Solar power : Final Feedback and review

J

Jasusi

New Lister
Last year I posted here searching for advice on solar installation. I got very useful tips on which are reliable brands, the size, type etc. I settled on Felicity solar and went ahead to install a 10 kva battery, 8 solar panels with an output of 555v and a 5 kva inverter. It cost me 630k including installation.This setup has run my place quite efficiently. During sunny days, I am fully off grid day and night but on cloudy days I have to switch to kplc during the day then back to solar at night. This has not been ideal for me as I have always wanted to be fully off grid. The opportunity to do this came after the Gen Z protests which led to the fall of the finance bill. The prices of solar batteries and panels plummeted significantly ( or so said the felicity guy- I am not sure whether I was gamed during the first purchase)

Anyway, I ended up installing a second 10kva felicity battery and a second 5 kva inverter from the same company. This time round the total cost was 265k. So far I believe this will meet all my electricity needs even during cloudy weather. I use the normal gadgets you will find in a typical home- fridge, pasi, microwave, two water pumps and lighting.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20241102_142517.jpg
    IMG_20241102_142517.jpg
    4 MB · Views: 70
  • IMG_20241102_192306.jpg
    IMG_20241102_192306.jpg
    3.7 MB · Views: 69
  • IMG_20241102_192317.jpg
    IMG_20241102_192317.jpg
    4.1 MB · Views: 68
  • IMG_20241102_192335.jpg
    IMG_20241102_192335.jpg
    2.9 MB · Views: 72
Jasusi said:
Last year I posted here searching for advice on solar installation. I got very useful tips on which are reliable brands, the size, type etc. I settled on Felicity solar and went ahead to install a 10 kva battery, 8 solar panels with an output of 555v and a 5 kva inverter. It cost me 630k including installation.This setup has run my place quite efficiently. During sunny days, I am fully off grid day and night but on cloudy days I have to switch to kplc during the day then back to solar at night. This has not been ideal for me as I have always wanted to be fully off grid. The opportunity to do this came after the Gen Z protests which led to the fall of the finance bill. The prices of solar batteries and panels plummeted significantly ( or so said the felicity guy- I am not sure whether I was gamed during the first purchase)

Anyway, I ended up installing a second 10kva felicity battery and a second 5 kva inverter from the same company. This time round the total cost was 265k. So far I believe this will meet all my electricity needs even during cloudy weather. I use the normal gadgets you will find in a typical home- fridge, pasi, microwave, two water pumps and lighting.
Click to expand...
This is an impressive set that I would only wish for now. The set looks very neat and professionally set up. I am getting mine in bits and pieces and hope to have something up and running in the last quarter of next year. If I may ask, what brand of PV panels did you get and what would you consider the best panel brand in the Kenyan market? I considering doing a hybrid/back-up system. Down at the coast we have more sunshine than we have ever needed!
 
Great set up the only thing i’m dissapointed with is that you didn’t go with Victron, you lose out on a lot of monitoring and automation capability.
 
Snowball said:
This is an impressive set that I would only wish for now. The set looks very neat and professionally set up. I am getting mine in bits and pieces and hope to have something up and running in the last quarter of next year. If I may ask, what brand of PV panels did you get and what would you consider the best panel brand in the Kenyan market? I considering doing a hybrid/back-up system. Down at the coast we have more sunshine than we have ever needed!
Click to expand...
I bought Jinko. Someone recommended it right here
 
Ole Waru said:
Great set up the only thing i’m dissapointed with is that you didn’t go with Victron, you lose out on a lot of monitoring and automation capability.
Click to expand...
I was not aware Victron is available locally. The ones I saw online were exorbitantly priced.
 
Jasusi said:
Last year I posted here searching for advice on solar installation. I got very useful tips on which are reliable brands, the size, type etc. I settled on Felicity solar and went ahead to install a 10 kva battery, 8 solar panels with an output of 555v and a 5 kva inverter. It cost me 630k including installation.This setup has run my place quite efficiently. During sunny days, I am fully off grid day and night but on cloudy days I have to switch to kplc during the day then back to solar at night. This has not been ideal for me as I have always wanted to be fully off grid. The opportunity to do this came after the Gen Z protests which led to the fall of the finance bill. The prices of solar batteries and panels plummeted significantly ( or so said the felicity guy- I am not sure whether I was gamed during the first purchase)

Anyway, I ended up installing a second 10kva felicity battery and a second 5 kva inverter from the same company. This time round the total cost was 265k. So far I believe this will meet all my electricity needs even during cloudy weather. I use the normal gadgets you will find in a typical home- fridge, pasi, microwave, two water pumps and lighting.
Click to expand...
The prices have dropped a 5kva low frequency hybrid that would retail at Ksh 160k is now at Ksh 110k .
On panels, prices have dropped though for the last 4 months the price per watt imekuwa the same .We might not see the figures go lower especially on panels .

I have a few queries /observations .( I hope you won't take it in a negative way )

- I can't see DC fuse between battery and inverter - all I see are breakers . Kama haiko please get two .
- The battery cables are way too long (at near max draw part of cables might get warm especially between the inverter and breaker where you have the original battery cable .That gauge must be the original cable that came with the battery )
- That AVS might protect you on some power issues but not Loss of Neutral which can be catastrophic. Please get a genuine AVS 30 either TBB or Sollatek .
- Instead of the manual Katko changeover switch get Automatic changeover which will have inverter output as primary power and
Kplc as secondary .On the inverter (TBB ,Deye and other brands have that option) there is a parameter that allows you switch to KPLC when the battery gets to low capacity ideally 15 % and then switch back to inverter power when the battery is recharged to 30% .
- Are the inverters communicating - using a parallel kit so as to do load balancing ?

Otherwise when I see more and more people shift to solar nafurahia .It's time tables turned .
 
zapp_brannigan said:
The prices have dropped a 5kva low frequency hybrid that would retail at Ksh 160k is now at Ksh 110k .
On panels, prices have dropped though for the last 4 months the price per watt imekuwa the same .We might not see the figures go lower especially on panels .

I have a few queries /observations .( I hope you won't take it in a negative way )

- I can't see DC fuse between battery and inverter - all I see are breakers . Kama haiko please get two .
- The battery cables are way too long (at near max draw part of cables might get warm especially between the inverter and breaker where you have the original battery cable .That gauge must be the original cable that came with the battery )
- That AVS might protect you on some power issues but not Loss of Neutral which can be catastrophic. Please get a genuine AVS 30 either TBB or Sollatek .
- Instead of the manual Katko changeover switch get Automatic changeover which will have inverter output as primary power and
Kplc as secondary .On the inverter (TBB ,Deye and other brands have that option) there is a parameter that allows you switch to KPLC when the battery gets to low capacity ideally 15 % and then switch back to inverter power when the battery is recharged to 30% .
- Are the inverters communicating - using a parallel kit so as to do load balancing ?

Otherwise when I see more and more people shift to solar nafurahia .It's time tables turned .
Click to expand...
Very good advice. Just today was being told about getting products from China that are manufactured for the European Market especially Lithium batteries, inverters, controls. Challenge is identifying them but we shall get there. Importing could make significant savings
 
Fala12 said:
Very good advice. Just today was being told about getting products from China that are manufactured for the European Market especially Lithium batteries, inverters, controls. Challenge is identifying them but we shall get there. Importing could make significant savings
Click to expand...
If you dig deeper on https://diysolarforum.com/ you might get Chinese vendors or their direct contacts there . I have read horror stories on lithium batteries where you pay for Grade A batteries but end up with not so good set .
For batteries this is a good place to start https://www.evebattery.com/en if you decide to get them directly .
SRNE is a good budget brand but bado haija shika locally .
 
zapp_brannigan said:
If you dig deeper on https://diysolarforum.com/ you might get Chinese vendors or their direct contacts there . I have read horror stories on lithium batteries where you pay for Grade A batteries but end up with not so good set .
For batteries this is a good place to start https://www.evebattery.com/en if you decide to get them directly .
SRNE is a good budget brand but bado haija shika locally .
Click to expand...
Again, very good information. Thanks
 
zapp_brannigan said:
The prices have dropped a 5kva low frequency hybrid that would retail at Ksh 160k is now at Ksh 110k .
On panels, prices have dropped though for the last 4 months the price per watt imekuwa the same .We might not see the figures go lower especially on panels .

I have a few queries /observations .( I hope you won't take it in a negative way )

- I can't see DC fuse between battery and inverter - all I see are breakers . Kama haiko please get two .
- The battery cables are way too long (at near max draw part of cables might get warm especially between the inverter and breaker where you have the original battery cable .That gauge must be the original cable that came with the battery )
- That AVS might protect you on some power issues but not Loss of Neutral which can be catastrophic. Please get a genuine AVS 30 either TBB or Sollatek .
- Instead of the manual Katko changeover switch get Automatic changeover which will have inverter output as primary power and
Kplc as secondary .On the inverter (TBB ,Deye and other brands have that option) there is a parameter that allows you switch to KPLC when the battery gets to low capacity ideally 15 % and then switch back to inverter power when the battery is recharged to 30% .
- Are the inverters communicating - using a parallel kit so as to do load balancing ?

Otherwise when I see more and more people shift to solar nafurahia .It's time tables turned .
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot for the useful observation. How would I get offended by this? I will definitely follow up on each of these observations.
-I have no idea what a DC fuse looks like so I will follow through. (Would you be willing to do the connections if I hit a brick wall?)
-On the battery cables, I will have them shortened. The guage size is 35mm just like the original cable specification.
- I will change The AVs asap
- The Felicity inverter also has automatic changeover switch option but I prefered the manual way to give me more control especially during cloudy weather. During such weather I switch to kplc during the day to ensure I have enough solar storage in the evening.
- Yes the inverters are communicating. One acts as the Host (HS) and the other as the slave (SL). They are connected in parallel.
Once again thanks a lot
 
Ochithunder said:
Keep dreaming :) :) You will be lucky to hit 5 years. But solar is a good alternative. How much would 20KW now cost?
Click to expand...

How Long Do Solar Batteries Last? Understanding The Lifespan​

How long your solar battery will last? The durability and longevity of solar batteries vary depending on several factors. These include not only the type and quality of the battery but also your energy usage patterns, the frequency and depth of charge cycles, and the environmental conditions in which the battery operates. Solar batteries, such as deep-cycle varieties, are designed to sustain repeated charge and discharge cycles, which is central to optimizing their performance and extending their lifespan. Moreover, understanding the warranties offered with solar batteries can help ensure that your investment is protected.

Key Takeaways​

Based on the search results, solar batteries generally last between 5 to 15 years, with lithium-ion batteries being the most common type used in home solar battery systems.

The key factors that impact solar battery lifespan include:

  • Battery type: Lithium-ion batteries typically last 10-15 years. Lead-acid batteries last 3-5 years. Newer saltwater batteries likely last somewhere in between.
  • Depth of discharge (DoD): Exceeding the recommended DoD for a battery severely reduces its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries commonly have a 90%+ DoD rating.
  • Usage/cycles: More cycles and usage drain batteries faster. Solar-paired systems that rarely use batteries may get 10-15 year lifespans, while off-grid systems using them daily may only get 5 years.
  • Temperature: Extreme heat or cold degrades batteries faster.
  • Maintenance: Proper cleaning and maintenance extends battery life.
 
Jasusi said:

How Long Do Solar Batteries Last? Understanding The Lifespan​

How long your solar battery will last? The durability and longevity of solar batteries vary depending on several factors. These include not only the type and quality of the battery but also your energy usage patterns, the frequency and depth of charge cycles, and the environmental conditions in which the battery operates. Solar batteries, such as deep-cycle varieties, are designed to sustain repeated charge and discharge cycles, which is central to optimizing their performance and extending their lifespan. Moreover, understanding the warranties offered with solar batteries can help ensure that your investment is protected.

Key Takeaways​

Based on the search results, solar batteries generally last between 5 to 15 years, with lithium-ion batteries being the most common type used in home solar battery systems.

The key factors that impact solar battery lifespan include:

  • Battery type: Lithium-ion batteries typically last 10-15 years. Lead-acid batteries last 3-5 years. Newer saltwater batteries likely last somewhere in between.
  • Depth of discharge (DoD): Exceeding the recommended DoD for a battery severely reduces its lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries commonly have a 90%+ DoD rating.
  • Usage/cycles: More cycles and usage drain batteries faster. Solar-paired systems that rarely use batteries may get 10-15 year lifespans, while off-grid systems using them daily may only get 5 years.
  • Temperature: Extreme heat or cold degrades batteries faster.
  • Maintenance: Proper cleaning and maintenance extends battery life.
Click to expand...
Also a good charge controller plays a big role in making the 10 plus years possible . That's why it is very important to have a battery that is able to communicate with the charge controller .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top