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Solar installers in Worcs

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Hello,

I obtained a couple of quotes to install solar panels recently and then trawled through as many threads as I could about recommended extras (like SolarEdge & iBoost) and a target price range of £1k per 1kWp.

The reason SE & iBoost appeal is because one of the quotes assessed 18% shading based on the Google image of my roof, and I have a conventional/condensing boiler.

The quotes I had before researching this forum were:
1) £4,599 for 2.36kWp consisting of 8x 295W Q-Cells Mono panels + Goodwe 2kW inverter (incl. IKEA Family discount)
2) £5,321 for 10x 300W Perlight panels + 1 interver
3) £5,514 10x 320W Q-Cells + SolaX inverter

None of the above quotes include SE or any other extras. The forum's consensus suggests battery storage is still too high but I forgot what the target £/kWp is for batteries.

Here's a link of what my roof looks like with 8 panels fitted, but it looks like at least a couple more could be fitted (the image may not display properly but the link works):
aZQ0VZw

Would anyone be able to recommend whether I should haggle with the installers who have already quoted me, adding SE & iBoost? Or am I better off with new quotes elsewhere?

pinnks and ASavvyBuyer both mentioned using installers in my area, so I'll PM shortly asking for them. CTS Renewables were also recommended, and I'll also PM Martyn1981 for an installer who quoted £6k for a 4kWp SE system.

Thanks in advance!
«13

Comments

  • am3n3
    am3n3 Posts: 38 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I have an additional quote to consider:
    12x 330W (3.96kW total)
    Optimiser (which the sales guy recommended over iBoost, cost ~£300-400)
    SolarEdge
    Scaffolding + install
    Total = £7,990

    Costs to obtain an EPC rating or a site survey weren't mentioned. Seems high.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 15,371 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Prices are always tricky on here, as you'll know from reading lots of threads. Some people get shockingly low quotes right from the start, others hunt for ages, but struggle.

    I'd have thought £6k would be the upper limit for 4kWp, Solaredge and a diverter. But £8k is definitely too much. Best of luck.
    Mart. Cardiff. 8.72 kWp PV systems (2.12 SSW 4.6 ESE & 2.0 WNW). 20kWh battery storage. Two A2A units for cleaner heating. Two BEV's for cleaner driving.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Zarch
    Zarch Posts: 393 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper
    am3n3 wrote: »
    Optimiser (which the sales guy recommended over iBoost, cost ~£300-400)
    SolarEdge

    Correct me if i'm wrong, but optimisers on panels are totally different things to iBoost.

    Do you have a water tank? iBoost takes excess energy generated from your panels and heats your water in the tank.

    https://www.marlec.co.uk/product/solar-iboost/?v=79cba1185463

    Optimisers on panels makes each panel work independently to each to ensure max efficiency from each panel, especially suited when some panels are in shade.

    I see no reason if you have a water tank and you have shade issues that you couldn't have both iBoost and Optimisers?

    Obviously, if you have a combi boiler and no water tank, iBoost is of no use.
    17 x 300W panels (5.1kW) on a 3.68kW SolarEdge system in Sunny Sheffield.
    12kW Pylontech battery storage system with Lux AC controller
    Creator of the Energy Stats UK website and @energystatsuk Twitter Feed
  • am3n3
    am3n3 Posts: 38 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure I made it clear to the person I wanted iBoost as an immersion heater, and that I would need to swap it out if/when I put in battery storage. That's based on what another installer said: you either have iBoost or battery storage, but not both.

    But he also knew I wanted SolarEdge because of shading on my roof, and by the sound of it an optimiser would achieve something similar.

    I don't think I'll go back to this company to haggle.
  • pinnks
    pinnks Posts: 1,548 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hi,

    Optimisers are part of the DC elements of the system (panel side of the inverter). Others will comment but I thought they are subtly different to the SolarEdge system but do something similar.

    Your diverter is on the AC side of the inverter. iBoost is one sort but there are others out there. I have the immerSUN but the firm went under. The product was sold and the web monitoring site is working but I don't know whether they are sill on sale. The brains behind the immerSUN have, I think now developed a new product but I forget what it is called.

    The principle of diverters is simply to push excess generation to a purely resistive load like a toaster, kettle, oil-filled radiator or of course immersion tank. There is no reason why you shouldn't have your diverter in place with battery storage - once the battery is charged the diverter would divert any excess. It's just there is a limit on what the system can generate, so the diverter may "go hungry" on cloudy and/or winter days.

    So, the decisions on which to have are quite independent from one another.

    Best of luck
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 7,246 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 19 June 2018 at 10:41PM
    Check out this thread about Voltage Optimisers.

    https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5453777/pv-grid-voltage-monitor

    Meant to say as theboylard has said tell them to do one if they mention them.
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 7,246 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    With a SolarEdge system each panel would have something like this:

    https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/SolarEdge/P300.html

    Your quote is way too high. Around 6K in May 2014 for 15 X 265W panels, I boost and everything that goes with a SE system. I have around 10% shading. It makes one hell of a difference even if one of your panels has shade caused by the TV Arial. It just effects that 1 panel and not a string of half your panels with a non SE system.
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • theboylard
    theboylard Posts: 1,211 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    You can build your own diverter too - Dave Fowler posts on here and if you are a reasonably competent diy'er, it's an option to consider?


    I have a solarimmersion (just add .co.uk for their website - not linking directly as don't want to be accused of shilling) which has been doing a sterling job since it was installed a month after my panels were fitted.


    If you have shading, then a per panel control setup would be of real benefit.
    The choices are Micro inverters or Panel optimisers**** (a la Solaredge, but there are others)



    Generally we like solaredge solutions around here, and the new Wave HD inverters are very funky!!


    ****Not to be confused with Voltage optimsers - if anyone quotes these to you, tell them to do one, they have no real benefit in a residential install, they're really just a cashgrab by the installer.


    Keep asking questions, and build your knowlesge - you'll smell the bs'ers from further away!!


    Good luck
    4kWp, SSE, SolarEdge P300 optimisers & SE3500 Inverter, in occasionally sunny Corby, Northants.
    Now with added Sunsynk 5kw hybrid ecco inverter & 15kWh Fogstar batteries. Oh Octopus Energy too.
  • am3n3
    am3n3 Posts: 38 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 21 June 2018 at 1:18AM
    New quote:
    Just under £6,890 for 13 x 300w (=3.9kW), SolarEdge, iBoost, ModBus (which the person recommended if I wanted additional costs monitoring). Surveys, installation & scaffolding all in. That works out to ~£1,766/kW but has some extra tech in the system. The panels specified are Piemar Black Mono...what's the downside of downgrading to cheaper panels?

    He knew his stuff technically and show me what information the SolarEdge and ModBus apps provide. I'm also running out of recommended installers to contact, even though this one is still quite off a target £5k for a 4kW (as suggested by Martyn1981).
  • theboylard
    theboylard Posts: 1,211 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The ModBus is about £200 plus clamp connections, depnding on what you want to monitor.
    If you get a HD Wave inverter, then I don't think you need one as I believe the essential bits are built in?


    If you want to the guy who took over supporting my install after my inverter died, let me know.
    4kWp, SSE, SolarEdge P300 optimisers & SE3500 Inverter, in occasionally sunny Corby, Northants.
    Now with added Sunsynk 5kw hybrid ecco inverter & 15kWh Fogstar batteries. Oh Octopus Energy too.
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