Dabbling with solar and batteries

MP1995

Please bear with me I am at the start of my journey.

So far I have 4kwh of battery storage provided by 2 Delta max 2kwh units(£600 for both light use tested and still provide over 1.9kwh from full to empty) Both have a 100a solar xt60 connection so can take a decent amount of solar power.

At the weekend I picked up four 250w solar panels for £70 and have been having a play in the overcast conditions and am impressed.

This has wanted me to take my home setup further.

So I can mount these on a roof and I have a little consumer unit. Is it as easy as purchasing a solar inverter and connecting it to the consumer unit to harness the solar panel in the house (not interested in exporting excess this is just an experiment)

Reed_Richards

You may not be interested in exporting but how are you going to avoid doing so?  And these days you are not supposed to do electrical work yourself unless you are suitably qualified.  

MP1995

Reed_Richards said:

You may not be interested in exporting but how are you going to avoid doing so?  And these days you are not supposed to do electrical work yourself unless you are suitably qualified.  

We are likely only going to be here another 18 months two years I want a system I can packup as is and move with us until we know we are goi g to stay jnthe same house five years plus.

Don't wish to sound non woke but my father and his father before him lived a long life (dad still going) doing their own electrical work and because this doesn't need to be MSC certified I am happy to give this a whirl. Electricians either side of us so will probably get them to give it the thumbs up before the big switch on.

I do like to take thjgs apart and learn and put them back together. I think that's something missing from today society.

However we digress, more on the project, less on the moral high step please.

To be clear I am not interested in getting paid for export but happy that is going to the grid for free from a green source. Our contribution you might say.

Reed_Richards

Don't be misled by survivorship bias.

You'll need DNO permission to export, probably not if you don't.  As you won't be able to export much power I think the permission (for less than 3.65 kW) is a formality.

Or could you make do with one portable inverter-with-battery devices that you plug your appliance into directly?   

Martyn1981

I think RR's suggestion of a portable battery/inverter is best. Plug the panels into that, and a device you want to power, then into the battery. The household rings, CU and grid are thereby not involved.

If you connect panels to your house, then they are classed as a SSEG (small scale electricity generator). You will need to have these hard wired into the consumer unit, or a ring with no other sockets/devices. You also need to tell the DNO.

It may seem like a bit of fuss, but without it, you could invalidate your home insurance.

There are some hopes/suggestions that the UK will permit these plug n play installs, which many other European countries allow. Such as balcony solar, where some portable panels are cable tied to the balcony, and the small/micro inverter plugs straight into a socket. or a semi portable garden mount, similar, I think to what you are describing. These inverter still need to be approved/certified for install (in any country). If an inverter fails to properly switch off when the grid goes down, then a worker could be harmed when fixing a local fault.

MP1995

Martyn1981 said:

I think RR's suggestion of a portable battery/inverter is best. Plug the panels into that, and a device you want to power, then into the battery. The household rings, CU and grid are thereby not involved.

If you connect panels to your house, then they are classed as a SSEG (small scale electricity generator). You will need to have these hard wired into the consumer unit, or a ring with no other sockets/devices. You also need to tell the DNO.

It may seem like a bit of fuss, but without it, you could invalidate your home insurance.

There are some hopes/suggestions that the UK will permit these plug n play installs, which many other European countries allow. Such as balcony solar, where some portable panels are cable tied to the balcony, and the small/micro inverter plugs straight into a socket. or a semi portable garden mount, similar, I think to what you are describing. These inverter still need to be approved/certified for install (in any country). If an inverter fails to properly switch off when the grid goes down, then a worker could be harmed when fixing a local fault.

I thought Octopus were running a scheme where you could add your non msc certified export?

Does that just need electrician sign off from one of my electrician neighbours?

Reed_Richards

MP1995 said:

To be clear I am not interested in getting paid for export but happy that is going to the grid for free from a green source. Our contribution you might say.

MP1995 said:

I thought Octopus were running a scheme where you could add your non msc certified export?

The Octopus "scheme" is about paying you for your export.  Since you are not interested in getting paid, it is not relevant.  Your electricity supplier and your DNO are separate entities.  If you are going to be feeding electricity into the mains then you need permission from your DNO.    

MP1995

All good info thanks so no DNO connection without a professional installer or friendly neighbour electrician is that correct?

Martyn1981

MP1995 said:

All good info thanks so no DNO connection without a professional installer or friendly neighbour electrician is that correct?

Yes, pretty sure you have to be certified, and quote certifications on the notification form to the DNO. That way the sparkie is signing to say it's installed/connected correctly.

You might want to have a look at Bluetti, Ecoflow, Jackery (many others) for portable batteries. Look for one that takes a PV feed, so you can charge from panels (and possibly also AC feed for charging on cheap night rate).

But be warned, these units can be quite expensive. They all seem to offer massive 'sale' discounts continously!

MP1995

Martyn1981 said:

MP1995 said:

All good info thanks so no DNO connection without a professional installer or friendly neighbour electrician is that correct?

Yes, pretty sure you have to be certified, and quote certifications on the notification form to the DNO. That way the sparkie is signing to say it's installed/connected correctly.

You might want to have a look at Bluetti, Ecoflow, Jackery (many others) for portable batteries. Look for one that takes a PV feed, so you can charge from panels (and possibly also AC feed for charging on cheap night rate).

But be warned, these units can be quite expensive. They all seem to offer massive 'sale' discounts continously!

If you read my original post I managed to get 4kwh of ecoflow delta max (2units) for £600 total with usable 1.9kwh per unit on the AC outlets. Yes they both have 100v max solar input capability. 

Before picking the solar panels up at the weened I was charging them on the cheap times with Agile and using them to run the tumble dryer/ air con unit in the garage gym etc. As well as DIY power tasks.

This is my first experience of harnessing solar so hopefully everyone remembers their first time,

Martyn1981

Sorry, didn't make the obvious connection, Doh! Looks like you have decent options, but connecting them to the grid (for discharge) is where all the rules and regs kick in.

Tumble dryer is a great use. You mention an air/con unit, is a heat pump? Several of us use A2A units to help heat the house from spare PV during the Spring and Autumn. So that was my first go to, for a 'mains' device that could run off batts.

I don't know much about electrickery, but am I right to think micro-waves and induction hobs are more difficult as they pulse demand?

I'm really quite fascinated with your plans, just should have read it a bit slower, and more carefully.  

PS - very (very) envious of your £600 deal.