Is this a good quote for Solar?

mac2008

JimLad wrote: »

So on the wall in the loft would be ok, if a little awkward to get too. There is litrally no wall space in my utility room unless i take some cupboards out...Is there anything on the screen that you would need to look at? For example do i need to submit readings for any of the payments, or is that a seperate device?

I guess something needs to plug into the main fusebox too...but that is beside my front door up high...I think the wiring could be very awkward!

The readings you take for the FiT are from a separate generation meter. This looks exactly like a normal digital electricity meter and is usually located near to your Consumer Unit (CU). I take it you have a reasonably modern CU with MCBs, RCD protection and a spare hole to put another breaker in? This should be checked prior to install.

There will also be an AC isolation switch here to allow you to disconnect the solar PV if you're having any electrical work done. Here is a picture of a fairly typical installation next to the consumer unit I found on the interwebs - you can see the generation meter and AC isolator going into the side of the consumer unit via a bit of plastic trunking:

http://www.midlandssolarenergy.co.uk/images/installs/0002_fit%20meter.jpg

There is no real need to access your inverter unless there is a problem with it or you want to shut down the system. Lofts are not ideal as they tend to get hot in the summer, which could have a small effect on efficiency. It's not a deal breaker though, if the alternative is ripping out cupboards.

It is worth thinking about where you'd like the cables run before they install though - I didn't want a black armoured cable on the front of the house where the panels were, so had them route it out the back and through a utility room to the CU. The sparky appreciated the fact I'd thought about this prior to him turning up.

Any more questions, fire away - nothing to stupid to ask!

JimLad

mac2008 wrote: »

Any more questions, fire away - nothing to stupid to ask!

Thanks very much for your description i think i understand more now how it all connects up.

My Neighbour who has them himself and works for a solar company is coming over to chat with me about it on friday so maybe i will have a look around with him for routing. The utility room is at the opposite end of the house to the fuse box so that might not be a good location anyway...

The meter looks ok but i dont really fancy having a giant yellow and red switch in my hallway...although i guess i could build a kind of meter box around them?

So by my understanding...Panels connect to Inverter, inverter connects to fusebox via a meter and they are all cabled directly.

Then the iboost and monitor are wirelessly connected to some kind of transmitter?

nigelpm

mac2008 wrote: »

There is no real need to access your inverter unless there is a problem with it or you want to shut down the system. Lofts are not ideal as they tend to get hot in the summer, which could have a small effect on efficiency.

Mine's in the loft - on a couple of very hot days the inverter has touched 50 C - but it hasn't impacted the performance at all.

Worth checking how the inverter copes with higher temps if you do decide to put it in the loft though.

JimLad

nigelpm wrote: »

Mine's in the loft - on a couple of very hot days the inverter has touched 50 C - but it hasn't impacted the performance at all.

Worth checking how the inverter copes with higher temps if you do decide to put it in the loft though.

Might i ask how you have routed the cable from your loft to your fuseboard? I dont really want a cable gonig down the front of my house, but the fuseboard is beside the front door!

mac2008

nigelpm wrote: »

Mine's in the loft - on a couple of very hot days the inverter has touched 50 C - but it hasn't impacted the performance at all.

Worth checking how the inverter copes with higher temps if you do decide to put it in the loft though.

Good point. The tech specs should tell you if the inverter throttles the output above a certain temp, though as nigelpm points out, I can't see it as a massive problem, or even a problem at all. Mine is in the loft and I've not seen it reduce its output due to temp.

Regarding the wiring runs and location of equipment generally - yes, you're right - DC cables from solar panels to inverter, then an AC cable from inverter to isolator, generation meter and into the CU. Outside cable runs will be quite thick black armoured cable.

It is hard to give a good answer without knowing the exact layout of your house etc. and I'm sure your solar installer neighbour will give good advice, but my personal preference would be to group the equipment together - i.e have the generation meter/isolator either with the inverter in the utility room, or the inverter in the loft and the meter/isolator by the CU.

It is essential the AC isolator is easily accessible and the most obvious place to put it is next to the CU, then get a carpenter to box it all in neatly with a little door and paint it to match the hallway.

I don't know how the iBoost works, but someone else here may be able to enlighten you on the requirements for that.

nigelpm

JimLad wrote: »

Might i ask how you have routed the cable from your loft to your fuseboard? I dont really want a cable gonig down the front of my house, but the fuseboard is beside the front door!

Installers did it.

Simple cable from loft which goes through brickwork and then runs down the side of the house within round white trunking to the main electrics. Looks fine although I imagine some folk might find it ugly but then the same folk would probably find panels ugly.

nigelpm

JimLad wrote: »

Then the iboost and monitor are wirelessly connected to some kind of transmitter?

Correct.

Wireless transmitter clamps around the live cable and iboost will be installed near to the immersion switch.

Worth remembering to turn the iBoost off at the immersion switch when on holiday or away from the house for more than a few days.

JimLad

nigelpm wrote: »

Worth remembering to turn the iBoost off at the immersion switch when on holiday or away from the house for more than a few days.

I was of the understanding that you get paid for your "export" whether you used it or not? Is there any harm in heating your water when you dont need it? I guess its just not environmentally friendly?

jackieblack

mac2008 wrote: »

There is no real need to access your inverter unless there is a problem with it or you want to shut down the system. Lofts are not ideal as they tend to get hot in the summer, which could have a small effect on efficiency.

We have noticed that our loft, which used to get very hot in the summer, remains considerably cooler since the roof was covered in PV panels

lstar337

Ours is in the loft on the far wall.