Hello,

[ahas]

Hi all,
First time poster, thought I'd do a quick hi / intro before I ask some specific Qs.
LOADS of info on the forum so just having a poke around.

I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne, looking to add solar and battery storage. I have nothing at the moment (kind of, will come on to that).

In March I agreed to a set up of 16x 360w panels, a lux 3.6 hybrid and 3x 2.4kwh pylontechs. Those never came to fruition. The install kept getting pushed back... I got impatient and cancelled.
In hindsight should have just waited for that.

Then I asked another company, they couldn't / wouldn't do lux but could do foxess. In comparison to the Lux it didn't feel as good, and wanted it on 3 orientations and the hybrid inverter would only do 2 string set up? Again I was getting my install pushed back. I think an element of that was I was probably underpriced on the system with the quotes being pre March 2022. Eventually I cancelled that as I wasn't 100% on board and delays.

I had an installer down, and because I have 3 orientations I want to use and 2 roof pitches I was recommended solaredge! Great I thought, now I'm getting somewhere... Until every installer laughed in my face when I requested a quote on solaredge! Apparently you cannot get solaredge until the end of the year (2022) and some suggested possibly later than that.

So, at this current moment, I have 18x 360w SolarEdge smart module's and a solaredge SE3680H (with EV charging) inverter in my garage awaiting someone to fit them. Ha! I managed to source the panels and inverter from a couple of different suppliers.

Plan to get 6.4kwh of solar installed. 1.4kwh on East & 1.4kwh West, the rest on South. Or max panels on South and rest wherever really.

I'm going to go AC coupled, I've yet to determine whether I go Victron & Pylontech or Lux squirrel & Greenlinx (according to Jake / James at infinity innovations its a superior battery to pylontech, but no real world info about so not sure... )

We only use 3600kwh per annum, but I'm looking to future proof, my boiler is about 12 years old so might go ashp/hot water tank+solar diverter or something... Probably an EV somewhere down the line.
I'm a petrolhead and my car does 20mpg. My wife does 6 miles round trip daily to work and back so EV once we can afford it.

So that's me, next steps is getting the panels and solaredge inverter installed and consider the inverter / battery set up and get a g99 / g99 fast track away to Northern Power Grid as soon as I've decided on the AC inverter and battery set up.

Thoughts, advice, guidance gratuitously received.

Thanks for reading

Ahas,

[Mr Gus]

Maybe get an early nissan leaf 24 /30kWh (frog face style) if the wife is agreeable, at least in the meantime you would also have time to locate a well priced zappi solar 7kWh charger (one less thing to sort)

Whilst ice fuel prices are slowly dropping it won't take much to propel them higher, given world affairs.


I miss my nights out in Darlington & Newcastle & the great strong spirited ladies of all ages (looked after TOO well, ..spoilt by hospitality & generosity)

Welcome,we are but a fragment of what we once were, having had to move forum homes, glad you find it useful.

[ahas]

Thanks Mr Gus,

EV definitely on the horizon, even a plug in hybrid would suffice. But they're a bit £ridiculous at the moment.
Once the youngest is a littler older and no oversized pushchair required then will definitely down size.

I have access to the NHS fleet solutions and some cars are pretty good value, I had on order an e-Golf pre covid, but was cancelled when VW started production of the ID.

The SolarEdge inverter I have has the built in EV charging module (just no cable ), so that can charge from Solar which is brilliant, albeit probably at 3.7kwh.

Ahas,

[Joeboy]

There ars a couple of threads knocking about called second system extension which are guides/stories on how to extend pv systems purely to direct charge into your battery from a second pv array via a charge controller. They work very well, can be self installed, avoid any dno shenanigans and are just pretty damn epic. Worth a read and might be handy for you. None of the gear any of us installs is cheap and this way the costs can be broken up.

https://camelot-forum.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... f=11&t=367

https://camelot-forum.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... f=11&t=271

[nowty]

The SolarEdge inverter I have has the built in EV charging module (just no cable ), so that can charge from Solar which is brilliant, albeit probably at 3.7kwh.

Ahas,

If you get a battery system you can charge with yesterdays sun as well as todays sun.
I'm currently charging two EVs at the moment.

[Joeboy]

The SolarEdge inverter I have has the built in EV charging module (just no cable ), so that can charge from Solar which is brilliant, albeit probably at 3.7kwh.

Ahas,

If you get a battery system you can charge with yesterdays sun as well as todays sun.
I'm currently charging two EVs at the moment.

Great you mention that. I found myself having a quick look in the early morning at days weather and soc then dumping as much of the home battery yesterdays power as possible into the EV early to give both systems the chance to run full tilt all day. If I got it right I could be charging at a full 7kW midday and not be touching the grid or particularly depleteing the home stack. The HWT also makes a huge difference as a powersink for the excess. 2 EV's though? Fancy!

[nowty]

Nowty Towers was under export curtailment until we arrived back from an overnighter in Wales.
Then plug in and BOOM, I need to get Zen back up to 100% before I visit my folks and SWMBO was also complaining of low EV SOC.

[ahas]

Thanks joeboy will have a look into those links. Intrigued to see how the system extensions would work.

That's the plan nowty, get a good storage system in to eek out as much of solar wherever possible. Key for me is laying the foundations to enable it all to be built on.

Also key for is for me to try and find someone willing to install the kit I've bought, in which I've already paid the vat on, but on anything they do, possibly supply and 'fit' a nominal PV panel, batteries, AC inverter and ancillaries and zero vat the job. Basically saving me the vat on the batteries and ac inverter.

If I go down the grid tie route what are the thoughts on victron 48/5000 vs lux 3.6 squirrel?
I'll start a specific thread in the pv section to get it more dedicated exposure as that's my current predicament...

[ahas]

Wow! Didn't realise it was July since I had last posted! Been busy busy.
Progress has been good.
I found an excellent local installer. 18x 360w SolarEdge system installed and up and running!
Solis AC charger, SolarEdge modbus and 2x 3000c pylontech installed and awaiting commissioning!

Oh, and passat GTE also purchased, I've not just been bit by the bug but well and truly chewed!

Pics to follow.

[nowty]

Wow! Didn't realise it was July since I had last posted! Been busy busy.
Progress has been good.
I found an excellent local installer. 18x 360w SolarEdge system installed and up and running!
Solis AC charger, SolarEdge modbus and 2x 3000c pylontech installed and awaiting commissioning!

Oh, and passat GTE also purchased, I've not just been bit by the bug but well and truly chewed!

Pics to follow.

The secret list of storage just keeps on growing, especially with these EVs.