Solar Solutions install…done it!

[newboldi]

Hi all, I bought a solar panel kit from @Roger Donoghue and have been staring at the box for 3 weeks…frightened of what was inside and how I was going to wreck my pride and joy or electrocute myself…
Anyway, I decided today was the day…armed with suncream, the tools and determination I did the full install in about 2.5 hours. I am a complete DIY novice and it worked…my sparky doing some work in our cellar commented on what a neat job is made! Marvellous…
Just wanted to share in case someone out there was like me and to say it’s easier than your think. Big credit to Roger for his very clear set of instructions. Cheers!

 

[Corradobrit]

Which system did you select? Single or dual panel?

 

[newboldi]

Which system did you select? Single or dual panel?

Single panel, curly cable and MPPT unit…

 

[IainB]

Hi all, I bought a solar panel kit from @Roger Donoghue and have been staring at the box for 3 weeks…frightened of what was inside and how I was going to wreck my pride and joy or electrocute myself…
Anyway, I decided today was the day…armed with suncream, the tools and determination I did the full install in about 2.5 hours. I am a complete DIY novice and it worked…my sparky doing some work in our cellar commented on what a neat job is made! Marvellous…
Just wanted to share in case someone out there was like me and to say it’s easier than your think. Big credit to Roger for his very clear set of instructions. Cheers!

for providing great feedback on how your install went, thinking about doing it myself but equally nervous of messing around with the van electrics.

 

[newboldi]

for providing great feedback on how your install went, thinking about doing it myself but equally nervous of messing around with the van electrics.

The hardest bit for me was cutting a hole in the rubber grommet (I had to use a knife on Patty!) and the point where it connected to the leisure battery…just waiting for the bang My only error was leaving the jelly sweets (that came in the box) in sunlight and they were a bit melted…

 

[James Lewis]

Thanks @newboldi, really useful as just about to order one too.

Have you got MPPT charger with the screen and, if so, can you read the screen after installation? I was going to go with the victron charger for phone connectivty but if you get enough detail from the mppt charger screen, ill go with the cheaper option!

Also, where did you have to cut the hole? I was under the impression no drilling or cutting is required?

Thanks, James

 

[newboldi]

Thanks @newboldi, really useful as just about to order one too.

Have you got MPPT charger with the screen and, if so, can you read the screen after installation? I was going to go with the victron charger for phone connectivty but if you get enough detail from the mppt charger screen, ill go with the cheaper option!

Also, where did you have to cut the hole? I was under the impression no drilling or cutting is required?

Thanks, James

Hi, yes it’s the £38 MPPT charger with LCD screen. I could see the screen and know the rate it was charging and several other things that I need to read the manual to fully understand…

No drilling however, i wanted mine to stay on the van (hence the curly cable), so you have to run the cable from the panel inside the van via the rubber grommet - top left corner when the boot is up. To do this you cut a tiny slit in the rubber and feed the cable through. You’d never notice it unless you knew it was there. Cheers

 

[James Lewis]

Hi, yes it’s the £38 MPPT charger with LCD screen. I could see the screen and know the rate it was charging and several other things that I need to read the manual to fully understand…

No drilling however, i wanted mine to stay on the van (hence the curly cable), so you have to run the cable from the panel inside the van via the rubber grommet - top left corner when the boot is up. To do this you cut a tiny slit in the rubber and feed the cable through. You’d never notice it unless you knew it was there. Cheers

Thanks. Where is the MPPT charger lcd screen, once its installed?

 

[Daveb999]

Thanks @newboldi, really useful as just about to order one too.

Have you got MPPT charger with the screen and, if so, can you read the screen after installation? I was going to go with the victron charger for phone connectivty but if you get enough detail from the mppt charger screen, ill go with the cheaper option!

Also, where did you have to cut the hole? I was under the impression no drilling or cutting is required?

Thanks, James

The hole is dead easy. I just posted up about my panel being dead easy to fit and have a picture of the hole cut on that post.

 

[newboldi]

Thanks. Where is the MPPT charger lcd screen, once its installed?

I screwed it into the panel in the rear cupboard...I'll add some photos later.

 

[newboldi]

 

[newboldi]

Hopefully this might be useful to someone…

 

[James Lewis]

Hopefully this might be useful to someone…

Thanks @newboldi, really useful. Nice van too

 

[Anthony1]

Hi all, I bought a solar panel kit from @Roger Donoghue and have been staring at the box for 3 weeks…frightened of what was inside and how I was going to wreck my pride and joy or electrocute myself…
Anyway, I decided today was the day…armed with suncream, the tools and determination I did the full install in about 2.5 hours. I am a complete DIY novice and it worked…my sparky doing some work in our cellar commented on what a neat job is made! Marvellous…
Just wanted to share in case someone out there was like me and to say it’s easier than your think. Big credit to Roger for his very clear set of instructions. Cheers!

I have yet to get the box to look at for 3 weeks.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

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check with @Roger Donoghue - but I think you need to pull your curly cable thru a bit more (to leave curly exposed on roof, hardly any straight cable), then taped connection currently visible in hinge should be other side of the van rubber cable grommet protected inside the van.

 

[Robin Brooke]

I have one too, installed 1 year ago and has worked well.

A question I have on my mind is the paintwork on the roof under the solar panel...should we be removing the panel every X months or once a year to clean it from accumulated dirt to avoid paint damage.

 

[bangorlad]

I did mine 3 or 4 weeks ago - single panel with Victron MPPT with phone app. Bad start when the courier (DHL? not sure) totally ignored my completion of their web based change delivery system (which they had confirmed) when I knew I would be away and delivered to our garden and said I'd signed for it. A disgrace and not the first this has happened - must be illegal. Managed to contact a friend to go and pick it up before it got destroyed by rain. Roger didn't seem concerned but I don't think it's acceptable when you pay £400 for some kit.

Installation went ok but feeding cables was a bit fiddly. Welsh Gas's tip for a wide bladed paint stripper to ease the battery out was a great idea and knuckle saver. I pulled all the straight cable through so you only see curly outside on the roof which goes up and down fine and doesn't make any noise while on the road.

I used a scalpel for the slit in the grommet. Instructions talk about a bit of insulation tape over the cut afterwards but better is stuff called liquid tape that I use in my amateur radio games to seal antenna joints outside too awkward for self amalgamating tape. It dries like self amalgamating but can you can peal it away after if you need. Totally waterproof.

I'm totally used to having charged leisure batteries now - fit and forget for sure...

 

[newboldi]

check with @Roger Donoghue - but I think you need to pull your curly cable thru a bit more (to leave curly exposed on roof, hardly any straight cable), then taped connection currently visible in hinge should be other side of the van rubber cable grommet protected inside the van.

Oh ok…I’ll take another look, thanks

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Yep, all the straight part of the curly cable goes in the van, bar the last couple of inches.

 

[Roger Donoghue]

I did mine 3 or 4 weeks ago - single panel with Victron MPPT with phone app. Bad start when the courier (DHL? not sure) totally ignored my completion of their web based change delivery system (which they had confirmed) when I knew I would be away and delivered to our garden and said I'd signed for it. A disgrace and not the first this has happened - must be illegal. Managed to contact a friend to go and pick it up before it got destroyed by rain. Roger didn't seem concerned but I don't think it's acceptable when you pay £400 for some kit.

Installation went ok but feeding cables was a bit fiddly. Welsh Gas's tip for a wide bladed paint stripper to ease the battery out was a great idea and knuckle saver. I pulled all the straight cable through so you only see curly outside on the roof which goes up and down fine and doesn't make any noise while on the road.

I used a scalpel for the slit in the grommet. Instructions talk about a bit of insulation tape over the cut afterwards but better is stuff called liquid tape that I use in my amateur radio games to seal antenna joints outside too awkward for self amalgamating tape. It dries like self amalgamating but can you can peal it away after if you need. Totally waterproof.

I'm totally used to having charged leisure batteries now - fit and forget for sure...

Unfortunately I have no control over DHL once they take a parcel, no matter how much I spend with them! :-( it's all down to individual drivers and I know they are short of them at the moment so I guess they can't be choosey.

When I book parcels I choose the option of deliver to doorsetp only. No neighbours, no specific places, but it often gets ignored and I can do zero about it other than take the loss on the chin when a parcel goes amiss. Thankfully rare with DHL. Telling them off achieves absolutely zero. They don't care, and they are the best of the ones I've tried.

Don't get me started on Parcelforce!

 

[newboldi]

I have one too, installed 1 year ago and has worked well.

A question I have on my mind is the paintwork on the roof under the solar panel...should we be removing the panel every X months or once a year to clean it from accumulated dirt to avoid paint damage.

Good question, anyone?

 

[blondebier]

Good question, anyone?

See here:

Solar Panel Maintenance

Hi All, A few months ago I noticed that my solar panel had developed a bit of a dip/sag in the middle. I didn't give it much thought until recently when it dawned on me that it might be rubbing on the paint underneath (particularly if some grit had got underneath it). Last weekend I decided...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Roger Donoghue]

Slightly different now. Firmer panels and a centre foam strip.

Accumulated dirt should not cause paint damage but a clean can't hurt if you want to.