Extra panels or Solar Geyser?

[Pegging]

...
When my son forgets to switch off aircon

This morning:
View attachment 1486803

In your case using one of these will save you money.

 

[Snyper564]

Batteries are for no/less Eskom, which is what OP wants to achieve.

My batteries are definitely not there for Load Shedding…they are there for no sun.

Likewise

 

[Snyper564]

Thank you. You guys have been unbelievable. Sure many get frustrated by these newbie questions.
Appreciate everyone's help.

Dont apologise this is probably one of the more interesting scenarios we have had in a while, thats what forums are for to help!

 

[SauRoNZA]

OP I wonder if your service mode settings are setup wrong, because from the limited screenshots I’m not sure you are using the batteries effectively.

 

[wingnut771]

Batteries are for no/less Eskom, which is what OP wants to achieve.

My batteries are definitely not there for Load Shedding…they are there for no sun.

Do you export?

 

[Snyper564]

OP I wonder if your service mode settings are setup wrong, because from the limited screenshots I’m not sure you are using the batteries effectively.

Im thinking the same! something just seems off.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Do you export?

No I don’t and I get what you are getting at but the numbers don’t seem to add up.

That being said they aren’t very useful as they are.

 

[wingnut771]

No I don’t and I get what you are getting at but the numbers don’t seem to add up.

That being said they aren’t very useful as they are.

They do look all over the place. Could be weather and shedding stage dependent? You can’t export when the grid is down for 12 hours.

 

[aleksandar]

Im thinking the same! something just seems off.

I agree maybe if @Crusader1982 could post graph for a whole day so we can see how system is used.
Like this:

 

[SauRoNZA]

They do look all over the place. Could be weather and shedding stage dependent? You can’t export when the grid is down for 12 hours.

Yeah my brain is not braining enough this morning to try figure out what is going on there but it definitely doesn’t seem right.

It’s also why I’m so grateful for using HA because seeing everything in one screenshot is so much simpler.

@Crusader1982 might be more useful to give us the entire February view from the Year graph instead for a baseline of usage.

And the horizontal view of the daily.

Along with the time of day service mode settings on the inverter itself.

 

[Snyper564]

I agree maybe if @Crusader1982 could post graph for a whole day so we can see how system is used.
Like this:
View attachment 1486817

Spot on one of these

 

[Crusader1982]

Ok, so this is for February:

 

[RonSwanson]

Spot on, so 36is waaay to many then correct?

36 x 455W would make for a really cool Diwali fireworks attraction.

 

[Crusader1982]

I agree maybe if @Crusader1982 could post graph for a whole day so we can see how system is used.
Like this:
View attachment 1486817

 

[wingnut771]

I agree maybe if @Crusader1982 could post graph for a whole day so we can see how system is used.
Like this:
View attachment 1486817

What's going on here:

 

[Paul_S]

If you're trying to go off grid then you'll want to be able to store 4 or 5 days worth of power in your batteries. And a backup generator.

Adding that much additional battery capacity is not a great idea from a financial point of view unless you live in an area where you get frequent rainy days in a row.

The typical install seems to be around 10kWh of battery storage at a cost of around R70 000. If you increase that by five fold you'd need to spend R280 000 extra on batteries which is only required for infrequent use. Now work out how much diesel or petrol one could purchase for R280K and how many kWh you could generate using a generator to top a smaller battery bank.

 

[xodosman123]

No Brainer solar geyser. Get maximum use of the sun. Not strain on the Inverter, now will it be retrofit or PV.

 

[wingnut771]

36 x 455W would make for a really cool Diwali fireworks attraction.

36 divide 4 = 9 panels per string.

Maybe 9 is pushing it.

 

[wingnut771]

View attachment 1486833

Why does green PV not look like a boob?

 

[Snyper564]

No Brainer solar geyser. Get maximum use of the sun. Not strain on the Inverter, now will it be retrofit or PV.

Nope the issue is non sunny days this person wants to go off grid pretty much, gas geyser is the route to go.