Thorfun

I've asked the question but looking at the installation manual for the Solaredge Optimisers that I have on each panel it looks like grounding is not required http://www.solfex.co.uk/uploads/downloads/Power_Optimizers_Installation_Guide_with_IndOP_Option.pdf page 13 it says: "For rest of the world – all power optimizers are double insulated and grounding is not required." so I'm all good without earthing cables, right? or am I reading that wrong?

indeed, I see that now and will definitely be speaking to them.

the counter battens was chosen so I could fully fill the rafters with mineral wool insulation and nothing to do with the solar panels. heat on the membrane never even crossed my mind ?‍♂️

errr.....I didn't see them fit earth wires to each panel. oh ****! where would those earth wires end up as, from what I can see, we only have 2 x pairs of cables (one from each string) where the inverter is going to go but no earthing wire that I could see.

and this is the issue. we slated and flashed to the specifications and requirements that were given to us. we were going to use lead but then the company sent the fast flash and it looks really good. that crinkly stuff is horrible but it won't ever be seen at the top so I don't care that it's there. it's very easy to say but that's another day for the Solar installers to be on-site to remove the panels and trays and then to coordinate the roofer to come back once that's done to remove the slates and then put more flashing down but the scaffolding has to come down in a week as the doors and windows are arriving and so I don't think that solution is feasible (although I'm not discounting it and will speak to the consulting company about it). this is just another one of those self-build hiccups that I'd love to have the time and money to get sorted out properly but I'm just not sure that's going to be possible. ?

hmm...might be able to slip a 5mm plastic packer underneath them I guess. could be worth a try and something I could do without too much difficulty (although I'll probably wait until the roofer is back on-site!). it's a good idea and I'll discuss it with him.

yeah. makes sense and I would agree. but they need to be clamped down and so I don't see how this can be resolved easily.

found this photo that shows the panels do not fully cover the flashing. I'm really not sure how we can cut the tiles any shorter as we'd have to take all the trays up and the flashing and pretty much start over again. ?

ahhh...then maybe they've done this. I didn't see that and I've not climbed up to look that closely at the top. i'll take a look tomorrow.

I can't be sure but I think they only kicked up once the fixing clamps were installed. so I can only presume that the pressure of the clamps is lifting the slates.

we have the metal trays down the side. the manual you sent does say (p29) you can replace the top flashings with a flexible strip. also, it looks from the manual that the trays were installed correctly as they aren't covering the flashing and the flashing is visible below the trays: it's just the pv panels themselves that are hanging down over the flashing

thanks for the manual, I'll take a read and send it to the company. I don't have a photo of the top and it's a bit dark now to go out walking on the scaffolding! I'll try and get a photo tomorrow. we had a few issues with the install already in that the wrong size GSE Trays were ordered and only discovered once they were all fitted. Also, we fitted a product called Fast Flash (the flashing you can see in the photo). both myself and the roofer were pretty impressed with it. it went down easily and looks really good. But then the fitters turned up and stuck some of the horrible corrugated stuff on top of it! I then removed it and they've used the corrugated stuff at the top but it won't be seen.

we had out GSE Trays and solar panels installed the other day and where they are fixed to the battens the slate tiles are sitting erect (see photo) anyone got any ideas how to flatten them down and keep them there? the roofer is due back on Tuesday so I'll speak to him then but I was wondering if anyone has come across this before and how best to deal with it. I think the the problem is that we were told to cut eaves tiles below the flashing and the panels are sitting right on the edge of the tiles which is lifting them up. it's frustrating as this is what we were told to do by the company dealing with our Solar PV. They are very visible from the ground level and I know will annoy me every time I look up at the roof. if the roofer had only cut the tiles a little longer or the PV panels were a little shorter we probably wouldn't have this issue. fyi, the solar guys said that even when they loosened the bottom fixing the tiles still stayed lifted and that they've not seen slates do that before. They suggested silicone.

Yep. I understand the single point of failure concept but, as you say, it’s a home environment and I’m not going to pay for multiple redundant systems! no CCTV at the moment but it’s on the cards for the new house. Just running the Dream machine pro, 24 port switch and Wi-Fi APs which will be transferred to the new house when it’s done. The beauty of the setup is I can add APs in the new house running from the old house if required before Openreach put our new connection in. oh, and a QNAP NAS running VMs and movies.

I have one of these. I like it a lot. I liked the idea of having it all in one box rather than the separate key gen and secure gateway etc.

actually, sorry, I think these are the other way around. to connect to Linux hosts from a Windows host. probably VNC is your best bet as suggested above by @Onoff

yes. it's called RDP, Remote Desktop Protocol, but the Home edition of windows doesn't allow it. you need the enterprise version. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/remote/understanding-remote-desktop-protocol https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-remote-desktop-5fe128d5-8fb1-7a23-3b8a-41e636865e8c

Cygwin? eXceed? any other X-windows software? Then ssh -Y to give X11 forwarding and you can export the gui/desktop/programs back to your Mac.

yeah, I did a lot of reading on this stuff when I started out as ScandiaHaus use it. I decided it wasn't for me (and ScandiaHaus were stupidly expensive!) but I know that some on here have had very good results with it. I'm a sceptic though and decided to stick with 'normal' insulation.

and they need to have an air gap to get the claimed performance, right? at least that's what I remember although I have been known to be wrong before.

thanks. I have skills with iMovie! not sure about house building skills yet but I'm learning. ?

ahhh, yes that makes perfect sense thank you. I have my wife out with me assisting but once she gets bored and I'm out doing it on my own this is a great tip! ?

and Roofshield has UV protection for only a few months so need to slate it as soon as possible really +1

was discussing this all with the wife and we've come to the same conclusion. we'll do this from now on even though we're planning on having hidden fixings it's not too much effort to do it this way just in case we don't get the hidden fixings I'm sorry but I don't actually understand what you mean here! I am special sometimes so please forgive me but can you explain this a bit more?

the Roofshield should not, in my opinion, be leaking! in our place when the Roofshield went on the only rain that got in was through the open windows. I've now sheeted some of them with plastic sheeting, albeit rather thin plastic sheeting which I'm thinking of replacing with thicker stuff! in those rooms I've started putting the mineral wool between the studs as it's dry in there now even with just the Roofshield on the roof. I'd be asking your building why the roof is leaking, even in small amounts, where the Roofshield is.