HOW MUCH DOES SOLAR POWER COST? Price of VICTRON and PYLONTECH DIY OFF GRID SOLAR POWER SYSTEM (UK)

[@idunasorchard]

The way I see it, if you are using it every day multiple times per day and it improves your life it may as well be priceless. You spent money on something that’s going to improve your life and independence! Lots of people waste money on things they never use!

[@The_OffGridFamily]

This is very true and summarises how we feel about it 😊

[@robrees1242]

It sounds an awful lot of money but in truth, it will pay for itself in less than 10 years, you also don't have the grief of changing suppliers and being hostage to their constant price rises. Great job👍

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you, we have had to look at it as a big investment for the future. That way the numbers seem slightly less scary! Not having to worry about dealing with suppliers has been great 😊 and apart from some teething issues with the batteries it seems to be going ok 🤞

[@boyd426]

Well done for doing it all DIY, I have a very similar system, as I'm off grid. All Victron and BYD batteries 15.4kwh, been up and running nearly 3yrs now and already had to replace the faulty batteries, luckily under warranty but had fight my corner 😊 good luck for the future 👍

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you, and thanks for sharing the info on your own system. It’s great it’s been up and running for 3 years. 😊

[@marktaylor2418]

The first of your videos I've watched and I was blown away, thank you so much for detailing all the information to support your system it has been extremely helpful to me.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Really pleased you found it useful 😊 Thanks for watching 👍

[@endaf]

Looking at doing something similar, personally I think I'm going with a growatt system 3 x 5kw inverters which works out a lot cheaper and cleaner install

[@andrewbond1586]

Well done to you both take a chance in life. Do what makes you happy and a better life for your kids.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you 😊 wise words 👍

[@stevemorris1881]

Like the video but noticed you have some exposed electrical connections on your inverter system. Have your thought about adding a plastic screen to keep little fingers safe. Sorry for highlighting this but kids love to touch everything 👍

[@mariuszzaborowski]

This exactly what I was looking for, for weeks and weeks and weeks. My type of solar system but I will have it grid tied. I do not want to have these every day installers companies where you get like 20-30% decrease on your bills for 6-10k with labour.

[@jean-marcgruninger9019]

I have just added 3 pylontech batteries and another 3kw of solar panels. I was hoping to reduce my grid usage to an absolute minimum and so far its done that. I’ve used about 20 kwhs of grid energy in 2 month. This will be the first winter for the batteries, I’m wondering weather I should insulate the batteries from the cold as they are situated in the garage. the garage has seen temps as low as 0C.

[@christines5430]

Excellent investment in a really good system that totally meets your needs. It will pay for itself over the years. No excessive or fluctuating priced fuel bills for you 👏🏾

[@The_OffGridFamily]

This is very true and we feel very fortunate to be in this position at the moment ☺️ Seeing the prices rise is just utterly shocking 😩

[@stewartj00701]

Great videos guys, Your videos are a big help to me doing a similar thing, I've got allot of pointers from them, the system i'm doing is grid tie ESS mode, I'm installing 12 x q cells 375w , using the same steel roof mounting system as you guys used on my steel outbuilding, 4 x pylontech 3000c, multiplus ll 3kw in ESS mode, cerbo GX, Victron RS 450/100-tr, and a 1kw 48v Airforce 1 turbine, maybe even 2 x AF1 turbines, I will see how much power I get from it, I might get another one if I need it, I live in Shetland so lack of wind is not an issue here :), house I built my self to exceed passive spec, so only use around 7000kwh/year for all heating/hot water, fam of 4, so hopefully cut that down drastically when its all up and running.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Really pleased to hear that our videos have been useful. Your system sounds great! We have been talking about adding a turbine to our system but weren't sure how to go about it. Can you connect it up to the Cerbo GX? There's been a lot of talk online about trying to use a Victron MPPT with a turbine but there doesn't seem to be much news of success which has made us a bit hesitant. We would love to learn more about that aspect of your system :)

[@stewartj00701]

@@The_OffGridFamily It's the only one that I can find that can charge pylontechs, the batteries com port has a set of contacts that close when the battery is fully charged, which triggers the turbine shutdown, also you can set the Max voltage shutdown and recovery voltage, it also shuts down when the wind gets too high or rpm/amps gets too high, the controller is like an electronically controlled stop switch which shorts the turbine output, it doesn't use a dump load, great system, fully controlled from an online portal, it does have a rs485 output, but I don't think it's compatible with the cerbo. It's also British made/stainless steel, with 20 year life expectancy, from what I can see it looks good, I got my one last week for a good price from voltacon

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you, that’s really helpful! We will look into it more, and may well be back with some more questions 😁

[@ronniebiggs4225]

Hi what type of land did you buy due to council restrictions of not allowing it on certain types of land ie Grazing,Greenbelt

[@stewartj00701]

@@ronniebiggs4225 all mounted to an existing agricultural steel shed which is around 60m away from my home

[@andyb2282]

Well done guys I'm inspired.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you 😊

[@pachamama8460]

So helpful, thank you!

[@evil17]

Yes, it is a stupid amount of money, but the investment isn’t, this will give you years of independence, even with a few maintenance issues along the way. Nice build, great quality, good job, good investment IMO. Have you done something Electric with the hot water side yet? Im sure you have considered many possibilities for this by now, & while you probably dont particularly need a large HW system, a bigger tank = a bigger battery bank capacity & redundancy for cloudy times ahead. Only recently found ur channel & look forward to rummaging through some more of ur stuff. Cheers

[@davidbrodie5044]

Great video, really interesting and inspiring. I wonder if you have, or are planning, a hot water tank as a solar store to dump surplus power into during the summer months? We have just a small solar system ATM as planning a house move but still saving quite a bit and love being more self sufficient.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Glad you enjoyed the video 😊 The hot water tank is something we plan to do on future but haven’t got round to it yet! That’s great that your solar system is helping you save money 👍

[@whatsthisnow101]

Hello great video. We are off grid (small 6kWe proven turbine and 20 JA solar 380watt panels). We went with SMA using the Sunny island inverter and Sunny boys for the solar. Did you consider SMA over Victron? Just curious as everyone is using Victron and I cannot find many using SMA. Cheers keep it up. Also a immersion heater based hot water store is easy to do if you have frequency shift power control.

[@lawrencenathan1]

We’re you able to post a link to your Victron kit list please?

[@Lizapendleton]

When you include the cost of charging up your vehicles in future so saving on fuel- not bad.

[@richardburnett6781]

Thanks for sharing. I wonder what the payback time would be based on current consumption and prices?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

This is such a hard question to answer! We attempted a video on this but as you will see in the comments below there are many, many things that need to be considered ☺️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYuueK2gqbaWms0

[@chrisfryer3118]

Would your analysis include connection to the grid? because that isn't cheap.

[@mhappy01]

great vid thanks. you didnt go with the very expensive and not so good victron batteries? I watch Will Prowse in las vegas, he has an amazing settup too.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

No it was the guarantee (or lack of) for Victron that put us off, although our Pylontech batteries have not been without their issues! 👍

[@tellyfanatic]

Great vid good info just subbed.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Glad you found it useful 😊 Thanks for subscribing 👍

[@romanl2608]

To jakieś dyi?

[@raptorpome2577]

Hello very interesting videos thank you very much for producing them I have only seen 2 so far I am just a little concerned because you have mentioned nothing about an earth system for your electrical supply.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thanks for your comment 😊 Don’t panic, the system is earthed 👍

[@garyacton3765]

Scanning through your vids great info which confirms what i have been pricing up. For our barn conversion we are looking at Victron but will need possible a 15kw inverter or 2no 10s with a 20k array to get us through the winter and power the glamping denz . Doing this can be quite daunting ive found and im an Architect all ok with the builds but the solar is new territory but great experience as i can now talk the same language as our mech and elec departments. Keep pushing ahead hope you get planning on there some day.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thanks for your comment 😊 We are really pleased you’ve found the videos useful. We are big Victron fans and really only have good things to say about them. We are currently evaluating how the winter is going and considering what our next steps will be. Could be a wind turbine, although that’s not easy when it comes to teaming it with the Cerbo GX, an additional array of panels on the ground specifically for winter, or switching to a generator which is cheaper to run. At the moment we are leaning towards the generator as there are so many grey, still days that we worry either of the other two options will leave us lacking still. Your project sounds great. Where abouts are you? Thanks for the kind wishes. Hopefully we will be needing advice from someone like yourself in the not too distant future 🤩

[@DJ-uk5mm]

BRilliant video thank you

[@The_OffGridFamily]

We're really pleased you found it useful 👍 Thanks for your comment ☺️

[@willgarrod9907]

Thanks great explanation

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Glad it was helpful 😊

[@livingoffgridinscotland]

Are you relying only on solar or do you have a generator as backup? Our solar is dropping this week as it always does November, december, January!

[@The_OffGridFamily]

We do have a generator, which we use on grey days when we do washing (and the washing pile seems endless now we have a little one!) We are currently losing hours due to trees which are casting shade onto the panels now that the sun is lower, so we plan to reduce those soon in order to improve that. The further we get into the darker months, the more we think we might add a wind turbine in the future! :) On average we are probably using the generator for a couple of hours a week.

[@w3bb0y]

@@The_OffGridFamily how are you connecting your Genny into the system? Transfer switch to power those 32a sockets or does the inverter have a bypass mode? Maybe a good idea for another video ;)

[@The_OffGridFamily]

The inverter has a transfer switch 😊 We go from the genny to a 32 amp breaker to stop any overload of the generator and then into AC 1 on the inverter. The inverter has an automatic transfer switch. When we turn the generator on there’s about 20 seconds delay while the generator gets going and then the inverter knows it’s on and uses the power to cover the load and charge. It still uses the solar at the same time which is good 👍 The two 32 amp sockets are power going out 😊

[@beresheeth]

Why the quattro? Would the Multiplus not be cheaper?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Yes it would be and from what we can tell there isn't a huge amount of difference between them. We went for the Quattro for the 2 AC inputs which would allow us to run two different types of generator to it. We liked the flexibility of this seeing as we hope to run a house and workshop from it one day :)

[@twistedtube1310]

Top updates there guys . Cost soon adds up doesn’t it. I have had a 8kw system since 2013. I am in the middle of doing some updates and upgrades. I am using sma for my system as victron were not doing big inverters in those days. But I have used victron on a lot of van builds I have done and must say it is some top kit. If I was to start again I would go victron I think. I do love the system I’ve got . I am still using lead acid but one day will love to go down the Lithium-ion route.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thank you 😊 and thanks for sharing the info about your own system. It’s great to hear what other people are using. Where abouts are you?

[@twistedtube1310]

@@The_OffGridFamily Berkshire Hampshire boundary.

[@geoffwoodgate7450]

This is very interesting. I want to do something similar. What is your battery total capacity?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Glad you found it interesting 😊 There are more details of our system, including battery capacity, on this video here 👍 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHymk5mtbaiMZpY

[@Songomx]

Hi Guys!!! Don't regret your investment, your daughter Grace will still be enjoying it when she's a teenager... !!! Jejeje Aside from maybe overdoing it a little bit in some aspects of your DIY Solar Energy System, it's a fantastic feeling to do everything in your house with the energy that YOU produce... feel proud of it...!!! Now all that is left is to keep the system in good shape with periodical maintenance and do some specific upgrades here and there when they would be needed... And, maybe... just maybe, expand it in the future if there would be a need for more power in the future as the family grows... Take care and keep up the good work!!! Cheers from Havana, Cuba...!!!

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Yes we hope Grace gets to enjoy the benefits of it for many years to come! Fingers crossed it will meet our needs for a while. We are very interested in the addition of a wind turbine but that won’t be happening anytime in the near future 😊 Too many other projects to do first! 😂

[@davidsworld5837]

but No standing charge and ever unit of electric is free well it will be once paid for system. with taking them in to calculation how long till break even. would you increase the batteries you have to have more reserves for poorer weather. or would you consider a wind turbine to add another power source. sorry not seen other videos yet so do not know if you have cover this

[@The_OffGridFamily]

We would probably prioritise more panels over batteries as the outlay for batteries is so much more. We are considering a winter array on the ground made of second hand panels in order to boost production in the darker months 😊

[@alanrobinson2229]

I confused,on eBay there are 5kw off grid kits,ready to go for less than ,£4k,plus batteries,that's only £11k?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Yeah we didn’t go down the kit route as we couldn’t find one with everything we wanted 😊

[@rupertwilson7020]

Q. Suppose the system lasts 3 years with a minimum of maintenance costs.. What would be the approx cost per KWH electricity? How about 4yrs or 5yrs.. ?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

All our Victron components come with a 5 year guarantee and the batteries have a 10 year guarantee. The solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years, so making those calculations is tricky. We would also have to take into account the fact that we don't have access to the grid and that this would have cost around £20k which significantly changes how the numbers look ☺️

[@dc1544]

that really isn't that bad for what you go. Im in US and I was quoted $76,500 for the system I am installing myself for $15,000 which is over a bit as I know I will need to rent equipment ect. I am also doing my own battery banks and I bought used panels and will have to fix a couple diodes.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thanks for your comment 😊 We felt it was reasonable for what we got, despite the fact that it’s a lot of money. Your system sounds good. Will that take you off grid?

[@dc1544]

@@The_OffGridFamily I am not sure yet. I think I need more solar panels I have 9400 watts and think I need around15000 watts. I do have 2 inverters 5kw each so each can charge my 54kw battery bank which I think also need to be 50% bigger. when that is done I will be around 23,000 dollars US. I have everything to start except building the ground mount for panels which I will start shortly.

[@roberty21]

I don’t think that’s silly money considering the quality of components you’ve gone for, good luck

[@ronniebiggs4225]

Hi what type of land did you buy as usually councils will not allow you to live on the land unless it's registered as a certain type say white or brown land. They usually will not allow it on grazing land or green belt land as far as I know but it may have changed

[@AndrewLumsden]

Those 4 switches on the bar above the blue boxes look seriously dangerous. They should be fully enclosed in a consumer unit. Would look better too.

[@bridgerectifier7711]

I agree. As a installer myself, I am disgusted by seeing open high current terminals with the flagrant disregard for basic electrical safety. Unfortunately the Victron range of inverters and CC's all have open terminals with no IP ratings allowing insects, spiders & other creatures making their homes in this equipment.

[@johnwarwick4105]

Strange i was thinking about all the exposed connections. Ok only 48v but there is some serious power behind these if you should happen to short them out. It looks to me as though most of this kit would have been better and safer installed in a large cabinet or st the very lease some licked doors in front of it, maybe the building it is in is kept locked especially with a young family about. I am a time served industrial electrician if over 40 years and have worked on some very safe and unsafe. This building really needs to have restricted access and warning signs on the door. Looks a good job just a little exposed. Would be in serious shit if anybody had an accident I am afraid. Not intended to be overly critical just offering some free advice!

[@bridgerectifier7711]

@@johnwarwick4105 Yes, agreed. I have installed many off-grid LV equipment and as you pointed out, the short cct potential of unprotected 48v D.C. is greater than any rated fuse. Unfortunately, I seen the effect of shorted-out equipment such as this and it is not pretty. I once saw an Exide 2v 10,000Ah battery cell short out in a telephone exchange. I can tell you that it was a horrifying incident, one I hope to never see again. This experience and a few others, are why I employ the highest measures to prevent such occurrences and including, to enclose such equipment. Perhaps we should donate some WARNING labels to them?

[@jeremylister89]

Ouch! Expensive. Heaven knows what it is in May 2022! What about guarantee/ insurance/ extended warranty? Also your inverter...did you say its output is 10KVA? So just over 40 amps rms at 240V rms mains voltage? A 9.5kW electric shower and kettle exceeds this. Are you totally off grid for electric or do you need a top up every now and then?

[@The_OffGridFamily]

We are completely off grid for electricity and run without any help from our generator for the vast majority of the time ☺️ We used a generator for backup during the darker winter months, but are hoping to stop this by adding an additional ground array for winter time only. We are able to run a fridge, 2x chest freezers, washing machine, tumble dryer, air con unit and boil a kettle all at the same time. We recently tried this out in one of our videos if you would like to see a breakdown of the power used and how our system coped: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHKsgXumqJJonLM The batteries have a ten year warranty and the Victron stuff has 5 years 👍

[@jeremylister89]

@@The_OffGridFamily Thanks for the reply 👍 I looked at off grid 3 years ago. £27k, with ONE year guarantee on inverter. Hyundai if I remember correctly. Not impressed for something with decade(s) long expectation.

[@jukeseyable]

Wow! Great video on how you got ripped off, 25% + markup on the going rate, I'll be sure to avoid the suppliers in your discription

[@The_OffGridFamily]

If it helps people save money in the future then all the better for sharing 😊 All the best with your solar project 👍

[@evelbsstudio]

I knowtest the price of cable shot up after brexit and is still going up (as we get most things from Europe)

[@andrewbond1586]

?????why you replacing it.....?

[@andrewbond1586]

Sorry didn't finish before sent if it working don't change it nothing in life 100% it just life.

[@kyarichards2894]

I'm not trying to be smart or mean, but I'm shocked and not in a good way. I paid about 6K Sterling (converted) after grant aid in Ireland, for 4.2kWp on the roof, and the water diverter and a 6.5kWh battery which covers almost all our power year round. It was designed and installed by a firm specialising in just PV - they handled all grant aid too. It's set in one corner of our utility, has little to no visible wiring, and takes up very little room (maybe 800mm2) including a touch screen readout on the way etc. software online etc. I can see the passion with which you take on everything you do, and wonder what is the advantage of taking on DIY installation at such a high cost? I know you have a much bigger array, and my draw for power is just 12kWh a day... that's all we need as a family of three and about half of my water is covered by the diverter.

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Thanks for your comment 😊 Is your system an off grid system or are you grid tied?

[@kyarichards2894]

@@The_OffGridFamily Hi. Grid tied. I don,t have your skills or courage! Does that cost more.... going off grid? We draw about 800kwh off the grid I would say. Best. Kya

[@andrewbond1586]

Everyone went mad over covid it would have saved you a lot but you did it that the main think it will pay in end.

[@steveanderson3942]

I really can't believe the prices you are paying? Our whole system cost 4k here in Spain, it's definitely not has expensive has yours and we're not tied into the grid? Why would you? We use the fridge and washing machine, TV, laptops etc..we make sure we buy low amp/wattage products to help with the system..we are completely off grid, we have a shower/bath/water pump..LED lighting

[@stanlibuda5786]

The easiest and cheapest way is to use microinverters. Envertech EVT1200 up to 1600Wp for example. Max. output current 5.45A They can also be connected in series. If you have backwards running electricity meters, then this is the best choice.

[@anythingwithgkc]

This is far expensive for us here in Sri Lanka :(

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Lots of people comment to say that there are much cheaper ways of getting a solar set up 👍😊

[@mostlymessingabout]

I bet people are rushing out to buy them now that bills are going through the roof

[@The_OffGridFamily]

Yes we were saying the same. Sadly demand (and therefore price) could well be on the rise 😩

[@locostse7en]

Too much that's how much

[@Viraldanceworlds]

What a waste of money I dont know anyone that would use victron typical trust fund yuppies not a clue why KZbin keeps sending me this rubbish for that kind of money you will never get a return 20k ffs I just built a 3k system for 2500

[@norvern479]

Can you share your spec / components please