On-grid domestic battery storage

Zarch

How easy is it to install one of these Sofar / Pylontech combos to an existing PV system?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SoFar-ME3000SP-1-Pylontech-US2000B-Plus-2-4kWh-AC-Battery-Storage-with-cables/323538630324?hash=item4b5467b6b4:g:SRIAAOSwb-1cT0WH

As its AC side, can any registered sparky do it? Or does it need a MCS certified solar installer?

Anyone suggest any ballpark install costs?

Cheers.

1961Nick

Zarch wrote: »

How easy is it to install one of these Sofar / Pylontech combos to an existing PV system?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SoFar-ME3000SP-1-Pylontech-US2000B-Plus-2-4kWh-AC-Battery-Storage-with-cables/323538630324?hash=item4b5467b6b4:g:SRIAAOSwb-1cT0WH

As its AC side, can any registered sparky do it? Or does it need a MCS certified solar installer?

Anyone suggest any ballpark install costs?

Cheers.

Installation is very easy & can be done by any sparky. A competent DIYer could do all the installation work themselves & just then use a registered electrician to make the AC connection into the consumer unit.

Half a day should be more than ample to complete the job - £200 + materials (AC & DC isolators, MCB, cable, glands etc) another £80 or so.

Martyn1981

1961Nick wrote: »

Installation is very easy & can be done by any sparky. A competent DIYer could do all the installation work themselves & just then use a registered electrician to make the AC connection into the consumer unit.

Half a day should be more than ample to complete the job - £200 + materials (AC & DC isolators, MCB, cable, glands etc) another £80 or so.

Cool.

Does the DNO need to be advised / permission sought, if the batt can discharge 3.68kW or more?

1961Nick

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Cool.

Does the DNO need to be advised / permission sought, if the batt can discharge 3.68kW or more?

That's a good question & I have no idea if permission is required over 16A.

The Sofar ME3000SP has a maximum discharge of 3kWh so it's not an issue.

JKenH

1961Nick wrote: »

Installation is very easy & can be done by any sparky. A competent DIYer could do all the installation work themselves & just then use a registered electrician to make the AC connection into the consumer unit.

Half a day should be more than ample to complete the job - £200 + materials (AC & DC isolators, MCB, cable, glands etc) another £80 or so.

Nick, is this a reasonable price for the pylontech system advertised ?

The eBay seller also lists a much cheaper battery controller/inverter (which is compatible with the Solis inverters I have) packaged with a 3.5kwh battery for about £1500. (Link below) Have you come across this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pylontech-US3000-3-5kWh-Battery-Storage-inc-cables-GoodWe-GW2500-/323805663708

1961Nick

JKenH wrote: »

Nick, is this a reasonable price for the pylontech system advertised ?

The eBay seller also lists a much cheaper battery controller/inverter (which is compatible with the Solis inverters I have) packaged with a 3.5kwh battery for about £1500. (Link below) Have you come across this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pylontech-US3000-3-5kWh-Battery-Storage-inc-cables-GoodWe-GW2500-/323805663708

The GW2500 looks like a DC input inverter which is a much more complicated installation as it has to work in harmony with your existing inverter. The efficiency would be better than my AC system as it's only converting DC>AC....rather than DC>AC>DC>AC. You might have to change your generation meter to one that records import & export if the system has the capability of charging from the grid. Fitting would be a job for a competent MCS certified electrician...preferably one who's familiar with the GW2500 inverter & your existing one.

The Pylontech US3000 battery looks ideal as a starting point for a storage system....I say "starting" because you'll have two in the blink of an eye!;). The only slight issue is the weight of the US3000 which is 70lbs.....not a problem with a ground level stack, but could be a problem if the top one is 8' off the ground.

£1533 looks like a really good price, but there's a good chance that installation could run to a few hundred + the aggravation of a potential meter swap. I suspect that a Sofar ME3000 might work out cheaper overall.

The offer to have a look at my setup is still open if you're getting close to pulling the trigger.

JKenH

1961Nick wrote: »

The GW2500 looks like a DC input inverter which is a much more complicated installation as it has to work in harmony with your existing inverter. The efficiency would be better than my AC system as it's only converting DC>AC....rather than DC>AC>DC>AC. You might have to change your generation meter to one that records import & export if the system has the capability of charging from the grid. Fitting would be a job for a competent MCS certified electrician...preferably one who's familiar with the GW2500 inverter & your existing one.

The Pylontech US3000 battery looks ideal as a starting point for a storage system....I say "starting" because you'll have two in the blink of an eye!;). The only slight issue is the weight of the US3000 which is 70lbs.....not a problem with a ground level stack, but could be a problem if the top one is 8' off the ground.

£1533 looks like a really good price, but there's a good chance that installation could run to a few hundred + the aggravation of a potential meter swap. I suspect that a Sofar ME3000 might work out cheaper overall.

The offer to have a look at my setup is still open if you're getting close to pulling the trigger.

Thanks Nick for your observations. I am waiting until I get my DNO application resolved before I get a battery. I would most likely want to get the battery at the same time as some more panels because of the VAT situation. I will get over sometime.

pinnks

Couple of questions about all of this.

What is the issue with batteries and immersion etc diverters? Is it that the diverter sees the battery as "generated" leccy and so switches over to power the immersion or whatever is connected? But why is that if the battery only cuts in when needed, so unless it cuts in the diverter would not register an excess of export over use?

In terms of the savings from a diverter my experience (mentioned elsewhere on here) is that I save about £70 of gas over the summer based on records for the last 11 years before and since the immerSUN was installed. My assumption is that the losses in 22m of supply and return unlagged copper between boiler and tank account for most of this. Worth thinking about when looking at the maths of inverters.

The other thought was about DNO approval. If one already has approval, as I do, then presumably, as long as the batteries cannot discharge more than the DNO-approved PV system (5.25kWp for me), then nothing changes?

1961Nick

pinnks wrote: »

Couple of questions about all of this.

What is the issue with batteries and immersion etc diverters? Is it that the diverter sees the battery as "generated" leccy and so switches over to power the immersion or whatever is connected? But why is that if the battery only cuts in when needed, so unless it cuts in the diverter would not register an excess of export over use?

In terms of the savings from a diverter my experience (mentioned elsewhere on here) is that I save about £70 of gas over the summer based on records for the last 11 years before and since the immerSUN was installed. My assumption is that the losses in 22m of supply and return unlagged copper between boiler and tank account for most of this. Worth thinking about when looking at the maths of inverters.

The other thought was about DNO approval. If one already has approval, as I do, then presumably, as long as the batteries cannot discharge more than the DNO-approved PV system (5.25kWp for me), then nothing changes?

The problem is due to the battery seeing the immersion as 'load' that needs satisfying, and the diverter seeing the discharge as potential 'export'.

pinnks

I get that but if the CT sensor is on the meter tails and the diverter only turns the load on if it sees export, why is it that the battery sees any load in the first place?