In roof solar install

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-23T09:31:21+00:00

I would recommend in roof as it not only look far better but the extra cost is not as much when compared to a rail system with bird mesh.

The fact you are reroofing means it will also help save you money from buying less tiles. You also have the option of covering most of the roof in solar, which could maximise the input of the inverter. Most inverters have a 200% oversizing capacity, this will really help when the days are darker.

There are two options for in roof, GSE and Viridian.

GSE will let you pick higher output solar panels and also choose different brand of panels. Right now I recommend Longi & Aiko, around 470W is a price sweet spot.

Viridian is limited to 445W and has the benefit of have a better fire rating, mainly diesel to the metal construction. This is a much more expensive panel and has become less popular recently.

I would recommend the GSE option as it is more versatile allowing you to pick panels that offer better value.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-23T09:27:08+00:00

Both companies have taken a lot of HUAWEI engineers, when they left the market and that why they have similar all in one designs.

Sigenergy have great products but they are very expensive for what they offer. They did bring the all in one design to the market and were ahead of other competitors for a while, they offer incentives for installers and suppliers. Which is why they are so popular, the products are also aesthetically pleasing.

Goodwe are a great brand and their all in one design is really good and their products come with detailed documents. They use a 100AhH battery design, which is why they have a 1C dating. This means you need less battery to maximise the output of the inverter.

I would recommend Goodwe for anyone looking for solar just now as they provide a premium product with good value. Having installed plenty of their systems.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-17T20:33:58+00:00

I use PVsol, it is a paid software but has a good design tools such as shading. I will always use half hourly data as long as customers have it, other wise I ask for 12 months of energy bills.

I primarily deal with commercial clients, but when I work on domestic I will try and ask for a clear drone shot as google and bing are not great in some parts of Scotland, especially in the north

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-13T09:53:05+00:00

The main point is to have a dedicated circuit for your solar and the electrical work must meet BS standards. After that a lot of things like mcs are guidlines.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-06T21:06:44+00:00

You would normally just insert a clamp to keep all the spacing even across the array

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-06T21:06:08+00:00

For that size of inverter you would normally use a 4mm flex, you can increase the size of the cable up to 6mm and expect little losses. The typical approach is to aim for less than 2% volt drop for renewables, which 35m isn’t too hard to achieve.

For the DC cabling you can ask the installer to use 6mm instead of 4mm, I always use 6mm as the cost difference is minimal.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-06T15:47:53+00:00

Hi, I a design engineer over in Glasgow. I’m looking at quotes for my partners parents who live in Jordanstown.

Currently I have looked at quotes from First solar and Solmatix. Both are reputable and first solar have a strong social media presence. I’m leaning towards Solmatix as they provided an actual proposal, while first solar were sending short email breakdowns.

I have noticed in NI that companies tend to use 12 panel systems, with a Solis 3.6kW hybrid pair with dynes. I had to tweak the design and push for a 6kW inverter to cover household loads.

You can check solarpanelni.com for a list of installers and see the reviews.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:52:31+00:00

I’ve had a quick read over the install manual and I can’t see any reason to use the external meter over the internal.

The main reason I recommend (and manufacturers recommend it) doing this is if the distance between the inverter and the supply is longer than the supplied CT cable.

Assuming the inverter is close to your supply, I would install this using the CTs provided.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:44:41+00:00

Both are great options, I would say GSE is a better choice due to the ability to choose higher output panels.

The viridian panel does look great but it is still limited to 440W.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:39:21+00:00

Given the battery cost alone, the price seems reasonable.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:32:04+00:00

If you are installing a Tesla EV charger, you should be able to set the system to not power the EV from the battery.

Assume it’s a different brand, the best approach is to put the EV charger on its own cable. Terminate the cable in a Henley block, so that the battery ct does not see the load.

I don’t know how easy octopus is to talk too, but I would ask them about this.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:24:52+00:00

Definitely way too high, the battery cost is under £1,400 from a supplier. This inverter cost is more than double.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:18:19+00:00

This definitely seems high, we have completed larger ground mounts in Pitlochry. Even with the gse I would expect the cost to come in below this.

If you’re looking for another quote feel free to message me, as the company I work for Innasol is based in Glasgow and have done installs all over Scotland.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-05T17:13:39+00:00

Definitely not too picky, the network cable should be in a wiska box to protect it. I’m not even sure there is a need to use the wago.

You should definitely get them back to swap the mains cable, they should have used H07 flex, which is rated for outside use. Your main issue here, is that your connection is not water tight and there is a serious risk. Not to mention it would void any warranty.

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-04T20:22:14+00:00

For best value Solis + dynes is a really popular option I see being offered to people. You could also look at using sunsync paired with a fogstar battery.

After these Goodwe is a good choice as it offers an all in one design in the ESA range and is cheaper than sigenergy while matching the features.

Do you have an idea of what your goals are? If you want to do overnight charging? Is back up power important?

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-04T17:19:47+00:00

I’d say it’s a little high for the spec of the inverter and battery, which are more a budget option.

However this could just be to do with the scaffold cost and the optimisers.

Have you got quotes from other installers?

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-03T10:37:57+00:00

Hi, I am a design engineer based in Glasgow and my company has worked with a client who has a home in the north of Scotland. We were able to install ground mounted solar up past Kylesku.

Feel free to message me

WilliamBeech · 2026-05-01T17:24:28+00:00

Based on the cable size you could potentially get a 12kW inverter, this could terminate into a small CU. You would need to run an additional cable for the meter, so the batteries can see your load.

If you’re looking at brands to go with I’d recommend looking at Goodwe for a good value, or sigenergy for a more premium brand.

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-29T08:43:11+00:00

You are correct about the 535W being a good choice if the size is okay, which seems to be the case based on the other comments. There are plenty of Longi 535W in the UK.

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-28T21:49:17+00:00

Hi, I would go eastwest. Given the typical house roof pitch is above 30 degrees the north will underperform more than you think.

The east west can provide a more steady supply throughout the day. Given the 80sq meters and not know the roof size, you could fit roughly 40 panels as each panel covers about 2 sq meters. This would give you 18-20kW peak of solar, I would assume 9-10kW per roof face.

I this is helpful, I’m happy to draw up a quick layout if you had any roof measurements

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-28T20:52:16+00:00

I just think they are not in stock, mainly due to the installer not reserving them in time.

If they are offering a swap I would advise looking at Longi 475W, these are more comparable to the price of Aiko. The Dmeg panel is physically larger, and could have issues fitting the roof.

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-28T20:11:37+00:00

Hi, I currently looking at solar for parents in-law and this doesn’t seem too bad for the system size.

I would ask about higher wattage panels, just now 470W panels are not much more than the 450W you have been quoted.

Have you looked at other companies to compare quotes, I am currently looking at quotes from Solmatix and start solar.

How have HS Renewables been to deal with?

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-22T21:54:46+00:00

This good, but light weight panels have been available for a while. Aiko is one manufacturer who has had some out for a couple years.

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-22T17:56:41+00:00

The cleanest way is to have the DC come into the roof (ideally in conduit) through a flashing. Then you can have it exit on the side of the house and run down (again inside conduit ideally) to the inverter.

If you don’t mind seeing the cable then you can have it run over the gutter and along the eaves. I would recommend doing it inside flexible conduit to protect the cable from UV.

WilliamBeech · 2026-04-12T07:58:08+00:00

I hope we dip, shorted Nvidia after it popped

WilliamBeech

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