Balcony solar PV

[Fueltheburn]

I am not matching your number 1s output yet but was about 6-8weeks behind and my panels are literally sat on some old tyres just to get them doing something.

I will be putting these on a frame shortly in a better position.

Not bad though as an extra input to the house in winter. Better than them sitting in the garage depreciating.

[Joeboy]

I am not matching your number 1s output yet but was about 6-8weeks behind and my panels are literally sat on some old tyres just to get them doing something.

I will be putting these on a frame shortly in a better position.

Not bad though as an extra input to the house in winter. Better than them sitting in the garage depreciating.

Great to see. I'd have them anywhere and I'm happy if I only see a couple of hundred Watts per balcony set. Can't remember the last time I thought about background load as even in the worst conditions that's taken care of.

[Fueltheburn]

[/quote]
Aye it was for me! Exercise maybe in cracking on rather than them sitting in garage? Not judging honestly, it just accelerates the losses to you. I'd buy another couple at deep mates discount but that might sting even more....
[/quote]

This comment made me check my FIT system and I was pretty disappointed with some of the numbers. Looking through the menus on the string inverter, the current and voltage were a tad low. Startup of the Steca is 330v so the string was struggling a bit, showing 305v this afternoon. Looks like some of the MC4 connectors had suffered corrosion.






Bugger it....ladders out!





ReFIT begins.

[Joeboy]

Aye it was for me! Exercise maybe in cracking on rather than them sitting in garage? Not judging honestly, it just accelerates the losses to you. I'd buy another couple at deep mates discount but that might sting even more....
[/quote]

This comment made me check my FIT system and I was pretty disappointed with some of the numbers. Looking through the menus on the string inverter, the current and voltage were a tad low. Startup of the Steca is 330v so the string was struggling a bit, showing 305v this afternoon. Looks like some of the MC4 connectors had suffered corrosion.






Bugger it....ladders out!





ReFIT begins.
[/quote]

Our solaredge is a bit latchy to kick in Winter mornings while the Victron solar controller is happily outputting. I might look at saving up for a 150/70(3.5kW) or even a 150/100(5kW) victron upgrade as we bang on the limit of the 150/60 unit a lot of the time and have 5kW panels on that system. As to the solaredge start up voltage I guess that's built in and not adjustable?

Might as well maximise the export for all of next year at both our sites?.

At four hours per day new peak on a 150 day year it would take 4 years to recoup the Victron upgrade.

[Joeboy]

Sadly I can't compare this to anything but SWMBO & I are now running at 6kWh per day for hwt, cooking and cooling (fridge freezer & air) with the new panels on. That's about 20p per day. I'll have a better comparison May 25 when that particular electric bill comes in as I'll be here with my cousins for the same week as preworks. It's looking good though.


Steak & baked tattie last night and we decided yesterday morning to bin the gas bbq off the lounge balcony.



The start of the no FF outdoor kitchen. I really enjoy Al fresco cooking here. No lingering steak smell and the airfryer gets it done on the gas hob which is now a flat surface for the airfryer to live on.

[Joeboy]

Been down the A101 for a bigger table. Advertising an 11kW Vestel EV charge point for 15,000tl. That's £340.

https://www.a101.com.tr/aldin-aldin-gel ... ta-brosuru

Personal fave is the electric monkey bike at £410!
40km range
25km/h

https://www.a101.com.tr/aldin-aldin-bu-hafta-brosuru

Although, not that good a deal on the bike.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375548944605 ... R8LyjtPZZA

[Joeboy]

The more I think about it the more a step up in Victron solar controller makes sense. Why am I leaving anything at all on the table?

Not meant as a distraction but as I have time here I thought today.

"OK, let's say it's worth 4kWh per day over 150 days then I'm leaving 0.6MWh on the table using a system undersized controller."

With the 100A unit I can throttle it on the software and ramp it up slowly, check for heat. As an afficionado of RE, I find it unacceptable that i've left it so long bouncing on the 60A limit?

There will be a Victron 1 careful owner 150V/60A solar controller coming up for sale soon.

Question, on a 5.2kW PV system would you buy a 85A(4.1kW) controller at £400 or a 100A (4.8kW)at £420?

Edit, I think ive answered my own question.

[AGT]

Bigger unit, so it’s not working so hard

[Joeboy]

Bigger unit, so it’s not working so hard

I agree, yet a 150/85 seller has come back with a reduced offer of £353. I'm embarrassed in that I don't actually remember how much PV we've got feeding the Victron.

I think it's something like 12x380W & 3x580W. That would be a 6kW theoretical peak. I may have to trawl this thread...

If it's12x 325W panels plus the bootroom 580's it's 5.6kW theoretical (that sounds more like it) I expect 75% of that 80% of the good days of sun. That's 4.2kW.

85A @ 48V is...4.1kW. Hmmn.I know from historic experience that there are not many days that the Solaredge system clears 4kW and it's a 5kW spread split E/W admittedly.

Although and I'm now flying on the wings of pure guesswork. I reckon I could see an extra 750kWh with the upgrade. The Victron spread is due South and does start banging the power out early. This may well be an "Ah f**k it moment" where the very best and worst decisions are made.

9x325W 2.925kW
6x400W 2.4kW
3x580W 1.74kW

7kW panels, jings! How'd that happen?

[Joeboy]

Been thinking, feel free to weigh in,

The limit here is I think the charging rate of the 6 US2000B batteries. 25A per so 150A. X amount of the power inflow from the PV is going to flow straight to the two LF280 stacks anyway.

8kW of power flowing from the PV arrays at 50.4V (95% soc) is 158A according to an online calculator.

Knowing I'll see peaks for seconds at a time of 9kW incoming from the PV with a 150/85 victron upgrade operating alongside the Solaredge is a bottle test that I won't go beyond. I think the 150/100 would open up my cables to too much potential powerflow bearing in mind that there is 13kW panels on those two systems. At the moment the battery interconnect cables don't get beyond warm with the 150/60 unit. Thoughts?