4kw solar project

[Karliboy]

right here goes small solar project on the go on a 3phase system


14 panel *280watts is 3920 watts total

ive got a 80 meter run from boards back to mains supply (probly nearer 60 but for safety work on 80)

ive got already in a 4 * 16mmsq 4 core armoured for this that i thought was way capable but there sales lot are telling me its not big enough surely this cant be right?

cheers karl

 

[Exfarmer]

Believe nothing a shyster is selling.
They are shysters for sure

 

[Karliboy]

well its going down the 16mm they can like it or jobs off ive spoke to a couple of good sparkey mates and there oking it for me ones on the tools domestic and industrial and the other is a director for seimens and if i dont trust them 2 i trust no one

 

[Daniel Larn]

right here goes small solar project on the go on a 3phase system


14 panel *280watts is 3920 watts total

ive got a 80 meter run from boards back to mains supply (probly nearer 60 but for safety work on 80)

ive got already in a 4 * 16mmsq 4 core armoured for this that i thought was way capable but there sales lot are telling me its not big enough surely this cant be right?

cheers karl

4*16? Is that 4 cores of 16mmsq in one armoured cable?

 

[Karliboy]

thats what 4 *16 means that to me
and it is aromored

 

[Daniel Larn]

thats what 4 *16 means that to me
and it is aromored

Just wanted to check for clarity.

I don't know for sure what code they work to, but according to the cable calculator I have used in the past it should be more than enough.

Results posted below.

 

[akaPABLO01]

Believe nothing a shyster is selling.
They are shysters for sure

thanks for the morning laugh, don't hold back

right here goes small solar project on the go on a 3phase system


14 panel *280watts is 3920 watts total

ive got a 80 meter run from boards back to mains supply (probly nearer 60 but for safety work on 80)

ive got already in a 4 * 16mmsq 4 core armoured for this that i thought was way capable but there sales lot are telling me its not big enough surely this cant be right?

cheers karl

Firstly, do you not have room for 3.6kW each phase or a 10kW solar array?

secondly, listen to them when they are advising you or you'll be going over a simple job that should be plug and play, collect your winnings.

In theory, if you were just wanting to transfer power from one point to another 80m away then you could get away with 6mm SWA (Steel Wired Armoured) cable, using lights, may be a slight dim but it'd work.

But, you want to produce power and transfer it onto your network. Lets say you have a good supply and it's 230V. Your inverter will read this but the transfer in 80m has your inverter read the supply as 228V. Your inverter matches the supply and transfers the DC to AC back. supplying 228V but then again loses on distance (voltage drop) arriving at 226V. Then maybe one day during a world cup game everyone goes and puts the kettle on, voltage drop. Your inverter reads the drop and stops working (safe working parameter). Your inverter needs a safe reading to operate but as the voltage is low the inverter drops out. An inverter can also drop out if the voltage is too high, lets say 266V, and will alarm and stop producing.

Using 16mm 4 core SWA is a strange choice as you only need to transfer to one of the 3 phases, a 3 core SWA would be fine, live/neutral/earth for a single phase inverter. If you used 10kW solar then you could transfer 16amp to each phase and the cable choice would be 25mm 4 core SWA with about 0.5% drop in transfer over 80m.

You should be using 25mm 3 core SWA over an 80m run single phase inverter to 1st phase or second phase on your supply. No if's, no buts, no listening to the voice of stubbornness in your head because you have spare cable lying around.

Also, use 4mm DC cable string not 1.5mm.

 

[Karliboy]

Cheers.
I’ve got my head around it now (more or less).
I was led to believe from father it was going into farm grid and then take from there to supply 3 cottages. But it’s not.
It’s going into a 3 phase system but straight to the cottages not the farm. Each cotttage is on its own phase. So they all get a bite of the cheery and we can bill each cottage accordingly.
So contractor is putting a 6 core in. (I don’t know why 6 but that’s of no interest to me now.)
Cheers Karl.

 

[akaPABLO01]

I can only think he is wiring a live and neutral straight to the 3 cottages single phase supplies, 6 core.

I’m guessing, you have a mains supply with DB. This then feeds another db board with meters which splits off to the 3 cottages and he’s wiring into this. He will probably use the steel wire as earth into the secondary db?

I may be wrong, would be interested to know how you will know who has used what of the solar as you’ll only have one generation meter and single meters registering each cottage consumption which splits off your main 3 phase?

Problem is though, all solar needs to be wired in parallel to the supply which I’m guessing, your mains board, 3-phase supply which the cottages feed from unless they have their own dedicated supply but that would be against regs wiring up a solar install to 3 separate single phase supplies - I doubt this is the case?

Now I’m doubting your installer. Seems this simple small install has the engineering of a nasa project.

Get a wiring diagram from the installer and post it. Ask them for an “SLD” array to supply distribution?

 

[Exfarmer]

I think that if the cottages each have a sub meter off the main 3 phase Mpan then it would be OK
However if they have their own Mpans then this set up would certainly not qualify

 

[Karliboy]

Right now I’ve got the full info it is 3 *4k systems one for each cottage
Now I know why the 4core is no good

 

[Exfarmer]

This will then be one 12kw install as it is linked after the Mpan ( the incoming meter) as I understand.
However this only equates to 16 amps per phase. Cable requirement is 4 mm

 

[Karliboy]

Basically it’s 3 separate systems one to each property but all the panels are on one roof.
Just 3 banks of 14 panels down to 3 inverters one for each property.

 

[Exfarmer]

It will count as one system as there is a common earth. Pablo will know more of the exact rules

 

[Karliboy]

So long as it’s safe and gets accredited I’ll be happy

 

[akaPABLO01]

Itll be fine.

 

[Karliboy]

Cheers everyone all up and running now.

 

[Exfarmer]

That was quick!

 

[Karliboy]

Panels went up Wednesday new cables laid and electricals installed yesterday and turned on last night about 4pm.

 

[akaPABLO01]

Panels went up Wednesday new cables laid and electricals installed yesterday and turned on last night about 4pm.

Now you want to install district heating.