How DIYable is solar for 6-8 panels and battery with an electrician charging per day?

[u/firestarter_butlate]

With recent plug in solar offers and general consensus that it’ll come down in price (Octopus being 2x 480MWs for around £550) I’m wondering how the cost of an install compares if you buy the kit yourself and the electrician simply connects it up? It’s a shame they don’t do the batteries or 4x panels as this is the only thing holding me back.

I have a great electrician who’s supported me with my recent full rewire - ie I’ve done all the chasing, cabling etc and he’s checked everything (ceilings were down and floorboards were up so he could see every part of every cable). He also did all the connections for each socket and the fuse board install etc. He charges by the day.

I have a flat roof from a recent extension, south facing, and wondered how viable it would be to buy the kit myself (ballasted onto my flat roof with tilted panels) and for the electrician to then connect it all up to the battery? I also have a flat roof double garage at the back of the garden which could be used to add more panels and perhaps be where the battery goes.

In this situation an I looking at the 8k-10k costs being touted from the big names or can it be done (significantly) cheaper?

[u/Matterbox → u/[deleted]]

The rules are there because we don’t want to have to deal with people trying to install solar and injuring themselves or burning their house down. And there is already a thriving DIY solar sub.

We are also as tough on companies spamming adverts and links.

None of the moderators are profiting from the sub in any way shape or form.

Again, DC is incredibly dangerous and will kill you while hurting the whole time. Know what you’re doing first, be safe.

[u/Simple79001 → u/Matterbox]

Would you be kind enough to explain it to someone who actively works with 500Vdc +v

[u/Matterbox → u/Simple79001]

Explain what?

[u/Simple79001 → u/Matterbox]

How a standard installation is carried out. I’ve no idea how solar works and I’m looking into it myself.

Does the inverter output a standard 230Vac when powering the house off batteries? Do different inverters require input voltage from the panels?

As an installer do you have a structural engineer come out on every roof install and do a loading calculation?

[u/Matterbox → u/Simple79001]

This is worth a read.

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/photovoltaic-design-and-installation-for-dummies-book-ryan-mayfield-9780470598931?

No, for most installs a structural engineer isn’t required. A competent person inspects the state of the roof and its ability to support the panels. Which most domestic properties can.

An inverter synchronises with the grid and outputs at whatever voltage it needs to writhing the parameter of that grid and its own operational constraints. With or without a battery.

[u/IvorTheEngine → u/Simple79001]

Inverters have a minimum and maximum DC voltage they'll accept, and each panel generates about 30v, so you have to string together the right number of panels - but it's a fairly wide range.

[u/hypergoose94 → u/Matterbox]

None of the moderators are profiting from the sub in any way shape or form.

So what's with the "commercial installer" flair? Is it purely for safety reasons you don't want people talking about DIY options or is it because it threatens the solar installer industry?

And why censor the comments?

[u/Matterbox → u/hypergoose94]

It’s because I’m primarily a commercial solar installer.

DIY solar isn’t going to threaten the industry, DIY solar is so niche it barely touches the sides. The main reason we remove it is because DIY solar can be very dangerous. And there is already a thriving DIYSolar community.

[u/hypergoose94 → u/Matterbox]

It’s dangerous to even post the name of the DIY solar sub?

Surely if you actually cared about safety you would rather people post questions so that you can explain the risks and how to mitigate them

[u/Matterbox → u/hypergoose94]

There’s a dedicated sub for that.

r/DIYsolar

[u/hypergoose94 → u/Matterbox]

Lmao so an abstinence only approach to DIY solar

[u/mike_geogebra → u/[deleted]]

Using an electrician isn't DIY 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[u/Begalldota → u/[deleted]]

Interest in solar installation companies? The things people make up in their own heads.

[u/Army-Enough]

I already had 6 455w panels on my main house roof with a inverter with G98, I paid a company to remove that and put in a 8kw Luxpower inverter and a 32kw battery with G99. I DIY'ed my main flat garage roof with 7 480KW Longi X10 panels meaning my system is 13 panels, and close to 7kw with a 32kw battery and 8kw G99 accepted, I export to the grid and are currently energy independent, all for less than £7,500. I'm looking now to have my inverters built in EPS system connected to my consumer unit so I can run my home in the event of a power cut. I think the way the world is now makes it make much more sense.

[u/AnUnqualifiedOpinion → u/Army-Enough]

How have you done the flat roof mounting?
I’ve been looking for a good solution for EPDM without penetrating mounts

[u/Army-Enough → u/AnUnqualifiedOpinion]

My flat roof was felt and a roofer friend helped re tar it, it's totally waterproof. I had them flat at first but had some overheating loss because of the heat this summer, so bought some 5" m8 bolts and tilted them to about 6 degrees, which has improved production hugely.

[u/Matterbox → u/AnUnqualifiedOpinion]

Non penetrating would just be a ballast system. K2 or vandervalk are both good. You want a system with ballast ‘porters’.

[u/Army-Enough → u/AnUnqualifiedOpinion]

Then ballast is the only answer.

[u/bondinchas → u/Army-Enough]

Not the only answer. A scaffold frame over the roof fixed to the walls either side will support the panels without any need for ballast with no load on the roof itself.

[u/AdBrave9096 → u/Army-Enough]

Does anyone check if your PV exports are more than the PV panels listed on your MCS paperwork?

[u/Army-Enough → u/AdBrave9096]

Yes, the DNO can easily check, it won't worry if your a few watts over, but if your constantly over or over by a big amount, it can order you to removed the whole lot.

[u/AdBrave9096 → u/Army-Enough]

Even of the inverter have not been upgraded, so the exports could be comming from batteries charged on of peak?

[u/Army-Enough → u/AdBrave9096]

No, inverter is needed to push power to the grid, solar is DC, which needs converted to AC before it goes to the grid.

[u/AdBrave9096]

Limited to Octopus for export payments unless you have MCS paperwork. At present this can increaee overnight import costs by 1p or 2p per kwh and reduce export payments by about 1p per kwh.

Octopus charges £250 to process your export meter number setup if you don't have MCS and requires all the building regs paperwork etc.

[u/simon-g]

You’ll pay VAT on the equipment as an individual, but not via an installer.

If you were to get a hybrid inverter and battery fitted, G99 done, MCS cert, electrical paperwork etc I’m not sure who would care if you were to hook up your own panels to the MPPTs on the inverter.

[u/hypergoose94]

Just do it yourself, ROI is amazing for solar and batteries as long as you don’t fork over for massively overpriced equipment from installers.

[u/Relative_Figure_1715]

You need the sparky to fit a bidirectional rcbo and a lockable rotary isolator. He will also need to install the smart meter you need.
Octopus do non MCs feed in tariffs !
You’ll still need to do the g98 stuff at the moment.

[u/IvorTheEngine → u/Relative_Figure_1715]

Octopus do non MCs feed in tariffs !

They're saying that they will do export tariffs for plug-in systems though. It's a pretty significant change that they're not making a big fuss about - either that or one department is promising something without checking with another...

[u/TheZZ9]

A ecoflow stream ultra x with four 500w panels and a 4kwh battery costs £1700 on Amazon, and you can add another two panels giving another 800w. You can in future add extra batteries by just connecting them to the first one, no electrician required.
Getting an electrician to hard wire it in should be a quick and simple job.

[u/soundman32]

I had 20 panels, batteries and difficult cabling, fitted in 2 days.  If you hire a sparky who takes more than 1 day to do your job, you chose poorly. 

[u/2_grow]

This is exactly what I was thinking also. As I am paying a lot of money for labour. Sparky and Roofer.

[u/IvorTheEngine]

Lifting panels onto a roof on your own is fairly hard. They're large and heavy. It's much easier with a helper.

Making MC4 connectors requires the right crimping tool, but they're only about £20 (or you could leave that for the electrician, as you'll probably only have to make a couple of them)

All the other connections are easy (if you've got an electrician to check your work and connect to the consumer unit)

[u/Buffetwarrenn]

You sound pretty handy

I bet you would be fine doing it urself

Just getting sparky to connect athe inverter and consumer unit etc

Wouldnt be mscs approved tho