We finally got our Solar PV system fitted in September, the battery coming a little later. Like your data suggests, yes we did see a reduction in grid use straight away but having the battery has helped us remove our reliance on the grid in peak, charging in off peak at a lower rate, reducing load on the grid system.
Hi. Thanks for stopping by. I believe your discovery about the power of PV + batteries is going to be shared by many people in the years. It is a really profound change in ethics way we use energy. Good luck in your endeavours.M
Hi,As a family looking at energy sustainability I came across your heat pump video.Very informative and useful,thank you. We are also looking at solar generation coupled with battery and have seen this video. We have a similar flat roof with an easterly aspect and I would be interested to know how you decided on the panels positioning for Solar gain, considering the other rear panels are facing in an easterly direction. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge.
Stefan, thank you for your kind words. On the east-facing roof there is no choice about the orientation of the panels. They will produce well in summer and that's OK. They have no shading issues. On the flat roof the installer insists the panels should be tilted at 12° - so they almost flat with just enough slope to keep water off them. But the sky situation is constrained. The sky to the East and South is reasonably clear although there are trees to the South-east. The south west is blocked by our neighbours (although the Sun will be high enough to overcome that in mid-summer) and the west is blocked by the house. It seemed slightly better to point them south rather than east. If you want to do calculations yourself I strongly recommend the Easy-PV website which allows you design your own roof and evaluate the output as you swap panels and orientations. You have to register and it's not *completely* straightforward to use, but they don't hassle you and it is accurate. easy-pv.co.uk/home The video is accompanied by this blog article protonsforbreakfast.wordpress.com/2022/10/27/new-solar-panels/ Best wishes M
Another interesting video, thank you. I would love to see the end result of the cable management, especially for the flat roof. I have a 7m x 4m shed that I am looking to put panels on. I must say I prefer that bird guard over the solid metal ones, it concerns me if not tightened down how lethal it could be if blown off in a storm, also you should get plenty of ventilation through the back side of the panels with the wire mesh one you have 🙂. How do they secure that to the frame if you don’t mind me asking? Like another comment, I have a not far off south facing roof and shed roof, again lacking money having 3 kids and a full time mother of my children 💸💸💸💸 I’m thinking a home improvement loan is going to be required so I can pull my finger out so I can lower my CO2 long term asap. Kind Regards, Adam.
Adam, Good evening and thank you for your kind words. Regarding cable runs, I did make a bit of video showing how the cables came into the house, but the second part of the installation is going slower than anticipated - i.e. they haven't started yet! - so I will wait to show that bit. The pigeon protection is simply cut and wedged in place. Apparently previous versions of the panels have a lip on the underside of the frame to which the mesh could be secured, but the new panels don't. It does feel pretty substantially wedged in. The opportunity to do this kind of stuff only came about because of the tax-free lump sum I received on retirement. I spent most of my life focussing on the children and never expected to ever have any money to spend on this kind of thing. I hope your time will come. Meanwhile, if you document the existing energy consumption of your house (weekly gas and electricity readings) it will help should the opportunity to make changes ever arise. Best wishes Michael
Hi Michael. I also have a flat roof that has space for 6 panels in the orientation you have. I’ve followed your tip and used Easy PV to design the layout but I came unstuck at the weight loading section. I don’t know how much ballast is needed. How much weight are the concrete lintels you’re using? Thanks for the easy PV tip.
Steve, Good Afternoon. On this set up there are 4 lintels and by eyeballing the size and length I estimate that each one weighs between 50. and 60 kg. So that's over 200 kg of weight. I'll let you know if it blows away over the winter.... All the best Michael
Would love to have solar, just no money to get them, south facing roof with zero shading , roof is almost 45deg and probably enough room for 14 panels.
Dear BordersW123, Good Evening. Having no money is no fun: it's where I have been most of my life. But times change, and your south facing roof is a fantastic asset. I do hope that fate brings you the chance to gather in your own solar harvest. Best wishes Michael
We finally got our Solar PV system fitted in September, the battery coming a little later. Like your data suggests, yes we did see a reduction in grid use straight away but having the battery has helped us remove our reliance on the grid in peak, charging in off peak at a lower rate, reducing load on the grid system.
Hi. Thanks for stopping by. I believe your discovery about the power of PV + batteries is going to be shared by many people in the years. It is a really profound change in ethics way we use energy.
Good luck in your endeavours.M
Hi,As a family looking at energy sustainability I came across your heat pump video.Very informative and useful,thank you.
We are also looking at solar generation coupled with battery and have seen this video.
We have a similar flat roof with an easterly aspect and I would be interested to know how you decided on the panels positioning for Solar gain, considering the other rear panels are facing in an easterly direction.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge.
Stefan, thank you for your kind words.
On the east-facing roof there is no choice about the orientation of the panels. They will produce well in summer and that's OK. They have no shading issues.
On the flat roof the installer insists the panels should be tilted at 12° - so they almost flat with just enough slope to keep water off them. But the sky situation is constrained.
The sky to the East and South is reasonably clear although there are trees to the South-east. The south west is blocked by our neighbours (although the Sun will be high enough to overcome that in mid-summer) and the west is blocked by the house. It seemed slightly better to point them south rather than east.
If you want to do calculations yourself I strongly recommend the Easy-PV website which allows you design your own roof and evaluate the output as you swap panels and orientations. You have to register and it's not *completely* straightforward to use, but they don't hassle you and it is accurate.
easy-pv.co.uk/home
The video is accompanied by this blog article
protonsforbreakfast.wordpress.com/2022/10/27/new-solar-panels/
Best wishes
M
Another interesting video, thank you. I would love to see the end result of the cable management, especially for the flat roof. I have a 7m x 4m shed that I am looking to put panels on. I must say I prefer that bird guard over the solid metal ones, it concerns me if not tightened down how lethal it could be if blown off in a storm, also you should get plenty of ventilation through the back side of the panels with the wire mesh one you have 🙂. How do they secure that to the frame if you don’t mind me asking?
Like another comment, I have a not far off south facing roof and shed roof, again lacking money having 3 kids and a full time mother of my children 💸💸💸💸
I’m thinking a home improvement loan is going to be required so I can pull my finger out so I can lower my CO2 long term asap.
Kind Regards, Adam.
Adam, Good evening and thank you for your kind words.
Regarding cable runs, I did make a bit of video showing how the cables came into the house, but the second part of the installation is going slower than anticipated - i.e. they haven't started yet! - so I will wait to show that bit.
The pigeon protection is simply cut and wedged in place. Apparently previous versions of the panels have a lip on the underside of the frame to which the mesh could be secured, but the new panels don't. It does feel pretty substantially wedged in.
The opportunity to do this kind of stuff only came about because of the tax-free lump sum I received on retirement. I spent most of my life focussing on the children and never expected to ever have any money to spend on this kind of thing. I hope your time will come. Meanwhile, if you document the existing energy consumption of your house (weekly gas and electricity readings) it will help should the opportunity to make changes ever arise.
Best wishes
Michael
Hi Michael. I also have a flat roof that has space for 6 panels in the orientation you have. I’ve followed your tip and used Easy PV to design the layout but I came unstuck at the weight loading section. I don’t know how much ballast is needed. How much weight are the concrete lintels you’re using? Thanks for the easy PV tip.
Steve, Good Afternoon. On this set up there are 4 lintels and by eyeballing the size and length I estimate that each one weighs between 50. and 60 kg. So that's over 200 kg of weight. I'll let you know if it blows away over the winter....
All the best
Michael
Would love to have solar, just no money to get them, south facing roof with zero shading , roof is almost 45deg and probably enough room for 14 panels.
Dear BordersW123, Good Evening.
Having no money is no fun: it's where I have been most of my life. But times change, and your south facing roof is a fantastic asset. I do hope that fate brings you the chance to gather in your own solar harvest.
Best wishes
Michael
@@michaeldepodesta001 . Cheers, I enjoy your vids, keep them going!