October 25, 20205 yr This is my install done by Suidsee Electrical & Solar. The attached pictures was taken over the 5 days of the install, so this is not the final picture. Those pictures I will take after I did some rounding off work (paint, cover for battery, etc) Take note, the installation is mostly done by the owner of Suidsee himself, which you can hand your house keys to and go on holiday. Here we go:
October 25, 20205 yr Author Take note: This is a East and West install. I have no north facing areas. I left space for two more panels on each array in case I want to take both strings from 7 each to 9 each (maybe 8, voltage??) Then I have another east roof that can maybe take another string later. My battery frame is just a quick 25mm square tube aluminum frame, put together in 60 min, with connect-it connectors. I allowed for a second battery on top, and also a flat orientation against the wall. I will in my own time make a nice cover (with enough ventilation) so that it looks more rounded. The photos in not "state agent" type photos. Just quick pics with phone while the guys are working, will post better pictures later. Its a Sunsynk 8.8, 14 x JA Solar 405, and a 6.4 battery
October 25, 20205 yr I think back to back with the old board is a great idea - I guess the trick is to chisel through without damaging the cabling. For ours we put the new board on the side but it did require extending many of the tails to reach. Back to back the cable lengths wouldn't need to change.
October 27, 20205 yr Author On 2020/10/25 at 9:12 PM, Elbow said: I think back to back with the old board is a great idea - I guess the trick is to chisel through without damaging the cabling. For ours we put the new board on the side but it did require extending many of the tails to reach. Back to back the cable lengths wouldn't need to change. Yip. And in addition to wires to short when side to side is that the trunking is also full on the old db, and that would have resulted in additional surface trunking.... Its not that in itself the surface trucking is the problem, but the total picture... narrow passage, old flash mount board (which I now and before hide with a framed painting over it, then a surface db next to it, and trunking going to ceiling, and cutout through cornish.... the final result = ugly. The back to back was real easy. Its a single brick wall, so in less than a minute, we where through. Somebody on the exist side just has to watch the drill bit breaking thru on the other side. I guess 2 people is also needed, else you will get tired running around from one side of the wall to the other. In the ceiling, above the two db's is also now a big junction box, making the in-ceiling piece also clean. Now we actually also have freed space in the old trunkings because the essentials is together in the opposite db and its trunking. With the less congested trunking in the old db, I have space to pull the wire to a new sub-db in my workshop.
October 27, 20205 yr Author One thing I would do different, but saw it to late, is to move the east array a bit lower down the roof. When I stand in the street (west of property), I can see the edge of the top aluminium rail on the roof. If it was 300mm lower, you won't know the property use solar, as even the panels would not have been visible. Still waiting for the Wifi Dongle to see how my panels is performing. The main display on the Sunsyk does not show it. For example: Solar: 0.5kW Load: 0.48kW.... Grid: 0 But that solar is not what I'm generating.. because The moment I add load (milk in microwave 🙂 ), the reading is: Solar 1.7kW Load 1.6kW Grid: 0 Putting on Washing machine, tumble dryer, same thing... Everything from solar, and 0 from grid... Solar 2.8, load 2.7x, grid 0. Will figure it all out later... little LCD on top of inverter is not for me. Rather give me a PC screen, mouse and keyboard. I have better things to do that up arrow, down arrow and flipping through tiny screens 😞 Edited October 27, 20205 yr by Guss Davey
October 27, 20205 yr If your loads are low and batteries full the panels will just be idle and only provide what you need so the app or website will not show potential pv as it doesn't generate what it does not need to supply loads and charge batteries.
October 29, 20205 yr I don't see any surge arrestors in your DB. My install guy said they're required??? Your battery box is a good idea! Edited October 29, 20205 yr by FixAMess
October 31, 20205 yr Author On 2020/10/27 at 1:23 PM, Achmat said: If your loads are low and batteries full the panels will just be idle and only provide what you need so the app or website will not show potential pv as it doesn't generate what it does not need to supply loads and charge batteries. Thanks, I figured this out (your message). Got my Wifi Dongle now, and updated to the latest firmware, and now I see everything as expected.
October 31, 20205 yr Author On 2020/10/29 at 7:58 PM, FixAMess said: I don't see any surge arrestors in your DB. My install guy said they're required??? Your battery box is a good idea! ...mmh, I'm not an electrical guy, so not sure what to look for. Is this maybe what you referring to:
October 31, 20205 yr Author I guess I can't ask for better. There is 7 x 405's on the east face of the roof, and 7 x 405's on the west face roof. Hitting 2.8kw already early morning.
November 1, 20205 yr Author 10 hours ago, Vassen said: Nope. Those are dc surge protectors in the combiner box for the panels. you should also have a surge protector for the AC side of it to protect the inverter. There are a few types but attached is the one I got from my local electrical shop. I’m not sure if it’s mandatory, but it is recommended. Thanks... I will ask my installer about it.
November 15, 20205 yr The inverter will only On 2020/10/27 at 1:23 PM, Achmat said: If your loads are low and batteries full the panels will just be idle and only provide what you need so the app or website will not show potential pv as it doesn't generate what it does not need to supply loads and charge batteries. What I did was to make a "forecast" with the help of NodeRed and a weather API. This helps me show a "potentially available" solar power. I actually made a bar graph display and put it visible in the kitchen so its easy to see, ideally, when to run the appliances This also gives me an idea as to how much solar power goes "to waste". It makes it clear that I need more batteries.
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