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Today is a big day as we’ve having a second solar array installed. The rear roof of the house is completely covered so this one has to go on the fron[See the full post at: The Joy of Solar 4: A Second Installation]
I have a solar installation with 10 panels facing pretty much due South and 6 panels facing pretty much due West – all are 250W panels giving me 4kW rated output. I’ve noticed over the last few months that there is sun on the north facing part of my roof, but only later in the day (and probably early before I’m outside looking at the roof!). I have a SolarEdge inverter with optimisers on each panel so I can see production for each panel each day and I can even look at the way the production changes throughout the day.
I’m interested in your view that the pay back is likely to be so close to the south facing panels. Are you taking your system above the 4kW break point for FiT payments?
Post updated and pictures added.
@nickh: I’m basing my optimism on some solar insolation sites that indicate the loss isn’t huge for north-facing, on the payback given with the quotation for the system, and on observation – the front of my house seems to get a lot of sun. Other factors include the fact that we have a low pitch on the roof, so north-facing and south-facing are slightly artificial distinctions, and the fact that our house isn’t quite north-south, so really the new array is NNW. However, I appreciate I’m taking a slight chance but don’t have a problem with that.
The first system was 3.7kWp so we had to apply for DNO permission before installing more PV – essentially we have two complete systems now, each with their own meter so we get the 2010 FIT rate for the old system and the current (much smaller) FIT rate for the new system.
An interesting related discussion here: Are 4kW solar PV installations a thing of the past?
– we actually got permission very quickly and without any hassle, perhaps because there don’t seem to be many solar systems in the roads around us. My advice is to anyone considering solar is always – do it, and do it soon. It only gets harder as time goes on, and the financial and climate change benefits decrease.
An interesting discussion – since more of us are getting solar, which produces DC, and we use more gadgets, which run on DC, maybe in future our homes should be wired for DC as well as – or instead of – AC:
http://theenergycollective.com/jessejenkins/236951/got-solar-panel-then-wire-dc-circuit
Here there’s a credible attempt to see if domestic solar is already making a difference to demand:
Look carefully and you can see solar PV output denting UK electricity demand
AnonymousI’d suggest a must more likely explanation is that in sunny weather, a significantly larger portion of the population are out of their houses and therefore not using as much electricity.
Do people have that much flexibility? In June of both years I would have been at work as usual and probably didn’t notice the weather, never mind decide to go out because of it. And I’ve had thought that during the day the bulk of electricity demand would be from businesses and industry.
A couple of videos showing how fast solar can be installed (in US and Australia respectively) though it’s not quite so easy over here (due to our more substantial walls and tiles, and taller buildings?).
We are Solar City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMl-82L3LqQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315Checking my Wattson meter I can see that we’re generating up to 2.8kW today. Even with the telly, washing machine and tumble dryer on we have 0.5kW left over – it makes me want to run round the house turning on the lights just so it isn’t wasted!
And it’s only 1 February!
Currently uhming and ahing about using my mainly west facing roof to add to our capacity.I have a 2.2kw system on the south facing parts, generating up to 1.85kw (north west England) and recently got a quote for another 1.8 on the west side.
The reason I’m not sure is cost. It’ll be 4,300 and the fit rate is now 14p, as opposed to the 48p on the current section. Even if it was still 21p it’s a no brainer but at 14p paying off in 20 years is a close run thing.
Happy with out current set up but wishing I’d increased before the government pulled the plug on the generous tariffs.
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