Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Chat with fellow forum users. No adverts or trade links in here please.
DavidatLWH
Posts: 492
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:41 am

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by DavidatLWH »

What a bizarre web site. My schoolboy Latin suggests someone's picked random words from a Latin dictionary, as the sentences (a) don't make sense and (b) bear no relationship to the preceding English text. I'm just being picky perhaps.
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Alan, plenty infos from this website: http://www.greenair-cy.com/our-services ... mps-cyprus
Is always available at PL directory...
(Disclaimer: I used to work with Green Air)

Max
User avatar
Dominic
Site Admin
Posts: 14911
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:00 pm
Location: Polemi
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Dominic »

DavidatLWH wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:20 am What a bizarre web site. My schoolboy Latin suggests someone's picked random words from a Latin dictionary, as the sentences (a) don't make sense and (b) bear no relationship to the preceding English text. I'm just being picky perhaps.
Actually it isn't bizarre if you develop websites for a living. That Latin is known as Lorem Ipsum. It is what designers use as placeholder text, to demonstrate the layout of a document.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum

Obviously in this instance, it hasn't yet been filled in.

Don't get me wrong, I am not mocking the site. When you are developing a larger website, it is easy to miss the odd page like this. It would be a brave web designer indeed to mock somebody else's Lorem Ipsum text. As you never know when it might be you getting mocked.
Web Designer / Developer. Currently working on Paphos Life.
Living in Polemi, Cyprus with my wife and daughter.
DavidatLWH
Posts: 492
Joined: Sat Mar 25, 2017 10:41 am

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by DavidatLWH »

Thanks for the explanation, Dominic.
User avatar
Jimgward
Posts: 3115
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:14 pm
Location: Lanark
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Jimgward »

I wonder why the ability to do this is restricted to residents. Surely it is in Cyprus interests to have as much electricity from green sources? Many thousands of people who own property in Cyprus, would invest in Photovoltaic, if they could connect to the grid....
User avatar
Devil
Forum Curmudgeon
Posts: 3922
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:34 am
Location: Mosfiloti

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Devil »

Jimgward wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 3:01 pm I wonder why the ability to do this is restricted to residents. Surely it is in Cyprus interests to have as much electricity from green sources? Many thousands of people who own property in Cyprus, would invest in Photovoltaic, if they could connect to the grid....
Simply that it is too costly for the EAC and all the other consumers to pay more than the worth of generated electricity to non-consumers. The best that the EAC can do is when a customer consumes more than he generates. Remember that net-metering and other 3rd-party generation costs the EAC more per kWh than it costs them to generate it conventionally, the difference being partially paid by all the other consumers in RES charges.
User avatar
Jimgward
Posts: 3115
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:14 pm
Location: Lanark
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Jimgward »

Devil. I accept the costs argument, 10’s of thousands of properties are rented out and consume more electricity than residential properties. Cyprus are fined every year for not meeting targets. This would accelerate take up.

Cypriots generally don’t have pools. They also don’t used air-con to the same extent as holidaymakers.
PolemIan
Posts: 961
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2016 8:50 am
Location: Polemi

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by PolemIan »

trevnhil wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:50 am This is a link to the firm that supplied our panels, and there is some information on there.
I have no connection with the firm except I am a satisfied customer..

http://andisolartec.com/
Same here, brilliant service even if there are a few gaps in the website data! We also have a separate 'solar' pump for out pool though it is not a solar pump, it's a standard pump with it's inverter rater than an expensive to replace dedicated solar pump. Works very well. We did this because we wanted to understand the running costs of the house before committing to the EAC net metering scheme.

Ian
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Jimgward wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:17 am Devil. I accept the costs argument, 10’s of thousands of properties are rented out and consume more electricity than residential properties. Cyprus are fined every year for not meeting targets. This would accelerate take up.

Cypriots generally don’t have pools. They also don’t used air-con to the same extent as holidaymakers.
Jimgward
There are always misinformation from people which are against Solar in general. There is no restriction if you want a net-metering system and you are not a permanent resident. All you need is to show the last EAC bill when you fill in the application form and the normal questions.. (Ownership, building license, plot no, etc)
Max
daveg
Posts: 571
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 2:58 pm

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by daveg »

Now had a 16 panel 4.3 kWh installation for a month, it has produced around 550kw...How does that compare with others who have a similar installation? Thanks
User avatar
Jimgward
Posts: 3115
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:14 pm
Location: Lanark
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Jimgward »

Jim, how did you insulate your roof? I presume it is flat, like most Cypriot ones? Did you insulate intentally or externally?
User avatar
Jimgward
Posts: 3115
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:14 pm
Location: Lanark
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Jimgward »

I have spoken to GreenAir and indeed, I can get an installation for my property.... thinking of 5KW as my EAC bills average over €2,300 per annum.

My roof can take most of the panels, with 4 on a sloping roof providing shade on an upstairs balcony....

Happy for any advice before committing....
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by cyprusmax47 »

Jimgward wrote: Fri Oct 13, 2017 5:35 pm I have spoken to GreenAir and indeed, I can get an installation for my property.... thinking of 5KW as my EAC bills average over €2,300 per annum.

My roof can take most of the panels, with 4 on a sloping roof providing shade on an upstairs balcony....

Happy for any advice before committing....
I assume that you had already a visit from Green Air in order to find out if your roof is suitable for a 5 KWp installation. I recommend that you go for a system with so called "optimizers" which can increase your production of electricity by ca 20-25%. If you send me a photo from your roof I would be able to give you more advice if you like

Max
jeba
Posts: 1494
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:38 pm

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by jeba »

cyprusmax47 wrote: Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:06 pm I recommend that you go for a system with so called "optimizers" which can increase your production of electricity by ca 20-25%.
Can you elaborate on what you mean, please? Are you saying there is a way to generate more than about 1800 kWh p.a. per kWp installed?
User avatar
cyprusmax47
Chief Cat Spotter
Posts: 4968
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:10 am
Location: Paphos area since 1982

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by cyprusmax47 »

jeba wrote: Sat Oct 14, 2017 7:30 am
cyprusmax47 wrote: Fri Oct 13, 2017 9:06 pm I recommend that you go for a system with so called "optimizers" which can increase your production of electricity by ca 20-25%.
Can you elaborate on what you mean, please? Are you saying there is a way to generate more than about 1800 kWh p.a. per kWp installed?
Jeba, you are right with the figure that in Cyprus one can generate ca 1800 kWh in a year per 1 kWp installed PV modules,(panels) but only with optimum position to the sun. The power of the solar array is only as strong as the weakest-performing panel. And in real-world conditions, where shade is common from sources like trees, chimneys, power lines and even bird droppings, solar efficiency can be decreased significantly. In fact, as little as 10% shade on an array can result in as much as 50% lost energy. A typical 3 kWp installation contains 12 panels @ 250 Wp which are wired in 2 strings of six. So if p.e. on panel no 3 is a small shade than all the other five on the same string are affected. This is the biggest advantage when one uses optimizers which are mounted under each panel, as every panel reacts on its own. On top of it power optimizers increase energy output from PV systems by constantly tracking the maximum power point (MPPT) of each module individually. Furthermore, the power optimizers monitor the performance of each module and communicate performance data to the monitoring portal for enhanced, cost-effective module-level maintenance.

It is specially important when the space on the roof is limited and the installer tries to squeeze as many panels as possible in order to achieve
>than 3 kWp when a customer wants that. It is also more easy to use SSE or SSW sun directions or a mix of it, on a roof.

Max
User avatar
Jimgward
Posts: 3115
Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:14 pm
Location: Lanark
Contact:

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Jimgward »

I have seen a screenshot of a 5kW installation that shows 12 month production at 9.62MWh

This is using optimisers.

I am being quoted for 280Wp panels, meaning 18 panels for 5kW - rather than 20 with the older panels.

I have run a spreadsheet calculation of payback and estimate that for 1 villa, I get a payback of 6.48 years and on a second villa, a payback of 7.25 years. With respective ROI of 15.42% and 13.82%

My roof has only shade from a chimney that is on the West side of the roof. The Villas face 188deegrees (8 degrees West of due South)
No poles or cables interrupt, so would expect to be close to maximum potential.

Max - thanks for the offer of looking at picture of roof. I haven't a ladder today that would allow me to do so... I'll see if I can soon.

I have a free area on one roof of around 7m x 7m plus a lean-to roof of 7m x 2m. On that roof, there is a chimney at the West-Front corner.

On the other roof, I have a 5m wide x 10m deep space mainly free (if I get the existing solar-water panels moved 2 m leftwards) this roof has a chimney on the West edge halfway back, so no shade from it except in evening.

I am moving towards 5kWh installation if it fits, as my consumption per annum is averaging 8,000kWh on one Villa and 10,000 kWh on the other.

Since a 3kW system would only cover part of my consumption, albeit only around 54% of the cost of install, my ROI is surprisingly similar, however since electricity charges will keep increasing, it might be false economy.

Additionally, am I correct in saying that once on the RES system, your required electricity usage is more expensive than now?
jeba
Posts: 1494
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:38 pm

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by jeba »

Thanks. Is there a website which allows you to compare your own generation with that of others so that you can get an idea of how your system is doing?
User avatar
Expresspete
Posts: 70
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 1:19 am

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by Expresspete »

Asked on the other site but perhaps someone can help me on here?
I’ve had a 3kw system installed and just had a bill for €230 and I wasn’t expecting it to be this high.
My meter gives me two readings - one beginning with a 0 and then it flashes to a reading beginning with a 5.
Does anyone know which is for production and which is for consumption (really hoping the production reading begins with a zero)
Thanks in advance
Pete
Living the Sunshine dream 8-)
trevnhil
Posts: 7091
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:12 pm
Location: Polemi

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by trevnhil »

Sorry I can't answer your question Pete even though we have a System.. But there seems to be something wrong somewhere in the system.. We have only paid the standing charge of around €31 for two months since we had ours installed nearly 2 years ago.. Our latest reading showed we had around 450 units in credit.
I would contact the suppliers and see if they can pop out and check on things..
Trev..
User avatar
PW in Polemi
Posts: 790
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 9:56 am
Location: Polemi of course! Doh!!! :)

Re: Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

Post by PW in Polemi »

Pete, I have just learned that if the voltage to your house is too high, then your PV system will shut down and stop uploading. Also, there may have been a storm strike near to your PV system that knocked part or all of it out and until it's been reset, you will not be generating as much as you should be. As Trev said, get your installer to check your system. Something is very wrong with it - unless you are extremely heavy consumers of electricity?
Kay
Those who do not like cats, must have been mice in a former life! :lol:
Post Reply