DIY Solar starting point

wingnut771 said:
How many solar panels can you add in the space of the solar geyser?
Click to expand...
Geyser only uses 30 units per month. it was running fine off PV panels alone. I just wanted to take the strain off the inverter. Got a special on it for 6K from Builders. 150 L is more than enough for me.
 
Magnum said:
DIY is going very deep down a very dark rabbit hole. I'm on 7.9 MWh for solar power and 9.1 MWh total power produced in 4 years.

You need to find out what your needs are. biggest problem is the sun shines when I am not at home.
Click to expand...
Something I think most forget. Before people go and spend 15 to 25k on a fancy inverter or any item, if you are doing DIY…forget your warranty. You cease any warranty when you install yourself so better onion what you are doing.

And pray your 20k inverter doesn’t die in a few months because of a mistake, surge from the grid or some thing like that.
 
denmendez65 said:
Something I think most forget. Before people go and spend 15 to 25k on a fancy inverter or any item, if you are doing DIY…forget your warranty. You cease any warranty when you install yourself so better onion what you are doing.

And pray your 20k inverter doesn’t die in a few months because of a mistake, surge from the grid or some thing like that.
Click to expand...
Surely it would die instantly if a mistake is made, not a few months.
 
wingnut771 said:
Surely it would die instantly if a mistake is made, not a few months.
Click to expand...
That was just an example. If an installer makes a mistake and blows it up. Then it’s on him. You do it, you buying another one.

Some part fails inside the inverter even if you did everything properly, you paying for all the repairs.

DIY isn’t really worth the effort. Just get someone to install. And pass responsibility to them. In my case wanting to be off grid then yeah, I can fix in a jippy.
 
denmendez65 said:
Something I think most forget. Before people go and spend 15 to 25k on a fancy inverter or any item, if you are doing DIY…forget your warranty. You cease any warranty when you install yourself so better onion what you are doing.

And pray your 20k inverter doesn’t die in a few months because of a mistake, surge from the grid or some thing like that.
Click to expand...
That is why I treated it like a 6kVA generator. I slapped 2 isolators on it and a changeover switch. And then I have DC breakers on the PV side as well. Things break. silicon packs up. that is life. I am 4 years in and still ticking on.
 
denmendez65 said:
Something I think most forget. Before people go and spend 15 to 25k on a fancy inverter or any item, if you are doing DIY…forget your warranty. You cease any warranty when you install yourself so better onion what you are doing.

And pray your 20k inverter doesn’t die in a few months because of a mistake, surge from the grid or some thing like that.
Click to expand...
Deye had no problem repairing my inverter
 
I wonder how long the cables of the kit is. My cable's will be longer, 25 meter from the roof till system.
 
Thanks for the wealth of replies!
Speedster said:
Speedster

Thread 'Speedster's solar journey'

I've been prepping a solar system for my home for quite a while, and have certainly learnt a ton along the way. Over the past 18 months or so I've asked perhaps too many questions (to the great annoyance of some forumites), but I've gleaned enough info to have been confident enough to finally get to work on the install a short while back. I realise there are (at least) two approaches one can take with a project like this - (1) pay someone a good sum of money to take care of it all and (2) take time to learn and do what you can yourself. Neither is right or wrong, there are certainly...
  • Like
  • Love
Click to expand...
Well I've got my reading material for the next week.

DTBA said:
Is the 5kw going to be enough? for R10k more you can get a 12-14kw inverter, then later you can add more panels and more battery if needed. Just makes life easier to wire it once and get done with it

Also depending on the roof size rather just go with 600W panel rather then 10x460
Click to expand...
The house is pretty optimised in terms of electricity usage. There's a solar geyser and gas cooking.

I'm looking at this as a budget constrained exercise, when I go for my personal set-up one day I'll go for more bells and whistles.

On the other hand if planning for the future potentially saves money that's different. The rough maths is R120 000 of electricity usage over the next 10 years (not counting for the inevitable price hikes). The money would theoretically be coming from his mortgage, and I don't have the accounting skills to work out the present value of money vs future costs, so the general rule is the lower than R120k the better.
DTBA said:
bloody good price wow
www.inverter-warehouse.co.za

Solar Panel Longi Hi-MO LR7 615W Bifacial

Solar Panel Longi Hi-MO LR7 615W LONGi has consistently led the way in solar panel innovation. Designed with cutting-edge technology.
www.inverter-warehouse.co.za www.inverter-warehouse.co.za
Click to expand...
Interesting! Part of the exercise of posting here has been to try and work out what counts as cheap vs expensive vs suspiciously underpriced
HowTo said:
Get a quote from installer and post it here.
We will tell you if too expensive of not.
Click to expand...
Will do during the week.

The roof is pretty sizeable and unobstructed but it is tile and I have gathered that can be a tougher install.
 
Drakshaa said:
Thanks for the wealth of replies!

Well I've got my reading material for the next week.


The house is pretty optimised in terms of electricity usage. There's a solar geyser and gas cooking.

I'm looking at this as a budget constrained exercise, when I go for my personal set-up one day I'll go for more bells and whistles.

On the other hand if planning for the future potentially saves money that's different. The rough maths is R120 000 of electricity usage over the next 10 years (not counting for the inevitable price hikes). The money would theoretically be coming from his mortgage, and I don't have the accounting skills to work out the present value of money vs future costs, so the general rule is the lower than R120k the better.

Interesting! Part of the exercise of posting here has been to try and work out what counts as cheap vs expensive vs suspiciously underpriced

Will do during the week.

The roof is pretty sizeable and unobstructed but it is tile and I have gathered that can be a tougher install.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you are a low power user like me. Similar setup with solar geyser and gas cooking and your consumption is around 300kWh a month.

4.5kW of panels would have you running completely offgrid with little to no need to use the grid, especially if paired with a 10kWh battery.

Consider getting an installer to do the panels. Working on the roof is not nice lol. If you can shortcut that and get them to pull the cable all the way to a PV DB box, you can do the rest after that. Just a suggestion as you won’t find the summer JHB sun welcoming. Unless you work when it’s cloudy.
 
wingnut771 said:
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to not get + and - wires mixed up and they know this so they prob just let it slide.
Click to expand...
Isn't the biggest issue the 'building insurance'? If you don't have an accredited installer certify the system, including a roof-load structure sign-off, the insurance won't pay a single cent if there's a fire or lightning damage/theft etc?
 
Mista_Mobsta said:
Isn't the biggest issue the 'building insurance'? If you don't have an accredited installer certify the system, including a roof-load structure sign-off, the insurance won't pay a single cent if there's a fire or lightning damage/theft etc?
Click to expand...
Yes, get it checked and certified after you’ve done all the grunt work.
 
denmendez65 said:
Sounds like you are a low power user like me. Similar setup with solar geyser and gas cooking and your consumption is around 300kWh a month.

4.5kW of panels would have you running completely offgrid with little to no need to use the grid, especially if paired with a 10kWh battery.

Consider getting an installer to do the panels. Working on the roof is not nice lol. If you can shortcut that and get them to pull the cable all the way to a PV DB box, you can do the rest after that. Just a suggestion as you won’t find the summer JHB sun welcoming. Unless you work when it’s cloudy.
Click to expand...
Cant recall the OP saying he is from Johannesburg, his profile says Rondebosch, maybe I missed it. If he is in Cape Town you need to tripple the PV if you want to be remotely off grid with 300kWh monthly usage.
 
Koosvanwyk said:
Cant recall the OP saying he is from Johannesburg, his profile says Rondebosch, maybe I missed it. If he is in Cape Town you need to tripple the PV if you want to be remotely off grid with 300kWh monthly usage.
Click to expand...
Cape Town indeed, is the light difference that intense?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X