Recommendations for Solar Installers

jackieblack

Hi
Am about to move house, to a new area where I don’t know any tradespeople.
House is electric only with an ASHP and I’ll be working from home, so one of the first things we want to do is to get Solar panels and a battery installed (batteries weren’t a thing when I had my panels installed on current house).
I have been pleased with my Fronius inverter, but I know lots of things have changed in the last 15 years and don’t know what is currently recommended.
Does anyone have any recommendations for an installer in mid/north Suffolk?  (Preferably based on personal experience.) And recommendations for brands of panels, inverter and battery, please?
Roof on new place is east/west, so that’ll be different too…

debitcardmayhem

You can find an MCS certified installer here https://mcscertified.com/find-an-installer ,
@Screwdriva may have some pointers for you too(sorry SD) . My installers are in Essex and not sure they go as far as Suffolk mid-north.

Screwdriva

Fronius is still an excellent (if expensive) option for non-battery systems but even their newly launched Reserva battery struggles to best the Tesla PW3 (few. if any, can). Here are a few reasons why the PW3 is ideal:

1) The PW3 can charge/ discharge at upto 5/11 kW, allowing for phenomenal export earnings for larger arrays on the Intelligent Flux tariff during the warmer months. Most batteries on the market are not eligible for this highly lucrative tariff (only Tesla, SolarEdge/ Enphase and GivEnergy are)

2) In the winter, the 13.5kW capacity should get you through most of the day (with Solar topping up the battery) to allow minimal grid import outside of the cheap nighttime EV tariff window (eg. Octopus Intelligent Go/ Go).

3) Unmatched safety record, software, cold weather performance and outdoor performance. Full unit replacement warranty (no repairs or prorated compensation offers).

I have recommend Eurener 500W bifacial panels paired to the PW3 to several dozen MSE forum members with great results. This combination offers excellent bang for the buck with little ethical deficit, something us GEMS sub-forum members care greatly about. 

A 10 panel system (5kWP) should cost no more than £11K installed via installers I use to help other forum members, with bird netting included. Add £250 per additional panel - I would squeeze in as many additional panels as your roof can take assuming the installer shares your G99 application result supports this. 

When it comes to installers, go with the installers who offers the best kit for the lowest price. Proximity is great in theory but the nearby installers may not be around in a few years, or be able to offer quality kit at the same price. We're all aware that there is quite alot of information to take in at first. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to achieve clarity - we're all here to help! 

NedS

Knowing your budget would help. @Screwdriv's recommendation of a Powerwall 3 is excellent advice if it is within your budget. Also maximise your roof space with as much solar as reasonably possible.

Battery capacity will be important for you with an ASHP, as usage in winter will be high. We have a 13.5kWh Powerwall, and use the Octopus Cosy tariff for heat pump owners in winter, which allows us to recharge 3 times a day on cheap rate. This means we can still make it though the day on cheap rate when our usage can be 40-50kWh per day in winter, without having to buy a huge battery system. A single 13.5kWh PW3 is also perfectly sized for summer, covering a days usage for us.

We now have zero bills. We make enough in summer on the Intelligent Octopus Flux (IOF) tariff to cover our usage in winter on the Cosy tariff. We were previously paying around £2500/year on oil/electricity, so the payback period on a £12.5k battery/solar install is pretty good.

greenbee

I think my installers may cover North Suffolk, so I can PM you their details. They install a variety of options - I have a myEnergi Libbi (installed last year) with a Fox inverter added on for this year's new panels. However, they are now installing the PW3 that @Screwdriva favours too. They're nice, they listen, and they do all my other electrics too (including installing about 500m of data cable to flood wire the house). They've been very responsive to queries and issues.

And this system did exactly what it needed to this morning - we had an unplanned power cut, but apart from my teams call hanging for a few seconds and the printer waking up, it had no effect. It was only UKPN texting me that made me realise that's what happened. 

I have 29 panels, split south and west (I have a wood to the east sadly), and a 10kWh battery which I will probably double up to 20kWh when I switch from oil to ASHP (unless by then I have an EV with V2H!). 

jackieblack

Screwdriva said:

Fronius is still an excellent (if expensive) option for non-battery systems but even their newly launched Reserva battery struggles to best the Tesla PW3 (few. if any, can). Here are a few reasons why the PW3 is ideal:

1) The PW3 can charge/ discharge at upto 5/11 kW, allowing for phenomenal export earnings for larger arrays on the Intelligent Flux tariff during the warmer months. Most batteries on the market are not eligible for this highly lucrative tariff (only Tesla, SolarEdge/ Enphase and GivEnergy are)

2) In the winter, the 13.5kW capacity should get you through most of the day (with Solar topping up the battery) to allow minimal grid import outside of the cheap nighttime EV tariff window (eg. Octopus Intelligent Go/ Go).

3) Unmatched safety record, software, cold weather performance and outdoor performance. Full unit replacement warranty (no repairs or prorated compensation offers).

I have recommend Eurener 500W bifacial panels paired to the PW3 to several dozen MSE forum members with great results. This combination offers excellent bang for the buck with little ethical deficit, something us GEMS sub-forum members care greatly about. 

A 10 panel system (5kWP) should cost no more than £11K installed via installers I use to help other forum members, with bird netting included. Add £250 per additional panel - I would squeeze in as many additional panels as your roof can take assuming the installer shares your G99 application result supports this. 

When it comes to installers, go with the installers who offers the best kit for the lowest price. Proximity is great in theory but the nearby installers may not be around in a few years, or be able to offer quality kit at the same price. We're all aware that there is quite alot of information to take in at first. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need to achieve clarity - we're all here to help! 

Thank you, Screwdriva
I was fairly active on the GEMS board for the first few years that I had my existing system, but not so much in the last 10 years or so

jackieblack

NedS said:

Knowing your budget would help. @Screwdriv's recommendation of a Powerwall 3 is excellent advice if it is within your budget. Also maximise your roof space with as much solar as reasonably possible.

Battery capacity will be important for you with an ASHP, as usage in winter will be high. We have a 13.5kWh Powerwall, and use the Octopus Cosy tariff for heat pump owners in winter, which allows us to recharge 3 times a day on cheap rate. This means we can still make it though the day on cheap rate when our usage can be 40-50kWh per day in winter, without having to buy a huge battery system. A single 13.5kWh PW3 is also perfectly sized for summer, covering a days usage for us.

We now have zero bills. We make enough in summer on the Intelligent Octopus Flux (IOF) tariff to cover our usage in winter on the Cosy tariff. We were previously paying around £2500/year on oil/electricity, so the payback period on a £12.5k battery/solar install is pretty good.

Thank you, NedS
Hadn't really thought too much about budget , I know prices have changed massively since I had my current system installed 15 years ago, and these things cost what they cost, I guess in my head, based on absolutely nothing at all, I'd allowed around £10k but, once the moves are done and all expenses known for sure, I could have some flexibility. The budget won't be unlimited, but Screwdriva's suggested £11k figure doesn't sound undoable.

jackieblack

greenbee said:

I think my installers may cover North Suffolk, so I can PM you their details. They install a variety of options - I have a myEnergi Libbi (installed last year) with a Fox inverter added on for this year's new panels. However, they are now installing the PW3 that @Screwdriva favours too. They're nice, they listen, and they do all my other electrics too (including installing about 500m of data cable to flood wire the house). They've been very responsive to queries and issues.

And this system did exactly what it needed to this morning - we had an unplanned power cut, but apart from my teams call hanging for a few seconds and the printer waking up, it had no effect. It was only UKPN texting me that made me realise that's what happened. 

I have 29 panels, split south and west (I have a wood to the east sadly), and a 10kWh battery which I will probably double up to 20kWh when I switch from oil to ASHP (unless by then I have an EV with V2H!). 

Thank you, greenbee

Thorndorise

greenbee said:

I think my installers may cover North Suffolk, so I can PM you their details. They install a variety of options - I have a myEnergi Libbi (installed last year) with a Fox inverter added on for this year's new panels. However, they are now installing the PW3 that @Screwdriva favours too. They're nice, they listen, and they do all my other electrics too (including installing about 500m of data cable to flood wire the house). They've been very responsive to queries and issues.

And this system did exactly what it needed to this morning - we had an unplanned power cut, but apart from my teams call hanging for a few seconds and the printer waking up, it had no effect. It was only UKPN texting me that made me realise that's what happened. 

I have 29 panels, split south and west (I have a wood to the east sadly), and a 10kWh battery which I will probably double up to 20kWh when I switch from oil to ASHP (unless by then I have an EV with V2H!). 

Reading this with great interest, thank you all. I too live in North Suffolk and have not had panels before, love the suggestions.

@greenbee would you be kind enough to share your supplier details with myself also, as I'd love to see if they'll come out to us too. Thanks

Magnitio

jackieblack said:

I'd allowed around 310k 

I wonder if they do a gold-plated version of the PW3.

jackieblack

Magnitio said:

jackieblack said:

I'd allowed around 310k 

I wonder if they do a gold-plated version of the PW3.

Oops! Shift button failure... that should have read £10k