DIY Solar Project 2023, worth it in the UK?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 4 авг 2023
- This is my Grid-Tie DIY Solar Project in the UK. Taking you through the whole process, explaining the 3 different Solar systems, what system I went for, the components, and the cost. How I installed the system, and finally, how to monitor the system and how much power this thing produces!
Octopus Energy referal Link (We both get £50 credit):
share.octopus.energy/sweet-gu...
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyoto
License code: PPXAXAQMPKL5GE3D
uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/your-l...
License code: 68GI8NGBH3PHMK5M 
Хобби
Have a similar system but dump excess power into my hot water tank immersion heater using a Solic200 box. This automatically detects if I'm exporting excess power and diverts it to the immersion heater. Works a treat!
Apart from you can almost always sell it for more than the cost to heat it with Gas, 15p export is currently standard but if you have a battery Octopus Flux will make £££, Even without a battery if you can not use in the peak hrs you will still make money. Octopus also recently dropped the MSC cert requirement.
I've got a system like that but worked out the money I could have made exporting the energy would equal the cost of the gas to heat the water. The only difference is I don't have to use the boiler at all during warmer months so that's less wear and tear. Overall I'm not sure it's worth the upfront cost for such a unit, especially since it only works during the day and often not when you need not water either late at night or early morning.
I have a similar setup. Works well. DIY cost of components just under £2000. Been in use from 2020.
Brilliant! Thank you so much - explained so well!
What a brilliant video. Food for thought indeed and much cheaper UK hardware prices than I anticipated. Thanks very much!
Informative and very useful. Thank you and good job!!!
Very helpful, thanks!
Very good and informative video, very helpful .
many thanks
Be nice to see a year down the line update, great easy video.👌
Been looking for a good DIY video on this for a while now and done by someone who know's what they are talking about - Fantastic!
Brilliant video, thank you so much. Really enthused me to give it a go.
Good work Kev ! Realy detailed vid.
Nice vid with great info. Thanks
Great video, really interesting to see how much you can do for a DIY install. Would be really interesting to revisit your system after a couple of months to look at the pros and cons, what you would do differently/ next and what the ROI is looking like.
Superb content and presentation; very informative.
great content i realy like thats its short but full of good info. very happy
Great video, i would advise to anyone, that DC voltage is dangerous and can kill if you dont know what you are doing and also can arc also. You should install DC isolators and instead of timber frame consider using unistrut bars with proper solar panel clamps wo ensure that dont rattle and that the panel is clamped in the clamping zones correctly to prevent panel distortion and damage.
I already have a 6kWh grid-tied system, but I wanted to add in a second 4x360kWh stand-alone array just to power a couple of things in my garage. This information is very useful, thank you.
That's a great job, food for thought.
Excellent video, described in simple terms. I'm thinking of doing the same now
do it! and go for battery storage as well. it'll cost a little extra - batteries are the most expensive part of the build - but you'll be better for it in the long term, not beholden to energy companies.
Kev this is a great video. V helpful
Great install. A friend of mine recently installed his panels on his roof using a scaffold tower and a safety rope. Afterwards, he admitted he would never do it again due to risk of falling and pain to knees and wrists etc. Great project update and good detail on your decisions. I look forward to a 12-month review of your system and your views at that time, including would you do anything different. Cheers.
Very informative and food for thought.
Thanks Pro Regards from Holland
Vey helpful - thank you.
Great video very much enjoyed it
Great video!
excellent video, thanks very much.
Good video. Thx Kev👍🇬🇧
Like the Home Assistant integration!
One of the clearest and most concise videos on solar that I've watched. Thank you!
Great video
This is a most excellent video.
I was thinking of a crude off-grid system plugged directly into my immersion tank to make "free" hot water during the summer. I would like to buy prefabricated wooden frames and mount them on a s.facing wall because I don't like heights either. I will be referring back to this video for ideas.
Thanks for doing this.
if you really want crude, light a fire under a metal tank of water. generating heat from electricity is very energy hungry. running a kettle or microwave, for example, will cost you between 1-3kW of energy. and that number is a constant for as long as the thing is in use. so if you don't have much battery storage, or you're choosing to heat the water during the day from a grid tied system, that'll respectively chew through your storage / cost more money from the grid. ultimately though, the best option for hot water is geothermal.
Well done
An excellent video for people to understand how to get started in solar power.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more on the electrical connections to the consumer board, and how the panels were connected in.
Will you be purchasing batteries to stop "wasting" solar power?
Seems like the inverter /dongle would have been better weather-protected in the loft space , even if its IP rated, I'd still prefer it out of the weather...
Great vid, thanks for the info, very inspirational !! 👏🙂
😎👍☘🍻
yeah that made me wide-eyed seeing that. house it indoors. that's where i keep mine.
1600w panels, EcoFlow delta pro + 1 extra battery = 7KWh storage. Panels mounted in garden with adjustable angle for winter/summer optimisation. Running through independent mains system to household wiring. Currently runs fridge, freezers, microwave, washing & dryer machines. Ready for blackouts with lighting and tv ready to switch over.
Sounds interesting as I don't like trusting anything to do with the grid. Can you elaborate on the cost and what that independent mains circuit looks like?
how have you connected your eci flow to your energy board?
I had exactly same setup, costed me £5100/-. But delta pro failed in 4 months with burning smell. I was using 800w powerstream inverter. Now I installed Hybrid Lux inverter with 9.4kw Hanchu ESS for £5000/- including G98 and MCS.
Nice job mate
Nice review and hopefully helps a few people out there who are competent, just building an off grid system myself we have high usage, 10kw modules with an 8.5kw inverter with 30KW of batteries, its been a journey and has cost a lot.
I look forward to seeing more on your system and solar journey and seeing if I have wasted my money and now wonder, time will tell.
I may do a blog on the journey at some point as I've found out so much and it may as you have help others.
My biggest message to anyone thinking of solar is don't believe the salesman and research research research as for experts especially but not limited to AC/DC hybrid systems I have found the experts often don't know and many diy have a go people unlike this project by Keytech22 really should not be doing it.
There's a popular solar RUclips channel and he couldn't even fit a battery in a rack recently without messing it up, the more one learns the more you see how dumb some are.
Safety first.
Yeah it's really not hard, Panels (£100 for 370w ) 5kwh Battery £1,200 and £1,200 for a good hybrid grid tied inverter charger. Plug and play
Great video although I winced at the lack of shoes lol, lots of ppl with large back gardens could put in systems like this although if you have kids I would make ground floor installs parallel to keep the voltages down, you got a good price on that timber as well 👍 subbed, please let us know how the roi is looking.
Yours is a similar journey to the one I've been on - before things escalated. The SunSynk Hybrid inverter from City Plumbing is another route to go if you have adequate start up voltage. This future proofs the addition of a battery. I now have a spare Solax inverter which I need to get rid of. The Sunsynk is quite feature rich and the 3.6 version is pretty handy insofar as you can have 7kW of solar panels but is still G98 compliant in terms of grid connection. Looking at the legs on your frames on the flat roof, I'd probably be wanting to put some sort of spreader board under the legs to protect the roof. I'm now looking at adding a fogstar battery (and selling my SunSynk battery) which has been mentioned in another comment.
I was going to post a comment about the legs digging into the felt roof myself... bloody flat roofs leak first chance they get ! DAMHIKT... 🙄
😎👍☘🍻
side bar conversation but for the life of me I can't believe flat roofs were ever a thing - guess saving money but just long term pain!@@peterfitzpatrick7032
So am I right in thinking that with the Solax inverter you can't add batteries to it? The SunSyk 3.6kWh Hybrid is over twice the price... 😮
Great video. You should look at hybrid micro inverters if not already. How did you notify DNO and get G98 certification?
Very good video. Interesting comparison at the end showing the house, panels, clouds and production. A bit up and down leaves me wondering if the bell curve could be improved with a micro inverter or optimiser setup albeit at more cost.
Excellent video - well presented project. I think I will definitely go for the battery option as it is criminal what the power companies pay for our exported power. Thank you!
What payback period would you expect for a battery set up?
@@geoffaries I have no idea but as I do not intent to sell the house and hope to have, let's say 15 years, left of life I would think I would be ahead.
Great video,, I think I’m going to do similar,, hopefully it will take the sting out of the electric bill, I will start small and possibly go bigger if I like it,
Hey, im in suffolk, built my own diy system last year too, 3kw, 14.4kw lifepo4 eve storage. Is awsome. Not many of us here in the uk doing this.. My setup is a bit different and diy to yours. I did the whole home assistant thing also to send data to my phone/tablet on the wall. Did the lot for just over £4k. (second hand 250w panels, 3kw epever hi hybrid inverter, jk bmses, diy battery boxes, diy everything hence the cost. 👍
How much have you saved on your energy bills so far?
Nice video, subscribed! Do you have any info/tips about submitting paperwork to the DNO ?
superb
Useful information and very easy to understand. No need for the background music though. It would be interesting to hear about how the solar install has affected your bills.
A really informative video on a tidy and sensible install thank you for sharing your project. I initially went for a off grid system with Pylontech batteries but got frustrated over the G99 approval as my inverter was bigger than 3.8 for the G98. I removed all the Pylontech stuff and Growatt inverter and paid a local company to install a Solax system with a 5.8 KW battery. They ‘ adopted ‘ my solar panel install and gave me the MCS certification. I didn’t bother with a meter for export as I also had a zappy charger installed for a future second hand electric car which will take any excess and since may whe. I had my system installed it’s been great getting upto 800kw of generation to date …. My target is 1500 kw for the year ! I’d love a video on HA as that is my next hurdle to jump Subbed thanks again.
Hi, I think once you get an electric car there won’t be any export! That’s the idea.
Take care M.
Why did you get rid of your pylontech battery, I'm trying to get one at a reasonable cost and a second hand one might of been just the job, can I ask what size (KWh) it was and what you sold it for?
@@tonydickerson999 it was as above due to G99 approval. I think it sold for 1100 iirc. it was a US5000. Was a bargain for the fella. got two racks fuse and cabling still if its of interest ...
@@yellownev I've been looking at the Seplos kits and in particular the 15KW kit which is on special offer for about £2500 inc VAT, building my own rack, but might be interested, have you got any photo's and a price in mind.
@@tonydickerson999honestly, dont bother, build your own. 14.4kw using eve cells from fogstar, use jk bms, £2200. All the bought batteries are a complete ripoff. They work with any inverter and you learn how it all works then, so youncan fix it yourelf if any problems arrise.
Looks good, well done for doing it. The rear legs that are beside the wall, are they fixed to the wall at the bottom?
Very interesting and you've got me thinking about doing something similar. Few questions I assume as this is a small array this didn't require DNO approval but you had to inform them of the install. How did you get a MCS certificate for the SEG?
Good stuff. Explains a lot of small but not insignificant details that other RUclipsrs don't explain
Very inspirational, I was pleasantly surprised how little it cost. I never thought of putting solar on my two ground floor extension roofs - no idea why, it seems obvious now. Looking at mine now, my main roof is hipped so I think the lower roofs may actually have more surface area.
I dont think you actually answered your question(!) is it "worth it in the UK"?! You look and sound pretty pleased, any idea what the pounds and pence looks like yet or is it too early?
Well constructed, clear for grid connect and off grid. I accept that diagrams need to not be comprehensive but you have the battery connected to the AC side and need to state the important job of the Charge controller interaction with the battery. Be careful when describing the graph records of day/ month/year solar when you use the term kW hours or kW per hour.
Godd viideo - nice and simple . Did you have any issues with the electritian, what did he charge you to rig it up please?
When the sun comes out you can also get charging all your battery fed items (phones / pads Etc). A colleague of mine has a plug in hybrid car and uses that as his battery so saving on petrol and using the suns energy.
Phones and pads use so little power it's hardly worth changing your behaviour over it. A car is another matter entirely - that's definitely worth charging while the sun shines. The other energy storage method is if you have a hot water tank, you can dump excess power into the immersion heater and save on the gas boiler heating it later.
In summer you have light and sunshine in abundance. It doesn't matter if you don't get all the sun.
In spring and autumn you are happy to get as much sun as possible.
In winter it's hardly worth it and you wait for spring. So it is worth aiming for spring and autumn.
So set the angle to 38 to 42°
Good analysis.. 👏😎
depends on a few more things than season. we get perfectly usable daylight (not just raw, cloudless sunshine) throughout the year. the type of panels you're using makes an even bigger impact. the best choice for uk weather is half cut monocrystalline panels. i collect energy even on cloudy days. granted, not as much. but better than nothing. and my whole flat is off grid.
@@brymstonerVery interesting! Do you use solar energy for heating / hot water as well ?
@@sabinkamal I'd like to, but it would be very difficult for me to do that in my current apartment. But I may need to find a way soon; currently my heating cost is bundled in with rent, and the landlord will be separating it and making heating a pay as you go thing.
good review.
I couldnt use this set up at my house as even though I have a smets2 smart meter, it has no idea if i use or generate electric.
so I would actually get charged for exporting to the grid as the meter will 'think' i am using power.
Ive been off grid since Feb 2023 my system is 48v I have 9kw solar panels , 5kw inverter and 40kw battery storage all work well
Great video - curious to know why you mounted the inverter on the outside of the house rather than in the loft?
Curious is one word for it 😂
Done this same install about 2 years ago, same inverter, 6 X 385W panels 29 degrees on the same kind of flat roof. Connected only 5 panels to inverter and using one of the panels to charge a 24v battery and to run some fans and lighting to the inverter. Fans will go faster or slower depending on the sun brightness, exactly as they are needed.
Hi, did you have to get notify your DNO with a form g98 or you didn't bother?
Its good you can DIY grid connect solar in the UK. Not possible in Australia, even offgrid is difficult and costly.
We arent even allowed to replace a light switch without 4 years of "go to the shop and buy a left hand screw driver".
I have even noticed that in Germany you can buy plug and play grid connect DIY kits.
What you’ll find is that you may hit the 2k limit on your inverter even though your panels are rated for about 1.6k. The rating on the panels is the same across all of them, so specific temperature and light. I found with my 4.86kWh system installed in January is at one point in April it the inverter hit 6k (only achievable as was sending power via DC to batteries as well as AC to the house/export) - this was because it was a bright clear day, sun was at its highest for the day which was right for the panel angle and the temperature wasn’t high … ideal conditions as was about 20% above the panel rating. As the weather got better the high production point dropped likely because of the temperature of the panels being high - currently in September after the quote poor July/August compared to May/June I’m seeing 4.2kWh at its peak on a clear day when the DC route is there to send excess (batteries still charging). During the good months I slowed down the battery charge rate to prevent clipping so that there was still charge going to the DC batteries at the peak production time during the day to maximise export which can add up to several kWh/day extra at 15p/kWh in the long daylight months.
This is what I love about the commwnts on vids like this... a valuable little nugget of info given for free.. 😶
... or do I owe you money ? 😧... 😂
😎👍☘🍻
Good video, I've got 4.6kw of panels spread across two roofs main house and flat roof extension with a 4kw solax inverter AC coupled to a victron battery inverter with 9.6kwh of batteries. Other considerations : if your panels are more than 20cm above the main plane of the roof you will most likely need planning permission, it would be a really good idea to install a DC isolator before your inverter (in case anything goes wrong with the panels for disconnection purposes) and finally when you grid tie you need to apply for a G98 (16amps per phase) or G99 (for ESS or bigger systems above 50kw) EREC as you're feeding into the grid. The main consideration is that your installation is safe and isolates when the power is cut. Thanks for the video I especially liked the home assistant bits. Only just saw your replies to other posts about your G98 but I'd still recommend the DC isolator and have a look at your local planning permissions to make sure it's all good.
I agree, a DC Isolator is a Requirement. There are IP65 so easy to fit outside near the Inverter under the Eaves. DC Cables go from Panels to DC Isolator then from DC Isolator to Inverter
I agree reference planning. It doesn't fall under permitted development once you go above 0.2 metres higher than the flat roof which this clearly is.
I forgot to add that ideally you should fit a DC Surge Protector between the DC Isolator and the Inverter to protect the Inverter from Lightning strikes or other events where there is a current surge.
You don't actually need to apply for a grid connection agreement under G98 as it's 16A or less so it's connect and notify. If your system is generating more than 16A per phase then this will fall under G99 and a grid connection agreement will be required prior to energising the system. Similarly, a grid connection agreement is also required if the battery is to be used as a backup supply in a power cut irrespective of the inverter size. Some DNO's allow a fast track process if you are installing a PV inverter of 16A or less output and a separate battery inverter/charge controller of 16A or less output.
Cool time lapse showing the clouds going by with power graph 📈... Are you getting a battery?
Excellent video. I thought you needed an extra box? Do the panels really plug straight into an inverter? I thought they first went into a control box that then outputs to the inverter. Does the one you have do both jobs?
Very informative video. Its a bit simplistic, you did not expand on the types of inverters when you explained the 3 installation types. maybe on a new video, also will be intersting to discuss the possibility to get a grid-tied ssytem then expand to a battery backup one
Interesting informative clear concise content…then I remembered life is to short to worry about when is best to boil a kettle..Stat Well.
If you connect a grid tied system with a battery as you show it, there will be a loud BANG, and everything will stop working.
The battery is charged by DC, not AC, it connects to the battery side of the inverter.
I noticed that too, a little bit of artistic license with the sketch perhaps?
That depends on the Charge Controller. Most PV Installations use A/C Coupled Batteries so they need a Charge Controller to convert from A/C to DC (charge mode) and DC to A/C (Discharge mode)
Great video, I have purchased two of the exact panels from City plumbing, Is the male connector positive?
You can buy Tuya MCB with energy metering to have your own monitoring system.
The ~45° where the frame hits the roof, you may want to put some extra asphalt shingles under them to protect your roof. Just a thought. The wind may cause some wear there.
Great video thanks .How does the electrician wire the inverter in to the consumer unit (ex electrician)
Hi Kev Do you get feed in tariff at all. very good filming & informative.
I see one serious problem and one potentially serious problem.
1) The roof above.
If any debris is on the roof it will fall smack down on the solar panels.
That is from accumulated snow/ice to actual damaged shingles falling.
A high risk for damage to the panels.
2) wind could still get under the panels and strong gusts could rip them off. I'd recommend using some celular polycarbonate panel and closing down the sides as best as possble (make a triangle shape and screw it on each gaping hole side, to prevenmt gusts of wind from going there. And also various vermin to make a nest
The city plumbing 15% discount on first orders specifically excludes solar equipment. Still free delivery, and those 405 panels are now £93 Inc vat.
How did you go about MCS certification, etc? I’m thinking of a DIY installation for an outbuilding initially (off grid), but would like to eventually tie it into the house as well.
I dont think hes getting paid for dumping power into the grid,
However Octopus energy have just announced they are dropping the need for MCS accreditation they are happy to take and pay you for power if you have some to spare.
Please note, this doesnt absolve you of current wiring regulations and have a competent and safe installation.
Hi ..Greta vid again.. question how did you get your DNO cert, if you got one and i asume this is not MCS Certed?? cheers Dave
How about mounting the panels on a south facing 6ft high fence?
can you get a smart socket to turn on when detects excess solar energy for e.g a electric oil fancy radiator or elec underfloor heating ect .thanks Neil
Did you do a G98 or G99 application for your setup yourself or get a sparky to assist with this? I'm trying to keep my cost down and find someone to assist me with my own project but I haven't gotten anywhere and could really do with some advise, thanks.
If you don't mind me asking how much to sign off system with your electrian?
Hi did you or did the electrician fill out the form I think its call G96 to the power company to say you had solar going back to the grid? As I would like to build my own system like you 🙂 I have done an off grid system and works great
When installing the inverter (and batteries), be wary of minimum spacing around it. The one selected here requires 30cm of clearance around all sides and I don't think the installation shown here meets that. When discussing power generation, it's " kilowatts hours" not " kilowatts per hour" - nit-picking but the latter may be interpreted incorrectly.
The GivEnergy and Tesla Powerwall systems are also predominantly grid tied but can work as off grid systems in the event of a power cut.
worth pointing out that 5kWh of LFP battery storage can be had for about half that price from amazon!
This is a great, and informative video. Thanks for the clear information.
But. I have one question for you:
Surely you sell your excess electricity to the grid?
I thought they paid you for your power??
If not, why not?
You called it wasted energy, but if it was sold, it would be far from wasted?
Hi Kev, Great informative video, I have been on the City plumbing website and the 15% discount does not apply to certain items including Solar PV, How did you manage to get the discount? Thanks.
The problem with DIY solar systems in the UK is that according to the information I have seen the person installing the panels needs to be certified for the job. Householders are not allowed to work on the fuse box themselves (as you would need to in order to install a solar system or fit a new circuit) without being certified electricians.
He’s running T&E outside and mounted an inverter on the roof! That’s why you need an electrician.
The 2nd schematic can't be correct as it shows the battery linked directly to the ac output of the inverter. If it's a hybrid inverter then there'd be a separate dc connection for the battery.
I went the second hand route and spent about the same. I think I will have a pair of those panels and mount them in the garden. I built my own lithium battery and there is something about running your whole house off a battery every night. We only use 3-4Kwh a day. Some days our daily electric bill is 3 pence. I think that is what the smart meter uses.
Yeah done the same, if you are using 18650 cells be really careful as I built an 11kwh setup before my Lifepo4 ones...they do go bang if not top balanced very regularly. Our house uses around 55 to 75kwh a day as everything is electric including car...and our electric bill last 5 months has been around £4 not including standing charge.
Love to know where you got the info to do this?
@@thomasbroker69 Everything he has done can be learned from youtube, there are dozens of channels (mostly American, but the principle is exactly the same) which explain in great detail how to build batteries etc. You do however need to be technically minded with regards to building the batteries from bare cells. It is very staisfying when it all works though... What i did was 'cherry pick' various ideas then amalgamated them into the best system for me.
@@thomasbroker69 the basic layout for an off grid system is panels into an mppt charge controller (victron is a great choice for charge controllers), into batteries into an inverter, which you plug your things into. a good idea first would be to measure your consumption. you can do this from your meter, noting the difference in kWh's used at a set time each day, or by using a watt meter to do the same right at a plug socket. but that will only measure whatever's plugged into it, not everything. then build your system out to meet your consumption needs. or adjust your consumption down and build a smaller system.
Hi.. greta vid... But.. Can i ask about the diagram at 03:44 as it looks like you have your battery, DC, connected to the output from the inverter going to the main consumer unit, AC.
Surely this woud be 2 seperate feeds.. ie DC out to battery, 2 way. And AC out to mains, 2way..
just an observation..
Nice Video. I would like to do a DIY Install. It isn't difficult if one is familiar with Electrics but what puts me off is (1) having to pay the 20% which is so annoying, why the Government can't just waive 20% off all Green products and let people so self install is beyond me and (2) the MCS Certification but with the recent Octopus announcement this may not be a problem
what's stopping you from mounting the panels on the ground and running cable into your home? i live in a flat and have my panels over my balcony. only have 2 panels, but they charge 7.5kWh of batteries well enough for me to run my whole flat off those batteries. i consume ~20kWh a week.
I re-watched to find where you say what you get for each KW you put into the grid but can't find it, could you say what that is. Thanks
Was it me, or were you referring to the wrong angle. Looked like you were using the angle to horizontal, but the website you were using was about angle to vertical. As they were both fairly close to 45it probably doesn't make much difference though
Great video :) One quick question: When you are exporting power back to the grid, does your meter then run backwards ? i.e. will that further reduce your bill or are those watts given back for free ? Thanks
The new digital ones don't run backwards but if you have an old disc meter then yes it will run backwards
When I had my pv system installed in 2011 then the electricity supplier had to change my disc meter to a digital one. However they took a few months to do this so in that time my meter went backwards
We came to an agreement on the actual power that I had imported
1. Did you get MCS certificate?
2. Did you have to get DNO approval? And of so did you do that yourself/ was it an easy process?
Makes sense to mount onto flat roof as mounting on the main roof would have meant a few extra grand just in scaffolding costs
If I have decided on a grid tie-in but not interested in exporting surplus once my batteries are full, but using it to heat water in a thermal store, would I need to have a smart meter fitted by my provider?
In your costings you missed out how much the sparky cost to connecting in?
What about an off grid system but with an AC input to charge the batterys in winter.
The Solax inverter does not look to be an outdoor inverter, even the datasheet does not say that. Are you sure you can use it outside?