Recent PV install - 1.33kW

[Jon Miller]

Hi All,

A show and tell, think I can post this here?

Thanks to the UK Feed In Tariff paying good money for generation from PV my parents recently installed 1.33kW of PV panels on a south facing wooden frame.

The panels are Phono Solar 190 watt and the inverter is a SMA SunnyBoy 1200 connected via 80m of 6m^2 three core armored cable.

Some pictures:

[dnix71]

Nice frame. How much snow do you get?

Why stop at 1.33kw? Is there a limit on how much the gov't/utility will pay?

[DamonHD]

The rate you are paid per kWh generated drops when the installation passes 4kWp.

It's also lower for a ground-mounted system such as this than roof mounted.

Rgds

Damon

[Jon Miller]

Main reason for stopping is money and I want to put a wind turbine up.  I work for a micro renewables company so get perks of the job but even still it is an expensive, if not large, paper wieght.

The frame is set to 30 degrees and has now got stainless mesh at each end to stop animals getting in and munching on wires.  The system is generating well and on a clear day this time of year is generating over 3kWh, we do somtimes get snow:

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Once it dries out I'd prime and paint that wood.  You want it to last as long as the panels can.

Notice I said "can", not "do".  If the wood fails early it may kill the panels when it goes - resulting in the wood mount and panels lasting the same amount of time.  B-b

A little paint is a cheap protection for such a nice setup.

[SteveCH]

If the color is accurate, it appears to be pressure-treated lumber.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

If the color is accurate, it appears to be pressure-treated lumber.

Looks to me like part is and part isn't.

[captain nodge]

 I would more personally be concerned about thieving toerags, and vandals, with ground mounted systems,
obviously depending on where one lives, ie urban,its a lot of expensive kit and their are a lot of oppertunists out there, just my thrupence worth
Wishing you all many happy electrons, CN

[kenl]

I like the ground mount rack you guys have built. Looks like it could be raised a foot or two though. How do you have it anchored?

 kenny

seemed like a good idea at the time

[Jon Miller]

Hi Guys,

Most of the wood is pressure treated and some is clear treated so I am confidant it will last a little while.

The panels are bolted on, someone would be there for a good while tacking them off.

The array is simply weighted down for planning reasons, I am sure that it will not blow away as the back is boarded up so is not making to much of a sail.

Done 66kWh since the 24/11/2010 - 26/01/2011 which is right on track with what PVGIS said it would do.  http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps4/pvest.php#

We have no plans to lift it up at all, will strim back the weeds in the summer months.

I put a clamp on power meter on the mains connection and my mum uses it to work out if she should turn stuff on or off to meet what the panels are making.

Thanks for the kind words, there are plenty of metal frames on the market but I do like how this has come out.

Heres to nice and easy PV.

Jonathan

[kenl]

Hi Jon,

  "We have no plans to lift it up at all, will strim back the weeds in the summer months."

I was thinking more about the snow, didn't even conciser the grass etc. I have no issue using wood for panel mounting, not all of us have the equipment for metal working. Gary at Build it solar made a nice wood rack system for his panels. Have you ever checked out his site? Lots of cool projects. Congrats on getting your system up and running.

 kenny

seemed like a good idea at the time

[gsw999]

Hi John , sorry to be rude but how much did the system cost , Im in the UK and need something for the non windy months to keep me occupied when my turbine is sat still.

[Jon Miller]

Hi John , sorry to be rude but how much did the system cost , Im in the UK and need something for the non windy months to keep me occupied when my turbine is sat still.

Send me a PM

[Jon Miller]

Hi Jon,

  "We have no plans to lift it up at all, will strim back the weeds in the summer months."

I was thinking more about the snow, didn't even conciser the grass etc. I have no issue using wood for panel mounting, not all of us have the equipment for metal working. Gary at Build it solar made a nice wood rack system for his panels. Have you ever checked out his site? Lots of cool projects. Congrats on getting your system up and running.

 kenny

seemed like a good idea at the time

I have no worries about lossing a little power when the snow is on the ground for the week or two it is about.

Jonathan

[Jon Miller]

Well another post I will try and update.

The system has been in for almost two years now and has generated well, first year was about 1,300kWh and this year not so good.

We had an issue with the Inverter being on the end of the 80m of cable.  the AC voltage was pushing to high.  We moved the inverter into the grage and ran the Dc down the cable as the panels are in one string.  After doing this we were still getting over voltage on the inverter, on the AC side.  We contacted the ditributed network operator (DNO) they came out and put a meter on for a week and promptly changed the tappings on the transformer to bring the voltage down to 230 volts from the 250volts it was sitting at WITHOUT the pv pushing power back in.

The second issue we had was about the import meter running backwards.  The meter was a mechnical type and clocked back which is contridictory to the contact and needed to be solved by changing out.  This was done by the electricty comapny, EDF, but they put in the wrong type of meter and it was counting both ways and adding them up.  This was changed after a month and a half and £50 was refunded for the hasle.

So all in all, very happy.  So much so that they had another system installed.

6 x Suntech 190 watt  and a SMA 1100 inverter.
South East facing system.
This system has done 1,100kWh and its 11 months old






With the last picture, the tree making the shade is now gone and no more issues here.

Cheers

Jon