Changing system capacity - FIT

Dave_Fowler

grahamc2003 wrote: »

Just for the avoidance of doubt - did you get the current fit rate for the new installation? (if you don't mind me asking).

Do the power optimisers come with comprehensive display software, like the solar edge stuff? (or is it solar edge?). It would be really interesting to see how much you get from individual panels when some are in shade at this time of the year.

Currently, I have at least one or two panels shaded all the time, and consequently get next to no generation. I'm hoping for some in February! I could have a load of trees chopped down, but really I'd rather not for what I expect would be a small gain - perhaps 100kwh max pa. (Mines a 1.75kW system). I could probably get much of that gain with micro inverters, but again, I doubt it would be worth it.

I assume your HW tank will be hot by 10am these days, what have you planned for all the extra generation after that?

I've not yet registered the system (only completed the installation an hour ago) and hence don't know what FIT rate I'll get. I assume it will be the current rate for a 4 - 10kWp system.

It is a solar edge system. The shading is from tall beech trees 50metres to the East and my house 5m to the WSW. In the winter the leaves are off the trees. During most of the day there will be no shading as the angle of clear view is around 150 degrees. There was no shading today except for the continuous cloud cover! Only 1.671kWh on the old house system.

With the extra generation, the HW tank will certainly get to maximum temperature quite often and switch off. I'm going to have to tell SP again that my meter runs backwards.

I'll put some system comparison figures on the Generation thread as soon as I get a complete day.

Dave F

Martyn1981

grahamc2003 wrote: »

Currently, I have at least one or two panels shaded all the time, and consequently get next to no generation. I'm hoping for some in February! I could have a load of trees chopped down, but really I'd rather not for what I expect would be a small gain - perhaps 100kwh max pa. (Mines a 1.75kW system). I could probably get much of that gain with micro inverters, but again, I doubt it would be worth it.

@Dave - could you quote this post please, so that Graham gets to see it. Thanks. M.

@Graham, if I'm remembering what you posted at the beginning of the year correctly, I may have a suggestion for you. (If incorrect - apologies, please ignore).

I think you mentioned a second roof 1.25kWp?, and that it was similar orientation to your current system SW & SE?

If so, then ...... stick with me here, modifying your current set up will be a little expensive, and installing a 1.25kWp system, also expensive (proportionately) but doing both at the same time ...... still with me?

So, if orientations are similar, and can share a TGM, then you get the 1.25kWp installed with SolarEdge PO's, have PO's fitted to the existing panels at the same time, strip out the SB1700 and fit a SE3000.

That way you'll get the shade saving of the PO's, plus a 5% improvement from the much better inverter (circa 97.5%), and a slightly wider generation day.

SE inverters are quite cheap, and you might get £250 or so for the SB1700 on fleabay. Bonus, the SE will have a 12 year warranty on it.

You'll need to check that generation /kWp on the new system will be as good as the old one, and that your FIT provider allows two tariffs to share one TGM, by apportioning generation. Check how they apportion.

Clearly needs a spot of number crunching, but might just be worthwhile.

Mart.

PS Check out YingLi panels, as they do 265W and bigger, pushing a 5 panel system over 1.3kWp. M.

Dave_Fowler

Martyn1981 wrote: »

@Dave - could you quote this post please, so that Graham gets to see it. Thanks. M.

@Graham, if I'm remembering what you posted at the beginning of the year correctly, I may have a suggestion for you. (If incorrect - apologies, please ignore).

I think you mentioned a second roof 1.25kWp?, and that it was similar orientation to your current system SW & SE?

If so, then ...... stick with me here, modifying your current set up will be a little expensive, and installing a 1.25kWp system, also expensive (proportionately) but doing both at the same time ...... still with me?

So, if orientations are similar, and can share a TGM, then you get the 1.25kWp installed with SolarEdge PO's, have PO's fitted to the existing panels at the same time, strip out the SB1700 and fit a SE3000.

That way you'll get the shade saving of the PO's, plus a 5% improvement from the much better inverter (circa 97.5%), and a slightly wider generation day.

SE inverters are quite cheap, and you might get £250 or so for the SB1700 on fleabay. Bonus, the SE will have a 12 year warranty on it.

You'll need to check that generation /kWp on the new system will be as good as the old one, and that your FIT provider allows two tariffs to share one TGM, by apportioning generation. Check how they apportion.

Clearly needs a spot of number crunching, but might just be worthwhile.

Mart.

PS Check out YingLi panels, as they do 265W and bigger, pushing a 5 panel system over 1.3kWp. M.

Hi Mart & all.

Not a good start. The inverter appears to have died overnight. I've contacted the installers and they've asked me to do some checks and I have confirmed that 240V is arriving at the inverter AC input/output but there is no activity whatsoever in the inverter (no lights, no communication, not even a power on light).

Dave F

Martyn1981

Dave_Fowler wrote: »

Hi Mart & all.

Not a good start. The inverter appears to have died overnight. I've contacted the installers and they've asked me to do some checks and I have confirmed that 240V is arriving at the inverter AC input/output but there is no activity whatsoever in the inverter (no lights, no communication, not even a power on light).

Dave F

Keep smiling Dave, you'll be playing with the live monitoring soon .... soon(ish!).

Actually, thinking about it, are SE able to analyse the fault from headquarters? (assuming the inverter is talking to the internet)

Mart.

PS Thanks for quoting. M.

Dave_Fowler

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Keep smiling Dave, you'll be playing with the live monitoring soon .... soon(ish!).

Actually, thinking about it, are SE able to analyse the fault from headquarters? (assuming the inverter is talking to the internet)

Mart.

PS Thanks for quoting. M.

The inverter is no longer talking to headquarters. I assume something in the low voltage (logic) power supply has failed - almost itching to have a go at resolving the problem myself as it's what I used to do as full time work before I retired.

The installer has just phoned to say a Solar Edge technician lives nearby and he will arrange with me a suitable time to come over and repair/replace the unit.

Dave F

Dave_Fowler

Dave_Fowler wrote: »

The inverter is no longer talking to headquarters. I assume something in the low voltage (logic) power supply has failed - almost itching to have a go at resolving the problem myself as it's what I used to do as full time work before I retired.

The installer has just phoned to say a Solar Edge technician lives nearby and he will arrange with me a suitable time to come over and repair/replace the unit.

Dave F

A new inverter has been fitted. Just in time to get all the power optimisers up, running and registered on the inverter before the light failed.

Hopefully, if it wakes up again in the morning it will start to produce a bit of power.

The next task is to get the system registered for FIT payment.

I'll keep you posted.

Dave F

Energetic_2

Did it save your installer a 3 hour trip each way? i may be seeing a cross correlation of forum posts...

Dave_Fowler

Energetic wrote: »

Did it save your installer a 3 hour trip each way? i may be seeing a cross correlation of forum posts...

It saved around 4 or 5 hours each way judging from the traffic reports of the M6.

Yesterday the engineer from Solar Edge initially replaced the communications board and then the processor board within the inverter, but neither of these cured the problem. Then he checked the logic power supply output and found it had failed. (Exactly what I predicted in my post 7/12/12 - there's life in this old engineer still).

He had to get permission from his office to change the inverter as it was so unusual for it to fail. The new inverter is running well. I'll put some results on the generation thread later today.

Initial thoughts are that the new system started earlier in the day than the house-roof mounted system and has consistently produced a little more power even though the garage roof angle is much lower and only gets a glancing angle from the sun at this time of the year.

Dave F

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

Dave_Fowler wrote: »

Yesterday the engineer from Solar Edge initially replaced the communications board...

Nice to see that you had good after-sales service. I have an SE4000 which has been inverting for over 10 months without (touch wood) any trouble. I've been impressed with how cool it runs but it's nice to know that help is available if needed.