Solar on a budget part 2

[drjim]

Well the growatt inverter never arrived and ebay gave me my money back.

I have just paid for 2x pylontech US2000C off ebay, guy will deliver them to me when he is working in Manchester next week...

pylontechs

Got them for less than the price shown

Decided I'm going to build a powershed into the woodstore at the side of the house, can run a 6mm cable from boiler room and the DC runs won't be too long from the roof. Will build a waterproof cabinet for the pylontechs with room to put more in.

I have 8 425w longi panels, fastensol rails, electrics and a 3.6 sunsynk ecco in the basket at CPS for £1800 plus VAT, just need to sort out some scaffolding so I can get up onto the roof and will be doing solar 2 in March all being well.

[Stinsy]

The 2.4kWh Pylontechs tend to go for £500 which is silly money if you ask me. So you’ve gotten decent value there.

How come you didn’t go for LF280k or similar?

[drjim]

I didn't go for a self built battery as I just want to get things up and running quickly, buy something that just works and then add/refine from there is the plan.

[drjim]

And it was £550 delivered which strikes me as reasonable

[Andy]

And it was £550 delivered which strikes me as reasonable

Who are they posting through? I couldn't find anyone to take my batteries?

[nowty]

And it was £550 delivered which strikes me as reasonable

Who are they posting through? I couldn't find anyone to take my batteries?

An "electrical inverter" can be a similar size and weight.

[drjim]

Not posting, the guy is working in Manchester sometime next week and is going to bring them to me.

[Stinsy]

And it was £550 delivered which strikes me as reasonable

Who are they posting through? I couldn't find anyone to take my batteries?

An "electrical inverter" can be a similar size and weight.

And there is no danger with LFP batteries anyway!

[drjim]

So I have 2xUS2000C for £550

Just saw and bought a brand new growatt SPH4600 for £312 on ebay (funny prices now with their new fees etc) £15 delivery.

Probably install to replace my existing 2kw growatt while I organise some scaffolding at the back of the house to get the 4Kw of panels planned for phase 1 of this. Working on a plan to build a side extension workshop which will enable access to the high roof on the west side of the house, slightly northerly but room for a good number of panels to make up and it gets sun late afternoon/into evening and of course all the time when not worrying about direct sunshine.

Only issue is I'll need to do a G99/100 form rather than a straightforward G98, but for the price it's not worth worrying about!

[drjim]

Well the SPH4600 finally arrived, I hadn't really thought through how big it would be compared to my MIC2000 - it's huge! Proper bit of kit with G99/100 cert so for the price I'm delighted.

Been thinking about where to put it and how to get a 6mm cable to it. Few options which I will slowly work through. I was trying to get my head round the hot water diverter draining battery issue and had a minor brainwave yesterday. I keep the 2KW inverter on the shed and run it's output through the coil for the hot water tank, that way it will feed the tank without the battery system even knowing it is there, it'll just be a load in the house. The shed will heat the water tank up all summer and my gas bill will be near zero until the autumn. The panels have generated 1.15MWH so far for total outlay of about £450 so hot water for the teenagers endless showers and a bit of electricity trickled in to the rest of the house seems an adequate return for this summer.

Very busy next week or two clearing out my parent's house which has now sold, so not expecting huge progress until April.