Forum Replies Created
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Hi
RECC is now amalgamated with MCS standards nowadays, but to answer your query, Page 9 of the MCS standards (41.1) state “the site must be suitable for the installation.” As panels are ‘performance guaranteed’ for twenty-years, it’s ‘good practice’ to ensure the roof is suitable for such a timeframe.
Hope this helps.
Hello
What’s the general jist of your issue?
Maybe I can help here and help others at the same time? Stuart
Hi Christine
Sorry for late reply, been away on a camping trip and enjoying the sunshine. I’m happy to help, my consultation service can be found here:
Hi Arthur
I’m not an installer, I’m an enthusiast.
Try these guys:
https://www.viessmann.co.uk/en/products/solar/vitosol-300tm.html
Hello Michael
One of the joys of solar heating (evacuated tubes) over its cousin PV solar, is the fact you only need Part P certification/skills to install. Potentially, you could work with a standard roofer, plumber, and electrician to get the job done.
If you install to garage, please be aware that longer distance between tank and array affects performance in less favorable months.
Brandon’s tool hire rent out tower scaffolding platforms very cheaply, so overcoming the height issue is within your reach.
Hope this helps.
Hi Steve
For DNO, you need a MCS-accreditation to sign-off the paperwork.
Getting an installer or company to sign-off someone else’s work is unlikely, if not impossible. Installers, only install the systems that they are trained and familiar with, so sorry to say, saving yourself on product/installation costs isn’t straight forward in the solar industry.
Hi Tom
Yes, your welcome to add business by providing:
Business Name.
Address.
Contact Number.
Website details.E-mail those details to admin [at} powermyhome.uk
Regards.
Stuart.
[UPDATE]
As per the war in Ukraine, solar installation prices are now in flux. Prices change on a monthly basis at this point.
Hi
Sorry for the late reply, been on holiday.
These guys will be able to sort you out with what you need:
Hi Alex
Thermodynamic panels do not qualify as they are not MCS-accredited technology.
This situation has been the case since the MCS began in 2009, and thus they have not been eligible for any government assistance since they first became available on the UK market.
Hope this helps.
Hi Maureen
Different inverter brands may vary, but this video may help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez1x0iKjYCs
Also, check your documentation, (if you haven’t already) as your inverter instructions may be provided, or contact details for your inverter manufacturer’s helpline may be provided.
Hope this helps.
Hi Dave
Sun Systems UK went pop around 2011. They were a rebranded system from a German manufacturer, but I cannot for the life of me remember the original manufacturer’s name.
We’ve not sold any flat-plate panels since 2012 as PV is now our recommendation, but a good UK flat-plate manufacturer is:
Hope this helps.
Hi Jon
Happy to hear you happy with your purchase.
(not surprised though 😉
A lot has happened in the solar industry since your purchase, and we no longer promote evacuated tubes as PV does water heating too.
Saying that solar tubes are still a fantastic technology and so the market leaders are https://www.kingspan.com/.
Enjoy the sunshine.
Hi Luc
The PV-converter has a management system built in, so will only divert the necessary power as and when available/required.
The specs you specified are maximum’s (like the maximum revs on a car).
Prices range from £350-500 depending on installer/availability/geography etc.
Hope this helps.
Hi Neil
No, sorry that wouldn’t work.
A fantastic way of powering a solar heating system without using mains electricity is a PV-powered pump.
This has been used to great effect, and with the added benefit of the pump only engaging when enough sunshine to heat the solar tubes is hitting the PV panel too.
I’ve seen this used to great effect with a flat-plate system and will work with tubes too. However, I haven’t seen how they fix the PV to the tube system, so you’ll have to engineer a solution. Here is an example:
http://www.discreteheat.com/thermatwin/products-and-information/what-is-thermatwin.aspx
Hi John
This website will help with your PV cable sizing:
Hi John
Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been away.
What you’re basically talking about here is similar to an East/West split installation.
Different orientations should be separate or a multi-string, but you’d get a much better yield from two inverters.
That said, with PV you’ll get more by putting it all on the West side of the property and without the cost of two inverters. The afternoon sun is generally brighter than the morning sun, so West works better than East.
Regarding the other questions, I must declare, I’m not a technical installer, just an enthusiast, so you can find good technical advice here:
https://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/threads/east-west-split-how-many-invertors.30833/
Sorry Clare, I cannot talk about pricing as retro-fitting has so many variables. Needless to say, any decent installer will be able to confidently give you a breakdown of the costs involved and data on expected performance.
Additionally, make sure installers are certified by RECC and then you can be confident in their pricing structure.
Hello Clare
SolarEdge systems are brilliant and are considered the Mercedes of the solar industry, but the price you have been quoted is very high. Get a few more quotes quotes.
Currently there are three ways of doing this:
1.A string inverter which sits inside you house, usually in your attic or internal garage, and is about the size of wall mounted juke box
2. Micro inverters which fit under each panel and do the conversion on your roof.
3. Power Optimisers which replace the junction box on each panel and as the name suggest optimise the power generated by each panel individually. However there is also still an internal inverter with this system to finish off the conversion.All have +’s and -‘s.
Its about horses for courses and trusting your installer to recommend the best solution given your circumstances.
Hi Chris
It’s amazing how many people say that they should have done it years ago and even more exciting now the new additional plugin technologies are available now like battery storage.
Nothing wrong with east/west split roofs and yes micro-inverters are best for this type of set-up, such as split-roofs and shading issues that don’t have equal amounts of sunshine hitting all the panels at any given time.
If you want install a basic PV system today, but intend to add further plugin technologies later, simply let your installers know your intentions. They can advise you from the start on optimal system types, sizes and may put the wiring in place for the battery system on install day, ready for when you’re ready.
Hope this helps.
The phrase “no such thing as a free lunch” springs to mind here.
From day one of these rent-a-roof and free solar panels offers springing up, we were warning people and encouraging people to own outright for exactly this reason.
Third party ownership comes with many pitfalls and the resale-ability of a home with third party technology attached is the biggest. Many people who took up these offers are still blissfully unaware of the consequences and because the feed-in tariff can last up to 25 years, that’s along time to be shackled to such a contract.
Also people do buy and sell these feed-in tariff contracts from homeowners, but this will be very much to their financial advantage and not yours, but ultimately won’t solve the third party ownership problem unless you purchase the contract yourself.
https://www.powermyhome.uk/pv-solar-export-tariffs/
It’s a minefield that most mortgage lenders do not want to get involved with.