Solar - 8kW Hybrid Inverter w/10kWh (upgraded to 20kWh in Sept. 2022) ESS/battery (not DIY)

[KhunLA]

Our system installed 4Aug, by Hua Hin based installer,

house location - A. Muang, Prachuap Khiri Khan

 

Components of:

DEYE SUN-8K-SG01LP1-EU 8kw Single Phase Hybrid Solar inverter

Priced (big range): Alibaba ฿55k (non manufacturer), not inc. shipping/duty

฿100k+ on AliExpress (not inc shipping/duty)

฿77k on LAZ, though photo close but not same

No buyers

 

SunTech Solar Panels:  18 @ 540w

Price ?  ... seen for ฿6500, installer charged ฿15k (฿7500 ea. 2X installed) over original contract, from 16 panels to 18 panels.

 

10kWh ESS / Battery back up, asked how much for a 2nd, if wanting to parallel in.

Quoted: ฿95k

 

DIY:

Inverter: ฿77 +/+ ?

Panels: 18 @ ฿6500 = ฿117k

ESS: ฿95k

TTL: ฿289k +/- for components

 

Installed price: ฿345k - 4 man crew + mounts, tracks, cables, tools, knowledge

AND ... warranty w/installer having 20 yrs installation experience (per website)

[KhunLA]

We're being conservative with usage, at the moment.  Grid is turned off, via breaker between meter & house.

 

Told by local vendor, meter is read at end of month, 28 or 29th, but until confirm, don't want to run meter below what was read.

 

Use wise, very conservative, as only 1 AC (13 btu) installed at present, and we're quite busy with organizing the house, as just moved in a few days prior to installation.

 

Weather has been almost constant overcast & rain, so excellent tester for negative conditions. 

 

Here's our usage, production / consumption.

[KhunLA]

Using about 5kWh overnight, from ESS, and a bit more than I estimated.  That's with intermittent use of AC, fan on all night, both in bdrm.

 

Along with laptop, TV, int. router, and 2 frigs, as mandatory use.  Laptop & TV off before midnight.

 

During the day, 2 frigs of course, minimal lights, as lots of glass and ambient light.  AC on all day, damn chilly.

 

No panels on E roof, so don't start generating anything to note, until after 0700 hrs, then producing more than consuming.

 

Kitchen:  Gas range top, the rest is electric.

Electric: 70L oven, toaster/conv oven, conv/air fryer, toaster, microwave, coffee machine & grinder.  Most used daily.  Others, not so much, stand mixer, blender, etc.

[KhunLA]

[motdaeng]

thanks for sharing all the useful information!

 

the house and the solar project, well done, congratulation!

i am sure, you and your family will enjoy the new home, and

the new ev-car is also on the way, what can you wish more!

 

all the best to you, regards motdaeng

[KhunLA]

Producing enough to run the house; 1 AC (13k btu), TV / monitor (65"). laptop, 2 frigs.   With excess recharging ESS.

 

Negative scenario, as completely overcast ... again.

 

[KhunLA]

How long to top up those 5kW used overnight ... just a few hours.

 

When I know it's safe to reverse spin the grid meter, we'll use 5kW over night from grid, then replace in the AM from solar.  On a sunny day, should take 1 - 2 hrs to replace to the grid.  Keeping near -0- grid use.

 

With those #s in mind, if having any solar system 5kw or more, without ESS back up, we could easily live on a 5kW system, and only use, pay for 150 PEA units/kW a month (฿570), if not going all in for larger system w/ESS.

 

Could have probably done that for half price of present system, for about ฿175k or less.

 

[KhunLA]

Found out when PEA meter is read, and was actually read a couple days after installed on 25th, so read on 28th, for 37 units @ ฿121. 

 

Since exporting to the grid, the inverter graph now shows total produced, instead of total simply being used.  Spikes in previous graphs posted above, is the battery being recharged, then after 100%, simply shows what is produced & used, 

 

Yesterday producing about 27kW, while still overcast & light drizzle most of the day.

 

Graph now showing, produced while supplying ESS, house & grid:

 

[KhunLA]

With that, shows how I really miscalculated our use at new house vs rental.   Was thinking we'd match the rental's usage, at 20-25 PEA units a day, or more with a 2nd AC.  Better build & new inverter ACs really making the difference.

 

Instead, we're using 10-15 PEA units / kW a day.  With about 5kW of those, overnight.  Will definitely increase, when the sun actually shows up all day.  So maybe spot on, as a lot more AC use then.

 

Now, how to configure inverter to use grid overnight.  A work in progress.  Yesterday, sent about 13kW back to the grid once inverter configured to do so.

 

[Encid]

6 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Now, how to configure inverter to use grid overnight.  A work in progress.  Yesterday, sent about 13kW back to the grid once inverter configured to do so.

First of all. congratulations!

You must be really happy with the results so far.

 

Are you doing all the configuration yourself or using the Hua Hin based installer?

Are you using a laptop or phone or ? to perform the configuration?

Just curious as to how difficult it is...

[KhunLA]

6 minutes ago, Encid said:

First of all. congratulations!

You must be really happy with the results so far.

 

Are you doing all the configuration yourself or using the Hua Hin based installer?

Are you using a laptop or phone or ? to perform the configuration?

Just curious as to how difficult it is...

Thanks, and yea ... Lovin' it

 

Local installer, and just sent him a email.  Next time in area, pop in for chit chat, beer, and show me how to change settings ????

 

Manual not exactly 'me friendly' or YT vids.  Though may give it another try.  Don't want to screw up, as may mean no juice till sorted.

 

Doesn't seem difficult, just don't want to have an oops, from me pushing the wrong buttons.  Inverter seems to have enough safety features, that it will shut down, if I do, but prefer not to test them, or more so, not have any juice to he can come and adjust.

 

Have it set now, for off grid, which I changed a bit, to back spin meter.  But not sure how to set up for grid to use over night.  

 

Configuration on the inverter panel itself and almost easy enough.  I should have paid better attention to installer.  Use app on phone, just to look at performance.  

[Crossy]

12 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

But not sure how to set up for grid to use over night.  

 

You'll probably find that the default settings are Solar => Battery => Grid (so you switch to grid when the batteries reach a specific state of charge).

 

Did your meter actually run backwards (do check that the numbers also count down)?

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Crossy said:

Did your meter actually run backwards (do check that the numbers also count down)?

Thanks

 

Was looking at 1 vid (deye YT), and did show to hit 'arrow' to open another page w/battery & grid info.  Didn't really finish or try as was about to snooze.

 

Yes, meter is spinning backward as soon as battery is done topping up.  Took off about 35kW already.  Last reading was 161, now at about 200 from 234.   Started 145 on 25July (meter installed), read 28July, solar installed on 4 Aug.   So I got a good 10 days+ to toy with it, till next reading.

 

Sales/troubleshooter is still in the UK.  Installers are still here/TH, and busy.  Crew chief speaks decent English and going to send me a vid.  Though if I actually read manual in get into it, should be able to sort it out.  Can only be a couple settings to checked off.

[Peabody]

Great project and a much appreciated sharing of info!  ????

[Encid]

21 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Yes, meter is spinning backward as soon as battery is done topping up.  Took off about 35kW already.  Last reading was 161, now at about 200 from 234.   Started 145 on 25July (meter installed), read 28July, solar installed on 4 Aug.   So I got a good 10 days+ to toy with it, till next reading.

Don't go less than 162 or questions might be asked... 

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, Encid said:

Don't go less than 162 or questions might be asked... 

 

Two things never to do when doing "unofficial" net-metering (spinning the meter backwards)

• Never actually go into net export (lower meter reading than last time)
• Never let the meter reader see the meter running backwards

We seem to have stabilised at consuming about 150kWh from PEA each month which doesn't seem to be attracting attention. Despite our peak in 2020 being 10 times that

 

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, Encid said:

Don't go less than 162 or questions might be asked... 

Going to place a "House for Sale" sign on wall near meter.  Let them think why little or no usage ????

[Crossy]

One member (IIRC Bandersnatch?) invariably has zero usage as he runs off grid 99.9% of the time.

 

PEA have replaced the meter several times thinking it's faulty. PEA even know that he has off grid solar but still zero usage = busted meter.

 

[MJCM]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Going to place a "House for Sale" sign on wall near meter.  Let them think why little or no usage ????

We went in our old house from 300+ to approx 10 when we moved to our current house. No questions asked, but I went and store a NAS there and a torrent machine just to increase it a bit.

 

in the meantime the BIL is using the fridge to store food and beer but he said to his wife that he has stopped drinking ???? (in case the wife comes and see, it’s mine 

 

the monthly usage is now between 40-90

[KhunLA]

Think I sorted the grid vs ESS over night.  After of course, changing a few settings that 'did nothing' ????

 

Then simply change 1 main setting on front page, and all is beautiful.  Used ~4kW overnight from grid, and matches the ESS use of previous nights.  ESS-idle all night, all energy from grid.  That should add a few decades of life to the ESS.

 

Sun actually making an appearance today, hopefully all day, and will generate more than the low of 20-30 kW.  All that is needed, but would like to see it's potential. 

 

The power of ....

 

[Encid]

20 hours ago, MJCM said:

in the meantime the BIL is using the fridge to store food and beer but he said to his wife that he has stopped drinking ???? (in case the wife comes and see, it’s mine 

Probably only temporary... Khao Phanzaar... Buddhist Lent... 3 months only.

[MJCM]

27 minutes ago, Encid said:

Khao Phanzaar.

I enter Khao Phanzaar every evening when I go to sleep and exit at around 3-4pm the next day. ????????

[KhunLA]

Our 8kW (unofficial) on/off grid system is going 'OFF GRID'.  

 

OK, we'll still be connected, I think, as ฿500 a year insurance/back up, JIC a solar oops.  Will only use if a solar oops.   Curious how many times they be replacing the meter thinking it's broke, since still on -0-

 

PEA had installed a 3 phase meter (temporarily) as out of 1 phase TOU meters.  They popped over yesterday and replaced that with a digital meter ... ????  Spinning back no longer an option.

 

We ordered another 10kW ESS.  Using 5kW of ESS now, being very conservative after sunset. Using laptop & 65" TV & 1 AC (13k BTU) for 5 ish hours, and 2 frigs, till sunrise. 

 

When sun actually shows up, brutally, come Feb/Mar/Apr and bit of May, till rains start, we'll surely be wanting to use the main 24k BTU AC, for about 1 hr after sunset, and 2 hrs after sunrise.

 

Since so overcast lately, since solar installed, 19 days ago, we really haven't needed to use the 24k BTU AC.  That unit does most of the living area, with the 13k BTU unit in the bedroom.  Both seem to be a bit of overkill, as the wifey is freezing when I'm quite comfy, and on occasion, chilly myself.  That's embarrassing ????

[Crossy]

That's really unfortunate ???? 

 

In reality I expect it's going to come to all of us who are doing unofficial net-metering hence my installation of a hybrid along with our on-grid unit (if we do get a digital meter I'll replace that with another hybrid).

 

 

[Encid]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

They popped over yesterday and replaced that with a digital meter ... ????  Spinning back no longer an option.

Bummer... 

 

I guess it pays to have just a little bit of PEA consumption so you can keep your old meter.

Still do unofficial net-metering, but maintain a positive incremental kWh balance every month.

[MJCM]

@KhunLA

 

????

 

@Crossy

 

Do you think that they (PEA) can measure from their end that meters are spinning backwards so electricity is coming in?

 

So without a visit and they don't see the meter actually spinning backwards?

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

@Crossy

 

Do you think that they (PEA) can measure from their end that meters are spinning backwards so electricity is coming in?

So without a visit and they don't see the meter actually spinning backwards?

 

This is something I've pondered in the past.

 

There is no doubt they can monitor the HV trunk supplies, but there are no CTs on our village transformer (on LV or HV) so down to village level is unlikely.

 

Now whether our few kW of solar is noticed (it would be seen as a load reduction rather than actual -ve power unless everyone was dead and using no juice at all) in amongst the big scheme of things ...

 

And if they do notice are they going to expend manpower going looking? (other than the man on the ground meter readers). I did note that our meter chap came rather later in the day than usual this last time, could just have been running late.

 

I've decided it's not worth worrying about, if they are sufficiently concerned that they are going looking then so be it.

 

It wouldn't beyond possibility that they could hire some drone operators to go looking, this is being done in the US where certain states actively discourage even off-grid solar - the supply authorities make less $$$.

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, Crossy said:

I've decided it's not worth worrying about, if they are sufficiently concerned that they are going looking then so be it.

If they only would make it easier to apply and get PEA approval then make it so .... hard. Just reading the @Thaifish story that is already discouragement enough.

 

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

It wouldn't beyond possibility that they could hire some drone operators to go looking, this is being done in the US where certain states actively discourage even off-grid solar - the supply authorities make less $$$.

But the drones you would hear coming unless you are 100's meters away from your PEA pole ( @Encid ???? )

 

[MJCM]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

They popped over yesterday and replaced that with a digital meter ... ????  Spinning back no longer an option.

I wonder, maybe your installer submitted Paper work to the PEA for net metering?

 

But I am just guessing here.

[Encid]

29 minutes ago, MJCM said:

But the drones you would hear coming unless you are 100's meters away from your PEA pole ( @Encid ???? )

I doubt very much if the local PEA would come up with the idea of using drones (or drone contractors) to monitor meters out where we are...plus we're not even in a village!

There are literally hundreds of small farms in our vicinity using solar powered bore water pumps... not so many panels on rooftops or sheds though.

As Crossy said, a few kWh here and there is highly likely to be unnoticed.