A PV question from a UK installer in Australia

[PV pro in Oz]

Hi All,

I'm Dan. Totally new here.

I worked as an electrician in Manchester doing solar and basic HVAC before moving for a stint in Australian PV. Here a few years now.

Happy to swap stories / prices / knowledge etc.

Background to why I have signed up for this forum: I have been wanting to share a bit of knowledge and to learn from UK PV pro's about where things are headed and what prices are like back home and what innovations we can eventually expect down here. I work in wholesale PV at the moment, but have spent about 4 years doing design for commercial (mostly) and a fair bit of resi grid connect. Took a while to get used to aiming panels north!

Hoping someone can offer some advice... I'm looking for recommendations for European inverters and modules. 2 to 30kW, single phase multi-MPPT up to 6 or 10 kW ideally and 3 phase for the bigger stuff. Not looking for SMA or Power-One or Fronius. They are pretty common here. Used lots of them and had good results. Prefer a smaller company with quality units that deserves to grow a bit. Needs to be cost effective though, and design friendly with a wide voltage window and option to bridge the trackers. Grid parameters are very similar here in Oz, so something that can handle a bit of weather and even go online without drama would be good.

Also interested in panels... have a good mix of Asian and Euro gear here but a nice Euro panel would be good at the right price.

Happy to share info, got some fairly good info on the China PV industry. The 1 millionth home here is due to get solar today (allegedly) out of a population of 22 million. I'm sure Australia can learn a thing or two from UK!

Cheers,

Dan.

 

[SpitfireW'sale]

For Inverters Stecca and SolarMax are good quality units, but less well known than SMA or Fronius. Some installers like using Solar Edge or Enecsys. The range offered between those manufacturers covers most installations I would have thought, and they are all reasonably priced. Not sure on distribution channels or trading terms for wholesale in Oz, but I'm sure any one of them would appreciate the call to find out!

 

[PV pro in Oz]

Thanks Spitfire, that's 4 to start me off. Good skills sir.

Dan.

 

[Gavin A]

I'd definitely recommend the StecaGrid 3600, though it is a bit specialist as it requires a high voltage to operate, it's a single string inverter capable of handling 14-20 standard panels in one string, with 97-98% efficiency, and it's good value. I think it holds the record for efficiency for that size inverter, and it's nice and light, has an integrated DC isolator, is pretty compact and simple to install and set up.

It can also do up to 15 x Panasonic HIT N series panels in one string, and presumably similar numbers of Sunpower