How to Install Solar Panels - a COMPLETE DIY Guide

[@CharlieDIYte]

🛠Charlie DIYte Amazon Tool Store amzn.to/3fcLnY4 - all my tried, tested and much loved DIY tools. ☕ Help support me on Patreon -www.patreon.com/charlieDIYte (includes Discord access).

[@GARDENER42]

Question: I'm planning a self build, so would 'in roof' be more viable, taking into consideration the saving on roofing materials?

[@kieranmccreedy271]

Tips… 1. Zappi car charger can be set to “Eco++” means EV is charged only off excess solar (whatever that is) 2. An Eddi solar diverter can be added to your hot tub. 3. You can still be on Agile outgoing and on standard price cap for incoming rather than go. Although if your incoming usage is low or negative agile incoming is cheaper due to the lower standing charge. 4. When you do the lift boards stagger them for more strength.

[@LumElectOps]

I don't know if they are even available for you, but now that you have solar, do some research on SPAN main electrical panels. There may be an equivalent panel available for you. They also offer an EV charging solution. Again, likely not available as I believe they are only 60Hz compatible, but something similar would be a game-changing update for a system like yours.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Looks splendid Great Job Charlie One remark, and I don't know if that is necessary in the UK but here in Holland you have to inform your house insurance that you have solar panels cause the are an extra risk of fire. Probably you have to pay some extra but if you forget to mention it and there is a fire your insurance company may decide not to pay for the damage and that is something you don't want. I have no experience with this but a friend of mine who has office buildings decided NOT to have Solar Panels cause the insurance increase was the same as his benefit from solar energy. Just wanted to mention it. Thanks for sharing your info and experience !! Have a great weekend

[@CharlieDIYte]

It's a very good point and something I've been meaning to do. I'm calling them today. Wish me luck 😬

[@MrQuattrodave]

@@CharlieDIYte what was the insurance extra cost Charlie ?

[@TomKaier]

@@CharlieDIYte Interested too whether they needed to adjust your quote

[@trueadd]

@@TomKaier I had a professional installation done and had to advise my insurer. They didn't change my quote but they did need proof that the installer was a properly registered company with public liability insurance. As the top level comment says the panels do present a fire risk, and I wanted to notify them of the work just in case. I would only DIY panels onto an outbuilding or ground mount system for this reason personally.

[@TomKaier]

@@trueadd thank you! Entirely mirrors my experience, reached out to insurer who provided all these documents to the underwriter who signed off on it.

[@joseywales3848]

As a solar installer with over 15 years experience I have to say that I'm impressed with the level of understanding shown and the quality of the installation. You're missing a few labels but I'd have to say that my main concern was the access equipment. If anyone watching this is thinking of doing this themselves, please, please ensure you have a full access scaffold installed by a qualified scaffold contractor. If you have to work off of mobile access towers, please ensure they are erected in accordance with manufacturers instructions and get yourself on a PASMA course. The towers in the vid were not high enough (the hop up on the platform was dodgy even if it was secured), did not have the correct hand rails and did not cover the full length of the roof.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Josey. Fair points and I hope the main thrust of the video was that it doesn't really pay to do you own install - best to get you guys in. What screws do you use out of interest? Someone said the stainless steel I used will electrolyse against the galvanised steel of the hooks. 👊

[@joseywales3848]

@@CharlieDIYte Your roof hooks are stainless steel no? If it’s Renusol they will be stainless.

[@joseywales3848]

@@CharlieDIYte If your roof hooks are galv steel (as Rensuol do both galv and stainless variants) then here is the response from the horses mouth; "Galvanised steel in contact with stainless steels is not normally considered to be a serious corrosion risk, except possibly in severe (marine type) environments (high levels of salt and moisture), however the screws and roof hooks are not open to the elements and are covered by the tiles when installed correctly."

[@ryaniwilliams]

What installer are you, I own a solar company, and are looking for installer contractors?

[@joseywales3848]

@@ryaniwilliams sorry Ryan but we don’t subcontract these days. We’ve got plenty of our own work thank you.

[@citizengkar7824]

Excellent run-down, of your install experience. Thanks. For anyone going solar, but with no battery backup, I seriously recommend you look at installing a hot water diverter. These devices recognise when your electric hot water cylinder is heating-ie. the element is turned on-& divert the solar power into the system heating, instead of seeing it as surplus, & just returning it to the grid, for pennies. And then having to purchase the same power, at normal rates. You could also get the electrician to install a timer (if allowable, in your region), onto your HWC heating circuit, at the same time, as installing the diverter. This would restrict any HWC heating to during the daylight hours, ensuring you maximise the solar power generated.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate. DIY mean something like a My Energy Eddi? I have installed a Tesla smart immersion on the mate hot water tank, but think I could still do with an Eddi 👍

[@Senluis13]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@jamesdc1993]

Perfect timing Charlie! My solar racking is being delivered today and I’m hoping to fit it shortly

[@SimplifyingChaos]

Hey James, may I ask where you got your racking from?

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Good luck with the install. 👍

[@anthonypaynter828]

Excellent video as always, Charlie. We have had solar panels for 10 years this year. One very important thing I would recommend though. We had to put plastic-coated wiring all the way round our panels because the birds, & in particular, the pigeons were nesting under them. The noise early in the morning was deafening. The mess was building up to an awful extent. We were told that maggots etc will live in the mess & eventually get under the roof tiles. Plus the mess & nesting twigs etc clogged up our drainpipes. Since then, we have had no pigeon noises waking us up at an unearthly hour & no clogging up of our drainpipes. We were not able to have batteries but the return from the energy company pays us on average £700-£800 per year, every year from 12 panels. They had paid for themselves in 4 years & that was before the terrible price increases we seen recently. We would wholeheartedly recommend having them installed. But we have been warned not to get the cheaper Chinese ones. They are not as good as the ones you have used from Canada & which we had installed.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Very good advice - really appreciate that. Yes I'm keeping an eye on the nesting thing as I do have a couple of pigeons in the garden. I've also been contacted by someone who installs the mesh so I might go down that route. The only problem with the Canadian solar is they're underwhelming on overcast days - whereas Sam on my Discord forum can get a full charge with his Jinko Tigers. I need to get them cleaned 😉

[@TAMSTERMAN]

Being an x electrician I can get my head around most of this and if I won the lottery and had the time to do it would love to try and play with these systems. Really appreciate your time explaining this( shame about the patron number crunching bit but if you need it…) roll on with the Venus project to help the masses.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks. Yep unfortunately we need to look for alternative ways of making income as you can't rely on Google ad revenue to make ends meet.

[@colinfarrell6444]

Great video Charlie, We installed solar pv 8yrs ago and have only 2 regrets. Wish we had installed more than 4KW system & Wish we had battery backup. But the £650ish we get annually from govt., plus lower monthly bills and unlimited hot water via immersion heaters for 8 or 9 months of the year is great. Will def look into adding batteries

[@justinrobinson3423]

Colin, what KW size is your immersion heater in your hot water tank?? And it kicks in with a 4KW system for 9 months of the year!!? Been pondering this exact question recently so your comment caught my eye 🙏

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Colin. I'm hoping the Tesla smart immersion will enable us to do that - possibly in conjunction with a My Energy Eddi. Definitely worth getting batteries but they're the most expensive part of it at the moment.

[@fazerstorm-oap]

We have the same capacity installed in 2014. I think the government scheme only allowed a maximum capacity of 4kw for domestic feed in grants. Paid for itself twice over already!

[@baldyslapnut.]

@@justinrobinson3423 our system powers the immersion once output from panels is >1.5kw. The immersion will still be heating water even if its not running at max power rating.

[@justinrobinson3423]

@@baldyslapnut. thanks! How often is the power >1.5kw? I assume most of the time the power is below 1.5kw from a 4kw array due to our cloudy temperate climate?

[@jenkinseric2]

Thank you, great information. I struggled a bit with British terms vs Canadian and the focus on programs in Britain. I live in BC and all our power is generated by hydroelectric dams so there are no time of use rates. I have never seen a tile roof like yours other than really old historical buildings. You have a wide audience

[@AmyLi-ESS]

Attempt to develop solar power generation systems

[@madpete6438]

I am in New Zealand and have 2x arrays, 90 degrees apart. 1x 5kw and 1x 2.48kw, each ~45 degrees either side of due North. 12 kw of lifepo4. Even in winter (right now) we get 750+watts with rainy, cloud covered sky. It is currently peaking at 5.3kw during clear midday skies in the middle of winter. Monitoring suggests that the batteries add value well in excess of the additional cost. Nice summary - my kit cost NZ$26,000 installed (13492 uk pounds) with me doing nothing. Best house upgrade ever. Going to add another 12kw for summer. I have noticed that battery temperature has an effect on how fast the Battery Management System charges.

[@philipoakley5498]

Of obvious note, "North" in New Zealand is toward the sun, so arrays are 45 degrees either side of the midday sun. (it's easy to get confused with the sun going the 'wrong' way; ENW vs ESW ;-)

[@oleww50]

Someone’s probably said this already but the myenergi Eddi is an excellent solution for excess solar

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks buddy. Funnily enough the guy I mentioned on my Discord forum has one of those. 👊

[@86Reefer]

Only if you using it for hot water, otherwise they are generally useless as using them for radiators for example in the summer makes no sense and in the winter you will hardly have excess to make it worthwhile.

[@oleww50]

@@86Reefer I’ve hooked up an extension cable to the second ‘tank’ of the Eddi. Allows me to use all sorts of cooking equipment, all using the excess energy. I’ve found it invaluable. Also I have a storage heater so between my ‘solar kitchen’ and night warmth I’ve found it extremely useful.

[@86Reefer]

@@oleww50 I agree they are useful, but the port 2 your using equally could be just pulled from the main ring when the sun is shining. For most people they use an eddi for immersion heating, or any resistance electrical element. I sold my eddi as I had Installed a new gas combi boiler before getting into solar. Once I move to battery's the eddi will be useless anyways. Unless I had a huge array which I don't.

[@oleww50]

@@86Reefer I like it as it uses every bit of excess though. If I had it on the main circuit, my kettle would be using 3kw to boil in 3 mins, often using 2-2.5kw over my array (3.6kw) depending on weather etc. But on the Eddi, sure it, can sometimes take longer say at 500w in cloud, but it’s effectively free hot water. It does take management but I work from home so not a huge deal for me at least.

[@dominicwebb8000]

Even if you are not exporting to the grid you must inform the DNO of the connection (it's within 28days) and provide proof of grid disconnect on supply failure documentation. This is vitally important as any installation must auto disconnect when the grid goes down, otherwise it might have fatal consequences for anyone working further up the grid.

[@cujimmi]

Hi Dominic.. I'm actually a sparky but don't have any real experience with solar pv but with the cost of electricity as it is I'm seriously considering installing solar + batteries. I did many years ago go on a course and to the best of my memory I think most inverters have anti- islanding devices built in. As I understand it the inverter requires power from the grid to operate so in the event of a power cut its impossible to export energy

[@dominicwebb8000]

@@cujimmi thats 100% correct, but the only requirement is to prove to the Grid supplier DNO) that its built in, so you provide a schematic of the system and the approvals for the inverter.

[@dissonantiacognitiva7438]

If your system is an offgrid system, by default it doesn't inject into the grid. And if it is the case it is just an appliance.

[@hendrikbock]

So my installer charged me 6000 Euros for the installation. It was the cheapest offer which I got. The other end of the spectrum was an offer which would have cost me more than twice that money. To be fair I have more modules installed, but I really don't think that this makes such a difference. From my point of view your installer either is extremely cheap or just wanted to discourage you to spread the word that DIY makes sense. Thumbs up for you doing it yourself!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Hendrik. 👍

[@jameso9221]

"heat your hot tub" with batteries is me favourite comment. If I had a hot tub I wouldn't be looking at solar. Great video thank you ❤

[@MA-bx8bd]

Best informative solar install on the internet in my opinion.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks buddy, appreciate that 👊

[@stuntmanwill]

If the hook pads were fitted the right way up would this not have prevented the tiles being lifted? Looks like they had a shape that would fit flush.

[@101akar]

Excellent video - very simple ,clear and well articulated - thank you for the video Charlie

[@Andrei-df7nj]

Don't give anything to the grid, they'll buy it off you for pittance for what they'll sell it for but won't give you the same price in return.

[@Sam-yk2ix]

Would be more profitable to mine bitcoin

[@Joe-lb8qn]

Outdated info now. You can get 15p for export and import at 7.5p.

[@hawktalkuk]

Your right mate, I get about 3p per kilowatt but buy it for about 45p,, diabolical, it's a scam

[@RedMixRecords]

The alternative option is worse unless you're able to reliably produce and store múltiples of what you use

[@fwzmhmd]

what would you do with the excess ?

[@briangrange]

Did a diy install myself. There are companies that specialise in selingl kits I used solartricity in ireland I think midsummer wholesalers do something same in UK. I did diy the electrical install and paid the local spark to test and certify it for 100e, worth it for insurance purposes..

[@MagicianMan]

Just a few points worth mentioning: (1) You can arrange a SEG from any company - you are not required to use your current supplier. (2) Octopus Agile/Go etc tariffs - have been shutdown for the time being. If you are already on one then it will continue until it expires but when it expires you won't be able to sign up for it again (at least that what I am led to believe). (3) I think there is a different rail fixing solution that would have been better in your circumstance, it requires cutting the tiles and using a "boot" that fits over the hook to provide a barrier to water/bugs etc. (4) I would recommend upsizing your inverter. Installers like 3.6Kw inverters as the paperwork is easier but you can fit larger inverters and "Export Restrict" them. This gives you a couple of advantages, if you decide to add to your Solar PV later you are massively reducing your costs (for a small initial cost increase). Your inverter effectively is the limiting factor of how much power you can supply from your Solar/Battery. For example - if your Solar is producing 4KwH and your battery could supply an additional 1-2KwH, 5-6KwH, you can still only draw 3.6KwH from your inverter due to its size limitation.

[@Swwils]

The tariffs are still available, agile import is just pegged at 35p most days since the wholesale price is so high. Time of use tariffs will become the norm.

[@amwphotos]

You can still get octopus go, but you can't use get the valuable export rates while on go.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Hmmm, that's only 6p more than I'm paying on Go. I need to put a cold towel on my head and do the sums as Agile may still be worth my while at least during the summer.

[@Swwils]

@@CharlieDIYte you should maximize self consumption and usage shift as much as possible first. Don't even think about exports till you have done that!

[@Stugadget]

You say " I am led to believe " Where did you get this information from ?

[@S.wilson911]

Great video. I’m just completely renovating a 5 bed Victorian house and planning to install Solar. Bought a Mixergy tank for the hot water which will be heated by solar,mains over night or gas. Putting electric under floor heating in both bathrooms and the whole of the ground floor which is tiled. Hoping this will help heat the house and not have to use as much gas. Our EV will also be charged from the solar hopefully.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good work Stephen. Depending on what car you've got you may find you struggle to charge it from solar/ battery alone for the reasons I gave in my vid - certainly fast enough to sustain daily usage but if you have an EV having the cheaper night time tariff is key. 👍

[@S.wilson911]

@@CharlieDIYte it’s only a Mini so it’s only a 32kw battery. I’ll be on Octopus Go unless the Agile is worth it.

[@utilitarian]

Fantastic Charlie. I love your belt and braces approach to everything that you do!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks so much. Appreciate that. 🙏

[@georgeanastasi7729]

Excellent and timely video - somehow you always seem to have either just done something I am about to do. Had a very reasonable quote back in early March to do exactly this size system, but with optimisers on each panel. I held off, as I needed to spend the cash on other renovations. Now minded to change the decision given energy prices! Payback will be so quick. Agree a battery is essential.

[@ndudman8]

heating up in the loft, might be not ideal in summer and winter :) Did this myself this year, and will happily extend again next year, nice feeling not to have to rely on someone else, and its really like lego if you use a bit of common sense. And that is why I just avoided the export idea and complication. I feel they will shaft any future potential profit in the future.

[@gregmathews715]

This is one of the best DIY videos I've watched in years! Thanks Charlie, you're brilliant!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Greg - really appreciate that 👊

[@rayphillips6060]

@@CharlieDIYte I'd love to take Charlie for a pint if he lived in Somerset

[@typxxilps]

Well done and explained. Renusol is a german manufactucterer from Cologne.

[@CharlieDIYte]

That explains why everything is manufactured so beautifully. Still think they need to hone the design though to deal with the gap issue I had under the tiles. 😉👍

[@glencwilson]

We are unlikely to go solar at this point or near future but a great video that provides a lot of information and points to consider.

[@SNORKYMEDIA]

How about just installing a battery? Charge up all night on a cheap tariff then use that to power the house when it is expensive during the day?

[@gavjlewis]

@@SNORKYMEDIA Finding a tariff that make this economically viable is difficult. Many like the octopus EV tariff now require you to prove you own an EV. This leaves you with economy 7 style tariffs which are far more expensive during the day. So charging a 10kWh battery at night might only say £1 or so a day.

[@CharlieDIYte]

I don't think I had to prove we had the EV but it's a good point.

[@Bullsheetbob]

15 years ago I fitted some panels on my roof using a screwdriver, some nails, a hammer and some sellotape. They are still up and working. Giving me full electric power and zero bills. Get in.

[@Brian18741]

Great video, been thinking about going solar the last few months. It is inevitable really I think but when is the question 😁

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Brian 👊

[@chandreshvarsani2190]

The issue that Charlie experianced at around 8:59 into the video with the raised roof hook stop can potentially be solved by using an angle grinder to carefully chase out the back of the roof tile to allow the hook and tile to marry up and sit flush with one another

[@allotmentuk1303]

Great video, wish it had been around when I had mine installed. I had mine fitted on the 11th of the 11th 2021 Poppy Day no problems they went up dead easy. My property is a bungalow so no scaffold. My loft already had a floor. My fuse boxes are directly central under the loft central on the gable wall giving a strong fixing for the inverter and battery. All fixed in one morning for £6,185.00 plus vat £309.28. Recoverable on 2021-2022 charge within 7 years Costs went up April 2022 halfing my recovery to 3.5 years. Going up in October again could half it again. Nov to May not much saved as we were learning a new life style. When we put the dishwasher on. Electric cooker, Central heating off now on electric ceramic heaters ony heating rooms we live in etc etc. May to present not overspent on the smart meter budget in fact never spent more than £1.00 a day or as low as £0.58p a day including the standing charge. Since installing have reduced my CO2 emmisions to 2.21 tons which is the equivilent of planting 6.05 trees My village has approx 3,000 dwellings. Not many have panels fitted,residents say they spoil the look of the village. I say panels are only a temporary measure until tecnology catches up or politicians wake up, but it is an instant solution 6000tons of CO2 would be a big contribution. ONLY ONE PROBLEM my installer did not supply a a MCS certificate and Octopus will not purchase the electric passed on to the grid. The issue of the certificate is not mandatery and other suppliers such as Scottish power dont ask for it but the best terms are Octopus at the moment.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Great comment. I agree wholeheartedly with all that plus we're doing our bit to ease the load on the Grid. What a win win your install has been and as you say the mere fact of operating your system causes you to change the way you operate your appliances.

[@allotmentuk1303]

@@CharlieDIYte Thanks for your reply. 10 minutes ago 3rd bungalow down one of their solar panels burst into flames positioned on a flat garage roof. The bungalow is rented but not the garage. The landlord suppliments his earnings no benifit to his tenants. A flat garage roof covered with asphalt is not ventilated as a normal house roof. The heat outside is very intense. The solar panels are the ones with the black edging. First observation, because of the lack of ventilation and the volotile nature of the roof covering the panels burst into flame. Just a guess but I want to know more.

[@johnh9449]

Hi Charlie, Another excellent video! Brave man for opting to fit yourself and very honest and thorough about the advantages and disadvantages but all the better for the detail. I just realised I saw it when you first posted which was about two months before my install when I was preparing for it - so good to know a few things then and good to watch again for a recap I've recently switched from Octopus Go to Flux which gives a good export rate higher than the off peak rate making it cheaper to charge the EV at night rather than day surplus solar which you are better off selling. That goes even more for heating hot water with surplus if you have a heat pump as it's around 300% efficient so multiply the night time advantage by three 😁👍 One thing I did to put my mind at rest was to do a structural load calculation. The solar panels add up to about 20% weight extra over concrete tiles but the roof design should cater for snow which can be much heavier. Works out the solar panels took off about 70 mm of snow load capability but it was already 10 times that anyway so no worries. Besides I'd probably keep the snow off now 😉

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks John. That's really interesting. Yes I've been toying with Flux having just renewed my Go tariff. My problem is I use quite heavily at night with the EV to charge but don't end up with much surplus during the day - except during the summer months. Plus I'm too lazy / stupid to do the maths 😉

[@johnh9449]

@@CharlieDIYte If you did a lot of miles in the EV it will swing the advantage in the Go direction. I don't do many miles. I switched to Flux on 1st April and so far this month I've imported 197kWh almost entirely at the overnight rate and exported 166kWh. I've not had the bill yet but an approximate simple calculation works out to £2.80 cost so far this month by today 14th. That's running a heat pump too and I expect it to go negative over summer to offset the winter cost. I'm refining a spreadsheet to calculate all this.

[@PhillipParr]

Love this. I'd like to have a go at installing panels myself but as it's a town house and I have a silly pod on the back, I'm not massively confident about it with all the scaffolding required. I did get 3 companies to quote for solar back in 2020, but all of their quotes were in the "we don't actually want your custom" range. Once batteries come down a bit more in price I'm sure all in it'll be a no brainer, but right now it's just on the not quite worth it line for me.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Fair enough Philip. Yes it's crazy how few companies seem to want to help. The batteries are the most expensive part right now.

[@AmyLi-ESS]

@@CharlieDIYte The current battery price is stable. If you need it, please contact me.

[@purp1euk]

Hi Charlie, really appreciate the warts and all review here. On the chargepoint charging your EV at expensive times and not using spare solar power when available, have you considered returning it to the installer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 whilst there is still time (6 months from install) to do so hassle-free? The Indra is sold as smart and charging when there's spare solar/cheap import on your tariff, so yours would be classed as faulty (due to not being " as described") they should replace it with a different model (maybe the Zappi) if they can't/won't fix the issue. It's the installer's responsibility to fix this fault, not the manufacturer

[@squidlings]

Wow you've covers so many questions I've been struggling with find answers to. Fantastic video! Thank you so much. Hope it works out good for you.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Cheers buddy. Glad you found it useful and thanks for the comment 👊

[@DTech101]

Lol this is like when I got my smart meter walking around trying to find what’s killing the electric. My solar is a couple of months away now as I wanted all black 400watt and all panels optimised and then I decided to monitor all the panels at panel level, I haven’t got batteries in my build I just couldn’t afford it but when I can it will be a Victron inverter for the battery. I’ve gone for a ac Coupled system so I can add in stages, instead of having to buy so much up front, trade off is it’s not as efficient as the DC coupled but no one part can take the whole system out of commission. PS definitely get pigeon protection I can see all of them over by my neighbours roof the noise must be unbearable and they poo on the panels when they come out so it must be affecting generation. It’s took me months to research solar and battery tech. There are a lot of companies that are not interested with what the customer wants and just want to give generic options this was the most annoying thing about the whole process, tell them what you want then they send a quote of what they want so look at the quotes carefully people! PS who ever commented about insurance is correct make sure you tell your provider, some will not charge anything as it is so common and as long as you own it yourself ie not a roof space lease to a company that pays for it to be installed on your roof

[@lazylad8544]

Bit of a job that Charlie. Think if I ever get panels I'll get a company in. Good video and well explained 👍👍

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks mate 👊

[@Saaj2]

Nice video. Been thinking of a DIY install on my garage roof with the renusol system so this has been really helpful. Only going for 3 panels for the time being since I'm going full DIY hence no MCS thus no SEG.

[@owenoj]

I've done this, I used PhotonicUniverse for their iconica inverters, and their 300w solar panels. I got a flat roof solar panel mount where the panels are mounted to the mount and you weigh the flat roof solar panel mounts down with either sand bags or brick (like I did). I have 4x panels and I've reached just under 1kW on a good summer day when the sun sits high in the sky. I use it to charge 4x 100Ah 12v batteries in series/parallel to get 24v and 200Ah. I can run the house through an isolator switch so I can simply "plug in" and switch the isolator switch over to the inverter (or generator if you had one). With these batteries I can power the house up to four hours. So it's great for when there's power cuts! On a good summer's day you could literally power the house all day whilst charging batteries up. As you say it's a DIY system and doesn't export to the grid, but it's a neat system.

[@alexbaines4342]

Nice install of the rails and panels. I see why the sparkies didn’t want a mention however!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Nothing to do with any of their work. They don't work outside county and are to busy to take on additional work. What's wrong with their install in your eyes then?

[@johnbanks8065]

Good video showing that it really is possible to DIY the bulk of a solar install. Now the video is a little older would you care to share the cost of your system to everyone, so we can compare the savings that can be made doing what you can yourself as opposed to using a solar company for everything as they seem to really charge a lot given the current price of panels and inverters; the bulk of the cost seems to be the installation which can be done yourself as you've shown here.

[@Mt3Dpdrtk]

That’s sweet the diagonal stripes you put in your tiling

[@CharlieDIYte]

Wasn't deliberate!

[@wasbikebloke9846]

This is the best explanation of the practical application of solar I've seen. Extremely informative and echoes my experience - very difficult to find a solar company. I tried quite a few but none of them were interested......All too busy. The industry needs to grow massively and increase knowledge exponentially if the UK is tomato the transition to distributed generation. I'd also like to see if the promised Tesla solar tiles end up being viable.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks buddy. I'm not surprised your experience mirrors mine. It's not what you'd expect though, is it?

[@petesshed]

Thanks Charlie for your honest assessment on the solar panels you installed and everything that goes with it...good or bad. Also a big thank you for your recommendation of WeShop (will have a look in a min). All the best

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome Peter. Thanks for the comment. The problem with those Canadian solar panels is they're pretty hopeless on overcast days. I understand the all black monocrystalline perform much better on overcast days. Just something to consider.

[@JP-gi2pr]

Sensible idea in supporting your "local" suppliers... Very informative video.

[@deanripley2875]

Got the same setup as you. Had it for 3-4 months and it’s been brilliant. You do get obsessed with how much appliances consume 😂.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good to go hear that Dean. Have you thought of getting a My Energy Eddi?

[@deanripley2875]

@@CharlieDIYte I’ve not tbh, I’ll have a look at that.

[@opentrail]

the best video I've seen with so much explanation. Well done Charlie!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Jonathan 👊

[@mm-piano]

Fantastic video as always! Have you thought about pigeon proofing your panels? Once they start building their nests, they'll make a mess of your new roof... I'm sure you'll do your own research but some mesh should work - maybe a project for another video?

[@anthonypaynter828]

I made my own from plastic coated chicken wire and got a local lad to put it up for me (I'm 80 & my wife won't let me up step ladders any more, let alone ladders for the roof. ) It was £100 well spent.

[@fredmercury1314]

9:25 I think what you're meant to do is carve a groove into the tile, using an angle grinder, so the tile sits properly over the hook.

[@Christopher_T_Paul]

I did a solar panel installation last year on my barn and like you did most of the work myself. I didn't really need a new roof, but I did refelt an rebaton my roof and reused most of my old slate and had to buy some reclaimed to swap out any damages. I installed 10 new panels and a used Tesla powerwall (just £500 on Facebook) and I am fairly happy with the power generated. The whole job, including the reroof cost me £5.3k, but I saved money on the install because I only relied on a qualified friend to actually make the connections and do all the certification for me for a small sum. The only downside is I have no warranty at this point. My first full year and my electricity bill for the year was £78, typically around £900, but I get a pretty bad deal when it comes to selling back my electricity, but I am locked in to my energy provider so will look at that again. I think my system will pay for itself in 7 or 8 years and that is with a huge chunk of the work DIYed, personally I think solar is overhyped and paying a professional might take too long to recover your money, possibly 15 years, that is if it is still working correctly.

[@raychambers3646]

Do your panels need cleaning and do they lose there efficiency?

[@Christopher_T_Paul]

@@raychambers3646 The only time I see them really dirty is in the summer, when you have that dirty rain after a dry spell. I bought a soft broom with a telscopic handle and it keeps them clean and I usually do this once a month, but my barn roof is probably just 5 metres at the ridge, so it is fairly easy. As for efficiency, I have only had them about 15 months and obviously this summer has been rather different to last year, I haven't pulled any real power from the grid since April/May.

[@petercarter5732]

What an incredibly interesting video We have been hovering before making the decision and your video has helped Thanks

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it Peter. Thanks for the comment. 👍

[@geoffhayday6003]

Really helpful, thanks. Ordered a similar system last month, hopefully install in September. Delay seems to be the network supplier has to approve the fact that we may push electricity back to the grid, in case they get too much and it burns out their local distributor. Waiting for a G99 application to be approved. I do not think it will be cost effective (cost for us about £13.5k) but, apart from being a bit greener, it should give us back up in the event of a power cut. Hopefully the battery will keep our gas boiler running. Extra’s we paid for were microprocessors for each panel so that if one is damaged or shaded they do not all cut out and bird guards. Reassuring to hear our costs are not so far out, they sounded very high compared to what some say they paid.

[@thepeginator2556]

You can also apply for G98 which is much easier to get but does limit what you can export to (I think) around 3-3.5kw, but 1. Generally exporting is a last resort and 2. depending on your system you’re probably unlikely to be exporting THAT much very often.

[@86Reefer]

13k........ That must be a huge system. I've just done a 4k system for 2.5k

[@CharlieDIYte]

Just check the Inverter you've ordered works in a power cut, because I'm not sure mine does, at least without additional configuration.

[@thepeginator2556]

@@CharlieDIYte most do but as you say it needs configuring. Usually they have an additional EPS (emergency power supply) circuit which has to be wired to certain circuits in your consumer unit e.g. maybe you want the kitchen sockets so the fridge stays on, or whatever sockets run your router/network kit so the internet stays up. I’ve asked my installer to do it at the time of install and will probably just get them to do all the sockets and lights if possible.

[@Max-gs8zv]

@@thepeginator2556 Sorry, but this is incorrect information. By far the majority of grid-tied systems (including battery systems), in the UK at least, do NOT provide any power during a power cut. Many people install them thinking they are getting a power-cut proof system but generally speaking it's not the case. If you have a battery system installed then these can sometimes be configured to provide power from the battery during a cut, but they need to have a auto-grid disconnect switch which totally removes the battery and solar system from the public mains distribution system during a power cut. This is also sometimes known as "islanding". The reason for this is that if 240v from your system enters the public grid (and 99% of all UK solar systems are designed to feed surplus power back to the grid when all the power is not used up in the home) then during a power cut the inverters are disabled to prevent this. 240 Volts fed back up the line to the nearest distribution transformer could put 11kV onto the main feed line and could instantly kill a worker who thought the system was depowered. Systems that work "off-grid" during a power cut can be installed but it adds significant cost and complexity to the install. Most people don't bother due to the rarity of power cuts here in the UK. Sadly I'm one of the few that lives in an area with an absurd amount of power cuts so I wish my 12kW system did keep going in a power cut, but in any case most cuts are during winter storms when even with a 12kW system does not produce much solar power from November to February. I'm going to get a generator for those occasions as some of our power cuts would have the battery exhausted long before the power came back on and the cost of the generator and a changeover switch will be much lower than cost of a solar battery and associated equipment.

[@wolterinkswildlife4657]

Interesting video, you are having the same issue with your car charger as I had. Car charging randomly at full power and stopping again. I asked Indra directly for a fix, there is a new firmware version you can go onto solving the issues. However my Indra just starting fighting with the battery. If left alone the battery would just be charging the car at full power. I would think the zappi gives you more control, but in the end I changed it to a EmonEVSE charger. It will give you full control over the charger and prioritise what to charge during solar excess, Hot tub,Hot water, car, etc. But this requires some home automation programming. I had high hopes of my Indra charger, but it's just lying disconnected in my garage doing nothing.

[@puntoboy_gaming]

DNO approval can be done without a certified install. SEG usually needs MCS, as you said, but SEG payments are pennies so hardly worth it if you have batteries.

[@johnnightingale7680]

My sparky thinks otherwise on the DNO, but I agree with you, do you have any litterateur I can show him to convince him otherwise?

[@puntoboy_gaming]

@@johnnightingale7680 Just look at the G98/G99 forms and EREC G98, nowhere does it mention MCS. It only asks for installers accreditation, but that would just be the sparkies BS7671 accreditation. You need to comply with Part P of the building regulations, but again, that's separate from MCS.

[@woodythetuber]

Tricky one…SEG is pennies but Octopus for example is paying £0.20-£0.80/kWh on their Octopus Outgoing but you have to have an MCS cert. Makes sense to export depending on what your import tariff is.

[@viewer.86]

@@woodythetuber I suspect the export will always be less than you buy in, wouldn't make sense otherwise for companies to buy it. Its got to be better to create, store and use when needed than to worry about selling back, but of course it comes down to your own usage and willingness to spend on storage. People can look at storing the energy in water tanks as well, connect it up to emersion heaters etc.

[@gdalla11]

Definitely do not need MCS to make a G99 or any DNO application. I've done it with SP Energy Networks. Costs £300 and is super simple to do. You'll need MCS certificate if however you want to be paid the button's for exporting. But, your energy is more beneficial to you. So get using it through batteries, Zappi, Eddi and such like.

[@Phil535]

I ran the numbers and having a battery capable of storing my day's needs combined with the Octopus Go tariff (charging the battery during 7.5p rate) was hands down the best option. Payback was 8 years versus over 15 years if I added Solar PV to tge mix (even with SEG included). The cost of PV and miserly SEG makes it a bad choice, especially when a battery and cheap overnight tariff is an option.

[@Swwils]

This is not always the case. For instance I cover all of my use with solar and battery (thus have no import) and then export on outgoing agile at an average of 21p per kWh over the last 100 days.

[@Phil535]

@@Swwils Nice 😎

[@Swwils]

@@Phil535 more luck than judgement! I had no idea wholesale rate would do this and I factored the whole thing on 3.5p SEG.

[@neilhankey2514]

Exactly, there is no pay back for solar at the moment. New tech is just around the corner that might change the situation, such as lower cost flexible cells with a greater starting efficiency etc...

[@brianmatthews232]

Nice job, Pidgeons will appreciate the new home tho, might want some anti-bird skirts?

[@CharlieDIYte]

I've keep an eye on it. I have wood pigeons and so far they've shown no interest in roosting underneath it

[@simolatham03]

Also planning on adding solar to my garage, we already have 3KW on the roof of the house (East & West facing) on the FIT scheme. The garage now will have south, east and west panels with 9 in total with an Export limit of 16A to avoid doing the G99 form. No SEG crap as our relic electric meter spins backwards when we generate so 33p exports lol.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Glad to hear it Simeon. Are you getting batteries too? I recommend it.

[@simolatham03]

@@CharlieDIYte I may add one at some point, especially if the grid situation gets more dire but at the moment I’m quite interested in a Quasar bi directional charger for my leaf.

[@grantc8353]

Great video. We went with fusion 8. They got me sorted in a few weeks.

[@CharlieDIYte]

👍

[@kirkby0076]

Would be great, to heat your home with far infrared heating... I have put some in my home & they are fantastic!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes we've got a few of those in my other half's office. 👌

[@DTech101]

@Charlie The difference between the Black and the Blue is the manufacturing process and the end product Ie Black turns out to be MonoCrystalline the colour is a by product of the manufacturing process. Mono cells have less gaps in the cells allowing electrons to flow smoothly, the reason for the mono costing more is from the circular ingots the corners are cut to make it square and that adds up to a lot waste. Polycrystalline are baked from bits of silicon which is why they shimmer as the crystals don’t truly mesh due to this they are less efficient at light production especially on low light days.

[@andyhello23]

You should do an update on this every 6 months or so, to tell us how it is going. Sure many would like to know.

[@apartmentswales]

Great documentary, shame you are not voicing over all the works, end to end and in a lot more detail. As an Electrical Mech Eng, I was really wondering what your background was, clearly you had grit to tackle the job and came across as having a brain cell or two 😊 Being retired and having multiple homes both here and abroad, I am drawn to watch these videos to push myself into doing something to save my footprint, but here I am stuck to my armchair unconvinced there are any benefits when it comes to burning up my hard earned cash. A friend of mine in France uses a Glass Tube [not sure of it's tech name] placed on his roof to give him unlimited hot water, that literally costs him pennies to install and nothing to run, but not perfect in the Winter 😒but what a brilliant way to have a Hot Tub or Heated Swimming Pool.. Again well done for putting this video out there Mr Spence Eng

[@MrJohnnynapalm7]

Very informative - thanks for sharing and happy new year!

[@planespeaking]

Interesting, have saved this to watch later. There's not that many guides like this on UK KZbin

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yes, I thought that too 👍

[@SW-gu1wy]

There's 5 hours on that roof at most. Lovely easy roof 👌🏼

[@paulprescott7913]

How fascinating, thank you Charlie.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks Paul

[@bazcurtis178]

I am having 14x 400w panels installed next week. I will also be getting Lux batteries and inverter. Nice to see you have it too. I don’t have an EV so can’t get a cheap tariff which is a shame.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Good work Michael. Hope you like it. There's not so much generating in the winter with the lack of sunshine but it'll still massively reduce your reliance on the grid. I think if I didn't have an EV I'd go on an Agile tariff.

[@bazcurtis178]

@@CharlieDIYte Have you seen the Agile tariff the last few days. It is has gone up to 60p at time. Octopus not taking Agile customers at the moment

[@andrewknots]

I’ve just been quoted 22 November for my inverter delivery, but it is rather a fancy one which does individual panels with solar edge controllers rather than simple chains of panels, but the lead time is outrageous

[@AdrianMcDaid]

if you dont have any shading the normal stings would be OK . If you do have shading solar ends is the right choice.

[@anthonyfernwood8093]

Wow,you’ve just talked me out of getting solar on my house, I’ve got solar on my van so I’ll just move into that.

[@CharlieDIYte]

😉👍

[@philriley1002]

Have you thought about how you are going to clean the panels? If so it would be great to see where your thinking is. I had mine installed in Feb and am now looking at 12m pole systems but don't see much on KZbin with people doing it without getting on the roof.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Funnily enough I was just discussing that with Anything who's posted a couple of excellent comments on here. I need to get them cleaned as they're quite dusty. I think I'm going to invest in an extension pole system for my house pipe. I'll do a video on it. 👍

[@timtam6442]

Cjange your EV charger to Ohme and switch on octopus intelligent with 6 hrs at 7.5p. Worked just fine for me after having anEasseee box which wasn’t compatible

[@LeeHarvey-io7bb]

Great video. Would have been good to show how the solar is actually connected to the main board.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Fair point. I don't generally go into electrics as it's not something I can qualified to talk about. Artisan Electrics are good for that.

[@fastbike9845]

Thanks for the detailed run through. P.S. did you put your fingers in the power socket at around 21:31, your hair suddenly stood on end.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Not this time but I was very good at electrocuting myself growing up 😉

[@PhilJohn1980]

You can easily add bird guard or solaskirt to stop critters getting under the panels - solaskirt looks nicer, but bird guard isn't much worse.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Yep I'm keeping an eye on the underside. Pigeons are the biggest issue here.

[@charlesbarnett2724]

Thank you Charlie. Very informative.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You're welcome. Thanks for the comment. 👊

[@StagnantMizu]

what happens to the generated power when installing the panels is has to go somewere right? definitely if you happen to get peak hour light, and what if the grid fucked and your battery if full the energy has to go somewhere right do you have a dumpload system or something?

[@peli71]

Best oriëntation is east-west as there is a better production throughout the day and year, especially in combination with micro-converters or optimizers.

[@ridgmont61]

Excellent video Charlie- it would be interesting to see how the electricity bills are in 3 months or so.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Mat. I'll do an update in 3-6 months. 👊

[@ukcarver]

Great video We had solar panels installed about 9 years ago and all that time we have been paid export tariff, I think we should get our money back in the next year or two. Only problem I have is I don’t know if our energy bills are lower as a result of having solar panels. You would think so but I don’t know how to find out.

[@CharlieDIYte]

You were an early adopter, installing 9 years ago 👏 They're bound to be cheaper but how you finesse it depends on the tariff you're on and things like battery storage, I guess

[@theophobia-uk]

Ground mount and you can hose them down. This means they are kept clean and cool.

[@CharlieDIYte]

If you've got the space then definitely 👍

[@philware1546]

You don't need MCS with Octopus SEG now 😃 You only need an electrician to install the new circuit to the inverter. You can do the DNO paperwork yourself. I did and got approval.

[@donkee120]

In Australia I'm pretty sure its common practice, for the battery to only recharge off of the sun. Mains grid still fills in of a night time if battery runs out , but just goes straight from grid to house (not via battery). Interesting concept though.

[@Reduced009]

Do you mind sharing the installer companies website, it’s near impossible to set up solar your self these days and sell to the grid. You need MCS and the companies who will provide these certificates will try con you into purchasing everything through them and refuse to help otherwise. Would just like a insight because this is not talked about a lot but UK government make it impossible. I’ve already bought my home charging battery so don’t know wether to just set that up or continue with solar will appreciate any help thanks

[@Extragonk]

Super interesting stuff, thanks for the in-depth video, totally understand the supplier problem, it’s been a nightmare trying to get a installer to help us up in Northumberland for the same task

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Paul. Hope you get something sorted.

[@bradleyalexanderwatson5437]

What is the best phone App so you can see how much energy is being stored, sent, used ? And how do you link the app to your solar system etc etc ? 🤔🤔🤔

[@dalemorgan1685]

If you had a three phase supply to your property, could you have 2 x single phase meters, providing two MPANs, allowing one to have the "go" tarrif for your car, and the "agile" tariff for your solar? Then you could have your cake and eat it 🤔 I'm curious as I am on a looped supply, so my DNO will have to remove it, and I think it's their preference is to install 3 phase cables/heads to the property now as standard.

[@CharlieDIYte]

I guess you're paying 2 standing charges in that scenario but maybe it's still worth your while 🤔

[@PaulHawxby]

Good video but unless I missed it the bit covering the inverters was very brief when in some circumstances the inverter setup has more of an effect on output than the actual panels. You've gone for a simple string system, what about optimised or microinverters...

[@Improveng1]

Nice one Charlie, thank you sir.

[@TinTentTourist]

Welcome to the solar club.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Martin. 👊

[@SamLTate]

Hi Charlie, fully appreciate you didn't want to name the installers at the time but we're looking to get a similar system done up north and if they're less busy we'd love to hear who you used? Cheers!

[@CharlieDIYte]

No worries. It was Medoria medoria-solar.business.site/ Looks like they're still pretty busy though.

[@jonathanallen985]

Excellent video. A couple of questions - if you bought and self installed, how did you get the VAT back. I want to buy a kit but can't see how to reclaim the VAT that is now at zero. What size/make is your inverter I couldn't see in the video. 14 x 415W = 5,810W. I presume you had to get a G99 licence how long did the approval take, and were you "offline" while you waited for your approval. Shame we can't export to the grid and donate our surplus to create a Power Bank for those who can't afford electricity.

[@AdrianMcDaid]

Have my system in 2 years, just after the first lock down must of been very lucky in my timing and choice of installer. £7,600 for 5.4kw solar system, invertor, 7.5kwh batteries, Eddie and zappi Electric car charger, hot water heater. My last quarter electric bill was 75 pounds. Friend currently being quoted 2k more for same system off same installer. Others want more. Try be most efficient when using power put my washing machine and dish washer on during the day devices in summer. In winter my production falls off cliff so I buy power at night off peak rate and fill my batteries to use during the day. Also charge car off peak/ trickle charge when have excess power. Will time to use the washer, dish washer on night rate, with built in delay function. One of my neighbours thought I was mad at the time spending the money. One of my best investments!

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks Adrian. You did really well there, and were advised very well. I plan to get a Eddie. I got the wrong charger not realising that I was getting solar, when I installed the charger. The Zappi is the only one that does solar charging properly without draining the batteries. Like you I get very little charge on overcast days so I'll be relying on charging at night too but the nighttime rate is going up to 50p in October!!

[@ChrisBrown-um1vu]

Can you have the set up and do away with the meter. For example set up on a garage roof, no meter. Personal energy consumption

[@petereed8326]

Hi Charlie. I had a similar system installed in February 2022. It also uses the Luxpower app but I have found the app to be very difficult to use and the controls seem random. 8.30 this morning battery level 43%, consumption 142w, generating 958w but exporting 1450w. How do I change the settings to stop exporting until the batteries are fully, or almost fully, charged? This is going to be more important during winter with limited charging opportunity from less sunlight.

[@shoaibabbas13]

Loved the video

[@colinmiles1052]

Great video - thanks. Thought about solar but my neighbour has 60ft trees which shade my roof during spring /autumn /winter. I have no control over this so cannot have solar.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Sorry to hear that Colin. Yes they perform pretty badly with no direct sunlight unfortunately.

[@capitalinventor4823]

Thanks for another wonderful video. Have you considered a solar hot water system for your hot tub instead of using electricity to heat up the water? Just to clarify myself, have a system that would run a liquid to a series of tubes up on a roof to capture the heat of the sunshine and store it in a tank of water. (There are other systems that use other elements than water.) Then the hot tub, and even the domestic hot water supply, could be heated from this tank. The only electricity would be used to pump the liquid up to the roof, making it much more efficient.

[@DTech101]

More efficient for sure but very limited application, by fitting solar panels you can heat water up anyway as well as have any electrical item working ie cooking washing drying TV computers, solar PV just has more benefits than the water heating you mentioned

[@capitalinventor4823]

@@DTech101 Please show me where I said to rip out the solar PV system and replace it with the solar hot water system? I specifically said to use the solar hot water system to heat the water of the hot tub and possibly the domestic hot water supply. Of course solar PV can provides electricity to run electric items in the household. That goes without saying, or should have. Collecting the heat from the sun is not an either or situation, especially since in this case the hot tub appears not to be near this building and would have the collection panels on the other building. Even if there was one building, or if Charlie wanted the solar heat collection done at this building, heat could be collected from the solar PV panels in a hybrid system, lowering their temperature and making them more efficient. There are many, many ways to make systems work. No matter what, it is ridiculously inefficient to heat with electricity or burning of fossil fuels when transferring heat is usually multiples of times more efficient. Use the electricity to run heat pumps, solar hot water heaters, etc and have more electricity to run the other electric items, store in a battery, or to send to the grid. Society needs to make these type of changes so that we may enjoy the lifestyle we enjoy and others may be brought up to such a lifestyle without massive damage to the climate. We're already committed to some climate damage and the longer we go on with the status quo the worse things are going to get. Remember, what we are seeing is the impact of emissions from approximately 20 years ago as it takes time for the systems to react. We may stop CO2 emissions today and it will still take a couple of decades, at a minimum, to find out the damage we have wrought because there will be reactions, such as methane released from permafrost, that will require time to know the impact.

[@DTech101]

@@capitalinventor4823 it sounds like that is what you suggested hence the reply. Apologies! But I think he said he was cleaned out financially, financially speaking the hot water system is an either that or solar PV but PV is definitely priority. I have seen some systems in the states that water pipes on the back of the PV which is great and right up there my main worries with that is leaking. For sure we have to do something about climate change but that involves our government helping us out, they could have incentivised solar and made us all have mini grids in our areas.

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks guys. Good thread. I haven't considered solar hot water but it's definitely something I should/would. I'm constrained by south facing roofs - although I have one on the house itself, and for the time being (as @capital inventor rightly said) a lack of funds.

[@capitalinventor4823]

​@@CharlieDIYte Hi Charlie. I was only suggesting that solar hot water was an option to look into, especially for the hot tub. I’m a big believer in the right tool for the job which is why I think heating hot water with electricity isn’t the best idea. It’s a good backup however. It was Darren E that mentioned the financial restrictions you are under but I was only suggesting the project, not that it had to be done now, and certainly not that it replace the solar PV system. There are many different types of solar hot water systems. The interesting thing about them is they may be relatively simple. There is a video be Tech Ingredients titled “Should You Really Use Solar Panels?” that measures the output of a simple solar hot water collector. (While I normally really like their videos this one misses the point that Darren brought up about solar PV being able to do more than just heat water. However, it was interesting to see the collector.) In it the point to a video titled “DIY PEX Coil Solar Water Heater …” by desertsun02 that shows the making of the collector. A simple collector like this in a sunny area in the yard could be used to pre-heat a hot tub or pool before people use it. Thanks again Charlie for making these wonderful videos and being so involved in the community. Tech Ingredients video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5iYgYptbb2AidE desertsun02 video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZSaaaGrmqmEbJY

[@bernardcharlesworth9860]

We were told to remove a little bit of the tile using angle grinder to make hooks fit

[@CharlieDIYte]

I looked at that Bernard and decided it wouldn't leave enough of an overlap. Plus they don't talk about that in the manual.

[@hajirpirouzfar9481]

What a legend, great video

[@CharlieDIYte]

Thanks 👊