Dillsue

For heat pump install, MCS doesnt have a secure grip. It's a few hundred quid for a planning application out of a suggested £5k install cost. No MCS involvement. Just your friendly spark thats testing your PV cables

?? Anyone can install PV. You just need a spark to test site installed cabling

The table near the beginning of that linked doc says increased capacity upgrades are free. Guess there may be a bit of a wait but should be able to export what you want, in time. Took our DNO best part of a year to upgrade our transformer, but they did make a bit of a meal of it with new poles/cables etc.

We added a second 3.68kw PV system last year to give 7.4kw max export and our DNO didnt charge for a transformer upgrade. I suspect it was because the original transformer was undersized by today's standards, but they could have asked for something towards it??? @pocsterId have thought youd be able to get more than the 3.68kw G98 limit fairly easy?? You in the middle of nowhere fed by a bit 2.5 twin and earth?

Fairly likely that cooling demand will coincide with PV generation, but nationally, we've a pittance of PV generation so any cooling demand is gonna ramp up gas generation. Obviously theres a few people with their own rooftop PV that may be able to power their own cooling during the day and into the evening if they've got batteries, but without personal PV and batteries, any cooling demand will be gas powered. The thread is looking at ways to accelerate ASHP roll out including a big cut in cost. Adding PV to every ASHP capable of cooling to make the cooling grid independant is gonna put the cost way up so its probably best that ASHP with cooling remains outside PD.

But those without cooling will likely have their windows open all the time and may not appreciate their neighbours AC/ASHP running 24/7. The other thing to remember about the luxury of cooling is that its almost certainly gas generation powered so just adding to our collective emmissions

No confusion caused. My post wasnt a particular dig at what you said but more a general comment that most of the population dont see their emmissions as part of the problem. Therefore theyre doing didly about them.

I think this view is the crux of the problem that we face as most people dont think they are the cause of the climate change problem, as they're only a tiny proportion of the emmissions in the world. First thing we need to address is that we're all responsible and no body is exempt

Your inverter size will depend on the max output from your split array which you should have from crunching PVGIS data mentioned earlier. What's the max DC generation? With a split 8/9kw array youll likely be looking at over 3.68kw AC output so a G99 application will be needed. If thats the case, then speak to your DNO to see what the max export theyll allow you. When you speak to them, don't quote the array size but use the calculated DC generation figure!! When you choose your inverter check its on the ENA type test database. If your DNO wants export limitation make sure the inverter has a G100 certificate

If that is the building regs compliance doc that is being signed off then no problem others having done some or all of the wet install. If its the gas safe cert then it should just be the fitter thats worked on the gas elements, AFAIK

Last time I looked at gas safe rules, a fitter can only sign off work theyve done themselves?

Ah, it was the 16 metre poles I was concerned about!!!

Is the array high up or particularly exposed? No experience with lightning protection but believe you need pretty chunky cable from each exposed conductive part to earth so could end up spending more on cable and earth rods than a blown module, which is unlikely to take a strike unless it's on top of a hill or tall building.

That's a question for whoever's signing off your install as they know what and how things have been installed. But.... As I understand things if its just panels and their DC cabling on the mounting frame with the inverter and AC being elsewhere, then any earthing is pointless as the DC from the panels isn't referenced to earth. This means that there isnt a fault path to earth so having any earthing provision isnt going to do anything to clear a fault. Take professional qualified advice to be sure, as thats not what Im offering. Watch you dont fall off the steps when hammering the poles in!!

The MCS forecast for our original 4kw system was lower than any real annual generation since install in 2015. I assume MCS used the same data as PVGIS but if there were meaningful differences between PVGIS and MCS it would well known. With a split array you will always have shading, with the east facing array in the sun in the morning and the West not in direct sun, assuming a reasonably pitch roof. The opposite will be true in the afternoon. Both arrays will generate when they are not in direct sun. To get round that problem you can wire each array to its own MPPT controller or use optimisers/micro inverters. To work out what total max output will be for any given time you can use the PVGIS hourly forecast figures and crunch them in excel. Find your local highest annual yield from the last 10 years then download the hourly figures for that year for each array, separately. Put the date/time/kw output for each data set next to each other then sum the kw outputs for every time period. Then sort to find the highest summed output. Use that max figure to size your inverter bearing in mind that some inverters can take significantly more DC input than their rated value- a Solaredge 3.68kw inverter can have up to 5.6kw of DC input from panels.

As I understand things a battery can be retrofitted to a Solaredge system at anytime, days, weeks, months or years after installation of the inverter/panels. Inverter/app/web portal all need configuring with any new kit but that can be done anytime.

Nope. Don't beleive its required for self install. Just have to be competant.

[Quote from spammer deleted by mods] Why is that??

If youve got enough clearance above the HW cylinder you can get long immersions. Quick Google search says screwfix do a 3' one. That's gonna heat a fair bit of your average cylinder.

Ok. You'll need the right spark as theres a degree of live working!!

Grey box top right is for joining thick black cable to the grey cable that goes into man cave main switch. That goes completely. Black box top left is the Henley block that moves to where the grey box was. That leaves lots of extra space above the existing meter for your new smart meter. If you need more space to the side you can move the man cave main switch to the right a bit but I dont think youd need to. Should all make sense to your spark??

Other than a free smart meter theres not alot of tech needed that most people havent already got to use a fancy E7 tariff?? Trying to save a few £ with TOU and storage then you need to do your sums

Going back to your original pics, theres what looks like an armoured cable running up to the top right of your meter box. There's a gland showing so I assume there's the corner of a junction box showing? I guess this could be the supply to the man cave??. If it is, then you can gland the armoured cable into an angle bracket fixed to the side of your meter box and connect the cores directly into the fuse switch. You can then bin the junction box and move the Henley block to where the JB was. Plenty of room for a new meter then. If I'm guessing wrong then maybe post up a picture of the entire meter box to take the guesswork away.

We've had a Solaredge SE4000 in the loft since 2015 and the heat sink gets luke warm in the middle of summer. Mount it on a sheet of Hardie backer if youre concerned about it setting fire to the loft. If you use an inverter with a plastic case then more chance of that melting and catching fire if the electronics go south. If youre using a cheap inverter thats not on the ENA database then I'd be more concerned about quality than something the manufacturer has invested more time and effort in testing. I'm not sure a quality MC4 connector poses much risk if crimped with the correct tool. Ive seen a connector crimped with a pair of pliers that the cable pulled out of and thats likely where the risk with the connectors lies?.

Yep, prices shot up in spring last year with the rise in the price cap. If you bought before then everything would have been much cheaper