Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

• bell curve
• porcupine
• road-kill hedgehog

Love the descriptions!

Equaliser123

Just wondering. Had our system installed in December 2010. At the time, all the calculations said to allow for a new inverter every 5-10 years or so.

So far, so good. But has anyone heard of any systems requiring any form of maintenance? Presumably, with costs falling fast, the initial cost estimates for new inverters, etc are probably now rather too prudent?

sly_dog_jonah

KevinG wrote: »

Oh that is just a ridiculous amount to be getting at this time of year - I'm lucky to get 3kWh! What on earth do you get in the summer?

(Got a fairly typical 0.37kWh yesterday)

It sure is! Our record is 24.4kWh on 26th May last year.

Yesterday was an 8.3kWh and we're already over 8kWh before 1pm today. :cool:

John_Pierpoint

Equaliser123 wrote: »

Just wondering. Had our system installed in December 2010. At the time, all the calculations said to allow for a new inverter every 5-10 years or so.

So far, so good. But has anyone heard of any systems requiring any form of maintenance? Presumably, with costs falling fast, the initial cost estimates for new inverters, etc are probably now rather too prudent?

Check Ebay to see what the current price for your inverter is ?

The real expense might be that (I think I am right here) monkeying about with your own electrics is now a criminal offence, so it will be interesting to see how much we will get quoted for a one for one replacement when the time comes.

zeupater

Equaliser123 wrote: »

Just wondering. Had our system installed in December 2010. At the time, all the calculations said to allow for a new inverter every 5-10 years or so.

So far, so good. But has anyone heard of any systems requiring any form of maintenance? Presumably, with costs falling fast, the initial cost estimates for new inverters, etc are probably now rather too prudent?

Hi

I wouldn't bet on it !! .....

Just think, a replacement consumer unit costs ~£50, but you'd be charged >£100, it takes ~0.5 man days to fit/exchange and the overall cost is ~£500 (if you're lucky ! ) .... a GCH boiler retails at about £900 (trade ~£450), but it's something like £2500 fitted if a straightforward swap (also, if you're lucky) ....

Don't forget, pv was a high margin profit centre for many installing companies, so they'd need to make-up for the recent price reductions somehow .... also, they know that you're losing FiT payments whilst maintaining a negotiating position ....

There have been a number of industry insiders on these boards over the years and they always seem to go quiet whenever questioned on the hypothetical cost of replacing a specific inverter model with a large installation base, say a SB4000TL ...

Hopefully it'll never happen, but it would be wise to ensure that appropriate funding is readily available if it ever does, else you're simply losing FiT payments as well as saving up for a repair/replacement inverter ...

HTH
Z

John_Pierpoint

Perhaps we should keep a register of sparks and replacement prices here on MSE ?
Presumably there is nothing preventing the installation of a different but equivalent inverter/panel to replace a failing unit?

Who was it who went on holiday last summer and came home to find the inverter had "locked out", while he was away ?

EricMears

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

The real expense might be that (I think I am right here) monkeying about with your own electrics is now a criminal offence

An obvious reference to part P of the Building Regs.

I believe that makes it illegal to add new electrical circuits but allows DIYers to maintain/replace existing ones. It also has the usual fuzzy definition of 'competent persons'.

I'm sure anyone could read that and decide that taking out one inverter and replacing it with a similar model is within their area of competence

EricMears

EricMears wrote: »

Today looks even brighter and sunnier than was yesterday :j:j

At least, for most of the time, in between it keeps snowing. And (you've guessed it !) my shallow panels have a thin layer of snow so are pumping out a magnificent 0.000W :mad:

Can but hope some of the covering melts in the sun, but not really confident it will.

Managed to peak at 140W around Noon and have generated a total of 291Wh today.

Only glimmer of hope is that some of the weather forecasts are promising me some overnight rain and a bright start tomorrow - but (as I may have casually mentioned before) they usually get it wrong.

jackieblack

7kWh today :T

InVestor_2

13.5 kWh today, putting me above climate forecast for the month for the first time since September '12.

Had a 1.6 kW halogen heater on most of the day heating my home with all that lovely free leccy