Solar with battery, loving it!

[AdamMGEV]

So I got 19 panels and two 5kWh batteries installed for £12.5k and absolutely loving it. 9 panels facing south and 10 facing mostly east and a little south. Generating plenty to power the house and the two cars and exporting some on a bright day. Wish I had done it sooner.

 

[Les burrows]

Hi Adam sounds like an ideal set up you have got there with the mainly south and east facing set up of the panels that’s great, sun comes up in the morning so you will get power early in the day and spreading throughout and transferring from east to south great, I have been trying for a while now to get some extra panels fitted on my gable wall which is east facing to go with the 16 I have on the south facing roof which I have had for some 13 years but not been able to.
And we to have 2 EVs and after the use of the solar output in the house the Zappi we have puts what’s left into the cars if needed haven’t as yet got a home battery but with the 2 EVs not much solar left to charge one anyhow.
You won’t regret going solar I can assure you best move I ever made.
Les

 

[Gadget Geek]

Hi Adam. A wise move in this day and age. I've had 16 panels facing south for 12 years now, generating 4kW peak, and have recently upgraded my 8kWh battery to 12kWh under a warranty claim. I rarely used peak electricity with the previous set up and will probably never use peak rate with this battery.

On sunny days in the summer, I share the surplus between the car and the battery. Last month I got over 250 free miles of driving.

P.S Oh, and when someone asks "well what's the payback period?", ask them what the payback period is on the car they've bought, compared to using buses, taxis and trains. It'll payback eventually as it's saving money on the bills. My solar panels paid back in just under 4 years with the FIT.

 

[Gomev]

...

P.S Oh, and when someone asks "well what's the payback period?", ask them what the payback period is on the car they've bought, compared to using buses, taxis and trains. It'll payback eventually as it's saving money on the bills. My solar panels paid back in just under 4 years with the FIT.

or 'what's the payback on that new kitchen/bathroom you installed'....etc. etc. etc.

 

[Ejaydee]

Hello Adam, we have 21 south facing panels (3.89kW) that were fitted 12 or 13 years ago, and they have paid for themselves a couple of times over already (we benefit from the highest FIT payment).

In February this year we installed a 13.5 kWh Tesla home battery and Gateway, and since fitting we have "saved" about £1200 from not pulling any energy from the grid. We have had an ASHP for all our heating and hot water for the last 10 years which also saves on heating costs, and now have 'his' and 'hers' EVs (MG4 and Renault Zoe), so we are an all electric household.

Since April, we have paid nothing to charge the cars which we tend to do on a granny lead when the solar panels are producing energy, but in the last week or two, the solar energy levels have dropped quite a lot and so we will soon have to start importing from the the grid during off peak periods, to get both cars and the probably the home battery charged up for daily use. As we have not yet had the battery for a whole year, we do not yet know what the total benefits will be, however, we do already know they will significant.

Although you will not be able to get the high payment FIT payments that we get, having your panels installed will eventually be money in the bank and/or 'free' miles travelled.

I have advised my grown up kids and my brother for a couple of years that if they have any money to invest, then solar panels followed by a house battery is almost a no brainer. My brother should be having his system fitted in the next few weeks.

 

[PeterK]

I have 9 panels to the east and 12 panels to the north (Australia) for 8.75kW into a 6kW inverter which ramps to nearly 7 under load with 15kWh of HV batteries. The system produces an excess of at least 20 - 30kWh on a sunny day. Jun-July-Aug uses the credit I build up during the rest of the year. So no power bill.

I have just got my 77kWh MG4. Basically 2 days of sunshine is a full tank, so no fuel bill (maybe some in winter)

Yes. Had plenty of people suggesting there is no ROI. I disagree.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Hello Adam, we have 21 south facing panels (3.89kW) that were fitted 12 or 13 years ago, and they have paid for themselves a couple of times over already (we benefit from the highest FIT payment).

In February this year we installed a 13.5 kWh Tesla home battery and Gateway, and since fitting we have "saved" about £1200 from not pulling any energy from the grid. We have had an ASHP for all our heating and hot water for the last 10 years which also saves on heating costs, and now have 'his' and 'hers' EVs (MG4 and Renault Zoe), so we are an all electric household.

Since April, we have paid nothing to charge the cars which we tend to do on a granny lead when the solar panels are producing energy, but in the last week or two, the solar energy levels have dropped quite a lot and so we will soon have to start importing from the the grid during off peak periods, to get both cars and the probably the home battery charged up for daily use. As we have not yet had the battery for a whole year, we do not yet know what the total benefits will be, however, we do already know they will significant.

Although you will not be able to get the high payment FIT payments that we get, having your panels installed will eventually be money in the bank and/or 'free' miles travelled.

I have advised my grown up kids and my brother for a couple of years that if they have any money to invest, then solar panels followed by a house battery is almost a no brainer. My brother should be having his system fitted in the next few weeks.

I look at it as a long term savings plan. The savings are far more than you will get from a savings account.

 

[AdamMGEV]

Hi Adam sounds like an ideal set up you have got there with the mainly south and east facing set up of the panels that’s great, sun comes up in the morning so you will get power early in the day and spreading throughout and transferring from east to south great, I have been trying for a while now to get some extra panels fitted on my gable wall which is east facing to go with the 16 I have on the south facing roof which I have had for some 13 years but not been able to.
And we to have 2 EVs and after the use of the solar output in the house the Zappi we have puts what’s left into the cars if needed haven’t as yet got a home battery but with the 2 EVs not much solar left to charge one anyhow.
You won’t regret going solar I can assure you best move I ever made.
Les

Yes I absolutely love them, got my octopus export tarrif now live. Battery I think is a must because I've not used any grid electric since getting it installed and it just gives you the flexibility of using say your oven even when the sun isn't out. I have gabion walls which are south facing and would love to get planning and put them along them but my inverter would have to be larger for it to be usable.

 

[MG Volcano]

We too have gone all electric.
The rising valve (£20) on our oil-fired range broke, so we ripped it out along with the radiators and immersion/header tank.
Now have 18 solar panels, 2x5 kWh batteries, electric radiators and a phase change material water heater, which is amazing. Zappi car charger too.

 

[Scoobydoo]

Good to know that solar panels are still going strong. I'm curious about how much it costs in the UK per panel with a battery. Also are east to west sloping roofs considered?

 

[MG Volcano]

We have 18 panels on a south aspect roof. Generated almost 20 kWh today.
Cost was around £9k for the complete system.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Good to know that solar panels are still going strong. I'm curious about how much it costs in the UK per panel with a battery. Also are east to west sloping roofs considered?

Andy EVM has east-west facing panels.

 

[Les burrows]

Good to know that solar panels are still going strong. I'm curious about how much it costs in the UK per panel with a battery. Also are east to west sloping roofs considered?

It appears you have not got solar yet so might I suggest you watch a guy on YouTube he’s called Gary does solar. Has lots of great and very informative videos on his YT channel I will post just on below.
Now my roof is south facing and I have 3.84 kW of solar on there,so on a good day I have seen around 4kw and sometimes a little more being generated and in the summer months I have experienced 25-28 kW very often but generally around 18-24 is the norm, the panels are now 13 years old and appear as good as the day they where installed.
So you ask about east-west roofs I don’t see any problems with it to be honest in fact it can be after 9am even on good days before my south facing array begin to generate anything much so I have for some while now been toying with have 4-6 extra panels fitted to my gable wall which faces east because that is bathed in good sunlight from around 5 am on a summer morning, so your set up of E-W would give you good output in the very early morning thro to around 11am on your east side and at that time with the sun now up high in the sky the west will have also kicked in also and they would both be generating for quite some time together, and later in to the afternoon as the east side reduces your west side will still be going onwards to the evening time, as the sun begins to go down in the west.
My son in SE London as a split east/south array which works great deal better than mine because he gets good sunlight far earlier than I do.
So I would not be to worried about your east/west set up go for it you will not regret it, the only thing you need to avoid if possible is north facing roofs.
Good luck
Les

 

[Roger]

Hello Adam, we have 21 south facing panels (3.89kW) that were fitted 12 or 13 years ago, and they have paid for themselves a couple of times over already (we benefit from the highest FIT payment).

In February this year we installed a 13.5 kWh Tesla home battery and Gateway, and since fitting we have "saved" about £1200 from not pulling any energy from the grid. We have had an ASHP for all our heating and hot water for the last 10 years which also saves on heating costs, and now have 'his' and 'hers' EVs (MG4 and Renault Zoe), so we are an all electric household.

Since April, we have paid nothing to charge the cars which we tend to do on a granny lead when the solar panels are producing energy, but in the last week or two, the solar energy levels have dropped quite a lot and so we will soon have to start importing from the the grid during off peak periods, to get both cars and the probably the home battery charged up for daily use. As we have not yet had the battery for a whole year, we do not yet know what the total benefits will be, however, we do already know they will significant.

Although you will not be able to get the high payment FIT payments that we get, having your panels installed will eventually be money in the bank and/or 'free' miles travelled.

I have advised my grown up kids and my brother for a couple of years that if they have any money to invest, then solar panels followed by a house battery is almost a no brainer. My brother should be having his system fitted in the next few weeks.

Hi, we have a similar setup but without batteries. We put quite a lot of surplus solar power into the grid therefore are looking to install batteries.
I am concerned that most quotations we’ve received include hybrid inverters which would also handle solar generated power, but I’m worried that his could invalidate our FiT contract.
What type of inverter do you use for power to/from your batteries?
Thank you in advance.

 

[GaryMG4]

Hi, we have a similar setup but without batteries. We put quite a lot of surplus solar power into the grid therefore are looking to install batteries.
I am concerned that most quotations we’ve received include hybrid inverters which would also handle solar generated power, but I’m worried that his could invalidate our FiT contract.
What type of inverter do you use for power to/from your batteries?
Thank you in advance.

I'm currently thinking the same way. I mention FiT and it was pointed out that an AC coupled battery system wouldn't invalidate the FiT. IIRC Givenergy mention this on their website.

 

[MG Fred]

Hello Adam, we have 21 south facing panels (3.89kW) that were fitted 12 or 13 years ago, and they have paid for themselves a couple of times over already (we benefit from the highest FIT payment).

In February this year we installed a 13.5 kWh Tesla home battery and Gateway, and since fitting we have "saved" about £1200 from not pulling any energy from the grid. We have had an ASHP for all our heating and hot water for the last 10 years which also saves on heating costs, and now have 'his' and 'hers' EVs (MG4 and Renault Zoe), so we are an all electric household.

Since April, we have paid nothing to charge the cars which we tend to do on a granny lead when the solar panels are producing energy, but in the last week or two, the solar energy levels have dropped quite a lot and so we will soon have to start importing from the the grid during off peak periods, to get both cars and the probably the home battery charged up for daily use. As we have not yet had the battery for a whole year, we do not yet know what the total benefits will be, however, we do already know they will significant.

Although you will not be able to get the high payment FIT payments that we get, having your panels installed will eventually be money in the bank and/or 'free' miles travelled.

I have advised my grown up kids and my brother for a couple of years that if they have any money to invest, then solar panels followed by a house battery is almost a no brainer. My brother should be having his system fitted in the next few weeks.

Batteries are not a non brainer. Every time I work out the payback period for batteries it comes out at near to 20 years. And then when you‘ve paid them off through savings you need to buy another as it’s worn out. Far better to make use of the free very large battery in your mg4 with V2L adapter. Something I’ll do eventually.

 

[Roger]

I'm currently thinking the same way. I mention FiT and it was pointed out that an AC coupled battery system wouldn't invalidate the FiT. IIRC Givenergy mention this on their website.

Hi Gary, I’ve received a quote from World of Solar which includes a GivEnergy hybrid inverter. They have assured me that it will not adversely affect our FiT contract, however having formally queried this, I’m waiting for their response.

 

[RudeYute]

So I got 19 panels and two 5kw batteries installed for 12.5k and absolutely loving it. 9 panels facing south and 10 facing mostly east and a little south. Generating plenty to power the house and the two cars and exporting some on a bright day. Wish I would have done it sooner.

That sounds like a good price - can you share the make/models and name of the installer?

Thanks

 

[MG Fred]

Hi Gary, I’ve received a quote from World of Solar which includes a GivEnergy hybrid inverter. They have assured me that it will not adversely affect our FiT contract, however having formally queried this, I’m waiting for their response.

My impression is that if you change your setup registered under FITS then it could jeopardise the FITS payment, that would include a change of the existing inverter. However if you just add another inverter and battery then your existing setup under FITS is unchanged so they wouldn’t know and it wouldn’t change.

 

[Les burrows]

Batteries are not a non brainer. Every time I work out the payback period for batteries it comes out at near to 20 years. And then when you‘ve paid them off through savings you need to buy another as it’s worn out. Far better to make use of the free very large battery in your mg4 with V2L adapter. Something I’ll do eventually.

Hi Fred I like you have not got home batteries but I do have solar and I understand about the V2L scenario and where your coming from, I have have experimented with it a few times with both my MGs that being the 4 SeSr and the 5 face lifted trophy,
Yes you can do many things with this but it has its limitations I purchased the official MG V2L adapter from my dealer and have been using it with some gardening equipment at a cemetery where we have a family grave, great for that at home I have used a heater a few times with it but it’s not as good as from the mains socket not as much heat output, now I don’t know if this is down to the lower voltage as using V2L you aren’t getting the same as the grid which is around 237-242 at my home but from V2L that is more around 216 -220 volts so a little lower so the heater does not get quite as hot, one day I ran a 1kw heater for 4 hours which was cycling on its thermostat and the battery percentage in the car reduced by around 10% I used a energy monitoring smart plug to get some of the measurements on voltages, and the heater on the mains was drawing about 1084 watts where from the car it was only drawing about 945-960 watts.
The other thing is the limit of load you can put on the V2L officially i believe it is rated at 2.5kw where a home battery can be double or more than that I know some on YouTube have shown way over the 2.5kw being pulled from the V2L but I wouldn’t risk that for any length of time to be honest but it’s good to have it works but with some limitations.
But I’m still experimenting with it.
Les