HELP PLEASE

[FlyingScot]

I have a FIT system that is a 3.68kw Solar Edge Inverter with 15 250W panels, and Power Optimisers this was a TFU and a serious mis-selling by the cowboys who installed the system (Solis inverter that exploded after a year so was replaced with the Solar edge system {I have NO Shading issues})) as I was sold a 4kw system with 280W panels

I am in Central Scotland, the 15 panels are on my roof facing about 245 degrees

FIT revenue 2023/24 April till April - I generated 2774 kW and earned just under £600 with just under £100 of that being the assumed 50% export con

I want to put some battery storage in and move onto a SEG with Octopus energy for the EXPORT part of my FIT contract (if I understand this correctly, I cannot be paid for exporting energy on a FIT and a SEG contract simultaneously BUT can change my FIT contract to a Generation only contract.

I am thinking about changing the inverter and removing the Power Optimisers (the Victron Multiplus-II 48V/5000VA inverter charger cannot interface with them as the SE inverter communicates with them using a propriety method)

My plan 'A' is a Victron Multiplus-II 48V/5000VA inverter charger and initially two Pylon US5000 batteries with a possible easy future upgrade plan 'B' to making that three

I am building a garage and plan 'C' is to load the roof with solar probably as many 550W panels as I can get on the roof (the roof with be sized with an overhand to maximise the area forthe panels) The roof will be facing about 130 degrees and should get the sun all day then I will add another Victron MultiPlus-II 48V 5000Va Inverter-Charger alongside my present PV one

At present, the SE inverter is mounted right underneath the roof under the panels.

I have a full height cellar, so I plan on moving the FIT PV inverter (the new to me Victron MultiPlus-II 48V 5000Va Inverter-Charger) on a board on one of the cellar walls, right underneath the cloakroom at the front of the house which has the main power inlet, the Consumer unit, the Smart Meter and the PV meter located there.

This will give me short cable runs for the Victron ET112 Energy Meter as well as the AC cabling The PV DC cables will need to be run from the present location at the top of the house (Chalet Bungalow to the location in the cellar BUT since there is an AC Cable going from the present SE FIT inverter to the FIT meter that run is easily followed.

One option is to just leave the SE FIT System alone and just wire in the Victron Multiplus-II 48V/5000VA inverter charger to the AC ring main (Grid and PV fed) then the DC to the Batteries

My parts list for just installing a battery storage system (not a totally complete one) is:

BATTERY STORAGE MAJOR PARTS LIST

ONE - Victron Multiplus-II 48V/5000VA inverter charger (a UL certified model)
ONE - Cerbo GX
ONE – GX Touch 70
ONE - GX Touch 70 Wall mount
ONE - MK3 – USB Interface (USB to VE Bus)
AS REQUIRED – CAT5e 3m patch cable I think I need two
TWO - Pylon US5000 4.8kw Batteries
ONE - Pylon US series cable pack
AS REQUIRED
DC Cabling AS REQUIRED
AC Cabling AS REQUIRED
48VOn/Off Battery switches (Blue Seas e-series) AS REQUIRED
Victron MEGA Fuses 100A and 200A 58V for 48V System AS REQUIRED
ONE - Lynx Distributor
ONE - AC On/Off switch
ONE – Energy Meter ET112 (single phase - max-100A)
ONE – Victron RS485 to USB cable/interface 5m (ASS030572050)

I was planning to use the present AC and DC switches IF I swap, upgrade the inverter

Obviously IF I do not touch the SE FIT system then I will need some switches

I can probably install 90% of this myself, The AC side will need to be connected and certified by an approved electrician

Octopus are happy with DIY installations and I suspect that adding batteries will not affect my MCS certification if we just leave the FIT system alone

Though going onto the roof is not my fave place to be :-( so that may need a 'professional to make the physical PV Panel modifications {removing the Power Optimisers} and reinstalling the netting to keep the birds out from nesting under the panels) so another good reason for leaving the present SE FIT system alone (sadly I cannot {legally} fit bigger panels) without binning my FIT contract so there may also be an option to UPGRADE the panels and dump my FIT contract totally

QUESTIONS

The Main one is do you think that my Present FIT earnings will go up if I change to the best possible contract with Octopus

Advice is sought here

I am totally fed up with the professional experts talking rubbish typically the Scottish Power 'technical expert' :-( said I could not add Batteries to my FIT system and when I) quoted OFGEM to him, he hung up on me.

So all comments and advice please

thanks

David

[Lincs Robert]

Why do you think that your FiT earnings will increase by switching to Octopus? My FiT started with Npower and then moved to EoN at the exact same rates, I get my energy from Octopus and they have nothing to do with my FiT payments.

My view is leave the FiT well alone and build additional capacity around it but without impacting it - if you see my logic. My battery storage is AC coupled, I use Lux units with Pylontechs supplemented by Chinese stacks inspired from here.

The rules on FiT “generation” equipment swap-out mellowed about 18 months ago. If you leave as is you cant be criticised in any way even though they are really only interested in a FiT capacity increase. A year ago I replaced 16 x 250W panels with 10 x 400W panels on my FiT system. You may ask why I did that? Easy, the new config uses a lot less roof space which I then put extra panels (non FiT) onto. The price of panels has plummeted in the last year as many on here know. Ironically the price of SE optimisers is now approaching the price of panels!

My system is 100% Solar Edge. I like the monitoring, the long warranty, the tech support and various power control features which I’ve implemented to ensure I don’t export too much. These include automatic export limitation and a manual override where I can reduce the power of my multiple inverters, which act as one all except the FiT one, under Alexa voice control. I guess I’m a bit of a SE fan boy - but what the heck.

Hope these comments help.

Rob

[resybaby]

Agree with Lincs Robert, id leave the FiT system alone as well and add a separate system totally. Its what i did.
AFAIK you are able to 'maintain' the existing FIT system, so you can, for example, replace the panels, meter, invertor etc etc - so long as you keep to the max limits of your contract, and abide by the original conditions of MCS and approved equipment.
Quite why you'd want to 'lose' that contract is beyond me?

Swopping the panels, as Lincs Robert says, is most certainly permitted (original FITs are now 13 years old so some panel/invertor failures are likely), changing panels is someth8ng i want to do - if i can ever find a set of ten to match my new JASolars.

[nowty]

You can even replace all the panels with higher capacity ones and agree a new pro-rata FIT generation rate with your FIT provider. But I don't like contacting official folk if I don't have to so will do something similar to Lincs Robert in the previous post.

Having installed a ton of DIY panels and still holding the original MCS certificate for my FIT system, moving from FIT deemed export to measured export was fairly easy, it took 8 weeks in total.

I am now making about 10 times on paid export compared to what I got for deemed export, its a no brainer if your adding extra DIY solar PV capacity and batteries enhance the whole setup.

I have a thread about the my Octopus Outgoing (paid export) experience since late last year.
https://camelot-forum.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... 171#p47171

[Lincs Robert]

You can even replace all the panels with higher capacity ones and agree a new pro-rata FIT generation rate with your FIT provider. But I don't like contacting official folk if I don't have to so will do something similar to Lincs Robert in the previous post.

Having installed a ton of DIY panels and still holding the original MCS certificate for my FIT system, moving from FIT deemed export to measured export was fairly easy, it took 8 weeks in total.

I am now making about 10 times on paid export compared to what I got for deemed export, its a no brainer if your adding extra DIY solar PV capacity and batteries enhance the whole setup.

I have a thread about the my Octopus Outgoing (paid export) experience since late last year.
https://camelot-forum.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... 171#p47171

I knew about the pro-rating as you mentioned, but decided to stay well clear keeping everything “as is”, as much as possible. Before I ordered my new panels, I wrote to Ogfem to clarify the position & then attached their reply and sent it to EoN as Ofgem said I had to notify them. I wrote both letters in such a way that I was “just seeking their confirmation in this matter”. It worked, although the reply from EoN was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.

Interestingly, as the price of panels has continued to fall even further, I have just added 19 on a north facing roof & am well impressed with their output. I’m hoping that this coupled with my increased battery capacity will serve me well in the bleaker months.

Cheers

[FlyingScot]

SNIP

The rules on FiT “generation” equipment swap-out mellowed about 18 months ago. If you leave as is you cant be criticised in any way even though they are really only interested in a FiT capacity increase. A year ago I replaced 16 x 250W panels with 10 x 400W panels on my FiT system. You may ask why I did that? Easy, the new config uses a lot less roof space which I then put extra panels (non FiT) onto. The price of panels has plummeted in the last year as many on here know. Ironically the price of SE optimisers is now approaching the price of panels!

SNIP

Hope these comments help.

Rob

KUNFOOSED is moi. I thought i was unable to make any changes to my FIT system like putting bigger panels on. TEN 8.33 430W panels would be lovely this was my initial plan BUT I was told I cannot make any changes to my FIT system

When the SOLIS inverter went POP!! the inverter was not replaced like for like, however obviously then the system was changed to the Solar Edge system BUT without any increase in panels or fitting bigger ones like I was initially sold.

thanks

David

[FlyingScot]

SNIP. My battery storage is AC coupled, I use Lux units with Pylontechs supplemented by Chinese stacks inspired from here.
SNIP
Hope these comments help.

Rob

Do please tell me more - AC coupled is that what I was thinking of doing by hanging on a Victron Multiplus II to both charge and export the excess battery energy

Pylontech I understand BUT what is a Lux unit

Thanks

David

[Lincs Robert]

SNIP

The rules on FiT “generation” equipment swap-out mellowed about 18 months ago. If you leave as is you cant be criticised in any way even though they are really only interested in a FiT capacity increase. A year ago I replaced 16 x 250W panels with 10 x 400W panels on my FiT system. You may ask why I did that? Easy, the new config uses a lot less roof space which I then put extra panels (non FiT) onto. The price of panels has plummeted in the last year as many on here know. Ironically the price of SE optimisers is now approaching the price of panels!

SNIP

Hope these comments help.

Rob

KUNFOOSED is moi. I thought i was unable to make any changes to my FIT system like putting bigger panels on. TEN 8.33 430W panels would be lovely this was my initial plan BUT I was told I cannot make any changes to my FIT system

When the SOLIS inverter went POP!! the inverter was not replaced like for like, however obviously then the system was changed to the Solar Edge system BUT without any increase in panels or fitting bigger ones like I was initially sold.

thanks

David

My FiT capacity is unchanged. My additional capacity is separate and not fed through the generation meter that pays the FiT. Simples.

[Lincs Robert]

SNIP. My battery storage is AC coupled, I use Lux units with Pylontechs supplemented by Chinese stacks inspired from here.
SNIP
Hope these comments help.

Rob

Do please tell me more - AC coupled is that what I was thinking of doing by hanging on a Victron Multiplus II to both charge and export the excess battery energy

Pylontech I understand BUT what is a Lux unit

Thanks

David

Lux is a brand. LuxPower Tek to be precise. They make Hybrid and AC coupled units. The units I have are the LXP 3600 ACS model - a charger/inverter, which has no panel connections, the hybrid units do. Each unit can support multiple batteries and can provide upto 3600 watts of charge/discharge capacity.

[Countrypaul]

David,

Are you aware that with the Victron Multiplus you can attach your existing FIT system (inc Inverter and TGM) to the output side of the Multiplus so that the Multipluscan use the PV generation for house supply/Battery charging/Export whilst still having PV panels and batteries connected to the Multiplus. You can also have PV panels connected to a Victron charge controller to charge the batteries at the same time as the Multiplus.
If I can find the link to the relevant Victron web page I will post it here (unless some one else does so first...hint )

Not the link I was looking for but might be helpful: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ac_coupling:start