On-grid domestic battery storage 5 December 2016 at 4:57PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Green & Ethical MoneySaving 2.2K replies 208.9K views

cdunne

David,
Same system configuration as me. I've been spending A LOT of time recently controlling mine with a raspberry PI (initially for Octopus Agile but now for Ocropus Go (i.e. charge to 90% from the grid between00:30 and 04:30 when the grid price is 5p/kWh each day.  So you say you've got two consumer units do you have two different grid supplies (with different import meters?) I have a second consumer unit in my place in a outside office (shed) but that is fed from a 40 Amp MCB in my house consumer unit. Assuming yours is this case then it will work fine (assuming they put the clamps around the grid supply to your main consumer unit). If you have two different grid supplies then I can't see how it would work unfortunately.

Dave_Fowler

cdunne said:

David,
Same system configuration as me. I've been spending A LOT of time recently controlling mine with a raspberry PI (initially for Octopus Agile but now for Ocropus Go (i.e. charge to 90% from the grid between00:30 and 04:30 when the grid price is 5p/kWh each day.  So you say you've got two consumer units do you have two different grid supplies (with different import meters?) I have a second consumer unit in my place in a outside office (shed) but that is fed from a 40 Amp MCB in my house consumer unit. Assuming yours is this case then it will work fine (assuming they put the clamps around the grid supply to your main consumer unit). If you have two different grid supplies then I can't see how it would work unfortunately.

I have just the one grid supply. My problem is that I can't put a clamp anywhere that will measure the output from the garage solar system. The consumer unit in the garage connects to a 32A MCB in the house consumer unit, but the current in this is not just the solar output because of any power taken by the garage. 

In your setup do you have any clamps on the PV output? 

Exiled_Tyke

Dave_Fowler said:

I'm getting quotes for a retro-fit battery system to operate with my solar panels.

So far I've had a quote of £5700 inc VAT for a Sofar ME3000SP inverter with 4 x 2.4kWh Pylontech batteries fully fitted and installed.

I have a problem that I've two solar panel systems. One system is on the house and the other on the garage and workshop which is out in the garden.  The one on the house is connected directly (via the usual inverter, switches and generation meter) to the house consumer unit.  The one on the garage and workshop is connected to a consumer unit in the garage.  It has its own generation meter etc.  Whilst I can connect a CT clamp to measure the generation of the house system, the cable from the garage and workshop to the house carries the nett current of the garage system and power consumption.  A CT clamp on this cable will have little meaning.

I raised this problem when asking for quotes.  When speaking to the company that has given this first quote they told me the Sofar inverter will still operate correctly even if there are no clamps on the generation cables.  It would just measure the power to grid and use that to decide what power to take to charge the batteries. The only downside would be that the monitoring system app would give strange results. The Sofar installation manual makes no reference to this mode of operation.
Has anyone had experience of this set-up?

TIA
Dave F

This does seem expensive.  My 6.3kWh (5.7 useable) battery with inverter and installation was about £3k. 

EVandPV

Dave_Fowler said:

I'm getting quotes for a retro-fit battery system to operate with my solar panels.

So far I've had a quote of £5700 inc VAT for a Sofar ME3000SP inverter with 4 x 2.4kWh Pylontech batteries fully fitted and installed.

I have a problem that I've two solar panel systems. One system is on the house and the other on the garage and workshop which is out in the garden.  The one on the house is connected directly (via the usual inverter, switches and generation meter) to the house consumer unit.  The one on the garage and workshop is connected to a consumer unit in the garage.  It has its own generation meter etc.  Whilst I can connect a CT clamp to measure the generation of the house system, the cable from the garage and workshop to the house carries the nett current of the garage system and power consumption.  A CT clamp on this cable will have little meaning.

I raised this problem when asking for quotes.  When speaking to the company that has given this first quote they told me the Sofar inverter will still operate correctly even if there are no clamps on the generation cables.  It would just measure the power to grid and use that to decide what power to take to charge the batteries. The only downside would be that the monitoring system app would give strange results. The Sofar installation manual makes no reference to this mode of operation.
Has anyone had experience of this set-up?

TIA
Dave F

Here's a realistic price minus the install costs ........ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265036733302?ul_noapp=true

As others have said, £2k for installation is OTT.
I agree with Solarchaser about the Lux being a better inverter.

Dave_Fowler

EVandPV said:

Dave_Fowler said:

I'm getting quotes for a retro-fit battery system to operate with my solar panels.

So far I've had a quote of £5700 inc VAT for a Sofar ME3000SP inverter with 4 x 2.4kWh Pylontech batteries fully fitted and installed.

I have a problem that I've two solar panel systems. One system is on the house and the other on the garage and workshop which is out in the garden.  The one on the house is connected directly (via the usual inverter, switches and generation meter) to the house consumer unit.  The one on the garage and workshop is connected to a consumer unit in the garage.  It has its own generation meter etc.  Whilst I can connect a CT clamp to measure the generation of the house system, the cable from the garage and workshop to the house carries the nett current of the garage system and power consumption.  A CT clamp on this cable will have little meaning.

I raised this problem when asking for quotes.  When speaking to the company that has given this first quote they told me the Sofar inverter will still operate correctly even if there are no clamps on the generation cables.  It would just measure the power to grid and use that to decide what power to take to charge the batteries. The only downside would be that the monitoring system app would give strange results. The Sofar installation manual makes no reference to this mode of operation.
Has anyone had experience of this set-up?

TIA
Dave F

Here's a realistic price minus the install costs ........ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265036733302?ul_noapp=true

As others have said, £2k for installation is OTT.
I agree with Solarchaser about the Lux being a better inverter.

I have now received four quotes; one more to go.  Excluding one for the Tesla Powerwall (£8,300) and the Powervault (£7,020) they range in price from over £8,000 to £4,500 for a 9.6kWh Pylontech system.  So if the eBay price of £3,897 for the basic parts is considered reasonable at today's prices then £4,500 including installation does not seem too bad - certainly better than the first quote of £5,700 in my original forum post. I realise Tesla and Powervault are quite different systems and can output much more power than the 3kW of the Pylontech systems quoted.  None of the potential suppliers have mentioned the Lux inverter; they are all quoting for the Sofar or Solis inverters.  None of them seemed interested when I mentioned the Lux.

My original question about using the Sofar inverter without CT clamps on the PV output has been answered by Sofar.  They say there is no problem if the standard firmware is changed to a different set of firmware which they have developed just for this situation.

Dave F

mickyduck55

Dave_Fowler said:

EVandPV said:

Dave_Fowler said:

I'm getting quotes for a retro-fit battery system to operate with my solar panels.

So far I've had a quote of £5700 inc VAT for a Sofar ME3000SP inverter with 4 x 2.4kWh Pylontech batteries fully fitted and installed.

I have a problem that I've two solar panel systems. One system is on the house and the other on the garage and workshop which is out in the garden.  The one on the house is connected directly (via the usual inverter, switches and generation meter) to the house consumer unit.  The one on the garage and workshop is connected to a consumer unit in the garage.  It has its own generation meter etc.  Whilst I can connect a CT clamp to measure the generation of the house system, the cable from the garage and workshop to the house carries the nett current of the garage system and power consumption.  A CT clamp on this cable will have little meaning.

I raised this problem when asking for quotes.  When speaking to the company that has given this first quote they told me the Sofar inverter will still operate correctly even if there are no clamps on the generation cables.  It would just measure the power to grid and use that to decide what power to take to charge the batteries. The only downside would be that the monitoring system app would give strange results. The Sofar installation manual makes no reference to this mode of operation.
Has anyone had experience of this set-up?

TIA
Dave F

Here's a realistic price minus the install costs ........ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265036733302?ul_noapp=true

As others have said, £2k for installation is OTT.
I agree with Solarchaser about the Lux being a better inverter.

I have now received four quotes; one more to go.  Excluding one for the Tesla Powerwall (£8,300) and the Powervault (£7,020) they range in price from over £8,000 to £4,500 for a 9.6kWh Pylontech system.  So if the eBay price of £3,897 for the basic parts is considered reasonable at today's prices then £4,500 including installation does not seem too bad - certainly better than the first quote of £5,700 in my original forum post. I realise Tesla and Powervault are quite different systems and can output much more power than the 3kW of the Pylontech systems quoted.  None of the potential suppliers have mentioned the Lux inverter; they are all quoting for the Sofar or Solis inverters.  None of them seemed interested when I mentioned the Lux.

My original question about using the Sofar inverter without CT clamps on the PV output has been answered by Sofar.  They say there is no problem if the standard firmware is changed to a different set of firmware which they have developed just for this situation.

Dave F

I would say that's not bad.. this is mine from Feb 2020 they did swap the inverter for the LUX for no extra cost as people on here suggested it was better.. I personally couldn't comment either way but the system has performed as expected so far.  I "gave" one of my batteries to my son.. so my sig is correct

EVandPV

If your thinking of going the Lux route, probably best to contact their UK supplier direct.
Not sure what name they're going by this week   but you could try here for starters ....... https://www.pvpro.co.uk/battery-storage/lux/
They also do a parallel Lux system that can put out about 7kw.
I bought our Lux from them and they also put me in touch with a guy who fits them who's price was pretty reasonable.

chamelion

EVandPV said:

If your thinking of going the Lux route, probably best to contact their UK supplier direct.
Not sure what name they're going by this week   but you could try here for starters ....... https://www.pvpro.co.uk/battery-storage/lux/
They also do a parallel Lux system that can put out about 7kw.
I bought our Lux from them and they also put me in touch with a guy who fits them who's price was pretty reasonable.

gawsh. is this thinkrenewables aka homeswitch now? 

chamelion

p.s. cheapest i've found pylontechs: LINK
£724.80 delivered. 


"discounts available for 8+ batts" - anybody around london area that would want to pool? I could do with an additional 2 but ideally wanted the £700 sweet spot. 

mickyduck55

chamelion said:

p.s. cheapest i've found pylontechs: LINK
£724.80 delivered. 


"discounts available for 8+ batts" - anybody around london area that would want to pool? I could do with an additional 2 but ideally wanted the £700 sweet spot. 

That is a good price the 3.5 are still over 1K though... Im around London do you know what the bulk price is?