Is anyone installing pv

f0ster

Member
We are still installing solar on farms mainly. You can get a payback of about 7 to 8 years if you can use as much of the electricity as poss. You can get better payback depending on circumstances.
 
We've just recently done it. 15.5KW on our roof. We've also installed 15KW of battery storage so we can use what we have generated during the day, at night......and of course avoid putting too much back into the grid as the FIT tarrifs aren't so generous now.
 

pellow

Member
Location
Newquay
We've just recently done it. 15.5KW on our roof. We've also installed 15KW of battery storage so we can use what we have generated during the day, at night......and of course avoid putting too much back into the grid as the FIT tarrifs aren't so generous now.

what sort of money is a 15kw battery? does it have a guarantee?
 
We are using Pylontech Batteries. They come with a 10 yr warranty.

The batteries are modular, I believe ours were about £4k.

The batteries are a bit of a gamble I realise, but I'm sure they will only get better and cheaper over time. Our system went live at the end of June. Using the batteries over the summer meant we bought more or less zero in from the grid in the summer months, whereas we would have put a lot to the grid then bought back in the eveining without them. However, as they are only charged from the PV since about the end of October the batteries have not charged fully as there isn't enough sunlight on any one day, and our usage is much greater. I'm just hopoing this doesnt damaged the batteried before next summer.
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
We are using Pylontech Batteries. They come with a 10 yr warranty.

The batteries are modular, I believe ours were about £4k.

The batteries are a bit of a gamble I realise, but I'm sure they will only get better and cheaper over time. Our system went live at the end of June. Using the batteries over the summer meant we bought more or less zero in from the grid in the summer months, whereas we would have put a lot to the grid then bought back in the eveining without them. However, as they are only charged from the PV since about the end of October the batteries have not charged fully as there isn't enough sunlight on any one day, and our usage is much greater. I'm just hopoing this doesnt damaged the batteried before next summer.
Do you have changer's /alter current or something to store in batteries or is it mains batteries ???
 

f0ster

Member
Just been to. Energy storage at NEC. Lots of battery suppliers there all claiming 10year warranty. But when you read the fine print there were only about two suppliers that had a genuine 10 year
 
Do you have changer's /alter current or something to store in batteries or is it mains batteries ???

We are using Charger/Inverters from Victron Energy. These are basically the brains of the system and decide where the power should go. Everything is connected to them. They decide if the solar energy should be used directly, or go to the batteries to charge. they decide if power should be drawn from the grid or sent to the grid and they decide when the batteries should be used. We have three of them, 1 per phase..

They do also provide battery conditioning and balancing so I'm hoping they will prologn the batteries. Our system is new, so time will tell!
 
Just been to. Energy storage at NEC. Lots of battery suppliers there all claiming 10year warranty. But when you read the fine print there were only about two suppliers that had a genuine 10 year

Couldn't agree more. We went into this knowing the battery storage was new, and a bit of a risk, but if they fail in three or five years time I'm hoping with all the money Tesla the like are putting into Battery research that something newer, better and bigger will be able to replace them cheaper....or that Pylons ten year warranty does what it says on the tin!
 

f0ster

Member
yes you are right on that one, but that is where the battery manufacturer takes over, with solar inverters that go wrong you do not have to contact the installer, (most likely gone) you contact the manufacturer of the inverter and they will sort it out as long as you can prove when it was commissioned/installed.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,287
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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