SauRoN's SomeWatt Solar Install

SauRoNZA

SauRoNZA

Honorary Master
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Location
Cape Town
I promised I would create a separate thread as things start happening and today the solar panels and batteries were delivered so I figured it's as good a time as any.

1652871628614.png
This is the quotation I accepted from Dean at Somewatt Solar who is both the owner of the business and also the one who does the final commissioning which is by and large what swayed me towards them as it's not just a salesperson handing it over to someone else as was my experience with other quotes.

Dean is also the only installer who actually came out and got on the roof and measured and didn't just use Google Maps to do the initial quotation and a big guess with the intention of a final inspection only after the quote is accepted.

We settled on going with the 3 x 4.8 kWh Dyness batteries with the intention of seeing how it goes and then potentially upgrading if required.

The invoice will be updated slightly down the line because there was some stock issues and the JA Solar panels were exchanged for Canadian Solar 450W instead.

****

Post install update - 25 May 2022

Cape Town - Brackenfell

1653473715150.png

June 2022 Stats

First Full Month Update
 
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Panels were delivered directly by the supplier who sent one guy alone in a truck with a pallet expecting a forklift on the other side.

Not too clever and I picked up some scuff marks on the panels as we were offloading which could be from the guy in the truck doing one at a time in a bit of a lackadaisical fashion, but it's not impossible it was beforehand when loading them up.

It's not a massive issue and I doubt it will make a difference or that any solar panel ever makes it onto a roof without a scuff mark but I reported it regardless just in case and they'll check it through installation.

1652872562999.jpeg

Bloody hard work offloading 14 of them one by one.

The batteries are definitely a two-man job, that's for sure. I can't imagine what the single unit large kilowatt ones are like to move.

Inverter and other extras will arrive on Friday.

Install is only scheduled to happen next Monday.
 
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Congrats! and most of all enjoy it!

You pretty much running the size of my initial setup with my 3 bats before the 4th was installed and I know it will serve you well!

That 8kw sunsynk is the difference between needing to watch usage and not so good call!
 
Should I struggle to find this in Cape Town?

SolarAssistant

solar-assistant.io solar-assistant.io

Or just bite the bullet and order from there and get it over with?
 
SauRoNZA said:
Should I struggle to find this in Cape Town?

SolarAssistant

solar-assistant.io solar-assistant.io

Or just bite the bullet and order from there and get it over with?
Click to expand...
Yeah just go direct - Unless you have a Pi3 / 4 lying around then just get the software from the site. Ensure to get the correct cables as well

Also - congratulations
 
Nice :) pity about the marks on the panels, shouldn't cause any problems. But still.
 
Mzezman said:
Yeah just go direct - Unless you have a Pi3 / 4 lying around then just get the software from the site. Ensure to get the correct cables as well

Also - congratulations
Click to expand...

I’m only interested in the cable, hence the question.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Should I struggle to find this in Cape Town?

SolarAssistant

solar-assistant.io solar-assistant.io

Or just bite the bullet and order from there and get it over with?
Click to expand...
robotics.org.za will have for cheaper (although you'll need to make up your own cable) -> the ethernet bit.


Eg https://www.robotics.org.za/RS485-MINI?search=rs485

Search - rs485

www.robotics.org.za www.robotics.org.za

(plus a self made cable. if you can't diy, then cut an ethernet cable and wire to the appropriate pins in use)
Another option

USB to RS485 Converter Cable - 4 Pin - Micro Robotics

USB to RS485 Converter Cable - 4 Pin
www.robotics.org.za www.robotics.org.za

Again, you can cut an existing ethernet cable, and wire up the relevant pins to that, will take +- 2min, and save +-400 bucks

If you really can't do it, I can make one up for you as needed, assuming you're in CPT.
 
Very nice. Proper system you gonna have there. Congrats
 
SauRoNZA said:
Panels were delivered directly by the supplier who sent one guy alone in a truck with a pallet expecting a forklift on the other side.

Not too clever and I picked up some scuff marks on the panels as we were offloading which could be from the guy in the truck doing one at a time in a bit of a lackadaisical fashion, but it's not impossible it was beforehand when loading them up.

It's not a massive issue and I doubt it will make a difference or that any solar panel ever makes it onto a roof without a scuff mark but I reported it regardless just in case and they'll check it through installation.

View attachment 1311134

Bloody hard work offloading 14 of them one by one.

The batteries are definitely a two-man job, that's for sure. I can't imagine what the single unit large kilowatt ones are like to move.

Inverter and other extras will arrive on Friday.

Install is only scheduled to happen next Monday.
Click to expand...
Interesting.

My truck guy came with a pallet lift, and his truck had a up/down lift bit to get it off.
A previous delivery they rented a forklift from someone close

The delivery company should really be prepared though. Thats their issue, not yours.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I promised I would create a separate thread as things start happening and today the solar panels and batteries were delivered so I figured it's as good a time as any.

View attachment 1311126
This is the quotation I accepted from Dean at Somewatt Solar who is both the owner of the business and also the one who does the final commissioning which is by and large what swayed me towards them as it's not just a salesperson handing it over to someone else as was my experience with other quotes.

Dean is also the only installer who actually came out and got on the roof and measured and didn't just use Google Maps to do the initial quotation and a big guess with the intention of a final inspection only after the quote is accepted.

We settled on going with the 3 x 4.8 kWh Dyness batteries with the intention of seeing how it goes and then potentially upgrading if required.

The invoice will be updated slightly down the line because there was some stock issues and the JA Solar panels were exchanged for Canadian Solar 450W instead.
Click to expand...
Not enough roof for more panels?

I would have leant towards more panels now, and less battery, then add battery later.
Costs for doing that later are going to be higher than just adding another battery.

Nice choice though. You'll be happy with your system.
 
itareanlnotani said:
Not enough roof for more panels?

I would have leant towards more panels now, and less battery, then add battery later.
Costs for doing that later are going to be higher than just adding another battery.

Nice choice though. You'll be happy with your system.
Click to expand...

Very unlikely to make it through the night with less battery.

Only that much north facing.

Which means another MPTT to add another direction and then it’s a guess which will be better East or West wise, so I’d rather see it in action and see what I have to work with.

Of course if it went with my original plan to go SolarEdge I could have just put panels all over, but the cost difference is probably still way more than just adding another MPTT and panels later.
 
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Interesting that the labour quoted for the panels is per watt. So a 530w panel would cost more to install despite an almost negligible size difference.

The price looks decent, just found this a bit curious...
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
Interesting that the labour quoted for the panels is per watt. So a 530w panel would cost more to install despite an almost negligible size difference.

The price looks decent, just found this a bit curious...
Click to expand...

Hehe, I think it’s really just an easy way for him to calculate things and compared to other things I’ve seen wasn’t something that concerned me.

Suspect he breaks it down like that after the fact and doesn’t use it as a calculation for the labour as a base cost.
 
Just for comparison, I bought 595W Canadian panels from Solarways Suppliers for R3799 incl.
 
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