- Reaction score
- 292
We have been looking at a job with considerable shading on what would be the main location of panels. It is a big late Victorian Semi where we can probably get ten panels on one side and a further 6 on the flat roof above. Nearly all the shading comes from a chimney stack located on the outside wall with a dormer type arrangement behind it which bisects the side where we could get 10 panels.
I have run numerous permutations through PVSol, including using 14 LG 285W panels in an attempt to mitigate the effects of shading rather than 16 high output 250W panels. Have Permed this with Solar Edge and also with Enphase. The panels on the flat roof are virtually unshaded.
Here's the rub. Using LG 285 panels is simply not worth it due to the additional cost, which leaves using a greater number of 250W panels. 14LGs do not perform as well as 16 Renasolar or REC.
PVSol shows a negligible improvement using Enphase micro-inverters and only a 5% improvement using Solar Edge compared to a Power One 3.6. Shading with the Power One configuration is 16.4% in total, 13.6% with Solar Edge.
It would appear the additional cost is not worth it, as it pulls down the ROI and increases the payback period.
People bang on about the benefits of Solar Edge or Micro Inverters (I have used the latter), but do they really make a bigger difference than predicted by PVSol? If they do how do you substantiate this and show the benefit to a customer?
I have run numerous permutations through PVSol, including using 14 LG 285W panels in an attempt to mitigate the effects of shading rather than 16 high output 250W panels. Have Permed this with Solar Edge and also with Enphase. The panels on the flat roof are virtually unshaded.
Here's the rub. Using LG 285 panels is simply not worth it due to the additional cost, which leaves using a greater number of 250W panels. 14LGs do not perform as well as 16 Renasolar or REC.
PVSol shows a negligible improvement using Enphase micro-inverters and only a 5% improvement using Solar Edge compared to a Power One 3.6. Shading with the Power One configuration is 16.4% in total, 13.6% with Solar Edge.
It would appear the additional cost is not worth it, as it pulls down the ROI and increases the payback period.
People bang on about the benefits of Solar Edge or Micro Inverters (I have used the latter), but do they really make a bigger difference than predicted by PVSol? If they do how do you substantiate this and show the benefit to a customer?