from and when.

I have just heard of a very elderly gentleman that was sold a system by Green Sun on a west facing bungalow roof, 1.8kWp for £10,600, he was (in his words) rushed into signing, and the salesman took £2.6K deposit there and then, when he realised he was paying more than £3K over what others have quoted, he has called to cancel but they are only going to refund £1000, so they have had £1,600 for 20 minutes work. The annual return (FITs) the salesman gave him was incorrect. Green sun do not employ any fitters or salesmen they are all freelance / sub-contract. Steer clear of these parrasites.

heena1979

Hi,

Anyone planning to have solar panels put up by this company, i would highly recommend that you dont bother. Waste of time - they are unprofessional and you cannot trust them!!!

We were ummming and arrrring about it and then found out they forged my signature, they didnt consult the bank first (due to the house still belonging to the bank) when they are suppose to. We had nothing in writing from NSA before starting the work.

They had not consulted us about when they were coming round to place the solar panels. Then one day out of the blue we had the scaffolding company and the electrician turn up without even knowing they were coming!

Absolute jokers!!!