Balcony solar PV

[Joeboy]

Or take the existing off, put long rails onto the roof, either vertical support if it’s going to be a long span or cantelever/ gallows brackets to support and do loads more..

Yes, well.... I was more thinking a single vertical mounted panel for late afternoon.

https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/p/ja-sol ... r/p/659153

That is a ridiculous price for a panel even if the voltage match is poor on the Enphase micro's. There are people out there looking for £50 to £100 secondhand for old 250W panels that are HUGE.

The increase in panel efficiency doesn't seem to be at matched by small form panels coming to market.

On a related subject SWMBO just said "how about a covered boot room area outdoors"? I of course said, "can i panel it"? Let's see how it plays out.

[Joeboy]

Terrible weather here compounded by my flattening of the stack overnight as I'd left no grid charge window open.

It's rained pretty much all day but we are happily seeing 1kW incoming even this late in the day.

Succumbed and bought just one more wafer thin solar panel for the Enphase shed. I'll get the chance to compare JA against Longi and see which will be best at hot tub or workshop shed. I am gobsmacked at 405W black on black panels for £65. Buy a few and they get delivered for free, rather amazing .

[AE-NMidlands]

I am gobsmacked at 405W black on black panels for £65. Buy a few and they get delivered for free, rather amazing .

Me too! Those same panels were £125 or so when I started costing my roof last autumn, had fallen to £95 (I think) when the install happened in Jan.
I am really tempted to invest in a pallet of them (or whatever will get cheap delivery) as I have a bit of S-facing wall which will do well in winter...

Also as last year's Ripple return was so good - and this summer's monthly export from the pv might pay for one a month - I could envisage putting more on the side of our house (and our offspring's) and as window canopies/shades and as a back-door porch to keep the sun off in a lucrative way, rather than resorting to space-blanket again. Just need to cost the inverters etc!
A

[drjim]

If you can get enough in a string to fire it up...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134969846025

One of these is running my flat AM shaded shed roof 2kw panels, it's given me 21 kWH in rainy South Manchester since 21st. To get it to start up you need 150v I think.

[Joeboy]

This popped up in my newsfeed today. A wee Hoymiles article on their own reliability. I particularly liked the IP65 test.

Certainly brought home the difference tween these units and the cheap Chinese knock offs (WMC etc).

https://www.hoymiles.com/resources/blog ... lifecycle/

[richbee]

This popped up in my newsfeed today. A wee Hoymiles article on their own reliability. I particularly liked the IP65 test.

Certainly brought home the difference tween these units and the cheap Chinese knock offs (WMC etc).

https://www.hoymiles.com/resources/blog ... lifecycle/

Wonder when they will support UK properly - allowing the gateway system to work??

[Joeboy]

This popped up in my newsfeed today. A wee Hoymiles article on their own reliability. I particularly liked the IP65 test.

Certainly brought home the difference tween these units and the cheap Chinese knock offs (WMC etc).

https://www.hoymiles.com/resources/blog ... lifecycle/

Wonder when they will support UK properly - allowing the gateway system to work??

Who knows, it could sadly be years or even never? I'm not a fan of waiting for permission from a body. Govt or otherwise. Vested interests to hold this step forward back etc.

I'd very likely have a Hoymiles at my own place if we do end up doing an external covered bootroom type deal. Plan is into Europe Sept this year so would likely buy a 1600W 4 panel job. We'll see. You happy enough with your one Rich?

[richbee]

This popped up in my newsfeed today. A wee Hoymiles article on their own reliability. I particularly liked the IP65 test.

Certainly brought home the difference tween these units and the cheap Chinese knock offs (WMC etc).

https://www.hoymiles.com/resources/blog ... lifecycle/

Wonder when they will support UK properly - allowing the gateway system to work??

Who knows, it could sadly be years or even never? I'm not a fan of waiting for permission from a body. Govt or otherwise. Vested interests to hold this step forward back etc.

I'd very likely have a Hoymiles at my own place if we do end up doing an external covered bootroom type deal. Plan is into Europe Sept this year so would likely buy a 1600W 4 panel job. We'll see. You happy enough with your one Rich?

Yes, it seems to work pretty seamlessly so far - I have now seen a max output of 819W from 2x 435W panels. The only problem is the over voltage problem when it cuts out at 253V (but not really Hoymiles fault) - I'm now waiting for a day when it does drop out and then call the DNO 105 line for them to send someone over to measure it & see if they will agree to drop the overall voltage from the transformer.

I wonder if you can get/register them in Poland? I have to go over with work in July - might have to investigate...

[Joeboy]

Wonder when they will support UK properly - allowing the gateway system to work??

Who knows, it could sadly be years or even never? I'm not a fan of waiting for permission from a body. Govt or otherwise. Vested interests to hold this step forward back etc.

I'd very likely have a Hoymiles at my own place if we do end up doing an external covered bootroom type deal. Plan is into Europe Sept this year so would likely buy a 1600W 4 panel job. We'll see. You happy enough with your one Rich?

Yes, it seems to work pretty seamlessly so far - I have now seen a max output of 819W from 2x 435W panels. The only problem is the over voltage problem when it cuts out at 253V (but not really Hoymiles fault) - I'm now waiting for a day when it does drop out and then call the DNO 105 line for them to send someone over to measure it & see if they will agree to drop the overall voltage from the transformer.

I wonder if you can get/register them in Poland? I have to go over with work in July - might have to investigate...

I'm pretty sure Poland is one of the accepted countries so you should be OK. I had full access for a while then it defaulted to going in through toolkit to see the figures. Not perfect but it gets it done.

Had a spare minute or three so I've wired in the 4th Enphase micro. I'll try the 370W panel currently at the hot tub on this M215 micro at workshop. Keep the JA 405W black on black for up closer to the house and on the IQ250W micro. Kind of works from an aesthetics and power matching viewpoint.

[Joeboy]

That was effortless!

From this



To this.



It won't win any bonny shed awards

upload picture



Although it is actively charging the EV.


I am defo degrading in my workmanship!


Once I fit the next panel Enphase combo will be kicking out well over half a kW consistently maybe a bit more. I've tidied up, cable tied etc and it's looking good. Interested to see how late tonight we are still generating meaningful power rates from this little motley array.

I've set the panel at minus 1 degree or so to avoid top shadows from the roofline edge.