I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
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- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 3:42 pm
- Location: North East Dorset
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
Worth remembering that I doubt that anyone has ever said afterwards that they regretted putting too much PV generation in. No matter how much you have, there will always be many days in winter when you wish you had a lot more.
25 off 250W Perlight solar panels, installed 2014, with a 6kW PowerOne inverter, about 6,000kWh/year generated
6 off Pylontech US3000C batteries, with a Sofar ME3000SP inverter
6 off Pylontech US3000C batteries, with a Sofar ME3000SP inverter
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- Posts: 1873
- Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2021 3:42 pm
- Location: North East Dorset
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
There's another thread here on air fryers and other stuff, but they really can save a fair bit of energy. We bought a Sage mini oven/grill/air fryer/toaster gadget a few weeks ago and have not used our big oven since. At a guess I'd say it has probably reduced our cooking energy usage by between 30% and 40%, so a fairly significant saving. It also seems to cook many things a lot better.dangermouse wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:50 pm I'm prepared to make a few minor lifestyle adjustments anyway, for example getting a lower power kettle, using the 1.2kW air fryer instead of the 2.5kW oven.
25 off 250W Perlight solar panels, installed 2014, with a 6kW PowerOne inverter, about 6,000kWh/year generated
6 off Pylontech US3000C batteries, with a Sofar ME3000SP inverter
6 off Pylontech US3000C batteries, with a Sofar ME3000SP inverter
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- Posts: 126
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 11:48 am
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
At the risk of going well off topic, air fryers are great, but it's a stupid name. They should be called 'mini fan ovens'. Anything you normally cook in an oven, if it will fit in the air fryer it will be faster and cheaper.
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- Posts: 126
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2022 11:48 am
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
Sorry, what's HP? I get your point but don't know that acronym.Joeboy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:37 pm
For me, it's get all the HP you can on the roof(s) in one fell swoop. Go from there. There is always a way to shade the HP whether its edge rules or the dynamic between pv efficency vs cost. Nonetheless, play the game to maximise out that first step OP. Do all the homework on the various panels available
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
He means House Panels (Solar panels), get as many on your roof that will fit in in one go as Joeboy has done a lot of piecemeal installations on his roof.dangermouse wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:29 pmSorry, what's HP? I get your point but don't know that acronym.Joeboy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:37 pm
For me, it's get all the HP you can on the roof(s) in one fell swoop. Go from there. There is always a way to shade the HP whether its edge rules or the dynamic between pv efficency vs cost. Nonetheless, play the game to maximise out that first step OP. Do all the homework on the various panels available
16.9kW PV > 109MWh generated
Ripple 6.6kW Wind + 4.5kW PV > 25MWh generated
5 Other RE Coop's
105kWh EV storage
60kWh Home battery storage
40kWh Thermal storage
GSHP + A2A HP's
Rain water use > 510 m3
Ripple 6.6kW Wind + 4.5kW PV > 25MWh generated
5 Other RE Coop's
105kWh EV storage
60kWh Home battery storage
40kWh Thermal storage
GSHP + A2A HP's
Rain water use > 510 m3
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- Posts: 662
- Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2022 7:37 pm
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
dangermouse wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:50 pm
This is reassuring, thank you. We really do use 5.2kWh per day, averaged over the year. Obviously it will be a bit higher in winter, but with gas heating, probably not too much.
I'm prepared to make a few minor lifestyle adjustments anyway, for example getting a lower power kettle, using the 1.2kW air fryer instead of the 2.5kW oven.
You do better than I then, I generate about 3MWh and since getting a 6.5kWh battery (£3400) use most of that, to the extent I resent exporting any.
I have a "mini fan oven" (£300) and changed to a 1.5kW kettle and a 1.5kW 36" long immersion element (£60)[1], these just to keep the peak power we are likely to draw below the output of the battery inverter. We manually select the immersion when the battery is charged and the PV is generating. I did not think the solar PV diverters like the Eddi were worth the investment at ~£400 and plan to set up a voltage controlled relay to sense the battery voltage instead, in the mean while just looking at the forecast and switching the immersion works to consume about 2kWh, I wish we had a bigger DHW tank.
[1] While the longer immersion works somewhat it only has a standard length thermostat so once this is satisfied the bit below the thermostat is only warm.
We are just entering the winter period when DHW will be done by our ancient non condensing gas boiler and we will be buying some electricity till mid March and I think I saved over £600 this year from an additional investment of ~£3800, we already had the PV panels for 10 years.
My only regret is not buying 10.5kWh pylontech battery instead of the Growatt.
Morso S11
FIT
16 Sharp PV panels facing WSW 4kW
Solarmax 4200S inverter
Non FIT
3 Canadian solar DC coupled 1.75kW facing SSE
Storage
Growatt SPA3000TL BL inverter ac coupled
Growatt GBLI6532 6.5kWh lithium phosphate battery
FIT
16 Sharp PV panels facing WSW 4kW
Solarmax 4200S inverter
Non FIT
3 Canadian solar DC coupled 1.75kW facing SSE
Storage
Growatt SPA3000TL BL inverter ac coupled
Growatt GBLI6532 6.5kWh lithium phosphate battery
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
I actually mean horse power (cheers though Nowty). An anarchronism I know but to get the point across? No point having a 900cc 3 cyl up top when it could maybe be a 7ltr V8.nowty wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:41 pmHe means House Panels (Solar panels), get as many on your roof that will fit in in one go as Joeboy has done a lot of piecemeal installations on his roof.dangermouse wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:29 pmSorry, what's HP? I get your point but don't know that acronym.Joeboy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:37 pm
For me, it's get all the HP you can on the roof(s) in one fell swoop. Go from there. There is always a way to shade the HP whether its edge rules or the dynamic between pv efficency vs cost. Nonetheless, play the game to maximise out that first step OP. Do all the homework on the various panels available
The one fell swoop PV install works well, I went at it in 5 stages I and with hindsight would change that if I could.
19.7kW PV SE, VI, HM, EN & DW
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Ripple 7kW WT & Gen to date 19MWh
42kWh LFPO4 storage
95kWh Heater storage
12kWh 210ltr HWT.
73kWh HI5
Deep insulation, air leak ct'd home
Zoned GCH & Hive 2
WBSx2
Low energy bulbs
Veg patches & fruit trees
Re: I am new to all this and looking for feedback on my 'off grid' system
In other words, as many panels as you can fit from the outset, as big an inverter and as many batteries as you can, especially as the first installation is VAT free if using an installer.
16.9kW PV > 109MWh generated
Ripple 6.6kW Wind + 4.5kW PV > 25MWh generated
5 Other RE Coop's
105kWh EV storage
60kWh Home battery storage
40kWh Thermal storage
GSHP + A2A HP's
Rain water use > 510 m3
Ripple 6.6kW Wind + 4.5kW PV > 25MWh generated
5 Other RE Coop's
105kWh EV storage
60kWh Home battery storage
40kWh Thermal storage
GSHP + A2A HP's
Rain water use > 510 m3