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Re: off grid solar leccy

Posted: Tue 24 Dec 2019 10:28 am
by kibsolar1999
The reason why it is interesting to install, eg, a net metering system are the (in general) increasing electric prices and the decreasing solar module prices =the return of investment is now acceptable.
Iam willing to accept that I might be (a bit) more expensive as others…. good equipment IS more expensive… but I am sure that I have communicated that to all of my (potential) customers. A bit longer payback, but better quality equipment with, on the long run, more output, which very often “eliminates” the higher costs.
As usual, there are “cowboys” on the market, with low prices and doubtful equipment and many may get attracted…but when you ask for the really good stuff then, all over the sudden, iam not expensive.
In off grid systems the situation is more difficult… if in a net metering system a component does fail, you lose money, in an off grid system you do not have electricity! Quality is mandatory!
It is more than misleading when it is claimed that iam expensive and take a “generic” website as an offer, in which prices are usually higher, especially for solar panels.


I do remain on my opinion: the system of gillkens neighbour was bad designed with bad quality equipment. In this config and with this equipment, the system was running very low. If he is now (with minor changes) happy, this only proves that the system from the beginning was planned wrong and maybe too big, and a smaller, but better, system would have saved a lot of money. If this is the same (or maybe not as bad) case in gillkens system, who knows?

Iam willing to accept that, in more than 20 years, a customer is not completely happy with my work. Should not, but can happen. But it cannot be that I get blamed and shamed for a job I did not do!
I also do not want to be blamed that I “could have done the job” on spot… gillken has no clue whether I had my software with me or not. And… I do not know why gillken did not ask the guy, who was competent enough to solve the neighbours problem, to solve their problem as well, especially when gillken obviously had and has the opinion that I only contribute to this forum because I want (overpriced) business.

It will be difficult to determine a “winner” when not all facts are on the table. I guess it took many hours of research, communication, organisation and of course quite a lot effort for the DIY off grid installation incl. electrician, materials …and so on. That all has to be calculated as well.
From the intention to install a system (juli 2018) to the moment I was there (june 2019) it took nearly a year.
The “winner” most probably is the UK supplier, who also has competitors…. and therefore offered a “mixed quality” system, in which the Chinese solar panels, the Chinese AC grid inverter and the “unknown” batteries “saved” quite a lot. And when I say “a lot”, I mean a lot.
(again: the offer gillken posted here for 13 k was unacceptable.. rubbish for a far too high price)

Re: off grid solar leccy

Posted: Tue 24 Dec 2019 3:59 pm
by The indicator
IPMAN wrote:
The indicator wrote:We too have 5kw installed by Kibsolar very professional efficient and knowledgeable.
Yeah, but how much was it?
Our system may not be what you need, it does depend on so many criteria you place may not be suitable, you may need 18 panels but can only have 10 installed
Cost us all inclusive about 8000 Euros, it does generate around 1300 Euros in credit a year.

Very happy with the system and highly recommend it

Re: off grid solar leccy

Posted: Wed 25 Dec 2019 12:25 am
by gillken
Didnt realize everyone wanted to know the price.

We installed a 10 kw system 21 panels
24 batteries
We used a local electrician to work along side us for one day
Had the frame erected locally
Shipping costs
Taxes
Delivery in uk and Cyprus

All within £10k
21 x Perlight PLM 270P-60 – 270w Poly Panels (1640 x 992 x 35mm)
1 x Growatt 3000MTL- Twin Tracker – Single Phase Inverter
1 x Victron Quattro 48v 10kva Inverter – 140A Charger – 2 x 100A Transfer
1 x lisu, Victron Color Control (CCGX
1 x Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor
1 x Victron Smart Solar 45A 150V MPPT Solar Charge Controller
1 x Victron Smart Solar Pluggable Display
1 x Victron Lynx Distributor
1 x Victron Lynx Power in
Plus all the bibs and bobs...

The growatt invertor converts leccy and brings it direct to the house without having to consistently take leccy from the batteries. Leaving the batteries to charge up fully during the day.

We run everything off the system...toasters kettles AC hot or cold...oven...pump... pool...never even think of turning anything off...Mornings I come down and check my usage...in the summer when I am running my AC the batteries are around 85%....

Helpful professional company....my problem with them was I only had phone data and the signal was weak....hence we called in for help as we couldnt configure it....but they were far too mean to help

Buypvdirect.com


Re: off grid solar leccy

Posted: Thu 26 Dec 2019 10:50 am
by kibsolar1999
We installed a 10 kw system 21 panels
24 batteries
We used a local electrician to work along side us for one day
Had the frame erected locally
Shipping costs
Taxes
Delivery in uk and Cyprus
All within £10k.
of course everybody wanted the price.. what else? YOU have been the one who is "price sensible" and told us all that cyprus "could not match".

Ok …. lets go and check… its all not a miracle.. we are neither all idiots or crooks.. or both..

How much we can deduct for transport, how much for Vat? For frames, electrician and all? 2000?
(DIY, on an hrly base, not included..)
= 8000 “online” purchase price UK ex VAT.
Prices buypvdirect ex VAT in GBP and comments from me.

1. 21 x Perlight PLM 270P-60 – 270w Poly Panels (1640 x 992 x 35mm) = 5,67 kWp
21 x 102 GBP = 2142 GBP.
Definitely not my choice. noname china.
buypvdirect offers also, eg, LG NeOn2A panels, the ones I installed in 2018/9.
With LG, 5,67 kWp come to 3810 GBP, so, “saved” are 1660 GBP for choosing cheap china noname panels.
I know that something similar to perlight, as a street sale, is available in Cyprus for a competative price.
2. 1 x Growatt 3000MTL- Twin Tracker – Single Phase Inverter
Also one of “these companies” nobody with a little reputation wants to install …
336 GPB. Crazy.
The combination of perlight and growatt can be used in a net metering system and is an example of a “the price is hot” installation. Basically excactly this kind of a “cowboy” system many customers want to avoid.
But buypvdirect also do offer much better on-grid inverters, the SMA. 3 kW for 944 GBP. here we are..
Gillken “saved”: 600 GBP, but for this kind of off grid system, a different one for approx 1050 GBP would be much much better . buypvdirect do not offer.
and for this price (+ vat of course) you also should get the two better ones here on the island.
So, gillken again “went cheap” and “saved” 700 GBP on the inverter.
3. 1 x Victron Quattro 48v 10kva Inverter – 140A Charger – 2 x 100A Transfer
2923 GBP and
4. 1 x Victron Smart Solar 45A 150V MPPT Solar Charge Controller
330 GBP and

No prices at buypv found for:
1 x lisu, Victron Color Control (CCGX)
1 x Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor
1 x Victron Smart Solar Pluggable Display 1 x Victron Lynx Distributor
1 x Victron Lynx Power in
.. but can be estimated.
Plus all the bibs and bobs...
Victron is good, I installed many times. And for a street sale.... these prices should be possible as well.

Sum for chosen equipment from pvdirect: 1,2,3,4 = 5400 GBP. Say, with the other stuff for 800 = 6200 GBP.

But… one questions remains: where are the 24 batteries? Type, manufacturer, Ah?
To 8000 GBP, 1800 GBP are left for the batteries. Hä? Second hand batteries? I guess… forklift (Pz) batteries.

But.. also here we can have a look… buypvdirect also offer the good Rolls batteries for renewable energy systems: eg, 12 x 404 GBP = 4850 GBP. Maybe more?
We come to “saved, because cheaper equipment choosed”: say, 2500 GBP for panels and inverter, plus an unknown amount for the batteries, but, it seems, at least another 3000 GBP
= 5500 GBP.
Summary
MY suggestion always is to use the good stuff. But, that would mean here , as an example: 13 k purchase price instead of 8k. (+ vat and so on… and of course installation ).
All fine, all the choice of the customer. To buy here or there, to purchase good quality or (in parts) cheap cheap… and – or… to do DIY.
But the statement: “Price wise with a good system Cyprus couldn't match”, is not true.
Neither “pricewise”, nor “systemwise” , as prices here ARE competative and not a “system” was purchased, equipment was purchased.
The winner is buypvdirect. Congratulations.
Merry Christmas.

Re: off grid solar leccy

Posted: Fri 27 Dec 2019 4:35 pm
by gillken
Omg Kibsolar....give it a rest...you have a serious problem. Leave me alone....all your trying to do is belittle me....you have no idea what equipment I purchased apart from what I listed above. Dont get confused with a quote I put up for €13000 which was a cheap chinese system we rejected...
You admitted you only came up to be nosy ...had no intention of helping....what a decent guy
You were peeved that we found it both easy and cheaper to import products that ...In your words on the day you came to be nosy..ONLY YOU HAVE DEALERSHIP IN NORTH CYPRUS.
That its difficult confusing and expensive to import personally...trust me....it was easy...it was cheap...
You keep insinuating we spent hours days and months doing our homework....WRONG....researched our product....found our supplier....looked up on youtube to see that anyone with average capabilities who can follow a knitting pattern can install a system in one day erecting panels further day....
We only struggled for wifi data...you could have spent 15 mins configuring our system....but you choose to walk away ...presumably hoping our batteries would cook.
Nice one...cheers..