Solar panels inverter upgrade

[d-wales]

Has anyone has to upgrade the inverter yet? Ours is just out of warrenty and now the salesmen are calling

"new ones are so much more efficient" etc etc

Also does anyone run a storage battery with their panels? Quite tempted with them as we have a few large fridges on the go most of the time.

 

[upnortheast]

now the salesmen are calling

"new ones are so much more efficient" etc etc

My bulls**t detecter is flashing

 

[RichardJackson]

I am a renewables engineer.
Some new ones are more efficient, but not necessarily enough to justify the expense of replacement, particularly if costs are inflated by an under-each-panel add-on (has genuine advantages in some cases) or by unscrupulous salesmen (no advantage to you).
Examples of where it might make sense are:
1) if you are on a high rate Feed in tarrif and you have shade issues, Solaredge system savings can add up.
Or
2) if you have sh!t panels near the end of guarantee, Solaredge means you have the data to pursue a claim against the manufacturers warranty on individual panels (if the manufacturer still exists).

So, as in most things, there is no 'one size fits all' right answer. But generally, if it aint broke dont fix it.

Washing panels (done well) and keeping a beady eye on the meter to check nothing has gone wrong for very long are better investments imho.
Richard

 

[d-wales]

I am a renewables engineer.
Some new ones are more efficient, but not necessarily enough to justify the expense of replacement, particularly if costs are inflated by an under-each-panel add-on (has genuine advantages in some cases) or by unscrupulous salesmen (no advantage to you).
Examples of where it might make sense are:
1) if you are on a high rate Feed in tarrif and you have shade issues, Solaredge system savings can add up.
Or
2) if you have sh!t panels near the end of guarantee, Solaredge means you have the data to pursue a claim against the manufacturers warranty on individual panels (if the manufacturer still exists).

So, as in most things, there is no 'one size fits all' right answer. But generally, if it aint broke dont fix it.

Washing panels (done well) and keeping a beady eye on the meter to check nothing has gone wrong for very long are better investments imho.
Richard

Thanks.

It would be a system from SolarEdge

Apparently ours is 15% below target, we have had it 8 years so far. He was saying that a new inverter with a 25yr warranty and some new wiring to the panels will cost £5000.

Does that sound correct?

 

[rollestonpark]

In my experience these inverters always break at some point.
Some questions to ask:
If it breaks do you get a new one or a recon?
How soon will the replacement come?
Who pays to have it swapped over?

I would be extremely surprised if they are much more efficient than the old.

The warranty wants reading carefully, I don't trust these companies.
Careful of the small print with these things
Will the manufacturer still exist in say 15 years?

 

[Exfarmer]

Thanks.

It would be a system from SolarEdge

Apparently ours is 15% below target, we have had it 8 years so far. He was saying that a new inverter with a 25yr warranty and some new wiring to the panels will cost £5000.

Does that sound correct?

How many panels have you got, a £5,000 inverter is presumably taking the power from something like 70Kw of panels.

 

[upnortheast]

Apparently ours is 15% below target, we have had it 8 years so far.

Whose target is that ? The guy trying to sell new inverters. ?
How does your output compare with the prediction you got when you started
Ours have been about 12% better than the initial prediction

 

[chickens and wheat]

My new panels seem about 15% better than my 7 year old ones.
Maybe cleaner panels but we did wash the old ones,I put the improvement down to panel technology rather than improved invertors

 

[RichardJackson]

Lots of reasonable questions... where to start....

 

[RichardJackson]

How many panels have you got, a £5,000 inverter is presumably taking the power from something like 70Kw of panels.

If thats 4kw on a roof, they will be adding an optomiser under each panel, labour, scaff and the inverter plus extended warranty from standard 12yrs. Still falls short of £5k to my mind. If its a bigger system on the ground may be a better price for a bigger inverter and more optomisers but no scaff...but I am domestic only so out of my experience.

 

[RichardJackson]

My new panels seem about 15% better than my 7 year old ones.
Maybe cleaner panels but we did wash the old ones,I put the improvement down to panel technology rather than improved invertors

Newer panels are generally higher output for the same size, so you are largely correct. Many inverters are more efficient, eg start operating sooner in the day and run longer, have never tried to quantify the improvement. Those that treat each panel individually, like Solaredge, do have an advantage over 'string' inverters where individual panels are shaded differently as there is not an 'averaging down' performance penalty

 

[RichardJackson]

Whose target is that ? The guy trying to sell new inverters. ?
How does your output compare with the prediction you got when you started
Ours have been about 12% better than the initial prediction

The standard methodology does generally underestimate performance. Against that, not all salesmen were consistent in survey accuracy, in my opinion. But your suggested comparison is a good start.

 

[RichardJackson]

In my experience these inverters always break at some point.
Some questions to ask:
If it breaks do you get a new one or a recon?
How soon will the replacement come?
Who pays to have it swapped over?

I would be extremely surprised if they are much more efficient than the old.

The warranty wants reading carefully, I don't trust these companies.
Careful of the small print with these things
Will the manufacturer still exist in say 15 years?

Absolutely read the warranties. All manufacturers have different arrangements - and pricing! You do seem to get what you pay for, but nothing on this earth is 'guaranteed' except your final place in it.

 

[flowerpot]

I am wary about washing them, what is the best way to do it? We have quite a large display on a south facing building and I can imagine water + sun = crack.

 

[d-wales]

If thats 4kw on a roof, they will be adding an optomiser under each panel, labour, scaff and the inverter plus extended warranty from standard 12yrs. Still falls short of £5k to my mind. If its a bigger system on the ground may be a better price for a bigger inverter and more optomisers but no scaff...but I am domestic only so out of my experience.

Yeah it's a 4k system. On a roof of a shed.

 

[Exfarmer]

Yeah it's a 4k system. On a roof of a shed.

You should be able to get a 4Kw system with inverter for £5K !

 

[Exfarmer]

Yeah it's a 4k system. On a roof of a shed.

If you want to send me your production figures, with the angle of the roof and degree South i can tell you fairly how they are performing. Currently what inverters do You have and have they been cleaned.
also is there any shading?

 

[d-wales]

If you want to send me your production figures, with the angle of the roof and degree South i can tell you fairly how they are performing. Currently what inverters do You have and have they been cleaned.
also is there any shading?

Thanks. I'll do it tomorrow [emoji106]

 

[d-wales]

If you want to send me your production figures, with the angle of the roof and degree South i can tell you fairly how they are performing. Currently what inverters do You have and have they been cleaned.
also is there any shading?

We have an Aurora inverter.

Meter reading is 33534.

We have had it since 1/12/2011

It's on a south facing roof, not sure in gradient but if I were to guess it would be 45degrees.

We do get a bit of shading in the evening as there is a large tree 50 yards away.
Havnt been cleaned.

Estimated annual generation is 3120kwh according the the installer certificate.

The new quote Is for a 'SolarEdge system' with power optimisers on each panel plus a new inverter with a 25 Yr warranty.

 

[Exfarmer]

We have an Aurora inverter.

Meter reading is 33534.

We have had it since 1/12/2011

It's on a south facing roof, not sure in gradient but if I were to guess it would be 45degrees.

We do get a bit of shading in the evening as there is a large tree 50 yards away.
Havnt been cleaned.

Estimated annual generation is 3120kwh according the the installer certificate.

The new quote Is for a 'SolarEdge system' with power optimisers on each panel plus a new inverter with a 25 Yr warranty.

My house is similar quite high angle , no shading and is actually nearly twice the size. I have had mine 6 months longer. Adjusted for size you are doing 96% of the output mine is
However I have cleaned mine several times and we are in the East and I would guess we get more insolation.
I would certainly not be in a hurry to to spend any money if I was you. If you needed a new inverter Solar edge are good but I am quite shocked at the quote of £5K think it ought to be more like £2, when I get the chance I will ask my electrician for a price.