Need Help New Solar 8kw Install

Looking for help, if you guys have the time to help
I was looking to get installed a 8kw solar system installed at my home, but i was told if i go over a 3.68kw inverter i need G99 application 
Which is hard to get ? as your not allowed to send more than 3.68kw down the grid without this 
What would be my best option 
1, Go off grid and send nothing down the grid, if i'm still allowed to install the 8kw system ?
Not sure if you still need something still for me to install this size 
2, Go smaller and install battery's ?
I use are 7000k a year in power
Thanks

Comments

  • Hexane
    Hexane Posts: 522 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    Danno2k said:
    i was told if i go over a 3.68kw inverter i need G99 application 
    Which is hard to get ? 
    Mine wasn't hard to get, my installer made the requests and it took a few weeks and cost me nothing. (Other than a little worrying over whether it would be approved.)
    Danno2k said:
    1, Go off grid and send nothing down the grid, if i'm still allowed to install the 8kw system ?
    Do you really mean you want to not have an electricity supply from the National Grid at your property at all? If not, that's not going to work.

    By the way, your annual electricity usage is measured in kWh (kilowatt hours).
    7.25 kWp PV system (4.1kW WSW & 3.15kW ENE), Solis inverter, myenergi eddi & harvi for energy diversion to immersion heater. myenergi hub for Virtual Power Plant demand-side response trial.
  • Pile_o_stone
    Pile_o_stone Posts: 192 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 12 February 2021 at 5:36PM
    Danno2k said:
    Looking for help, if you guys have the time to help
    I was looking to get installed a 8kw solar system installed at my home, but i was told if i go over a 3.68kw inverter i need G99 application 
    Which is hard to get ? as your not allowed to send more than 3.68kw down the grid without this 
    What would be my best option 
    1, Go off grid and send nothing down the grid, if i'm still allowed to install the 8kw system ?
    Not sure if you still need something still for me to install this size 
    2, Go smaller and install battery's ?
    I use are 7000k a year in power
    Thanks
    Unfortunately, you won't be able to go off grid with just 8kw of solar panels. If I were you, I'd get the solar installer to make the G99 application. If you get it, then everything is fine. If you don't then you can look at getting your installer to fit a G100 export limiting device. This will limit your export to the grid to 3.68kw (or whatever maximum your DNO keeps you to). You may find that it caps your exports at the height of summer but won't kick in at other times, especially if you are a high user of your own electricity. So if your panels are generating 7KW on a summer's day, but you are using 4kw of power in your home then you will export 3kw to the grid without the G100 device activating. If you generated 7kw, used 3kw, then the G100 device would limit your export to 3.68, losing 320 watts.

    https://www.argandsolutions.com/g100-export-limitation
    5.18 kWp PV systems (3.68 E/W & 1.5 E).
    Solar iBoost+ to two immersion heaters on 350L thermal store.
    100% composted food waste
    Mini orchard planted and vegetable allotment created.
  • From everything I've read,  going off grid is waaaay more expensive and way more hassle, as you would need something making power in the winter when solar is poor.

    I was a 7mwh consumer before solar, I've added an ev as well so probably more like an 8.5mwh consumer now, but with solar and batteries I'm only buying around 2000kwh at full price and probably another 2000kwh at 5p over the winter.
    Batteries will help with self consumption,  as would a solar diverter to heat up your hot water tank if you have one, but.... if you are looking for a 10 year return on investment,  you will likely struggle to do that with batteries as they are so expensive to buy in the quantity (kwh) that you would need to cover the house. 
    West central Scotland
    4kw sse since 2014 and 6.6kw wsw / ene split since 2019
    24kwh leaf, 75Kwh Tesla and Lux 3600 with 60Kwh storage
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    edited 16 February 2021 at 4:51PM
    DNO applications do take a few weeks (about 3 months in my case). I had a 7kWp array installed last September with a PW2 battery. There was a £350 application fee and the possibility of an extra fee for a witness inspection. My installation was approved with a 5kW export limit: in truth, as my panels are arranged on two roofs 90 degrees different, the limit does not constrain my output. DNO sign off post installation took another couple of months. If you want SEG payments then some suppliers are insisting on an MCS Certificate, and DNO approval. The latter is required to get an export MPAN. It looks like a simple way for DNOs to check that people haven’t been circumventing the approvals process.

    I found this blog helpful:

    https://blog.spiritenergy.co.uk/homeowner/dno-permission
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