Sizing a complete solar system

DrJohnZoidberg said:
That's nice! A lot of my potential generation isn't seen as my batteries are normally fully charged by midday and my load isn't that high.

My max daily generation so far is around 23kWh. Really want to get a third battery.
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Max I got in one day was 42kwh with 14x 545w panel.
 
eepr0m said:
My installer is comming next week to add 6 more panels, adding another battery and changing my 8kw sunsynk with 2 x 5kw sunsynk inverters
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What's your reason for swapping to 2 x 5kw? You'll most likely have more idle load with two inverters running instead of one.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
What's your reason for swapping to 2 x 5kw? You'll most likely have more idle load with two inverters running instead of one.
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-More idle load yes.
-Not having a single point of failure.
-We occasionally exceed 8kw. (6 times is 7 months) 10kw is sortoff like a sweet spot.
-Want to dc Eskom
-Plan on adding more batteries but will take me 2 months to save up for the batteries.

I want a total of 35kWh worth battery storage.
 
I mean I can understand the desire to spite Eskom.

But really the best thing you can do in that case is to be modest with your solar install and still remain connected to grid for those long winter nights. That way you minimise your electricity bill through the year but still cost Eskom the most possible because they need to supply you with current only occasionally.

And then you save yourself R100k or more.
 
newby_investor said:
I mean I can understand the desire to spite Eskom.

But really the best thing you can do in that case is to be modest with your solar install and still remain connected to grid for those long winter nights. That way you minimise your electricity bill through the year but still cost Eskom the most possible because they need to supply you with current only occasionally.

And then you save yourself R100k or more.
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Go big or go home.

The 8kw will be relocated to my beach house.
 
It's fair to say you don't want to change your lifestyle but I would still check to see just how much of the 30kWh per day is normal lifestyle and how much is just wasteful lifestyle, sure that doesn't make you a solar policeman, just makes you a responsible person.
 
eepr0m said:
Go big or go home.

The 8kw will be relocated to my beach house.
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If you can afford to, sure. But ...

I'd rather go for a minimum viable system and then still be grid-connected for those rainy winter days. I don't feel much need to pay 3x the price just to say I don't need Eskom anymore.
 
newby_investor said:
If you can afford to, sure. But ...

I'd rather go for a minimum viable system and then still be grid-connected for those rainy winter days. I don't feel much need to pay 3x the price just to say I don't need Eskom anymore.
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I have a 20kva diesel generator. Id rather use that than be reliant on Eksdom.
 
I have similar system except 8kw sunsynk, my consumption is around 22kWh.
Less then you but even in my system I see lack of generating power on cloudy or rainy days.
So in my case I will be adding extra 4-5 470w panels just to be able to generate bit more juice during the day.
 
aleksandar said:
I have similar system except 8kw sunsynk, my consumption is around 22kWh.
Less then you but even in my system I see lack of generating power on cloudy or rainy days.
So in my case I will be adding extra 4-5 470w panels just to be able to generate bit more juice during the day.
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If you have a string avail on your inverter. I'm taking down some 415w panels at my grandmothers house as I'm installing a bigger system there. I'll be moving 16 of the panels to my beach house and the rest (6x) well is up for grabs.
 
Thanks for all your comments.. just waiting on a few things to fall into place but will probably go for plan Gamma 3:

10kw inverter
7kw panels (all my roofspace gone until I build the new garage or I can get panels with more current)
20kwh battery
 
You guys who have everything on "essentials", are you cooking on gas? Or do you have an electric stove on the inverter as well?
 
I'm going all on essential and have gas. I know snyper has an induction hob (maybe gas too).. not sure of the others.
 
To size your array.. you use STC values?

And you add panels until VMP reaches your inverter's sweet spot whilst keeping Imp under your MPPT's max input figure?
1679740532575.png

Using the above panel example... If the MPPT specs are 360V / 13A; could I run 9 of these panels per MPPT? The voltage would then be slightly over at 368.1V .
 
Nevermind.. I looked closer at the inverter spec sheet and saw the DC input has a range of 100-400 so 8.1V over should be fine.

The amps however does not have a range; just 13A. But if it rises above 13A it'll just get clipped, right?
 
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