Solar Power Solution for Home

[Arsalan]

any particular company/brand .... ??

@HRK Bro i bought the panels from someone how imports them (used) from Germany etc. The cost of a used European made and assembled panel is same as a new Chinese one but the performance of European one is better (even in used). You just need to check output of panel when buying. I checked them and selected the ones that were giving 50A output as i deemed that to be fine. Different brands are available but personally i will just focus on buying a Germanyplate rather than a Chinese one and you will be fine. I do not remember the brand of the plates i am using but will check and updated once i get back home.

according to my calculations you should be getting around 13-14 units (KWh) of energy on a random day.


adding more panels is not a good idea unless you are thinking about adding/replacing the inverter too.

I may upgrade inverter too but the current one can support upto 8 more panels and i plan to add just 4 more. Will upgrade inverter once i have decided to get net metering from WAPDA so i can send some units back to grid in day time.

Chinese all the way. saves you precious bucks and some companies have even comparable performances to thier western counterparts.

NEVER! I tell you this based on experience. Buy German ones, even used German ones instead.

Congrats Sir... Its a Great work.

I had Similar plan with my house but Due to Coastal region i had to drop... i can't even have a Satellite dish on my roof for 6-12 months...

Strong breeze?

 

[ssethii]

320 Wp ki jaga 250 Wp ka panel lgaya jata to mazeed kam ho jati system cost.

 

[$@rJen]

Strong breeze?

yes... AC also faces lots of issue due to this

 

[Arsalan]

320 Wp ki jaga 250 Wp ka panel lgaya jata to mazeed kam ho jati system cost.

It effects the output too. Plus the idea is to go with a combined mono/poly crystalline panel. That is the best combination as far as output is concerned.

yes... AC also faces lots of issue due to this

Can work on installing a small wind turbine. That is what i would love to do but here the winds are not consistent throughout the year.

 

[ssethii]

Panels have a life of +- 20 years so bying used doesn't make sense. 5kVA inverter should not be loaded more than 4KW in theory but it's better to leave it around 3KW for longer life. Solar cell production is not a high tech process but is time consuming and require a lot of investment to make it feasible, chinese have an advantage in this regard so bying chinese is actually a smart idea (from notable producers)

It effects the output too. Plus the idea is to go with a combined mono/poly crystalline panel. That is the best combination as far as output is concerned.

Again not a good idea because due to slight impedance mismatch you can loose a lot of output. Even I would not even recommend combining different models from same company or going for cheap wiring.

 

[Arsalan]

Panels have a life of +- 20 years so bying used doesn't make sense. 5kVA inverter should not be loaded more than 4KW in theory but it's better to leave it around 3KW for longer life. Solar cell production is not a high tech process but is time consuming and require a lot of investment to make it feasible, chinese have an advantage in this regard so bying chinese is actually a smart idea (from notable producers)

Exactly, the life is the point. The life of German panels is much more than Chinese ones. Even used panels last more and are more efficient after 5-8 years compared to Chinese new ones (again, based on my experience). That is why i always recommend NOT to go for Chinese panels.

For inverter, yes you are right that it should not be run on full load and that is why the idea is to raise it to just 3.6-3.8KW not more. That do not causes any problem at all. Go above 4 and you may face some issues. Plus i have installed the inverter in lobby, open airy space so no problems whatsoever.

 

[ssethii]

Exactly, the life is the point. The life of German panels is much more than Chinese ones. Even used panels last more and are more efficient after 5-8 years compared to Chinese new ones (again, based on my experience). That is why i always recommend NOT to go for Chinese panels.

For inverter, yes you are right that it should not be run on full load and that is why the idea is to raise it to just 3.6-3.8KW not more. That do not causes any problem at all. Go above 4 and you may face some issues. Plus i have installed the inverter in lobby, open airy space so no problems whatsoever.

Maybe you had a bad experience with some chinese product in the past as far as solar technology is concerned they are a way top on hte ladder. A quick google search will tell you out of top solar cell fabricators in the world china has 7 such companies in the top ten list.

 

[Arsalan]

Maybe you had a bad experience with some chinese product in the past as far as solar technology is concerned they are a way top on hte ladder. A quick google search will tell you out of top solar cell fabricators in the world china has 7 such companies in the top ten list.

The problem is with the production they are sending here in Pakistan. That is not really up to the mark. We installed Chinese panels at one of our homes (in family) and had to replace after just 3 years as output have decreased over time. Same case with multiple other people who as i got to learn about it from a company who installs solar solutions commercially, they now opted to import from Korea.

The problem really is the stuff they are selling in Pakistan is not really great. Otherwise no doubt that Chinese lead in the world photovoaltic panel production etc. I wont be surprise if some of the German used panels (German Brands) were also made in China but they send different quality products to different markets, that is a well know fact.

 

[The Accountant]

The problem is with the production they are sending here in Pakistan. That is not really up to the mark. We installed Chinese panels at one of our homes (in family) and had to replace after just 3 years as output have decreased over time. Same case with multiple other people who as i got to learn about it from a company who installs solar solutions commercially, they now opted to import from Korea.

The problem really is the stuff they are selling in Pakistan is not really great. Otherwise no doubt that Chinese lead in the world photovoaltic panel production etc. I wont be surprise if some of the German used panels (German Brands) were also made in China but they send different quality products to different markets, that is a well know fact.

Actually chinese product qualities are cost based ... They care less about the brand and that is the reason most of the chinese are willing to sell you product under your name ... As a result our importers generally buy cheaper stuff and hence a bad name of chinese products in Pakistan ...

In which area of Pakistan you are and what is average daytime in summer and winter ?

In Karachi its mostly cloudy ... So do you have any idea of cloudy weather on performance of solar panels ?

 

[I.R.A]

In Karachi its mostly cloudy and rarely there is a direct sun ...

 

[Arsalan]

ok here is any update guys, i actually made a mistake. The plates i am using were actually bought at around 55Rs per watt. So one plat cost is 12650 Rs (not 18000 as mentioned in previous post).

This changes the total cost calculation as:

I have installed 14 photovoaltic solar panels. Each cost me about 12650Rs so total cost is 177100Rs
Have installed a 5kva, MPPT equipped Axpert MKS inverter from Inverex. Cost 72000Rs
Frames for installing panels on roof plus cable/wire cost - Approximately 30000Rs
Four 250A Volta tublar batteries from Volta, Cost - 22000 x 4 = 88000Rs

Total Cost: 367100 Rs

Sorry @HRK @313ghazi @Verve @darksider @Major Sam @Dark-Destroyer for quoting wrong amount first. Mixed it up with some new panels we bought for a friend recently, that was in 80Rs per watt. IN this price you can get new with warranty panels but i still suggest you go for used, good quality (check performance as well) used German panels.

I am interested in knowing about the batteries actually. Do they last long?

Have you attained / reached break even?

Yes. To be honest, when i installed the system i was not able to get battery as they were short in market. So i took some used batteries from another system we were running (at another home in family) as they have just recently changed their batteries. For 18-20 months i have used those USED batteries. The trick is, we do not run AC on battery at night. When the sun goes down the UPS starts using WAPDA, when WAPDA goes out due to load shedding, we turn off the AC for that hour. Implement these small steps and you can take 3-4 years out of the batteries easily. Breakeven comes in 2 years.

any particular company/brand .... ??

Will share pictures of the system i am running just to give you an idea. I mixed up the panels in previous post (cost/brand etc) so will share the correct one after i take a pic of it.

Actually, myri family mein hum 6 7 homes mein yeh chla rahay hein ab aur aksar ki purchase mien i was involved so mixed up.

 

[Sucha Kuggu]

I don't thing 7.4% commercial are actual electricity stats.
Solar is cleanest , off the shelf and plug n play sort of energy solution.
But the problem is unlike others source's, like hydral, wind, nuclear, its available on aprox 33% time out of 24 hours a day. So just calculate you are getting only 67% less return of you investments.
Hydral is the best way to go and its natural solution, multipurpose like for arrogation, power generation and household etc and it strategic too.
When China was building worlds largest Dam on Jyagnsee river, west raised extraordinary protests of environmental and such issues, but they went ahead with this. We in Pakistan need to work on war footings on this or its .
Instead of letting liabilities of private fossil fueled IPPs growing Pakistan should be importing electricity from Iran and China with 100% transparency and start work on Hydral projects asap.

 

[jupiter2007]

Good video regarding Solar power to generate electricity.

 

[Waqas Durrani]

I am looking to install solar solution at my home, I am currently studying electronics enginnering and wants to know that can I install the whole solar solution my self as there are plenty of videos available on youtube. Secondly I live in Karachi and wants to know some vendros who can provide me quotations for a 4kw system.
I have gone through this website http://www.w11stop.com/solar and have an idea of solar inverters and panels price.
If the solar installation is not that easy and I have to get help from an experienced man at all cost, then what are the installation charges for a complete solar solution.
Any help would be appreciated as I have to make a budget for my solar solution and wants to know the rate in
which I can get the complete package?

TIA

 

[Dubious]

I have a project that I want to carry out one day called the Model Village project. If Allah ever gives me the opportunity, I wish to implement it first in my own village in AJK and then go across the county village by village implementing this project.

The idea behind the project is to improve standards of living in villages using micro projects. Solar panels play a big part of this.

My plans would include;

• use of solar panels on each household to provide as much of their power needs as possible.
• Solar powered street lighting along the main roads and paths through villages
• Solar powered lighting and fans in schools
• purpose built guttering and drainage leading to a small water treatment plant
• treated water being put back into the river, waste being taken away and used for biogas. This would encourage water recycling.
  
• Biogas plants setup using human and animal waste
• Recycling schemes in the village where people come round and collect metal, glass, paper and plastics, biodegradable waste isn't burnt but put in the biogas plant to let it ferment and create natural gas which can be bottled and used.
• Have public waste bins in public areas which are cleared on a daily basis.
  
• Where rivers or streams are available, make use of the curent of the water to make electricity using mills

I'd also with the support of local people/local government like to have the roads and paths into the villages paved to a decent standard, but that would be upto them to arrange. Unfortunately roads is such a political tool in Pakistan.

Out of curiosity, did you manage to do anything?

I have an idea...combined pieces from observations here and there:
When/ IF you build a housing or school...the sewage pipeline can be porous or with holes and pass through a field/ orchard to fertilize the land....

After initially picking out the plastic and large garbage, you can pipe the sewage through a forest ...SOME trees can treat metals and other stuff as natural filters...and then the leftover can go to treatment plants before going to a water body. I mean Pakistan doesnt filter its sewage at all. Why cant it filter it through jungles (after removing large plastic and stuff) or fields? I mean the pipes dont need to be on the surface, deep down and keep cycling the soil so that it gets mixed and the smell eases away too...

I dont know the feasibility of this ...it is just a thought. I also know schools that grow their own vegetable and fruits and present a healthy meal to their children. Also children working with gardening understand the environment and also how it is beneficial for us, serving other colleagues teaches them to give and share...this is taught in Japan and some schools in Finland.