Solar panels , would you ?

[PJ87]

@pauljames87 (or others)... how big are the cables coming from the panel to your battery/inverter setup? We need to re-felt the top of the garage next month. I can ask the chippies to cut a hole or a small pipe so that they can put the cables thru it. It is easier to do now rather than cut it after they have sealed it

Standard armour cable size by the looks

 

[larmen]

Is it armoured? Armoured looks thicker, I think. It’s a regular cable, in our case running through conduit down the wall.
But the thing that goes into the roof and between tiles is cable trough a rubber seal thing, I think. (He invited me up the scaffold, but I didn’t like his floppy ladder so I just trusted them).

 

[PJ87]

Is it armoured? Armoured looks thicker, I think. It’s a regular cable, in our case running through conduit down the wall.
But the thing that goes into the roof and between tiles is cable trough a rubber seal thing, I think. (He invited me up the scaffold, but I didn’t like his floppy ladder so I just trusted them).

Definitely armoured cable with ours

 

[Mudball]

Is it armoured? Armoured looks thicker, I think. It’s a regular cable, in our case running through conduit down the wall.
But the thing that goes into the roof and between tiles is cable trough a rubber seal thing, I think. (He invited me up the scaffold, but I didn’t like his floppy ladder so I just trusted them).

i was more interested in the cable that will finally come down the side of the house and has to get to the battery/inverters. I wanted to know how big a hole will they need to cut in the garage roof. From yours and PJ87s inputs, looks like it not a fat cable but a single cable. I am assuming they will have a drill a roof and seal it.

 

[williamalex1]

i was more interested in the cable that will finally come down the side of the house and has to get to the battery/inverters. I wanted to know how big a hole will they need to cut in the garage roof. From yours and PJ87s inputs, looks like it not a fat cable but a single cable. I am assuming they will have a drill a roof and seal it.

I doubt they'll drill a hole in the roof, probably through the brickwork somewhere.

 

[Mudball]

I doubt they'll drill a hole in the roof, probably through the brickwork somewhere.

We don’t have any brickwork section to drill.. we have an attached garage. I checked with another friend - he got a single 18mm cable to the house. I think he has 20-22 panels.

 

[cliveb]

We don’t have any brickwork section to drill.. we have an attached garage. I checked with another friend - he got a single 18mm cable to the house. I think he has 20-22 panels.

I presume you're talking about the DC cable from panels to inverter?

If it's any interest, my system (9 x 415W panels) has a pair of DC cables to the inverter, each one has an OD of 5.5mm.
(I presume there are two cables in order to complete the circuit. Can't understand why your friend's has a single cable - unless there are two cores inside a common outer sheath).

 

[Pants]

@pauljames87 (or others)... how big are the cables coming from the panel to your battery/inverter setup? We need to re-felt the top of the garage next month. I can ask the chippies to cut a hole or a small pipe so that they can put the cables thru it. It is easier to do now rather than cut it after they have sealed it

Just an observation ...

Felt flat roofs are great - until they have holes cut into them for things to pass through. Personally I would try to re-route if possible.

 

[Mudball]

Just an observation ...

Felt flat roofs are great - until they have holes cut into them for things to pass through. Personally I would try to re-route if possible.

Fair point.. hence my Q around it... we currently have only the ply put down... Felt-ers and roofers on it in a couple of days, so the time is now. They can felt it across any pipe/opening that we can install

 

[PJ87]

Saw this on FB, looks like 6mm armoured

 

[GreiginFife]

Solar cable doesn’t tend to be SWA. The 6mm will be a single conductor multi strand with a plastic core insert inside the cable sheath.

It has much better bend radius than equivalent 6mm SWA.

 

[Mudball]

I presume you're talking about the DC cable from panels to inverter?

If it's any interest, my system (9 x 415W panels) has a pair of DC cables to the inverter, each one has an OD of 5.5mm.
(I presume there are two cables in order to complete the circuit. Can't understand why your friend's has a single cable - unless there are two cores inside a common outer sheath).

I think he misunderstood my Q... also his set up is very different. He has panels on the roof, that connect to (tesla) inverters in the loft... and then the only 18mm cable to battery/powerwall which is outside the house.

 

[PJ87]

Positive news snuck through relatively unreported

Vat now 0% on battery only installs so those with solar who want to add a battery or just those who want a battery no longer need to add solar at the same time to get 0% vat

Even more importantly domestic flat roof installs no longer need planning permission for solar installs. Previously only commercial premises could get them installed without permission

Still planning needed for conservation areas but a step in the right direction

 

[Mudball]

Positive news snuck through relatively unreported

Vat now 0% on battery only installs so those with solar who want to add a battery or just those who want a battery no longer need to add solar at the same time to get 0% vat

Even more importantly domestic flat roof installs no longer need planning permission for solar installs. Previously only commercial premises could get them installed without permission

Still planning needed for conservation areas but a step in the right direction

need more support... everytime i tell someone that we are getting solar... their first question is... 'what is the payback period'. Everyone thinks they will move homes in 7-8 years and hence not worth getting solar if the payback is 10 years.
The fact that no one can afford to move anymore seems ironic

 

[PJ87]

need more support... everytime i tell someone that we are getting solar... their first question is... 'what is the payback period'. Everyone thinks they will move homes in 7-8 years and hence not worth getting solar if the payback is 10 years.
The fact that no one can afford to move anymore seems ironic

Your not wrong, we took forever to do our first move so that we picked a house that is our forever home. In an area that suits for now and when we older (good buses and trains)

So putting them up was a no brainer

 

[bobmac]

need more support... everytime i tell someone that we are getting solar... their first question is... 'what is the payback period'. Everyone thinks they will move homes in 7-8 years and hence not worth getting solar if the payback is 10 years.
The fact that no one can afford to move anymore seems ironic

Savings begins on day 1
You can cancel your direct debit to your solar panel savings account.
And you save on your utility bills from day 1.
My friend says he is £300-£400 better off per month.

Having said that, does anyone think about the payback period for a new set of irons...or a new car...or a new house?
Of course, you wouldn't spend thousands on your dream kitchen if you plan on moving house next year, same with solar panels.

 

[Mudball]

Savings begins on day 1
You can cancel your direct debit to your solar panel savings account.
And you save on your utility bills from day 1.
My friend says he is £300-£400 better off per month.

Having said that, does anyone think about the payback period for a new set of irons...or a new car...or a new house?
Of course, you wouldn't spend thousands on your dream kitchen if you plan on moving house next year, same with solar panels.

I agree, everyone looking at ROI... i think solar still has an image problem that it is not seen on a daily basis unlike say a kitchen nor can you take it with you when you move like your irons/cars. Also dare i say, it will benefit soemone else when they buy the house. Finally, I have heard that solar is not adding to the value of the house unlike a kitchen or garden

 

[PJ87]

I agree, everyone looking at ROI... i think solar still has an image problem that it is not seen on a daily basis unlike say a kitchen nor can you take it with you when you move like your irons/cars. Also dare i say, it will benefit soemone else when they buy the house. Finally, I have heard that solar is not adding to the value of the house unlike a kitchen or garden

Solar defo has an imagine problem

The wife was against it because it would look "horrible" once I showered her a house she walked past every day with very bad panels (I mean every inch of roof was covered) and she was like oh I didn't even notice .. she caved

Doesn't add the value because people don't like the idea of the look and a lot of them don't understand how they work and worry

 

[larmen]

The way our roof and our garden is shaped we can’t see the panels. Neighbours will be able to, but we can’t the the roof array. We see the 2 on the ‘conservatory’ only.

 

[Mudball]

thnx for letting me know... we have gone for edge to edge panels