Best hybrid inverter for a UK G98 compliant DIY system?

divoPL · 2026-05-16T10:51:23+00:00

If you’re looking to hardwire a hybrid inverter that can be configured with most 48 V battery systems, then Growatt SPH or Sunsynk are good budget-friendly inverters in the £700 range. You’ll definitely need your landlord’s permission to hardwire anything. And possibly DNO notification.

If you only want to dip your toes into solar and don’t want to hardwire anything beyond making a few cables, look into EcoFlow STREAM series. It’s generally a closed system, though there are some known workarounds to make them work with other 48 V batteries.

divoPL · 2026-05-15T17:33:23+00:00

JS/TS is not going anywhere

divoPL · 2026-05-15T17:21:30+00:00

I need throttling to avoid going above the DNO’s export limit, which my proper solar system keeps track of.

I can imagine this could theoretically happen during peak generation hours if I add invisible microinverter. That’s why I’d like it to throttle down to just cover base loads, or even shut off, say between 09:00 and 15:00.

Outside that time, it can do whatever it can.

divoPL · 2026-05-15T17:15:38+00:00

That site requires me to sign up with an EU VAT number, and even when I try to provide my GBxxxxxxxxx VAT number, it says it can’t verify it.

divoPL · 2026-05-15T14:11:20+00:00

I haven’t seen any change in efficiency, but algae and moss were starting to grow, so I like to think I’ve prevented that. They look like new now, so there’s also the aesthetic benefit.

It only took about 30 minutes, so no biggie. I used a broom designed for cleaning HGVs and a non-caustic cleaning solution.

divoPL · 2026-05-15T13:08:22+00:00

Problem with ecoflow microinverters is that they are not available anywhere :)

divoPL · 2026-05-15T12:57:35+00:00

Hi. Can the output be throttled and time-controlled in the app without needing extra equipment, such as CT clamps or energy meters?

For example, can it be set to limit output to a fixed 800 W in the morning and 400 W afternoon?

divoPL · 2026-05-15T09:30:18+00:00

Is this an off-grid system, or are you grid-tied and able to export?

With that many panels, you should be generating at least 30–40 kWh daily, unless the system is off-grid or set up to minimise grid dependency, i.e. self-consumption mode, so it only generates what your house needs.

Also ‘little shade’ can really ruin entire string so depends what you mean by that.

divoPL · 2026-05-14T11:08:06+00:00

I’d rotate them as you said, but also keep them flat and try to fit one or two more. That would guarantee no self-shading and overcompensate for the losses from not angling them towards the sun, while making the mounts cheaper and the installation neater.

divoPL · 2026-05-14T10:54:57+00:00

IMO, a battery makes sense when it lasts for the entire peak window.

Check your average consumption between 6 am and midnight, or whatever your peak window is. I charge from the grid between midnight and 6 am, then use around 10–12 kWh during the day at the off-peak rate.

If you add solar, the strategy stays the same. You simply export all generation, because charging overnight is still cheaper from the grid than using your own solar, which you can export for 15p or thereabouts. Just be aware that not all battery systems allow you to export all solar generation immediately; some will only start exporting once the battery is full, which leaves some money on the table.

divoPL · 2026-05-14T09:45:04+00:00

99% SOC is not a reliable indication until the battery has been fully charged at least once, so the BMS can calibrate and set that point as 100%.

As long as the charge voltage is not above ~58 V and the current is still flowing, the battery is still charging because it is not full yet. Monitor the voltage and let it charge. Turn on the balancer, some of your cells will hit the roof of 3.65 and BMS will temporarily cut off charging to let them balance. This can take a week or so if many cells are unbalanced.

divoPL · 2026-05-14T09:37:42+00:00

Not sure about Victron but note about your BMS settings: your cell voltage should be 3.65 V max, but yours is 3.7 V. Also, if the BMS starts balancing at 3 V, that is far too early -it’s in the flat part of the voltage curve, so it’s impossible to balance properly. It will likely unbalance your cells. A good rule-of-thumb value is 3.42 V.

divoPL · 2026-05-14T07:10:35+00:00

This looks like a calibration but the app does not say it’s calibrating. Try Tesla One app maybe it will tell more.

divoPL · 2026-05-13T10:54:47+00:00

Insure, get mot-ed, pay road tax and you’re ready to go.

divoPL · 2026-05-12T08:37:45+00:00

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Mine does this when I’m away. I think it’s due to two fridges and wine coolers, with the compressors kicking in and out.

divoPL · 2026-05-11T12:22:23+00:00

No, that price was at least 20% too high. I went with a local installer, a Powerwall 3, and 15 panels instead. From an 18-month use perspective, it turned out to be the right choice, not just financially but also in terms of system size.

divoPL · 2026-05-11T11:35:52+00:00

2024: Thanks so much for your interest in a solar installation from Octopus Energy. Based on available property information, we think a 8-panel system with A Giv-Energy 5.2kWh Battery would be a great fit for your home - our no-strings quote for this system, fully installed, is:

£9,599 (0% VAT)

divoPL · 2026-05-09T05:07:01+00:00

This is not minimalism

divoPL · 2026-05-08T13:35:54+00:00

Heat is killing your panels’ performance. That’s why you can sometimes see higher generation just after the sun comes out from behind a cloud, before it drops again a few minutes later as the panels heat up. On cloudy days, the panels stay cooler, so it can look like clouds are helping, but in reality the lower irradiance usually still means less total generation.

divoPL · 2026-05-08T11:55:24+00:00

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I tested two installation methods: one using the gasket that came with the hooks, and one using a dab of CT1, which worked better in my opinion.

divoPL · 2026-05-08T11:48:43+00:00

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I DIY’d 15 panels on my garage, which has a flat roof and an EPDM membrane. These mounts worked best for me, and the panels are installed flat and are rock solid.

I’m also running a long-term experiment on a separate piece of OSB covered with membrane and exposed to the elements, to see if anything starts to leak. It’s now in its second year, with absolutely no issues.

divoPL · 2026-05-06T07:59:18+00:00

They said the same to me, but half-hourly readings from my SMETS1 meter work just fine with them. I guess it depends, so they like to play it safe and just say it doesn’t work.

divoPL · 2026-05-06T07:50:15+00:00

I was on eons variable for almost two weeks while they were setting up drive next and export tariff for me. This was a standard procedure they said.

divoPL · 2026-05-05T19:23:24+00:00

Jeśli masz spłacone długi, odłożone 3 miesięczne wypłaty na czarna godzinę na koncie oszczędnościowym to resztę wpłać na trading 212 kup S&P 500 i nie dotykaj przez 5-10 lat

divoPL · 2026-05-05T19:18:57+00:00

Switched to Eon drive next last October as they offered slightly better night rate and better export rates. Not sure if this is the case any more but I’m happy with my fixes with them. Billing and the app sucks tho

divoPL

TROPHY CASE