Ask UK

1609 readers

3 users here now

Community for asking and answering any question related to the life, the people or anything related to the UK.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

tom@feddit.uk

blackn1ght@feddit.uk

Those of you with solar panels, what's been your experience? (feddit.uk)

submitted 1 week ago by blackn1ght@feddit.uk to c/askuk@feddit.uk

48 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm thinking of getting solar panels and a battery for our house.

What's your setup like, and is there anything you wish you'd set up differently if you were going to install it again? What supplier are you with?

A company extremely local to us is offering 12x Aiko Energy panels (465 watt), with a Sunsynk 5 kW inverter and a 5.32kWh battery. Octopus Energy are offering a similar set up for a similar price, but they're using 450 watt panels, so with using 12 panels I'd be potentially be losing 180 watts vs what the other company is offering. Is that a significant amount or would it basically not really amount to much additional power?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Krill@feddit.uk 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

If I were doing this all again I'd use Victron inverter kit with the self build batteries (Fogstar do a decent kit), for an entirely self hosted control system, and whatever panels fit the roof space best. But 180W is nothing to worry about. More important to find a second area for another array.

Oh, and you will want a hell of a lot more than 5kWh worth of battery storage. I have 14kWh and run low in winter when the panels make naff all (charge on cheap rate power to last all day)

[–] Cyber@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Are batteries ok in the roof? I thought the temperature variation up there would be too much for them?

(Lazy question without searching for the answer myself)

[–] Krill@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago

Current guidance does not allow installation in a roof space, and limits capacity to 40kWh in most houses (80 kWh in detached or separate garage). Guidance, not law iirc.

But they are so heavy I would not place them on ceiling joists, I'd want them on a concrete floor

load more comments (6 replies)