Solar Power and Battery Storage

Roof top solar power installations are becoming a truly viable option for domestic households as prices tumble. Millions of homes across the UK, Europe, and around the world have already had systems installed providing them with clean and free electrical power from the great nuclear fusion reactor in the sky.

Here's a step by step guide to how to get started and a bit of detail about the system I chose for my own home.

Here's the link to the cost document :-

This one is the EV Opinion Programme

And this one is Fully Charged

Finally, this one is for ISO Energy

[tabbott]

I did 3.5KW solar installation on my home in 2012-2014. I started with 8 -100 watt panels. Added 8 - 180w panels, then added 4 -265w panels. I got all Monocrytastaline type. I have them running thru 24 volt grid tie micro-inverters. I have approx 25 percent allocated for charging 2 banks of 12 golf cart 220ah batteries. Batteries wired to 24 volts also and are used only for backup power. I do use them occasionally to run the refrigerator and garage door opener. I have had 2 extended power (3 to 5 days) failures over the past 4 or 5 years and the batteries kept m appliances running as needed.
The grid tied solar has greatly reduced my electric bill and before solar i converted many lights to led to save cost. Im ready to replace by Lead acid battery setups with a Tesla Cybertruck as a battery backup source. With home solar and a EV battery that can be used as power source should be no issues of being without some power at any given time. Highly recommend solar. I did my system myself learning along the way. My very first panels were homemade and work quite well but only produce 65w max and are over built for RV use with 1/4 inch tempered glass and a 1-1/2" alum angle frame. I soldered all the solar cells together myself with the proper tools. I then poured a clear 2 part mixture over the cells to encase them in a protective layer impervious to the elements. I built those back in 2011. It so nice to see the prices coming down on solar finally. I calculated a 7 year payback for my system. In Michigan I only get 4 solid hours of direct sun daily due to some large trees blocking the morning sun to the east.

[offgridsolaruk]

VAT on renewables going up to 20% from October this year☹️, but coal still at 5%!!

[TheCoinPursuit]

I want to build my own solar off grid circuit with wind turbine to top up the battery at night :)

[HomesteadEngineering]

I think your videos are really well done and I bet you will have 25k subs by the end of this year! I built my own hybrid solar power system about 2 years ago and I have been learning how to get the most out of it over that time. What I have found is that it's best to USE (not store or sell) the power when it is generated (primarily from 10am to 4pm). Try to run everything during these hours and nothing outside of these hours. In your case, your not home during the day but your appliances are. Use the built in timers or put them on timmers so they run when the sun is shining. Just heating your water during these hours can burn 2-8kWh/day. A 50 gallon water tank is equivalent to a 4 kWh battery that is 100% usable or a 20kWh battery that is 20% usable (FLA). Washers, dryers, dishwashers, water heaters, AC units, heaters, pool pumps, ect. can all run on timers only when the sun is shining. Ooops, gotta go, it's getting dark... :)

[vmgaspar]

One of the best solar energy presentations I've seen up to now. Thank you very much! I hope to have one system installed soon, but unfortunately I don't think we have great professionals in the north of Spain yet, and the market is changing so fast right now!

[jdrecords]

Could you please do an update video on your solar Power and Battery Storage, I'm looking at getting it installed.

[randyfish]

Interesting and very professionally done. You should have a couple of zeros added to your subscriber count.

[Klunkski]

Love this channel so interesting and informative, thanks again .

[offgridsolaruk]

Its why it is critical we empower ourselves and take responsibility, great message subscribed!

[markdelej]

Surely the batteries don’t last 15 years? So if say the batteries last 10 years then it will be another £3000 every 10 years, so how will you ever make your money back?

[tomeli]

Great video and well presented, reading the comments of minor corrections by others is frustrating People eh? Nowt as strange as folk. I also have adopted solar and battery storage and point to note that I did not realise at time of install is the stated battery capacity, the 4.8kw system is not a true storage capacity as the charge controller will not allow the battery to charge over 90% and discharge below 10% leaving only 80% of the advertised capacity it’s called Depth of Discharge (DOD) and protects the battery from over and under charging. I find now that my usage is matched and complemented by the battery system of 9.6kw giving 7.68kw of true storage. On fair days the battery is satisfied between 1130-1400hrs and will provide power throughout the evening for 3 adults. So for approx 3-6hrs per day I have surplus energy and have calculated that the greatest return of investment will be to replace the fossil fuel car with electric if I can afford one but not at the moment so the next user of energy is hot water and planning to fit a storage (15kw) tank to heat domestic hot water and offset my gas bill by utilising my excess PV. If any of you reading this and have an immersion heater system even if it is primarily heated by a gas boiler closed circuit then consider fitting an Immersun controller or any similar device as soon as you can as it diverts any excess PV up to 3 kwh to your immersion element, for me this should satisfy my families need for hot water for approx 8 months of the year.

[ramblerandy]

You are far too good to just have 2.6K subscribers. I shall spread the word where I can. This is a very clear and informative video, and very well produced too.

[dougmc]

The cost per kilowatt of storage is much cheaper with a hot water tank. Spending three thousand pounds to store 67 pence(4.8x14) worth of electricity in a battery is not a good idea.

[darkestnile]

Such a positive message displayed. I would dream to have a solar powered home with a nice EV chucked in, this is the future I want. Thanks JHAV

[jordan]

“They also should make the assumption that your electricity supply cost from the grid would go up by 4% per year, which I would say is a pretty conservative estimate”

Me in 2024: SAY IT LOUDER, DAVE!!

[guywhoknows]

This is so wrong these days.
I think I could install a system for what you save in a year.
I believe FIT is the only thing available and is 5p kWh. But new tariffs have variable payments up to 30p kwh.

Solar panels £520.00 (395w*8)
3kw grid tied inverter £177.

Now batteries aren't so good in price.
8kwh £1200, but it's often not that economic when making them.
The price doesn't scale.

I've been in the biz a long time, and for a long time it was never good in terms of break even. You break even in 14 years, which is rediculas.

I rolled out "reducer" it makes solar more affordable and makes sense. It's a mirco inverter that power just for the day time hours.
Batteries add cost but really do add practicality to any solar install. Most use is in the evening between 4 and 10, which isn't the best time for sun.

I noticed your math was wrong. You should use peaks to calculate but., NOCT. This gives more of a real life measure and can be found on the solar panel data sheets.

Made your system 1928kw pa. This is low but fairly accurate over the year. Summer time we could add about 8kw pd. Or 800kw pa. Or around 3000kwh
Many companies sell optimistic accounting. Which is a bad idea and has give the business a bad name.

On a dark day I only make around 50w by 9. That may arise to 80, but sunlight makes current, voltage is easy. So that 0.5amp to 1.55amp.
But on a sunny January I can make 19amps off one of the arrays.
But here are the issues, solar is installed and fixed, so you only get "ideal" performance for about 40 days a year.
Your panels should be changed 3 times a year to face the sun.
I've two array a winter and summer.
They're vertical and horizontal panels and the difference is massive.
(8 amps to 17 amps different)

Now I would advise smaller arrays on trackers, if it can be done. As you can make more power for longer.

I make power from 9:30 till 2:30
As summer comes this gets longer, and making power, I mean more than 400watts
I make a few hundred up till around 5.

Buying a inverter is a challenge. Because this resolved to your batteries, and that resolves to the battery and then the solar.
3.5kw is a good usable power level. It makes free tea.
5kw will cook dinner.
8kw starts to give you freedom.
12kw is freedom.

Below 5kw is 24v.
About 5kw and including is 48v
But you want more as it lowers current, that lowers costs and stress on the system.

Going for higher is better especially with voltage over current.

Don't forget power doesn't rise and feed in doesn't rise. Been the same for over 12 years.

If you make 18kwh pd that's around £1, 000 per year. If you paid the grid and didn't have solar... I think this is what you make of it.

Those reducers, make £3540 saving in ten years. That's both a low estimate, and half life., But they sell for £350.
See how the math stack up?

[floydbertagnolli]

Great channel!!!
Reminder: many viewers: 1. are in Southern Hemisphere, so they would use north facing roof; 2. Don’t know your money system (maybe mention USD too?).

[sdfglkjhdfkjdhldskfj]

Assuming no losses, 4.8kWh at 14p/kWh is worth £0.672. If your electricity is free and you successfully charge and discharge the battery 100% every day, then the total saving is 365*£0.672 = £245. With these very optimistic assumptions, it will take 15 years to pay off the capital cost of the battery. Domestic batteries seem to be a really bad move for anyone with a connection to the grid. If you are using them as an uninterruptible power supply then you need to keep them charged, so you will never discharge them: Their only benefit to you is in keeping things running if power goes out.

[ronaldgarrison]

Gave this a like, despite reservations over that awful typeface. TTTT it's probably still not as bad as Comic Sans, and certainly better than Lucida. And since this was back in 2018, I'll cut some slack for that.

[davidramsay]

Very useful video. Has there been an update to provide performance and revised economic performance based on accruals? Did you factor in a replacement DC to AC inverter? Apparently these items on last 10 to 15 years at best with some failing earlier if under sized on installation.
I am doing a partial DIY install as it was clear without the FIT the 15% saving on VAT was consumed by MCS accredited installers. It seems installers are taking all the value and the home owner all the risk. If you go the partial DIY route using microinverters with a qualified electrician making the wiring connection you can get to a reasonable payback of under 8 years in 2021 without a battery and limited to 3.68 Kw peak. I am installing in 4 stages and my peak generation is calculated on the microinverters capacity so I can oversize the panels to increase yield. I may add a battery at the fourth stage. What I find off putting is the demand for MCS accreditation and certification to export power or go over 3.68 kWp - rip-off Britain in action.