Solar Panels?

Author
Discussion

M1AGM

2,375 posts

33 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
silentbrown said:
AdamV12V said:
seems hard to believe a 56kwp array would only generate 20kw during a typical whole a day in december, thats barely 30mins of generation. ???
Believe it. It's a perfect storm of stuff that goes on over winter.

Midwinter sun only reaches ~20 degrees above horizon in UK, so the low angle of your panels means you're only catching about 30% of available power
on the south aspect, 20% on the north aspect.

Low sun means more atmospheric attenuation
Much shorter days
More cloud, rain etc.
And potentially snow, which isn't going to slide off a 2.5 degree roof of it's own accord...

Our 4.6kW array averaged 2kWh/day in December...
This.

On an 8.7 array with no shade at optimum angles we produced 124kwh in December. However, 40% of that was over 5 days, the rest was very little. The year before we produced 175kwh in December. Its entirely weather dependent.

Cheib

23,295 posts

176 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Has anyone had a Sigenergy “Sigenstor” installed ? Have been recommended it by installer but it’s quite new and there doesn’t seem much feedback on it from what I can see…looks like a pretty neat and comprehensive system.

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/products/sigenstor


https://youtu.be/HAMUkzGjyF8?si=UwV3ZacvlmPXPpR3


OutInTheShed

7,772 posts

27 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Cheib said:
Has anyone had a Sigenergy “Sigenstor” installed ? Have been recommended it by installer but it’s quite new and there doesn’t seem much feedback on it from what I can see…looks like a pretty neat and comprehensive system.

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/products/sigenstor


https://youtu.be/HAMUkzGjyF8?si=UwV3ZacvlmPXPpR3
Looks like a lot of functionality in one box.

Does it match what you want to do?

How does it compare cost wise to buying separate units to do what you need?
What happens if one part of it fails?

I can see there is a place for all-in-one units which can be neatly installed, but I'd be cautious about committing to a particular system when the market is evolving so quickly.


'what people want' is getting complicated.
Power from solar
Power to and from the grid
to and from the batteries
to and from the car

In various combinations, controlled in various ways along with various loads to optimise cost or some other parameter?

Cheib

23,295 posts

176 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
OutInTheShed said:
Looks like a lot of functionality in one box.

Does it match what you want to do?

How does it compare cost wise to buying separate units to do what you need?
What happens if one part of it fails?

I can see there is a place for all-in-one units which can be neatly installed, but I'd be cautious about committing to a particular system when the market is evolving so quickly.


'what people want' is getting complicated.
Power from solar
Power to and from the grid
to and from the batteries
to and from the car

In various combinations, controlled in various ways along with various loads to optimise cost or some other parameter?
That’s the thing it does provide a lot of what I want it to do and also has a three phase option which is useful as we’re moving to 3P.

It does all of these things

Power from solar
Power to and from the grid
To and from batteries
To and from car (has this functionality but obviously that’s more future proofing.

Also provides what looks like very good emergency power supply (3 milliseconds to switch over). You can also charge a car with DC or AC and hook a generator up to it. It also is compact and allowed 48 kWh of batteries in one stack which is what we want/need.

The issue is it is so new and that worries me given it is an expensive piece of kit,


KTF

9,827 posts

151 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Post the question on the facebook group Solar & battery UK (including any other renewable energy source/storage)

Link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466

There are some very knowledgeable people on that group who may be able to give you a steer.

Also this youtube video gives lots of information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39KojSJRpM

Edited by KTF on Thursday 2nd May 14:14

OutInTheShed

7,772 posts

27 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Cheib said:
That’s the thing it does provide a lot of what I want it to do and also has a three phase option which is useful as we’re moving to 3P.

It does all of these things

Power from solar
Power to and from the grid
To and from batteries
To and from car (has this functionality but obviously that’s more future proofing.

Also provides what looks like very good emergency power supply (3 milliseconds to switch over). You can also charge a car with DC or AC and hook a generator up to it. It also is compact and allowed 48 kWh of batteries in one stack which is what we want/need.

The issue is it is so new and that worries me given it is an expensive piece of kit,
Sounds like it replaces a fair shedful of Victron boxes.
Against the high cost of a neat solution, you could weigh off the fact that it doesn't occupy about ten grand's worth of utility room?
DYO man math...

But what happens if it goes wrong?
My acquaintance with a complex multi-box solution would need several things to break at once before his business was brought to a standstill.
And any unit that breaks can be replaced by a different make.

The automation of all that functionality and programming it to always do what's best for you isn't trivial. Making it all work optimally may be a big slice of their 'product'.

dmsims

6,553 posts

268 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
I read it as the single phase box will be discarded and replaced with a 3ph box (they have different model numbers)

Cheib said:
That’s the thing it does provide a lot of what I want it to do and also has a three phase option which is useful as we’re moving to 3P.

AdamV12V

5,067 posts

178 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Cheib said:
Has anyone had a Sigenergy “Sigenstor” installed ? Have been recommended it by installer but it’s quite new and there doesn’t seem much feedback on it from what I can see…looks like a pretty neat and comprehensive system.

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/products/sigenstor


https://youtu.be/HAMUkzGjyF8?si=UwV3ZacvlmPXPpR3
Thats exactly the system I have been recommended and posted about a couple of pages back. Still looking to proceed myself, albeit we may only do the south facing roof now, for many of the reasons posted above... It also knocks a fair chunk off the installation costs, albeit reduced output too of course.

Timothy Bucktu

15,278 posts

201 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Solar panels are ridiculously cheap now. I just bought some Longi panels...430w for £70. You'd be paying double that just a few months ago.
They're from City plumbing. Arrived next day on an extremely sturdy pallet.

Chris Type R

8,047 posts

250 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
Timothy Bucktu said:
Solar panels are ridiculously cheap now. I just bought some Longi panels...430w for £70. You'd be paying double that just a few months ago.
They're from City plumbing. Arrived next day on an extremely sturdy pallet.
That's the other advantage of CP - cheap/free shipping. Quite often there are discounts to be had too.

Cheib

23,295 posts

176 months

Thursday 2nd May
quotequote all
KTF said:
Post the question on the facebook group Solar & battery UK (including any other renewable energy source/storage)

Link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2197329430289466

There are some very knowledgeable people on that group who may be able to give you a steer.

Also this youtube video gives lots of information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39KojSJRpM

Edited by KTF on Thursday 2nd May 14:14
Thanks I’ll give that FB Group a go and watch that vid

OutInTheShed said:
But what happens if it goes wrong?
My acquaintance with a complex multi-box solution would need several things to break at once before his business was brought to a standstill.
And any unit that breaks can be replaced by a different make.

The automation of all that functionality and programming it to always do what's best for you isn't trivial. Making it all work optimally may be a big slice of their 'product'.
That’s the risk with being an “early adopter” of a new company’s products. Not one that sits well with me if I am honest !

dmsims said:
I read it as the single phase box will be discarded and replaced with a 3ph box (they have different model numbers)

Cheib said:
That’s the thing it does provide a lot of what I want it to do and also has a three phase option which is useful as we’re moving to 3P.
Yes there’s a three phase as as well as a single phase product. The fact it offers three phase and the other functionality makes it a good fit for us.

No ideas for a name

2,218 posts

87 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
Something potentially odd with SigEnergy?

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/about
mentiions they are Sigenergy Technology Co., Ltd.

Assuming that is a UK registration, it is a new company, not yet filed accounts, based in China - something odd with the appointments, based above a Sainsbury's local.

Web site list the UK contact as two mobile numbers.

General rule - beware the glossy web site.


dmsims

6,553 posts

268 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
I agree, It would be Victron for me (they are a class above everything else IMHO)

No ideas for a name said:
Something potentially odd with SigEnergy?

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/about
mentiions they are Sigenergy Technology Co., Ltd.

Assuming that is a UK registration, it is a new company, not yet filed accounts, based in China - something odd with the appointments, based above a Sainsbury's local.

Web site list the UK contact as two mobile numbers.

General rule - beware the glossy web site.

No ideas for a name

2,218 posts

87 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
dmsims said:
I agree, It would be Victron for me (they are a class above everything else IMHO)
As it happens, I have just gone wth Victron for energy storage.

AdamV12V

5,067 posts

178 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
No ideas for a name said:
Something potentially odd with SigEnergy?

https://www.sigenergy.com/en/about
mentiions they are Sigenergy Technology Co., Ltd.

Assuming that is a UK registration, it is a new company, not yet filed accounts, based in China - something odd with the appointments, based above a Sainsbury's local.

Web site list the UK contact as two mobile numbers.

General rule - beware the glossy web site.
I think you're being a little too scare-mongery with some of that. Its clear the company is just expanding into the UK and Eurpoe, but they have been in Australia longer there's lost of info online from Aus/NZ installations. The founder is a significant industry player in the solar sector I believe, so perhaps do a little more digging before writing them off.

Yes, its still relatively a new company, I get that, but so was Apple and Microsoft once. Watch the vids and reviews from the solar experts who have signed up to install sigenergy and you will see why they are excited about the products.

I'm not endorsing them in any way, I am simply just another very interested potential (actually very likely) customer.



No ideas for a name

2,218 posts

87 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
AdamV12V said:
I think you're being a little too scare-mongery with some of that. Its clear the company is just expanding into the UK and Eurpoe, but they have been in Australia longer there's lost of info online from Aus/NZ installations. The founder is a significant industry player in the solar sector I believe, so perhaps do a little more digging before writing them off.

Yes, its still relatively a new company, I get that, but so was Apple and Microsoft once. Watch the vids and reviews from the solar experts who have signed up to install sigenergy and you will see why they are excited about the products.

I'm not endorsing them in any way, I am simply just another very interested potential (actually very likely) customer.
I don't have all the answers, and I don't have special insight, but I did say I would do a bit of background reading...

  • IF* SigEnergy Technology is the one easily found on Companies House, no way would I be doing a (if I remember correctly) 120k project with them (or anyone with no accounts or trading history).
I don't believe the 'AI' stuff, just buzz words to pull people in.
The idea is good... but as mentioned by someone else - with eggs all in one basket what happens if they fail?
I am presently knitting together a system which pulls the best of many options and has no tie-in with a particular manufacturer. I look for methods of control and integration that don't have a manufacturer dependancy.

Not having a go here - but it sounds like you have a bit of tunnel vision. Please please check everything out as I see huge potential for loss of cash.

KTF

9,827 posts

151 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
Any idea how much the Sigenergy cost compares to say Solar Edge or Givenergy for example?

Sheets Tabuer

19,055 posts

216 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
Wonder if I burn my panels I'd have enough energy to boil a cup of water scratchchin

dmsims

6,553 posts

268 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
Double

KTF said:
Any idea how much the Sigenergy cost compares to say Solar Edge or Givenergy for example?

AdamV12V

5,067 posts

178 months

Friday 3rd May
quotequote all
dmsims said:
Double

KTF said:
Any idea how much the Sigenergy cost compares to say Solar Edge or Givenergy for example?
Are you guys just making this up??? confused

Just done a spot check

  • As best I can see, a Givenergy 8.2Kw battery is £2600-2800 on google search.
  • Solar Edge 8kw is £2750 on google search.
The prices I have been quoted for the 8kw Sigenergy battery is £2800 (fitted) and £2100 (fitted) for the 5kw version.

Hardly double, indeed I would say, pretty much exactly the same....