5Kw or 10Kw that is the question!! (ON-Grid)

[MJCM]

Question from a NooB please

 

I am seeing 5KW 1 Phase and 3 Phase On-Grid Solar systems but for 10KW I only see 3 Phase systems (but maybe I am not searching good enough ???? ) does this mean that if you are on 1 Phase (PEA Power Supply 15/45 meter) you can't install a 10KW Solar system without significant changes to your electrical install? Or....

 

TiA

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by MJCM

[tjo o tjim]

15/45 is pretty small for a 10kW setup. You might do better with about 8kW of panels on a 5kW inverter. Are you getting PEA approval?

[MJCM]

3 hours ago, tjo o tjim said:

15/45 is pretty small for a 10kW setup. You might do better with about 8kW of panels on a 5kW inverter. Are you getting PEA approval?

I am not getting anything yet, I was just wondering about it!

 

What is the reason behind that 15/45 is small for a 10kW setup??

[Bandersnatch]

On 12/9/2021 at 3:35 PM, MJCM said:

Question from a NooB please

 

I am seeing 5KW 1 Phase and 3 Phase On-Grid Solar systems but for 10KW I only see 3 Phase systems (but maybe I am not searching good enough ???? ) does this mean that if you are on 1 Phase (PEA Power Supply 15/45 meter) you can't install a 10KW Solar system without significant changes to your electrical install? Or....

 

The last time I looked at the Solar rooftop scheme (feed-in tariff) If you had a single phase connection then the maximum PV was 5kW. This rose 10kW if you had 3 Phase. I assume it something to do with the capacity of connection you have to the grid to feed back.

 

I have 20kW on a single phase so no feed-in tariff for me - no problem I just dump my excess solar production into my house batteries and my EV

[MJCM]

8 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

 

The last time I looked at the Solar rooftop scheme (feed-in tariff) If you had a single phase connection then the maximum PV was 5kW. This rose 10kW if you had 3 Phase. I assume it something to do with the capacity of connection you have to the grid to feed back.

 

I have 20kW on a single phase so no feed-in tariff for me - no problem I just dump my excess solar production into my house batteries and my EV

That makes a lot of sense, so I could go for a 10kW system but won't "profit" from the feed-in tariff because we are on single Phase!

Thx

[Bandersnatch]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

That makes a lot of sense, so I could go for a 10kW system but won't "profit" from the feed-in tariff because we are on single Phase!

You are correct 

[Crossy]

@Thaifish has a 10kW system which I think is on single-phase, not sure of his meter size. He is also getting an export meter "soon".

 

If you are going for the less-than-official route without an export meter (and maybe spinning a conventional meter backwards) there's nothing really stopping you having 2 x 5kW inverters (we have a 6.5 and 5kW), your 15/45 is good for around 11kW.

 

It really depends upon what your aim is and what your daytime power consumption is.

 

As has been suggested, over-panelling a 5kW inverter will extend your daytime production hours, of course it will limit the peak to the inverter output.

 

I would certainly get inverter(s) which have the no-export/export limit function.

[sezze]

Knowing the solar output in Thailand i would not overpower your inverter too much . This imho is a loss of money on solar panels . You can get away with 6kW on a 5kW inverter , but anything more is losing . The gain of the output , you can never make back with the extra panels . OP the inverter is many times done in more northern countries like in EU , since there , you rarely hit 1000W/m2 which the panels are measured on . Most of the time , even on very sunny summer days the sun is limited , and because of the angle of the sun , you make in medium season a lot of extra kW . In Thailand you do hit many times the 1000W/m2 and more , so then its the temp coeff , which does bring down the panels .

8kW panels on 5 kW inverter , imho you rather take 2 3kW inverters on the 8 kW and you will get more out of it .

 

[KhunLA]

Some installers won't even bother putting in less than an 8KWS.  ESS / battery racks are starting to be quite inexpensive these days, relative to one's budget.  ROI 5-10 yrs, less depending how abusive you are on the AC or if having an EV.

[Thaifish]

On 12/9/2021 at 3:35 PM, MJCM said:

I am seeing 5KW 1 Phase and 3 Phase On-Grid Solar systems but for 10KW I only see 3 Phase systems (but maybe I am not searching good enough

There are heaps of 10KW single phase systems. My 10KW system is single phase.

 

16 hours ago, Bandersnatch said:

The last time I looked at the Solar rooftop scheme (feed-in tariff) If you had a single phase connection then the maximum PV was 5kW.

 

I'm sure PEA is aware our system is 10KW. Nothing has been mentioned about it being to big (yet) for the feed in tariff. If It is knocked back because it is over 5KW then there is going to be hell to be payed for the installer selling the package. Have been waiting 11 for months now for the Smart Meter with only 2 visits from PEA. On the paperwork which I have a copy of they acknowledge it is a 10KW system.

 

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

@Thaifish has a 10kW system which I think is on single-phase, not sure of his meter size. He is also getting an export meter "soon".

Single Phase. 15/45 meter reader.

[Crossy]

15 minutes ago, Thaifish said:

There are heaps of 10KW single phase systems. My 10KW system is single phase.

 

It's worth noting for our OP that your system is actually 2 x 5kW inverters running together ????