solar panels

Bloders · Apr 20, 2022

Hello
We have a 4kw solar sytem on the shed. This is as much as teh DNO will allow.
I am thinking of installing a further 8KW on teh roof and a mechanism to prevent exporting more than the original 4kw.
Can I do this without notifying anyone? (its for my use and i wont be exporting any of it)
I will also be looking then for some method of storage - i appreciate the costs need careful consideration, but if i cant do it, then there is no point looking at the costs!

thanks

Still Farming · Apr 20, 2022

Don't bother grid connect possibly then.
Can be any size then if own use?

Exfarmer · Apr 20, 2022

Be careful, some of the export limiters will actually cut off all production if the export is above the max. Are you certain the DNO will not allow more than 4 as normally 10 is allowed on single phase. Do be careful with any new install that it is not going through your FIT meter which would be fraud

Bloders · Apr 20, 2022

Exfarmer said:
Be careful, some of the export limiters will actually cut off all production if the export is above the max. Are you certain the DNO will not allow more than 4 as normally 10 is allowed on single phase. Do be careful with any new install that it is not going through your FIT meter which would be fraud

i was going to do a completely serpeate install with inverter etc and through an export limiter to avoid this.

Bloders · Apr 20, 2022

Still Farming said:
Don't bother grid connect possibly then.
Can be any size then if own use?

rest of farm is connected to grid, so needs to be?

steveR · Apr 20, 2022

Bloders said:
Hello
We have a 4kw solar sytem on the shed. This is as much as teh DNO will allow.
I am thinking of installing a further 8KW on teh roof and a mechanism to prevent exporting more than the original 4kw.
Can I do this without notifying anyone? (its for my use and i wont be exporting any of it)
I will also be looking then for some method of storage - i appreciate the costs need careful consideration, but if i cant do it, then there is no point looking at the costs!

thanks

As in batteries?

If you use a lot of hot water, dump surplus into a heat store?

gmgmgm · Apr 22, 2022

Storage into hot water is often a cost-effective approach, much cheaper than batteries.

Most inverters will take a few more kw of panels, so you can get closer to the inverter's 3.7kw maximum even in winter. (e.g. by aligning east/west)

Do you have a link to the "export limiter", I'd be interested to see how this would work.

Timbo · Apr 22, 2022

Bloders said:
Hello
We have a 4kw solar sytem on the shed. This is as much as teh DNO will allow.
I am thinking of installing a further 8KW on teh roof and a mechanism to prevent exporting more than the original 4kw.
Can I do this without notifying anyone? (its for my use and i wont be exporting any of it)
I will also be looking then for some method of storage - i appreciate the costs need careful consideration, but if i cant do it, then there is no point looking at the costs!

thanks

Your Inverter will be size and / or software limited to 4 kw of export. The specs will also list the max input of PV you can shove to it. For example my Solax will take 6500w of panels, but only ever deliver 3.85kw to the grid. It will however, send the excess to the battery packs that are connected to it.

If you add more panels to your existing set up, the new ones will only ever deliver the same power as the existing ones - i.e if your existing are 250w each, and you add some new 400w ones into the string, the new ones will only ever deliver 250w.

Do some more research.

Bloders · Apr 22, 2022

Timbo said:
Your Inverter will be size and / or software limited to 4 kw of export. The specs will also list the max input of PV you can shove to it. For example my Solax will take 6500w of panels, but only ever deliver 3.85kw to the grid. It will however, send the excess to the battery packs that are connected to it.

If you add more panels to your existing set up, the new ones will only ever deliver the same power as the existing ones - i.e if your existing are 250w each, and you add some new 400w ones into the string, the new ones will only ever deliver 250w.

Do some more research.

hello
sorry i did nto mean adding more panels to the existing system as that would be wronog (we git FiT etc) i meant setting up a partner system, maybe even a small wind turbine?

Timbo · Apr 22, 2022

Bloders said:
hello
sorry i did nto mean adding more panels to the existing system as that would be wronog (we git FiT etc) i meant setting up a partner system, maybe even a small wind turbine?

I don't believe there is anything to stop you adding more panels to an existing system upto the Inverters max input (unless it's already maxxed out) as far as FIT is concerned - someone please correct me here?

Exfarmer · Apr 22, 2022

Timbo said:
I don't believe there is anything to stop you adding more panels to an existing system upto the Inverters max input (unless it's already maxxed out) as far as FIT is concerned - someone please correct me here?

Anŷ upgrade to an array which is FIT accredited must never increase the capacity to remain legal.
you can repair or replace with like like for like. But permission must be sort from the FIT provider before work commences.

f0ster · Apr 22, 2022

as long as you don't go too fat, no one is counting, and the panels will have degraded over time anyway,

davidroberts30 · Apr 22, 2022

f0ster said:
as long as you don't go too fat, no one is counting, and the panels will have degraded over time anyway,

How much degradation is there?
My 4kw system been up 10 year and still produces the same

Exfarmer · Apr 23, 2022

Exfarmer said:
Anŷ upgrade to an array which is FIT accredited must never increase the capacity to remain legal.
you can repair or replace with like like for like. But permission must be sort from the FIT provider before work commences.

It will be fairly easy to see any upgrade even a few percent, as that will be what it is.
feed it into a spreadsheet will stick out like a sore thumb

Bloders · Apr 23, 2022

Exfarmer said:
It will be fairly easy to see any upgrade even a few percent, as that will be what it is.
feed it into a spreadsheet will stick out like a sore thumb

agree, anyone thinking the power companies wont notice a 5% increase is naieve.
and if its not way above 5%, its not worth doing.

renewablejohn · Apr 23, 2022

Can never understand why people pay for expensive PV panels but dont install a simple reflector to increase output.

Exfarmer · Apr 23, 2022

renewablejohn said:
Can never understand why people pay for expensive PV panels but dont install a simple reflector to increase output.

easier said than done on a roof

renewablejohn · Apr 23, 2022

Exfarmer said:
easier said than done on a roof

Why what is the problem. With the advent of bifacial panels and the old technology of Northern Lights the ceiling of the building just becomes a large reflector, They even make silver foil insulation so you have a ready made reflector just by insulating your ceiling.

Exfarmer · Apr 23, 2022

renewablejohn said:
Why what is the problem. With the advent of bifacial panels and the old technology of Northern Lights the ceiling of the building just becomes a large reflector, They even make silver foil insulation so you have a ready made reflector just by insulating your ceiling.

sorry , thought you meant erecting reflectors to sine more light on the array rather than back reflector. Not sure why that has not been done on the panel structure,
Even white paint will reflect a lot of the energy back to the panel

renewablejohn · Apr 23, 2022

Both really.

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