Adding ac battery, new dno

mcn99

Hi,

I'm slowly coming around to the idea of adding a battery to my solar panels , although i will wait until late next year for the market to calm down a bit.

Probably add quite a few panels to existing system to ensure i avoid 20% vat at same time

I understand if i add storage at the AC side, this will require a new DNO application ?. Given that I currently have an 8KW export limit, is it likely that i would be allowed to increase this by 4KW ?. 

I only installed solar in January this year, and at the time the quotes for the batteries all included 20% VAT, so discounted it at the time. Also the installer persuaded me at the time not to go for a hybrid inverter, which in hindsight may not have been a good idea.

If the supplier does not allow an increase to 12, is there any other way to limit export without changing to a new hybrid inverter ?

TIA

ispookie666

Any AC coupled battery will need DNO approval and  all generators will need to be added together to achieve final export limit.
This is irrespective of how much you are exporting currently. 
What size solar array do you have? Hope it's not 8KWp

mcn99

Currently have  9kw  of panels, with 8kw inverter, so its capped at 8kw output.

ispookie666

I think you have to swap your 8KW inverter to one which can do DC  battery charging and work as DC-AC inverter. Might be the simplest solution. 

Either way DNO will need to be notified. 

I do have 6.6KWp Enphase system (which has AC output) and 3KVA Givenergy making it a ball park 9.6kw max output, all approved by DNO(I'm yet to see the paperwork 🙄)

JKenH

ispookie666 said:

I think you have to swap your 8KW inverter to one which can do DC  battery charging and work as DC-AC inverter. Might be the simplest solution. 

Either way DNO will need to be notified. 

I do have 6.6KWp Enphase system (which has AC output) and 3KVA Givenergy making it a ball park 9.6kw max output, all approved by DNO(I'm yet to see the paperwork 🙄)

4 years down the line I haven’t seen the DNO paperwork either except the invoice from them for considering the application and the offer. They refused to send me a copy of their signed agreement referring me to my installer who has gone out of business. Interestingly they sent me £25 for inconvenience but not the paperwork. 

NoobSolar

Can I ask: if you already have g99 approval, do you still need to speak to the Dno for an ac side battery?

ispookie666

If its to me.  Yes I do have export limit at 8.8KVA, which is 3KVA for my AC coupled inverter and 5.8KVA for Enphase microinverters, and G99 approval. A little bit different to my previous post, as each enphase IQ7+ microinverter is only 290VA, making it a total of 5.8KVA..  

This is the clause attached to the approval document