Balcony solar PV

[Mart]

For small scale PV, especially if you don't have a suitable balcony or fence etc to hang some panels off, then another option is as a small canopy.

When we had PV installed in 2011, we did the main rear roof, but I also wanted to do the smaller lower roof. The problem back then was having enough voltage from the smaller system, as 3 panels wasn't enough, so I stripped off the canopy over the back door, got the local 'iron man' to fabricate four galvanised steel brackets, and put up two extra panels. Works great.

Then the thought occurred to me (as per many on here) that something like that would be a great intro to PV. Could be a canopy over a door, or perhaps over some windows, so the winter sun gets in, but helps to shade the higher summer sun.

Even back then, a couple of 250Wp panels, would provide excellent leccy savings, as almost 100% would probably be consumed (not exported). Obviously now, with micro inverters, the options have grown, but just thought I'd mention it, as a single panel door canopy, would now be a significant contribution ..... as well as keeping the rain off, whilst you call the cats and doggo's in.

[Joeboy]

The logical step here would be for me to fit some to No1 son's place. Oh dear, this started as quite liking the wee green & orange micro inverters from Y&H and now wondering if 4 second hand panels akin to these in two strings of two would squeak under the voltage limit of 60v?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 949848057/

P.S, cheers Gus. Discountdragon indeed!

[Joeboy]

For small scale PV, especially if you don't have a suitable balcony or fence etc to hang some panels off, then another option is as a small canopy.

When we had PV installed in 2011, we did the main rear roof, but I also wanted to do the smaller lower roof. The problem back then was having enough voltage from the smaller system, as 3 panels wasn't enough, so I stripped off the canopy over the back door, got the local 'iron man' to fabricate four galvanised steel brackets, and put up two extra panels. Works great.

Then the thought occurred to me (as per many on here) that something like that would be a great intro to PV. Could be a canopy over a door, or perhaps over some windows, so the winter sun gets in, but helps to shade the higher summer sun.

Even back then, a couple of 250Wp panels, would provide excellent leccy savings, as almost 100% would probably be consumed (not exported). Obviously now, with micro inverters, the options have grown, but just thought I'd mention it, as a single panel door canopy, would now be a significant contribution ..... as well as keeping the rain off, whilst you call the cats and doggo's in.

I like that approach Mart, getting it done and especially the consumption of the majority of power generated. I'd hope to see a regular 500W off of 800W panels, thats not bad for a diy minimal install.

I just took a pic at No1's house and I could easily (and I do mean easily) fit a single top panel and two at the side, a bit difficult to panel match voltages like that. I'll keep thinking on it. Maybe I can somehow slot a 2nd matched size panel in there.

Edit, That'll never work, better to fit two matched panels or two pairs. The danger here for me is that my mind hooks a throw away sentence or thought. Todays victim is 'contact my local MP' (no offence Gus, excellent sounding board that sentence). Half an hour passes and my reply is, 'is that the same MP's who take bribes (party conts) from oil firms? The same MP's who block windfarms South of us? Then I get all rightful ire and have to keep myself away from the buy buttons!

At no point in my life will i listen to the guidance of the tosspots in power, they're polluted & bought, fuck em.

Anyway,

While there I spotted a sapling had done well in the downspout ay No1's. Hoicked him out and he's now potted up on the back patio in last years compost. Club mascot maybe ?

[AGT]

The logical step here would be for me to fit some to No1 son's place. Oh dear, this started as quite liking the wee green & orange micro inverters from Y&H and now wondering if 4 second hand panels akin to these in two strings of two would squeak under the voltage limit of 60v?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 949848057/

P.S, cheers Gus. Discountdragon indeed!

I think there was about 16 panels on gumtree in Dundee or Perth last week, a bit closer!!

[Mart]

Hiya Joeboy, here's an old photo as it's pee'ing down, so I'm not going out:




It was back in 2011, but the price for the custom made brackets (x4), galvanised, including 12 lengths of threaded rod, nuts, and a tube of resin, was £100.

If you zoom in, you can see one small flaw, and that's rain between the panels, right where you stand, but solved with a roll of greenhouse glass tape (or a name something like that). It lasts about 5yrs before the sun cooks it, but still on the first roll, and super strong, for many uses.

Thinking of porches, as per your pic, I wonder if they could now be an ideal use for PV. Just take the in-roof PV idea, with a waterproof tray, rather than a normal tile/slate build.

I know these are just thoughts, ponderings, musings etc, on a wet and windy afternoon, but a porch, rear canopy, and maybe some window shades, and even a house that can't have roof PV, would be up to 1kWp+ ..... then you have PV car canopy, pergola and so on, and so on.

[Joeboy]

Hiya Joeboy, here's an old photo as it's pee'ing down, so I'm not going out:




It was back in 2011, but the price for the custom made brackets (x4), galvanised, including 12 lengths of threaded rod, nuts, and a tube of resin, was £100.

If you zoom in, you can see one small flaw, and that's rain between the panels, right where you stand, but solved with a roll of greenhouse glass tape (or a name something like that). It lasts about 5yrs before the sun cooks it, but still on the first roll, and super strong, for many uses.

Thinking of porches, as per your pic, I wonder if they could now be an ideal use for PV. Just take the in-roof PV idea, with a waterproof tray, rather than a normal tile/slate build.

I know these are just thoughts, ponderings, musings etc, on a wet and windy afternoon, but a porch, rear canopy, and maybe some window shades, and even a house that can't have roof PV, would be up to 1kWp+ ..... then you have PV car canopy, pergola and so on, and so on.

OOH, that's nice! Loving the canopy. Damn, its not exactly 'ooh don't go there Joeboy the house will combust'. As to the flaw, Asian craftsmen deliberately leave a flaw in works to show that perfection is only available to the local deity of choice. Good to see the old traditions being maintained. A very impressive set up, one question though, did you max out on that string of 3 above the canopy?

[Mart]

Couldn't get more than 3 on that roof. Tried lots of combinations, with a scale plan and little card panels, but that small Velux was the problem. Back then I (and the installers) didn't know of any other solution, so needed 4+ panels to meet the necessary inverter voltage. Now of course, there are the micro-inverters, SolarEdge (in fact the lower and upper roofs are now on a single Solaredge system*), higher voltage panels, and other ways to work around.

Edit - Just to say, the brackets were made so that the two 'canopy' panels, would exactly match the pitch of the other 3 panels, so they'd work best as a string of 5.

*If it wasn't for the additional expense of changing the PO's (power optimisers) I'd now be very tempted to swap out those easy to get to lower panels for something more powerful now. they are 235Wp, and I could fit ~400Wp panels, so an extra 0.825Wp. The 3.5kW inverter would cap out at times, but it has massive headroom for extra DC power (5,425Wp DC max, and currently 3,580Wp). FiT provider has said it's OK too, and they would pro-rata generation payments. And DNO won't need notifying, as the inverter output peak/cap of 3.7kW has already been approved.

So many ideas!

[Bugtownboy]

Thought the idea of perfection only being achieved by ‘God’ is also a European tradition dating back to, at least, the Renaissance.

Back to the thread, the idea of a simple ‘starter’ plug and play PV system, with appropriate control, is a no brainier.

Least it’d silence the Daily Fail types when users realise the potential.

[Joeboy]

Couldn't get more than 3 on that roof. Tried lots of combinations, with a scale plan and little card panels, but that small Velux was the problem. Back then I (and the installers) didn't know of any other solution, so needed 4+ panels to meet the necessary inverter voltage. Now of course, there are the micro-inverters, SolarEdge (in fact the lower and upper roofs are now on a single Solaredge system*), higher voltage panels, and other ways to work around.

*If it wasn't for the additional expense of changing the PO's (power optimisers) I'd now be very tempted to swap out those easy to get to lower panels for something more powerful now. they are 235Wp, and I could fit ~400Wp panels, so an extra 0.825Wp. The 3.5kW inverter would cap out at times, but it has massive headroom for extra DC power (5,425Wp DC max, and currently 3,580Wp). FiT provider has said it's OK too, and they would pro-rata generation payments. And DNO won't need notifying, as the inverter output peak/cap of 3.7kW has already been approved.

So many ideas!

Its excellent, really enjoyed seeing the system, would you go vertical face? Funnily enough We've got daughterly up from Edinburgh for a couple of days. We're (all 4) heading out to Italy in Sept for our first adult family holiday. The kids are hitting Rome for a few days then we'll meet up in Florence. Anyway, point is I did the flights and digs today. Knocked the total arse out of the daily account so topped it up out of the Vegas fund (long story). There's enough overage in there now to cover costs to date for Bella Italia and a few cappuchino's once we're all together. I reckon it could stretch to a wee Ali bought Micro inverter too?

Has anyone spotted an absolute silver bullet Chinese unit and would like to share? Would be much appreciated!

[Mr Gus]

Surprised they haven't had the temerity to call for a ban on solar on camper vans because the weight of all those batteries has the "potential" to tear up all the road at a faster rate than councils can fix them (if they did)

Never doubt the pain those b'stards are prepared to inflict on folk to propogate a "story"

Reason I mentioned raising this with MP's being as joe said the massive albeit small scale potential opening new doors & acceptance to multiple technologies without overpriced govt schemes that do not guarantee competently fitted , nor functional set ups.

This being small enough to tinker, grab a solar app & align it accordingly with minimal fuss & a neighbours help for 20 minutes lowering it into place whilst someone else having secured it feeds out a rope sling line or similar.

We need to get over the hump of whatever reasons it hasn't been legalised yet & get in there, again someone like MSE taking the lead on pushing MP's & associated dither-ers.

S'alright Joe, my MP & his useless office spods are tp a man useless POS clagnuts & winnits, it doesn't stop me writing to the dobbins though, lest he think he's doing a good job!