Are some PV panels better than others?

[SRE]

Of course if you work with a local installer, who can show you several satisfied customers and you don't force the price down they will be happy to show you the way to go. It's taken a long time and quite a bit of trial and error to get the expertise found on the forum. There's little more frustrating than someone picking your brains and then screwing you on price. If you want a quality installation service you will need to pay for it, but installers on here provide that service at a fair price.

 

[Gozoman]

I don't think there is anyone local. If there is I haven't found them. Closest I have found I think was Belfast.

 

[SRE]

I se what you mean - only 2 installers in NI Microgeneration Certification Scheme - Installer Search. If you ask nicely maybe one of the guys on the forum might be prepared to drive over and do the job for you - obviously you'd need to pay for the travel etc but then again you'd know you were getting good info and a decent installation. It's a long term investment so you should get the job done properly

 

[Gozoman]

I'm waiting for a PowerNI rep to call me next week to arrange an appointment. Given that I used to work gor them and they are the power suppliers here I'd like to see what they can offer. Trying to get them to contact me is like pulling teeth. You would tghink they would be glad of the work but after two emails went unanswered I had to ring them on Friday. Hopewfully I'll know more by the end of next week.

 

[SRE]

My advice would be to talk to a smaller company and definitely not a rep. Yesterday I went to a house where they had had 4 reps in the last 2 days. Some wanted to install on a N facing roof, some wanted to put 1kwp more than the roof would hold, none saw a chimney on the middle of the roof or that the roof needed re-inforcing. A rep will move from job to job, my customers can knock on the door if anything goes wrong. I don't want them to do that so we make sure they get the job they deserve not the one that helps us hit our bonus. You are in a difficult position but it may pay to work with someone who has had their MCS longer than June 2012 when the market was on it's knees.

 

[moggy1968]

I would say SMA are the inverter to go for. they're German, superb quality and have a great bluetooth interface as standard (on HF and TL, don't take any other SMA inverters though as they will be older and less efficient).

The other option might be microinverters such as enphase which will maximise your yield and could produce upto 20% more for an extra cost of about £600, more cost effective then going for something like panasonic panels.

IT may help if people name you some panels which aren't Chinese so you can research them, so here's a few to kick off with. Bosch (German) Samsung (Korean), Canadian Solar (strangely enough. Canadian!). Don't be fooled by Chinese panels with names that don't sound chinese. Some of the bigger instalers import container loads of chinese panels, some of which are rubbish, and put their own european sounding name on them. There are good chinese panels, Yingli and Suntec for example but I understand your reasoning.

I would like to say it is refreshing to see someone interested in more than just price, the pound shop mentality of some in this business properly does my head in!

 

[Gozoman]

No problem that way with PowerNI as they are the company in N. Ireland that own and run all the power stations and who I pay my bill to every quarter.

 

[Gozoman]

Thanks for that Moggy. I'm taking a note of these recomended panels and the inverter. Are the HF and TL you mention models of SMA inverters?

I'll have a look and see if I can find some information on those microinverters you mention.

 

[moggy1968]

they are yes

 

[Gozoman]

Moggy I was looking at that M125 Enphase Microinverter. Let me see if I understand this right. This uses a separate Microinverter for each installed solar panel. Are these a replacement for the usual inverter fitted in the loft or do they work along with it? Are there any problems with them being exposed to the elements?

 

[moggy1968]

yes, they are a replacement for the standard inverter. I am fitting our first set next week. I have had doubts about microinverters because if they need changing they are behind the panels which will be a right pain but these are coming with a 20 year warranty.

 

[Gary K]

Moggy I was looking at that M125 Enphase Microinverter. Let me see if I understand this right. This uses a separate Microinverter for each installed solar panel. Are these a replacement for the usual inverter fitted in the loft or do they work along with it? Are there any problems with them being exposed to the elements?

Not 100% but i believe these are fitted in the loft space to make swapping out faulty units easy.

 

[moggy1968]

no, they fit behind the panels, clipped to the rails.

 

[SRE]

Just to add further to the confusion - most Canadian Solar panels are made in China, although it is a Canadian company It's a minefield out there!

 

[Gozoman]

Getting to the point where I might just drop the whole idea as I wouldn't know what was being installed!