Author Topic: Solar PV installation starts tomorrow... (Read 2892 times)

DamonHD · « **on:** February 24, 2008, 08:46:32 PM »

The install is scheduled to take two days and we should even get a little sunshine during and the following day, though the local weather forecast seems to be alternating between Sahara and Monsoon predictions every half-hour or so. Must be running out of coins to toss...

My partner reckons that since putting up a wind turbine is guaranteed to stop the wind, putting up our panels means that London will never have sunshine again!

Rgds

Damon

AbyssUnderground · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2008, 03:07:20 PM »

Your partner speaks wise words. Come the day after the installation it will be gale force winds, snow and lots of rain for a month, you just watch...

Good luck with the install. I hope you can provide us with lots of pictures and information during/after the installation too. I also hope you will archive the information your website (which I frequently visit to keep updated with your progress). Keep it up.

DamonHD · « **Reply #2 on:** February 24, 2008, 04:33:10 PM »

Pics, etc, I expect to provide in abundance. The installer won't let me on the scaffolding, but has promised to take plenty for me.

And of course there will be kWh-by-kWh live updates for the next 20 years... Well, at least monthly anyway I hope!

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2008, 02:06:44 AM »

They're here and installing! Should be done tomorrow and pumping power into the grid...

Pictures of the install will be going up periodically should anyone want to watch.

Will start to appear here in about an hour:

http://gallery.hd.org/mechanoids/solar/pv/grid/tie/

Rgds

Damon

gotwind2 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:12:30 AM »

Hi Damon.

Interestingly Portugal have huge incentives for such micro generation and selling power back to the grid, they will pay 48 pence per kw/h, it costs 10p from the grid.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/7251487.stm

Ben.

DamonHD · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:26:33 AM »

Mmmm, that would be nice. Financial payback in less than 15 years!

Rgds

Damon

Capt Slog · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:30:09 AM »

Damned right you're allowed to get excited! I certainly would be, I hope it all goes well and that you are not to blame for yet another crap UK summer.

As another hobby, I fly BIG kites. These are the sort that lift you off the ground quite easily, and in my case I use one to pull me around in a kite buggy. I therefore noticed how bad the wind was after I put up my first turbine!

DamonHD · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:44:49 AM »

Google has invested in a company using big (and very high) kites as part of a power-generation scheme.

Next thing we know there will be Google datacentres airborne on huge kites with free WiFi for everyone on the ground... B^>

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2008, 06:45:21 AM »

Hmm, would free Google WiFi be a G-spot? %->

DamonHD · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2008, 08:30:54 AM »

Panels are up: electrics tomorrow!

Rgds

Damon

Jon Miller · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2008, 01:05:24 PM »

Good stuff Good stuff!

DamonHD · « **Reply #11 on:** February 26, 2008, 11:35:19 AM »

Grumble grumble...

The installers were about 30 mins too slow doing the electrics so missed sundown and will have to be back tomorrow to finish testing and really switch on...

I'm rearranging various things so that I can be here tomorrow.

Other than that, overall, they seem to have done a good job.

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2008, 07:22:07 AM »

IT'S ALIVE!

The installers got everything working today, and I'm seeing ~50% maximum output right now on a slightly hazy but sunny afternoon.

However, this reveals that when the local electricity company (the DNO) came and swapped our meter over they failed to put in a ratcheted one, so at the moment our meter is running backwards! So they'll need to come and do another meter swap soonish...

Rgds

Damon

ghurd · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2008, 07:45:14 AM »

Great!

I don't think I would mention that to them.

Won't you come out ahead with this meter?

I'd stick with "they know what they are doing"... if you will come out ahead. :-)

G-

DamonHD · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2008, 07:49:31 AM »

No, no, I think it would be rather obvious and there's also a minor safety issue (the meters are not meant to run backwards and can apparently overheat). So, to avoid fires and accusations of fraud, I'm going to do this "right"! B^>

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #15 on:** February 29, 2008, 07:16:07 PM »

It's been typical Feb weather and we've generated about 4kWh in the 2.5 days that the system has been operational, which is fairly close to predictions.

Why am I posting this at 2am? Because in the few days since the panels went up we've had earth tremors, gales right now so I can't sleep, and hail forecast for a few days from now! Argh!

Rgds

Damon

TomW · « **Reply #16 on:** February 29, 2008, 07:45:12 PM »

Damon;

Not sure of your panels but my Seimens panels have taken about a half hour of torrential hailstones golf ball size and larger. Only sign it happened was a couple dents in the Al frame. It beat the foot tall corn in the area into the ground.

Just to ease your mind some.

Tom W

DamonHD · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2008, 03:53:31 AM »

Thank you, yes, that does help.

Of course, Sanyo has thought about this a teeny bit too, so rationally you are right. And everything is still apparently intact, as we might expect! B^>

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2008, 02:31:18 PM »

~2.9kWh today (including some of the energy saved by by server being taken off-grid).

Very nearly half our gross consumption, though I've yet to completely establish its new level.

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #19 on:** March 07, 2008, 11:19:02 AM »

Over 3.5kWh today, ie over half our gross consumption of ~6kWh/day!

(Yesterday was crap at ~1.4kWh, but I only expect a mean of ~2kWh/day in March.)

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #20 on:** March 07, 2008, 12:09:29 PM »

And nearly 7 hours off-grid from my stand-alone PV and wind system. A very good day for RE at home! B^>

Rgds

Damon

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Author Topic: Solar PV installation starts tomorrow... (Read 2892 times)