Upgrade your Solar Panel Installation with SolarEdge Optimisers.

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Күн бұрын

Solar panel installations have a long lifespan, but they do require maintenance over time. After 12 years of operation, this large solar PV installation is due for refresh. The existing inverters are nearing the end of their useful life, some wiring faults that have arisen, and the solar generation output has started to decline. Gordon Routledge joins Griff Thomas, the MD of GTEC Training, on the roof to investigate the rewiring of the solar modules, the installation of Solar Edge optimizers, and the addition of a new battery storage system.
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🕐 Chapters 🕕
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00:00 12 year old solar panel installation
00:55 Electrician spotted with sweeping brush
01:05 Why is this solar installation being upgraded?
02:05 Adding solar panel optimisers for data capture.
03:28 Refurbishment process
04:00 Solar panel string changes
04:40 Insulation resistance issues - the dreaded MC4 connectors
05:33 Rick finds lunch and more...
06:05 Solar inverter with wheels!
07:10 Existing inverter performance
07:55 Where are the DC isolators?
09:30 Feed-in Tariff with MID meter - KNX
10:53 Solaredge inverters
12:30 Communication with optimisers
12:56 What are we expecting to learn?
14:04 Part two ...
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#solarpanelinstallation #solaredge

Пікірлер: 35

@hein_mcleod 8 ай бұрын

Keep in mind that not all built in isolators are of the load breaking type. Ensure that the inverter is switched off or at least in standby mode before operating the switch.

@troyboy4345 8 ай бұрын

Great video, why would you not want to monitor all that free energy, daylight always gets home... as opposed to that energy most of us pay for, that comes from miles away !?? ... like Gas with those old fluff of boiler servicing, warranty promises and apps etc ... those boiler manufacturers must be spitting ? ... keep up the fantastic vision people, looking forward to the next video.

@WindyJAMiller 8 ай бұрын

Thorwing good money after bad. A modern string inverter would offer you string level monitoring without going on the roof. You've just added multiple failures points with the solar edge system. That job would have cost thousands and you've added not a particular amount more value than a new string inverter would give whilst coding a lot more.

@waynecartwright-js8tw 8 ай бұрын

was it a lo riso message on the inverter? had that with an aurora one that was 11yr old

@Hipyon 8 ай бұрын

I’ve been recommending vaseline in mc4 to stop water I work for BT in 70’s and they used vaseline filled crimps

@efixx 8 ай бұрын

Interesting idea 💡

@retrozmachine1189 8 ай бұрын

Hah. That instantly bought back a memory. We had gel filled sockets in Australia for difficult damp areas. Had one guy call back a few months after an installation by the company I worked for in the late '90s complaining about bad sockets. I turned out to be his cheapie line cords, but part of the complaint was that all the sockets we had supplied were filled with 'gunk' so he carefully cleaned it all out but wanted the lot replaced because they must have been a crook batch being filled with this mysterious stuff. Gel filled IDC crimps were and still are standard fare for the poor blighters stuck on copper.

@Hipyon 8 ай бұрын

@@retrozmachine1189 lol Love your profile photo 😊🙏🌈

@retrozmachine1189 8 ай бұрын

@@Hipyon Got it from @Mainly Electrical

@Snooooozel 8 ай бұрын

Just use dielectric grease which is used in cars for the sparkplugs

@NicolasRaimo 8 ай бұрын

Do you need to approve for optermizers and new inverter because its on FIT?

@efixx 8 ай бұрын

See part 2 - link at end of video

@MrRaddoslaw 8 ай бұрын

If MLPE than SE or Enphase, but there MUST be a reason why not use string inverter at first place. SE is not a "a fix for every problem" and has issues of it's own. In SE systems the overall efficiency will be lower than innstring inverter, you will still have hvdc cables on your roof, cable management (especially in 2:1 optimisers) will be "interesting" to say the least. Also string inv's are not so "unsafe" as MLPE companies would like them to be - afci is really effective in puting out ground arcs, automatic safety switch (like projoy or santon) can easily switch off even multiple strings and continious Riso monitoring adds some redundancy. TLDR: if there is no shadow better use string inv.

@kevxsi16v 8 ай бұрын

If the inverters are still working it seems like a waste of time changing them to me.

@grahamdaniel6035 8 ай бұрын

How is the FIT with changing inverters and adding batteries? Does it void the payment or rate ?

@efixx 8 ай бұрын

We discuss this in part 2,

@VinoVeritas_ 8 ай бұрын

No. You'll need to change the generation meter to a bi-directional generation meter though to account for the battery being charged from the grid.

@Umski 8 ай бұрын

@@VinoVeritas_ I have the legacy FiT and added a battery (with separate battery charger/inverter) but it's AC coupled not DC coupled so has no impact on the generation reading since it's one-way and the export is still deemed to be 50% - only becomes a problem if the PV is coupled to the battery via DC or if the PV inverter is replaced with a hybrid where one inverter does everything...

@VinoVeritas_ 8 ай бұрын

@@Umski You've ADDED an inverter to your system. The question was in regards to replacing the inverter.

@Umski 8 ай бұрын

@@VinoVeritas_ indeed, depends on how it all goes together - adding the AC coupled inverter avoids any messing with the FiT side though I suspect there are many legacy installs that have had inverters replaced and batteries added later without anyone checking if it’s “legit” - it would only be flagged if the FiT readings start looking a bit unrealistic…that said I’m sure all remaining installers know about how the FiT worked 😉

@NicolasRaimo 8 ай бұрын

Surely having more DC isolators it gives more risk of failure why waste money on them when they are built in