RE: Re: Solar PV ?

[Marcus Warrington <marcus.warrington@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter

I hadn't thought too much about the effect of the heat on efficiency, my
ma=
in concern was the effect the heat would have on the reliability of the
inv=
erter. Plus having the inverter next to the consumer unit just seems more
'=
correct' from an OCD and ease of access point of view :)

Intersting you mention the Bluetooth, as I was a little concerened about
co=
verage because it would be below ground level rather than at a high point.
=
I was planning on using a cheap BT dongle to gather statistics from the
inv=
erter on the house server, but maybe I'll invest in the optional RS485
card=
for the inverter and use a cable instead.

Wow.. 2520 units since January , sounds like you'll be making a lot more
th=
an the estimated 3000 units !

I looked at Sanyo HIPS but again, for me, they cost more (added about an
ex=
tra =A32K to the quote!) than they'd return. I think if you've limited
roof=
space ,or you get them cheap, they make more sense. Mind you, looking at y=
our figures maybe I made the wrong decision !

Our roof faces West so even with a 3.99KWh solar array our estimation for
t=
he whole year (2506KWh)  is less less than you've already produced in the
f=
irst 7 months !

"Sunny Isle of Wight" sounds much nicer then rainy Manchester :)
I've been =
on holiday there a few years ago, I seem to remember ;

1)    driving around the whole island in an afternoon!

2)    that more diansour fossils are found there than anywhere else in
Brit=
ain!


Marcus

From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of P=
eter + Jane
Sent: 12 July 2011 14:24
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: Solar PV ?



Marcus
I too have a long DC run (more like 20m).
I opted for inverter in the garage as the loft
can get pressy hot. Logic was the losses from a
hot inverter outweighed DC losses.
I am surprised how weak the bluetooth is. If you
plan to use bluetooth a dongle near the inverter
was necessary in my case. Netbox was expensive.
My transformerless SMA inverter has a fan (not
noticed it running yet) , doesn't hum, but does
have some clunky relays that might carry in the roof structure.
Output target 3000 units in a year.
Achieved 2520 since end of January installation.
Sanyo HIPS
Sunny Isle of Wight
:-)
Peter
At 12:53 12/07/2011, you wrote:
>
>
>Thanks for the info.
>
>I'd already played around with the SunnyDesign
>software, but it just gives you numbers and
>percentage etc , I'd no idea how they translated
>into the real world, so its nice to know your
>situation since your DC runs are about the same :)
>
>I'll probably go ahead and put in the cellar
>next to the consumer unit, but since the install
>is a set price regardless (their philosophy is
>win some, lose some), I'll get them to use the
>10mm cable just to really minimise any losses.
>
>Is your SolarPV array performing to
>expectations, are you producing as much as the estimation said ?
>Most people I've talked to seem to be exceeding
>the estimation, which is nice to hear.
>
>Marcus
>
>From:
><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40ya=
hoogroups.com>
>[mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>]
On Behalf=
Of severnsource
>Sent: 12 July 2011 11:31
>To: <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%=
40yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [ukha_d] Re: Solar PV ?
>
>Download the Sunny Design software
><http://www.sma.de/en/products/software/sunny-design.html.>http://www.sma.=
de/en/products/software/sunny-design.html.
>That will give cable losses, amongst other
>things. My inverter is in the garage with about
>15M of DC cable (2 strings, 4mm cable for each)
>and 15M AC (6mm cable). The cable losses are insignificant.
>
>--- In
><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40ya=
hoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>,
>Marcus Warrington <marcus.warrington@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Stewart,
> >
> > I looked at the micro inverters but the cost
> (for me) was prohibitive. 21 panels each with
> its own micro inverter worked out around =A34000
> , the cost of a single 3 string,
> transformerless SMA inverter was more like
> =A31600. I was looking at the SolarPV as an
> investment so the bottom line was not how
> efficient things would be but how much profit
> they would earn me over 25 years. I don't
> believe the micro inverters could ever earn me
> back enough in the 25 year period to pay for
> the cost differential. Of course if I was only
> having a few panels then it may work out
> differentially, e.g a 1.2Kwh array of 240W
> panels would only need 5 micro inverters so may
> well even have a smaller capital cost than buying a single central
invert=
er.
> >
> > Having said all that I guess it does depend a
> lot of the amount of shading you have, I only
> have a small localised amount so can work
> around it by having the potentially shaded panels on separate smaller
str=
ing.
> >
> > Regarging the noise issue, I belive (and
> hope!) that this is an issue with the ones that
> have a transformer in them and that the
> transformerless ones do not generate a noise
> (or at least nowhere near as loud) as well as being slightly more
efficie=
nt.
> >
> > Our fitting date is in two weeks, but I'm
> still undecided if I should fit the inverter in
> the loft, where it will will get hot but have
> short DC cable runs, or have it in cellar where
> it will be nice and cool (and easily
> accessable) but have a longer (~15M) DC cable
> run. The installer seems confident that running
> 10mm DC cables will limit any ineffeciencies upto around 25M.
> >
> > Marcus
> >
> > From:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:uk=
ha_d%40yahoogroups.com>]
> On Behalf Of Stewart
> > Sent: 11 July 2011 11:12
> > To:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Solar PV ?
> >
> >
> >
> > Kevin/Marcus,
> >
> > Had the chap from Sun Renewable here last week (thanks for the
> > recommendation Mark and, YES, we did mention your name to Tom)
and we'r=
e
> > looking at using Sharp panels and micro-inverters (1 per panel)
made by
> > Enecsys. These micro-inverters fit directly onto the back of each
panel=
and
> > solve the problem of one shaded panel bringing down the output of
the a=
rray
> > and also, as we were worried about the noise generated by a loft
mounte=
d
> > inverter, these will be mounted outside so noise won't be a
problem (we
> > hope!).
> >
> > The micro-inverters are a recent development so there's no
worthwhile
> > reliability data yet, however, they do come with a 20 year
warranty.
> >
> > regards
> >
> > Stewart
> >
> > From:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroup=
s.com>
> [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:uk=
ha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>]
> On Behalf Of
> > Marcus Warrington
> > Sent: 16 May 2011 15:36
> > To:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroup=
s.com>
> > Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Solar PV ?
> >
> > Kevin,
> >
> > I think in theory it still does, but you can
> get panels with built in bypass
> > diodes that should mean only those cells (or possibly string of
cells)
> > within the panel that are shaded get affected. I have another
installer
> > coming tonight so I'll be quizzing him a little more about this
:)
> >
> > Marcus
> >
> > From:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroup=
s.com>
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> >
> [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:uk=
ha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
] On Behalf
> > Of Kevin Hawkins
> > Sent: 14 May 2011 14:15
> > To:
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>ukha_d@xxxxxxx<mailto:ukha_d%40y=
ahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroup=
s.com>
> <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Solar PV ?
> >
> > If you had an array of panels but one of them was in shade ,
perhaps
> > from a chimney stack , does this same situation occur ? I'm
> > assuming not as it must be correctable via electronics but just
checkin=
g...
> >
> > K
> >
> > On 13/05/2011 09:06, Marcus Warrington wrote:
> > > Since I've now read that output of a string of panels is
dictated by =
the
> > lowest producing panel, that's means if I have a string of Sharp
panels=
all
> > producing +10% but the last one produces -5% then its as though
all the
> > panels are at -5%.
> > > Marcus
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

<*> Join the Automated Home Forums
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/vbulletin/