canalsiderenovation 197 Posted September 4, 2020 1 hour ago, gc100 said: My electrician can supply a 8k. PV system for about £2k, plus a couple of days work (£360). This is trade prices with no markup This seems really cheap even for trade. If I were to get trade prices for the materials alone for the system I want are still more than £2k. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canalsiderenovation 197 Posted September 4, 2020 Just wondering if the Solic200 is a good alternative to the Solariboost Immersion Controller? I've got a cheaper price but don't want naff products for the sake of saving a few quid.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dpmiller 502 Posted September 4, 2020 iBoost is more configurable and can drive two loads, plus has the option of the Buddy remote display 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nickfromwales 3,060 Posted September 5, 2020 On 04/09/2020 at 08:02, canalsiderenovation said: This seems really cheap even for trade. If I were to get trade prices for the materials alone for the system I want are still more than £2k. IIRC, no MCS certificate means zero export payments. You’d be better off with a smaller array and self-consuming all you generate if you go ‘DIY’. 8kWp may be pointless unless you can store all excess on site; eg big cylinder. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProDave 4,122 Posted September 5, 2020 I self consume almost all that I generate. If I had qualified for export payments, I would have been paid less than £15 so far for export. How much extra would I have to have paid for an MCS system? How long would that small export payment take to pay that extra cost? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nickfromwales 3,060 Posted September 5, 2020 52 minutes ago, ProDave said: I self consume almost all that I generate. If I had qualified for export payments, I would have been paid less than £15 so far for export. How much extra would I have to have paid for an MCS system? How long would that small export payment take to pay that extra cost? Point being, fit the right amount of PV if you’re not getting paid to spill over back to the grid. Agree on the uplift, but MCS is more than just getting paid, it’s insurance and diligence also, eg to ensure the array will perform admirably vs the effort / cost to install it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishjohn 694 Posted September 5, 2020 I,m hoping ,maybe dreaming ,that by the time i get to building my house it might be viable to go totally off grid no problem with space for panels or battery storage and ?or stand by generator etc . last time i got a ballpark quote for power supply it was around 25K any big movements on battery pricing ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProDave 4,122 Posted September 5, 2020 If you have not already done so, take a look at https://lifeattheendoftheroad.wordpress.com/ The guy that lives off grid at the north end of Raasay. What he does not know about off grid power is probably not worth knowing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pdf27 80 Posted September 6, 2020 11 hours ago, ProDave said: If you have not already done so, take a look at https://lifeattheendoftheroad.wordpress.com/ The guy that lives off grid at the north end of Raasay. What he does not know about off grid power is probably not worth knowing. His current house was also designed from scratch to be off-grid, based on decades of experience of living off-grid at the time he designed it. It's a seriously impressive piece of work. He's on the Navitron forums as Camillitech - I'm pretty sure he's got full details of his build on there as well as his blog. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Onoff 4,650 Posted September 6, 2020 (edited) 11 hours ago, ProDave said: If you have not already done so, take a look at https://lifeattheendoftheroad.wordpress.com/ The guy that lives off grid at the north end of Raasay. What he does not know about off grid power is probably not worth knowing. Does he consult? Might be worth @scottishjohn enquiring. Let's face it, his is a bit out of the ordinary what with the space, the quarry etc. As an aside I wonder if there's any mileage in water source heating via the quarry? Edited September 6, 2020 by Onoff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishjohn 694 Posted September 6, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Onoff said: As an aside I wonder if there's any mileage in water source heating via the quarry? If I was keeping the qaurry and building a house on a high plateau at the rear of it --then yes the lake is 20-30m deep --never freezes and a hydrologist has told me tha catchment of it is good for 5kw hydro . gshp on my house 300ft+ above it is a non starter as the insulated piping required is over £100 a meter . next your going have me using a solar pv to pump water up from lake to a holding pond + excess water from my water supply in most times of the year and then use hydro with 300ft drop to make power at night . I certainly can accommodate someone if the buy they quarry and want to do that Edited September 6, 2020 by scottishjohn 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProDave 4,122 Posted September 6, 2020 Ah ha yes, your own solar PV powered pumped storage system. @Onoff will come and install it for you, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteamyTea 1,587 Posted September 6, 2020 On 05/09/2020 at 15:57, Nickfromwales said: but MCS is more than just getting paid, it’s insurance and diligence also, eg to ensure the array will perform admirably vs the effort / cost to install it Been arguing that very point for years, but it falls on deaf ears. 23 hours ago, scottishjohn said: last time i got a ballpark quote for power supply it was around 25K any big movements on battery pricing ? Price up a generator and the associated running costs, that then gives you a base price to work to when it comes to pricing batteries. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nickfromwales 3,060 Posted September 6, 2020 2 hours ago, ProDave said: Ah ha yes, your own solar PV powered pumped storage system. @Onoff will come and install it for you, AFTER he makes it first Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gc100 71 Posted September 7, 2020 I'm planing to move in and see what my consumption is throughout the day over a period before I decide exactly the amount of PV. I've got the ok for 8K system with the DNO but if I'm only using half of that I'll only purchase 4K for example. Pointless finically really at the moment given prices of storage or selling to grid, or I could do 8K and then offset my green footprint which I might well do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DamonHD 34 Posted September 7, 2020 4 hours ago, gc100 said: I'm planing to move in and see what my consumption is throughout the day over a period before I decide exactly the amount of PV. I've got the ok for 8K system with the DNO but if I'm only using half of that I'll only purchase 4K for example. Pointless finically really at the moment given prices of storage or selling to grid, or I could do 8K and then offset my green footprint which I might well do. It should be a relatively cheap (and non-fake) offset to get as far towards zero or negative at home on energy as you can. You can always add storage later, but for now the GB grid doesn't have enough solar, so you're fully green without IMHO. Rgds Damon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SteamyTea 1,587 Posted September 7, 2020 4 hours ago, gc100 said: could do 8K and then offset my green footprint which I might well do. Does that mean you can drive a Range Rover, or have a bonfire every month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gc100 71 Posted September 8, 2020 22 hours ago, SteamyTea said: Does that mean you can drive a Range Rover, or have a bonfire every month. That would be nice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pdf27 80 Posted September 8, 2020 2 hours ago, gc100 said: That would be nice Burning a Range Rover every month is apt to get expensive though! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishjohn 694 Posted September 8, 2020 2 hours ago, gc100 said: sounds like the old joke "doctor i have broken my hand --will i be able to play the piano when its healed doctor--yes thats funny couldn,t play it before-- bbbum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Onoff 4,650 Posted September 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, pdf27 said: Burning a Range Rover every month is apt to get expensive though! Satisfying though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AliG 644 Posted September 8, 2020 I'd like to know what investments your other half has access to. For £3-4k you get an index linked return of 7-10%. If you plan to move soonish then payback might be more relevant, but it isn't a bad return on the investment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishjohn 694 Posted September 8, 2020 27 minutes ago, AliG said: For £3-4k you get an index linked return of 7-10%. you mean a POSSIBLE not a gauranteed 7-10%----providing corvid don,t make everything crash when second wave hits Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AliG 644 Posted September 8, 2020 I am assuming the sun isn't going anywhere and electricity prices inflate over time so it is pretty much a guaranteed return. *prices may go up as well as down Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottishjohn 694 Posted September 8, 2020 1 minute ago, AliG said: I am assuming the sun isn't going anywhere and electricity prices inflate over time so it is pretty much a guaranteed return. *prices may go up as well as down your definition of an investment is different to mine -normally you can cash in an investment - No invertors to go bang which totally upset all your careful calculations on pay back of a system I understand your comparison --but its not an investment ,its a choice of how to possibly save money by using diffrent tech -not something that earns money you could same savings by just turning down the heating and wearing a jumper . I am not anti PV -far from it --but don,t call it an investment please Share this post Link to post Share on other sites