Solar Panel Storage Batteries

[E&MBees]

I have solar panels on the house roof which can generate about 31kwh on a good day. This far exceeds the family’s daily electricity usage. We would like to install a battery.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions on battery make and installation companies? Would prefer not to use the solar panel company as they were difficult to work with.

Thanks

 

[Newbeeneil]

When I had my panels installed 7 years ago batteries were just coming on the scene and very expensive. I opted for a cheap alternative of using any excess generated to heat my hot water. Using this method I make use of approx 85% of everything I generate.
https://www.heatershop.co.uk/solar-iboost-solar-immersion-controller

 

[E&MBees]

When I had my panels installed 7 years ago batteries were just coming on the scene and very expensive. I opted for a cheap alternative of using any excess generated to heat my hot water. Using this method I make use of approx 85% of everything I generate.
https://www.heatershop.co.uk/solar-iboost-solar-immersion-controller

Thanks for the suggestion. We have an on demand hot water system, so would need to install a tank. It’s a possible idea to consider.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I have solar panels on the house roof which can generate about 17kwh on a good day. This far exceeds the family’s daily electricity usage. We would like to install a battery.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions on battery make and installation companies? Would prefer not to use the solar panel company as they were difficult to work with.

Thanks

I've got a roof array which can generate 27 kWh on a few days in mid summer but struggles to produce 1kWh mid winter. As it was installed during the first tranche of FIT rates I currently enjoy around 55p per unit generated no matter whether I use it or it gets exported to the grid. Currently I've got Aircon which keeps the house cool in summer at virtually zero running costs from the panels. If you have had your panels for a while and enjoy Feed in Tariff payments have you looked into your FIT contract regarding modifications to your system? Also what is your expectation of storage time in the battery? In summer I can see a possibility of covering a mixture of dull days between bright days but in winter I seriously doubt there would be anything worthwhile going into the battery for weeks on end. Maybe you'd get better returns on an excess energy dump into a hot water cylinder. I've not looked into adding batteries to mine but the DC output from the panels into the inverter peaks in the hundreds of volts so safety isn't going to be a trivial matter.
As to your question about possible installers maybe HIES will have a list of their members in your area? https://g.page/HIES_Consumer_Code?share

 

[Newbeeneil]

Thanks for the suggestion. We have an on demand hot water system, so would need to install a tank. It’s a possible idea to consider.

Probably not worth it then. I did however consider putting a second tank in to mop up the addition energy during summer days but it would have required legionella precautions in that 2nd tank which made the idea less attractive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Currently I've got Aircon which keeps the house cool in summer

In Yorkshire!! I thought the fact you're in Yorkshire would have sufficed

 

[enrico]

I use my excess energy via a diverter into a storage heater. It gives me free heat in my annex keeping it nice and warm for free! I top up with cheap night time electric in mid winter but I am in the process of having batteries put in. My system is complex as I have two meters do I can do one thing with one lot and put batteries on the other! Best to go to the solar and battery UK Group on Facebook and ask for local installers.they are a good group. Batteries are in high demand and waiting lists for installation s huge! Pm me for more info if you want

 

[Dodge]

Just had a new combi boilers fitted. I made sure it was solar compatible. A lot of boilers can't accept warm water as an input only cold mains water for hot water. Hopefully I can then have a hot water tank and excess electric off solar panels can be diverted to the tank or a separate hot water solar panel.

 

[Boston Bees]

As it was installed during the first tranche of FIT rates I currently enjoy around 55p per unit generated no matter whether I use it or it gets exported to the grid. Currently I've got Aircon which keeps the house cool in summer at virtually zero running costs from the panels.

Great to see heavily subsidised solar panels being used to not lower our carbon emissions in the slightest

I imagine people on low incomes are ecstatic to be paying high energy charges so you can have free aircon in Gilberdyke.

What a laughable, messed up system.

 

[roche]

I have solar thermal for hot water - it is the most efficient bang for buck from solar. I am currently installing solar PV for the office. I am using lead acid batteries for that, as every part can be recycled, they are significantly cheaper than any alternative and probably have a much longer life if they are looked after.

 

[Dodge]

Great to see heavily subsidised solar panels being used to not lower our carbon emissions in the slightest

I imagine people on low incomes are ecstatic to be paying high energy charges so you can have free aircon in Gilberdyke.

What a laughable, messed up system.

I actually think you might have missed a point about aircon and the big picture of solar panels may I suggest.

Nearly all offices have A/C and many of us who now work at home a few days a week are having it installed. A/C is in many ways an interesting solution to lower CO2 emissions in that you can heat a room (home office) on its own which is very tricky to do with central heating if you don't want to mess with radiator thermostats twice daily.

Solar panels are a above base load source on the grid. Solar panels work best when the sun is out which often correlates in summer to the A/C going on so to a degree balances out the above base load with additional power being made available to the grid.

 

[Apiarisnt]

I have solar panels on the house roof which can generate about 31kwh on a good day. This far exceeds the family’s daily electricity usage. We would like to install a battery.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions on battery make and installation companies? Would prefer not to use the solar panel company as they were difficult to work with.

Thanks

Don't be tempted to do it yourself or to use a less than very well qualified supplier. This chap, Prof Paul Christensen,

https://lithiumionsafety.co.uk/
has some horror stories to tell of cases where someone has rigged up an ex electric vehicle battery for use at home to back up their solar panels

 

[JamezF]

Certainly it used to be the case that "end of life" fork lift batteries used to be popular for homebrew electricity generation systems. Wouldn't surprise me if you can't get hold of them so easily these days though.

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

In Yorkshire!! I thought the fact you're in Yorkshire would have sufficed

Come come Emyr - you know we only need a big coat when there's a foot of ice on the river Ouse.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Great to see heavily subsidised solar panels being used to not lower our carbon emissions in the slightest

I imagine people on low incomes are ecstatic to be paying high energy charges so you can have free aircon in Gilberdyke.

What a laughable, messed up system.

I guess you didn't take up the government incentive (Feed in Tariff scheme) then?
The deal was one which sounded too good to be true when I first heard about it but it proved despite my cynicism to be correct. On the first tranche rates it was easy to justify funding an installation via a home improvement loan. The government got what they wanted, another solar generator running which reduced grid demand, and I got paid for generating electricity to offset load on the grid.
Aircon units like mine can pump heat both ways so heat the room in winter or cool it in summer and because they use power to move heat rather than generate it they can transfer 3kW of heat in our out for less than 1kW input. On that basis alone they have a significant positive benefit.
I also have a heat pump running my whole house central heating but in all honesty I wish I had stuck with my oil fired boiler for that. The input/output power ratio of the big heat pump is nowhere near as good as the split Aircon systems and it can only put heat into the radiators so no good for cooling. In practice I spend the daytime in the rooms with the Aircon and only heat the whole house a few hours out of 24.
With hindsight I should have opted for more Aircon units instead of the central heat pump. The overall cost would have been similar but flexibility of operation would be far more economic.

 

[Newbeeneil]

With hindsight I should have opted for more Aircon units instead of the central heat pump. The overall cost would have been similar but flexibility of operation would be far more economic.

Unfortunately the RHI did not cover air based systems.
I'm surprised your ASHP is less effective than the air con units. Our HP works at 340% where as our aircon units in the office only work at 300%.

 

[JamezF]

I'm surprised your ASHP is less effective than the air con units

The impression I have from a few people who have them installed is that ASHP isn't always straightforward to get working well. When it does work well (including everyone understanding that you can't have it deliver huge amounts of heat to warm up a house from cold really fast), it's great. If it's not configured well, then it can be quite disappointing. It may be that not all the people who install ASHP have the ability, or are willing to spend the time, to get it set up to work as best it can. I really don't know.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

The impression I have from a few people who have them installed is that ASHP isn't always straightforward to get working well. When it does work well (including everyone understanding that you can't have it deliver huge amounts of heat to warm up a house from cold really fast), it's great. If it's not configured well, then it can be quite disappointing. It may be that not all the people who install ASHP have the ability, or are willing to spend the time, to get it set up to work as best it can. I really don't know.

James

I think you have hit the nail on the head! When I was installing I refused to install in several properties that I considered unsuitable. I know that 2 of those properties had it installed by others with disastrous results.

 

[Moobee]

I think you have hit the nail on the head! When I was installing I refused to install in several properties that I considered unsuitable. I know that 2 of those properties had it installed by others with disastrous results.

Isn’t it the case that older leaky properties are unsuitable for ASHP or GSHP as they are thermally inefficient? There was a big news story locally about a couple who installed ASHP and how marvellous it was. Due to our coastal climate, it’s now just a big rusty box that barely works apparently!

 

[Newbeeneil]

Isn’t it the case that older leaky properties are unsuitable for ASHP or GSHP as they are thermally inefficient? There was a big news story locally about a couple who installed ASHP and how marvellous it was. Due to our coastal climate, it’s now just a big rusty box that barely works apparently!

As I've said before, insulation is what makes air pumps work as the low temperature radiators can't replace heat quickly in drafty and chilly homes.