On-grid domestic battery storage

Solarchaser

Maybe 9-10 grand

There is evidence that putting the clamp for the batteries around ac positive wire and the positive for the iboost etc, stoos batteries getting confused

EVandPV

Solarchaser wrote: »

Maybe 9-10 grand

There is evidence that putting the clamp for the batteries around ac positive wire and the positive for the iboost etc, stoos batteries getting confused

The ct clamp in my arduino immersion controller needs to be around both the ac and pv wires to work properly otherwise it 'sees' the pv as well as the ac.
Clamping it around both wires cancels out the pv.

EVandPV

Solarchaser wrote: »

Sorry for the depression, what I didnt include in the remuneration was the immense satisfaction you get when powering the house by your own free electricity, both in the momentary cloud cover when the washing machine is on, and then when the sun has went down.
It really is priceless

Totally agree, that's what motivates me.
The wife, not so much !

JKenH

Solarchaser wrote: »

Maybe 9-10 grand

There is evidence that putting the clamp for the batteries around ac positive wire and the positive for the iboost etc, stoos batteries getting confused

Thanks for the advice. The installers fitted the battery clamps somewhere in the depths of our consumer unit but I wouldn’t have a clue on which wires. The IBoost clamp was fitted in the meter cupboard but after the battery had gone back I worked out it was on the wrong side of the Henley block. Once I moved it the IBoost worked a lot better.

joefizz

JKenH wrote: »

Just enjoy your batteries and if they pay for themselves then that is a bonus.

And think about what they can do for you.


I bought my solar system because I wanted to go green and had the money. Being techy I went for the solaredge all singing and all dancing and cost another grand and a half above what was really required.
The battery purchase was a pure business continuity purchase (day after conference on energy supply post brexit...)
I expanded the solar after I built my garage and had a south facing clear to the horizon (well mountain) roof. Ideally and if my original builders hadnt disappeared before starting work, the garage would have been finished a month before the original solar install instead of a year after.
I then expanded the batteries in Jan this year because Id started to see what I could do with them (run the heating/hot water from them during april-sept).

When that was done I bought a cheap chinese ASHP to do the above.


I could mount (or move) two more panels to my workshop roof to be purely horizon facing for Dec/Jan output and put them on gas struts to move, so will keep an eye out for 2nd hand panels and put them on a different string (or different inverter).


Overall if Id built this in one go it would have saved me about 2 grand in VAT, extra install, extra postage to NI etc etc.


Im pretty much self sufficient from April to October and combined fuel/electric bill for that time comes in at less than 40 quid, so it helps with being able to FIRE at 50 (next month, although I havent told my clients yet ;-)).



All this is great if you have the money to do it and as mentioned its about more than just the saving money aspect. My system will pay for itself in less than 10 years provided fuel/electricity prices dont increase but they have went up over 20% since I installed, so that timeframe is coming down. In terms of CO2/other measures its about a year or so away from recovering the initial build costs but we do have a dirtier grid here in NI (no nuclear) than the rest of the UK.


I never considered any of this when I was on a 100% wind tariff.


I came back yesterday to find my batteries were at 19% after a full day charge and that annoyed my happiness ;-) Still dinner and a quick shower were taken off solar power 'generated' yesterday.


A few of us on here have installed the battery system ourselves, or at least did a lot of the donkey work in siting the kit, drilling holes, etc. It might cut down on the install cost and its worthwhile getting an electrician to sign off, particularly anything connected to the grid.

EVandPV

I believe you need DNO approval before installation, is this just a formality or is there any likelihood of being refused ?

Reed_Richards

DNO approval is for exporting more than a certain electric current to the grid, I understand. You're not supposed to export at higher currents than 16 A without approval. In power terms that works out at 3.68 kW at 230 V. My inverter can be set to limit the export power so provided you can do this I don't see that approval before installation is required.

joefizz

x2 didnt need dno approval as nothing going back out to the grid.
Worth checking with them anyway.

EVandPV

joefizz wrote: »

x2 didnt need dno approval as nothing going back out to the grid.
Worth checking with them anyway.

Yeah, I would have thought that was the whole point of having a battery, no export.
But I read somewhere that this might be an issue so thought I better check anyway.

joefizz

EVandPV wrote: »

Yeah, I would have thought that was the whole point of having a battery, no export.
But I read somewhere that this might be an issue so thought I better check anyway.

Might well be now though as there are schemes to use household batteries for export, so you would need to check.