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Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

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Comments

  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 15,485 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Wobblydeb wrote: »
    Can I join in please? We've had our system just a couple of weeks, and just had our best day yet. 4.83 O's :j I think is correct.

    It has made me worry that we rather oversized our panels compared to inverter though :o I've got a flat topline for nearly 3 hours today and we have hit the limit quite a lot since the system was installed.

    4.8kWp of panels with a 3.6kW inverter. What do you think?? :huh:

    Hiya Wobblydeb and welcome to the silly world of O's.

    3.6kW for 4.8kWp of PV does sound a tad undersized, normally for the UK an inverter undersized by 10-20% is suggested as ideal.

    But don't worry, I suspect the inverter has been chosen to meet DNO (district network operator) rules that restrict potential export to 3.68kW. To have more potential requires asking for permission, which some get, and some don't. So not a strange situation at all.

    Anytime your generation is below 3.6kW (or possibly 3.68kW) there will be no impact, so your annual generation probably won't be hurt too much, and in hot weather, panels will typically drop to about 80% efficiency anyway.

    You may find that it's times like now (and the late Autumn) when you get the most capping, when the air temps are lower and the panels try to generate more.

    Lastly, if your inverter is bigger than 3.6kW, but capped (manually) at 3.68kW, then you could ask the installer to apply to the DNO for permission to uncap, but they may well say no. But ...

    PVGIS is very good/accurate so see how you do over a year based on a 4.8kWp system and see if you think capping has impacted you, it might not be as bad as you think.
    Mart. Cardiff. 8.72 kWp PV systems (2.12 SSW 4.6 ESE & 2.0 WNW). 28kWh battery storage. Two A2A units for cleaner heating. Two BEV's for cleaner driving.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 7,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Back to the rubbish!

    1.07 O's
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • ASavvyBuyer
    ASavvyBuyer Posts: 1,737 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    1.75 O's today.
  • shavy65
    shavy65 Posts: 562 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts
    shavy65 wrote: »
    Best day for a looooong time - 5.2 Scottish O`s :D

    O today. Not an O, just O, zero! :eek:
    3.975 kWp System, South facing, 21 degree pitch, 15 x Canadian Solar Elps, Samil Inverter, location NE Scotland (Fraserburgh) Bring on the Sun :beer:
  • Oscargrouch
    Oscargrouch Posts: 4,393 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Merlin139 wrote: »
    Back to the rubbish!
    1.07 O's
    Yeh, you and me both...:(
    shavy65 wrote: »
    O today. Not an O, just O, zero! :eek:
    Have you got snow on yer panels? O in even dull daylight seems a bit strange...Dull here all day hence...only 1.08 O's..coffee.gif
    2.5 kWp PV system, SSW facing, 45 Deg Roof. ABB Inverter, Monitor: 'Wattson'.
    Reg. for FIT Nov 2011. "It's not what you generate; it's how you use it that matters". One very clean Vauxhall Diesel Sri, £30.00 Road Tax: B)

    Definition of 'O's = kWh/kWp (kWh = your daily & accurate Generation figure) (kWp = the rated output of your PV Panels).
  • legoman62
    legoman62 Posts: 5,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 28 March 2018 at 7:19PM
    Carp day here today :mad: lots of rain = 1.05 O's:D
    16 Sanyo Hit 250s.4kWp SMA 3.8kWp inverter. SW roof. 28° pitch. Minimal shade. Nov 2011 install. Hybrid car. Ripple Kirk Hill. N.E Lincs Coast.
  • shavy65
    shavy65 Posts: 562 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 500 Posts
    Oscargrouch wrote: »
    Have you got snow on yer panelscoffee.gif

    No snow, excessive rain and wind. The power was cut around mid day for a while, other than that it was a very very dull dark grey day.
    3.975 kWp System, South facing, 21 degree pitch, 15 x Canadian Solar Elps, Samil Inverter, location NE Scotland (Fraserburgh) Bring on the Sun :beer:
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 7,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Very up and down day!

    2.48 O's
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • cjmillsnun
    cjmillsnun Posts: 615 Forumite
    A surprising 2.156 O's
    2.88 kWp System, SE Facing, 30 Degree Pitch, 12 x 240W Conergy Panels, Samil Solar River Inverter, Havant, Hampshire. Installed July 2012, acquired by me on purchase of house in August 2017
  • ASavvyBuyer
    ASavvyBuyer Posts: 1,737 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    2.75 O's today.
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