New Roof Mount Solar

[Worsall]

Looking at a 30 to 50kW solar roof system to provide daytime electricity to the farm.
We are currently only single phase.
Any tips please.
Any good suppliers, installers etc in the South Oxfordshire area and dealing with SSE
Thanks

 

[Exfarmer]

If you only have single phase it is unlikely you will get permission for more than 10kw, unless you fit export limiters.
have you actually looked at the costs. Batteries are a possibility but you are looking at mega cost for unproven technology

 

[renewablejohn]

What do you actually need the solar for. Is it purely electric or do you have a heating requirement. If electric is it 24/7 or 10-4 or 6 to 6.

 

[pappuller]

If you only have single phase it is unlikely you will get permission for more than 10kw, unless you fit export limiters.
have you actually looked at the costs. Batteries are a possibility but you are looking at mega cost for unproven technology

Out of interest we are single phase running 3 milking robots, we currently have a 10kw system but would it be possible to install more panels if we were to use all the electricity ourselves ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Out of interest we are single phase running 3 milking robots, we currently have a 10kw system but would it be possible to install more panels if we were to use all the electricity ourselves ?

Yes, of course.

 

[Exfarmer]

Out of interest we are single phase running 3 milking robots, we currently have a 10kw system but would it be possible to install more panels if we were to use all the electricity ourselves ?

Yes you can annytime, but they cannot feed through your FIT meter. You will need DNO permission to fit them , and I am certain they will require export limitation..
I fear you will find it very hard to justify the cost, unless you can divert the extra power into something useful such as water heating

 

[pappuller]

Yes you can annytime, but they cannot feed through your FIT meter. You will need DNO permission to fit them , and I am certain they will require export limitation..
I fear you will find it very hard to justify the cost, unless you can divert the extra power into something useful such as water heating

3 robot milkers

 

[upnortheast]

3 robot milkers

The high power demand is when they are heating water at wash time. Ours take just over an hour, I think. So a relativly small part of the day
Just had a look at our 1/2 hourly meter figures, 2 robots to see what goes on
Normal is between 6 & 8 kwh then goes to 11 -12 when the bot boilers are heating.

 

[Worsall]

What do you actually need the solar for. Is it purely electric or do you have a heating requirement. If electric is it 24/7 or 10-4 or 6 to 6.

Ground source heat pump in a greenhouse so 24/7, and a workshop

 

[f0ster]

the lely robots have a hot water input facility in to the robots own hot water tank, we connected up the biomass to this input for one of our customers,

 

[Exfarmer]

Ground source heat pump in a greenhouse so 24/7, and a workshop

Are you really heating a greenhouse in the middle of the day in mid summer, because that is when the bulk of production occurs

 

[pappuller]

The high power demand is when they are heating water at wash time. Ours take just over an hour, I think. So a relativly small part of the day
Just had a look at our 1/2 hourly meter figures, 2 robots to see what goes on
Normal is between 6 & 8 kwh then goes to 11 -12 when the bot boilers are heating.

The air compressors use a fair slug of juice 24/7 as does the bulk tank, will be interesting to see how big of an off grid array could cater for our needs with a battery storage option aswell

 

[upnortheast]

Compressors & bulk tank inc in those figures above. When the pastueriser & seperater are running (on off peak leccy during the night ) we get to 20kwa.
If you are thinking of parting with cash I think it would be worth setting aside some time to read the meter every hour so you have some actual numbers of your load. ( assuming you are not on 1/2 hourly metering )
Nice job for small child / aged parent .
Always good to have actual numbers incase some snakeoil salesman turns up with extravagant claims, especially if you are looking at batteries

 

[Exfarmer]

I have posted elsewhere, remember when looking at usage and production figure to remember the golden rule of solar.
75% of production is in the months April - September.
75% of production is between the hours of 10 - 2
if your peak usage does not fit that curve then you will struggle to justify the expense

 

[upnortheast]

the lely robots have a hot water input facility in to the robots own hot water tank, we connected up the biomass to this input for one of our customers,

Just about to connect heat recovery to 3 compresors & hot fill the robot boilers. I have the numbers for before so will report back when I have the afters

 

[akaPABLO01]

Looking at a 30 to 50kW solar roof system to provide daytime electricity to the farm.
We are currently only single phase.
Any tips please.
Any good suppliers, installers etc in the South Oxfordshire area and dealing with SSE
Thanks

10kW

Out of interest we are single phase running 3 milking robots, we currently have a 10kw system but would it be possible to install more panels if we were to use all the electricity ourselves ?

No, not unless you have island mode, disconnected from supply solar feeding directly or through a battery system. Cost wise, not viable as you’ll need switch gear in winter when you need mains supply as the solar can’t provide. The amount of power needed would be a ratio of 5:1 solar versus battery. (5kW solar 1kW store) 1 kW won’t go far and that’s at least 16 panels @ 300W for 5kW footprint being 28m²
The GSHP will not work off grid solar the start up demand is too high and you’ll have many issues.

 

[DiversificationDiverson]

Compressors & bulk tank inc in those figures above. When the pastueriser & seperater are running (on off peak leccy during the night ) we get to 20kwa.
If you are thinking of parting with cash I think it would be worth setting aside some time to read the meter every hour so you have some actual numbers of your load. ( assuming you are not on 1/2 hourly metering )
Nice job for small child / aged parent .
Always good to have actual numbers incase some snakeoil salesman turns up with extravagant claims, especially if you are looking at batteries

Found these https://www.theowl.com/ were more co-operative than Small child/ aged parent (Optional 3 phase).

The metering clamps can be moved round installation to find when and where your peak demands are and where best savings can be made. Worked well when optimising ice builder running time between solar generation and night rate with changing seasons on twice day milking

We've now gone to 4x robotic milkers from the aging herringbone and electicity useage is eye watering in comparision. Nearly drawing 30Kw continously whereas this was the peak for short period of milking on old system. Old system was 0.03kW/litre for all use now 0.09kW/litre with robots (both after netting off 29Kw Array Solar generation).

Still a work in progress reducing this use and cost and am considering groundsource, biomass and micro slurry only AD to address this.

 

[DiversificationDiverson]

Just about to connect heat recovery to 3 compresors & hot fill the robot boilers. I have the numbers for before so will report back when I have the afters

I've got heat recovery on a glycol milk cooler unit combined with all drinking water going through the two sides of a plate cooler and my electicity useage is still 3x higher than was with herrining bone

 

[DiversificationDiverson]

Looking at a 30 to 50kW solar roof system to provide daytime electricity to the farm.
We are currently only single phase.
Any tips please.
Any good suppliers, installers etc in the South Oxfordshire area and dealing with SSE
Thanks

https://noblegreenenergy.co.uk/ have looked after me well (renamed offshoot of John Bowler)
some of their installs shown below so likely to cover your area

Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ - Solare Datensysteme

Solar-Log sites

bowlerenergy.solarlog-web.co.uk