Bramco

I don't think EDF will care whether the inverter is replaced or not - as you say, they are only interested in what you generate. Personally I wouldn't inform them. I don't think the DNO would be interested either, especially if you are under the 3.whatever limit. If your array is larger than the limit, then they would ask for a G100 compliance certificate. So look out for a replacement inverter that includes an export limit manager and has a G100 certificate. Lots of them do. When we submitted ours for approval, the DNO asked for an electrical certificate but weren't interested in any MCS twaddle, we just said it was a self install. I don't think this is a legal requirement, just them making sure that it has been installed according to the regs. So if you have a tame sparky who would do the certificate if you were to do the replacement, then maybe this is the way forward? If not, it's a pretty quick job, so shouldn't take a competent sparky long. Simon

This could also be the input rating as well, so it would take a long time to charge up the 15kW capacity. Also the 4000 cycles might mean that the Fogstar batteries are recycled cells, which might account for the pricing. Most of the other battery suppliers are at least 6000 cycles, afaik, Tesla is unlimited. Key things on battery specs are obvs the size but also, cycles, DoD and the output. Hopefully the transport co will be delivering our Sunsynk batteries today - then the fun starts with the installation - although it all looks pretty straightforward. We'll be charging on the Octopus Go 9p rate for 4 hours at night unless of course the sun has been shining in which case the batteries should be almost full. Simon

Certainly not taken as criticism. Everyone to their own as they say. We have some pet hates - one of them is hand rails and spindles - which freed us up to do the lighting - or rather allowed our architect (our son) to come up with the great solution in the photo.

Agree - but you've missed out candles.... 😄 That always seems to be a lot of expense when you can just walk across and use the inline switch on the floor or table lamp - or just have it always on and use a wifi switch. Agree - we also have some under the banister on the stairs - very effective..

That's the look we were looking for 😄 We also didn't want spots or chandeliers - too busy. We're happy with the flat look, I'm sure you're happy with the spots. I'll have to try to take some photos when it's dark to show that there are plasterers around that know their business. Simon

Fortunately ours were brilliant. Looks great during the day and also at night when lit. Maybe we were fortunate. Simon

You can't get away with tongue in cheek here can you....... But while you say it's impossible - it's also important to do the homework - how many appliances might be on - can the inverter and batteries handle that and how long can they handle the demand. As @ProDave says - most modern appliances will simply give up the ghost and go into standby - so not a problem - unless your washing is sitting in a vat of warmish water. Simon

Surely the switchover will be handled by your inverter and it will be imperceptible as far as the appliances are concerned. Also on having too many power hungry devices running when the switchover happens will again not be an issue, because you'll have done the analysis to make sure that the battery and inverter can supply more than enough to supply all the appliances you might have running - surely.

@JackofAll Hi, below a few photos - in the big kitchen, dining living space, we split this into 3 areas, each on/off and dimmable seperately. In the evening we'll only use the living space leds. You can see this on one of the photos, where I've set different levels on each of the sections. On one of the photos, you can see the end of the coving - the sparkies specced this and supplied it - it was incredibly lightweight. To put it up, they lasered a line in and tapped some pins in every 50cm or so and then simply 'no nailed' it to the wall. The end of the coving you can see has had the slot at the back disguised - essentially there's a step down from the edge and the led trough and diffusers sit in there. We used the ARC Led controllers -> https://arc-led.co.uk/controller/1689-arc-led-universal-12-24v-4-channel-receiver-with-push-dim-input.html They now do a wifi version but we're happy enough using a remote - you can can program 3 scenes on the remote -> https://arc-led.co.uk/controller/917-arc-led-single-colour-4-zone-remote-control-black.html. We also put in an RF wall controller but never use it - similar to this one -> https://arc-led.co.uk/controller/1278-arc-led-4-zone-single-colour-battery-operated-touch-wall-panel-black.html. Actual drivers and led strips were all specced and supplied by the sparkie. The leds are simple warm white - no fancy colours..... Here's some photos - let me know if you want any more info - I can probably get the spec for the covings if you need that. Also, in the bedrooms with vaulted ceilings, we did the same but also have 3 spots on the long side of the vaulting (they're uneven, i.e. come down further on one side). Again I can send photos of this if you are interested - we used BG wall touch dimmers for these. The 3rd image is a bit blurred, had to reduce it's size to be able to attach all 3. Simon

Changing the angle to vertical might not be worth it. Ours are set to about 45degs instead of the ~33degs to get maximum output. But the maximum output is in the summer when you've got more than enough, you need the panels more vertical in the winter to get the most out of the winter sun. Go on to PVGIS and try out several different angles - for us the overall production wasn't much different between 45 and 33 but the curve for 45degs was flatter, so less maximum output in the summer and more output in the winter. As for rotating the panels, that sounds like too much complexity...... Simon

You can't sell your house without a solicitor - or at least your buyer would be daft not to use a solicitor. So don't underestimate the ingenuity of solicitors in making both your life and theirs difficult. When we sold our house 18 months ago, the buyers solicitor wanted not only the invoice for the solar (from 15 years previously) but also the quote from the company that did the install.... Recently sold a BTL flat and for that one, the buyers solicitor wanted a copy of the s106 agreement with the council from 20 years ago. Both box ticking exercises which they no doubt added to their list of 'important' details not to be missed from some other solicitor who had thought it up. I'm sure they all basically add things to their box ticking lists if they've not come across the idea before without asking themselves if what they will be asking has any use to their client. If you've bought a number of properties you have the nous to tell your solicitor to stop being daft and get the contracts signed. If you're selling, your at the mercy of the seller idiots... Simon

Yes, this all based on working out how much we use and how much the Solar PV has generated and we've exported over the last year. We already have PV which was a self install but didn't do the batteries then, so the order for the batteries was with VAT - but see above, batteries will be zero rated from February next year, so we'll wait... Simon

On another forum someone pointed out that retrofit battery systems will be zero rated from Feb next year. So we'll hang fire until then... https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vat-energy-saving-materials-relief-improving-energy-efficiency-and-reducing-carbon-emissions/outcome/summary-of-response Simon

There's no quarter given is there for typos at dawn.....

Hi, We're about to order a 15kW battery storage system but I'm wondering if prices will drop further in 2024. There seem to be some cheap deals around at the moment. Are suppliers overstocked and dumping stock? In which case prices might remain stable, or is this just part of a trend in pricing as more suppliers enter the market, in which case prices will continue to fall, like PV panels. Obviously where the general trend is downwards, the system we order will be cheaper but we'd be kicking ourselves if we could get the same system in a years time for half the price. Simon

If you are going off grid - why worry about the DNO connection - simply limit export if you have an oversupply, set it to 3.68kW which is allowable without any permission. You'll miss out out on export in the summer though which might be lucrative with all that solar. Simon

Agree with the other responses but on this point - yes - we supplied the windows for our build and the supplier asked for the planning permission details and charged us zero VAT as it was a new build. But you really need to get them to sort this out before invoicing. We had several suppliers do this, even though there was a main contractor - they simply zero rated everything. We even had the drive done a year after completion and because it was on the planning application, that was also zero rated. Simon

Isn't there a trick there to get the plumber to bill for investigating the leak rather than fixing it - don't they have to pay for that with no impact on the insurance. Mind you, you'd better not show them the photos, otherwise they'll be wondering about the plumbers bill for a few hundred for the 'investigation'. Simon

Why don't you use the cheap rate directly for DHW heating using a timer on the DHW immersion supply and let the ASHP run for the full 6 hours on the cheap rate. This is the way we do it. We're on Go, so the cheap rate is 9p. The night after sunny days, the DHW doesn't take much to get back to temperature. We find the 4 hours of Go a night is enough to heat the house for the rest of the day unless it's below zero outside. We actually have our ASHP set to heating only, so rely on the PV and 9p Go rate for all hot water. Another thing we've done recently is to put a timer on the immersions in the UFH tank. That way on really cold nights when the ASHP is defrosting several times in the 4 hour Go period, the UFH is boosted by the immersion in the UFH tank. Simon

@Dillsue Thanks for the reply. Would be annoying to have to change inverter but I guess I could find a G100 hybrid inverter which would allow us to attach batteries - although that probably opens another can of worms.... Out of interest what did the witnessing amount to? Simon

Ours is a Solis S6 which will take the 6.5kW, so I assume comparable to the Solaredge. And I thought there wouldn't be any peeing around, so notified National Grid.... Simon

Thanks Mike - think I need to do some more digging before I call them. I thought I'd done everything needed when I submitted the G98 form. Simon

Hi, Wonder if anyone can help - we applied for a G98 connection through National Grid. The installed PV is 6.5kW but we have set the inverter to G98, so limiting export 3.68kW. We supplied all of the documentation we understood we would need to submit but National Grid are asking us to complete an Export Limitation Scheme form - does anyone have an example of one of these that have been submitted? This is a self install, so no MCS or sparky to help us... Thanks in advance. Simon

There is a +ve to that - you won't stub your toe against the bedframe while navigating to the loo in the middle of the night 😄 Simon

We have BG Evolve -> https://www.bgelectrical.uk/uk/wiring-devices/evolve In our case all black but they seem to have some bronze-ish ones. Doesn't leave a glow when turned off although we will probably have different led strips. They do have one rather annoying feature though - after a power cut, they come back in the 'on' state when power is re-applied!!! So annoying if there's a power cut at night but even worse if you're on a long holiday..... But apart from that, we're very happy with them - we hate those rotary dimmers and also small fiddly switches. Simon