Battery Storage: Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, Mr O

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Battery Storage: Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, Mr O

At a bewildering time in the Solar Industry The Little Green Energy Company has seen this as a time to grow and capitalise on its strong position in the renewable marketplace.  Already heavily involved in the new build sector, we have seen a renewed interest in both the commercial and domestic markets, partly being driven by the emerging storage and EV sectors which we have also moved into.  With an emphasis more on the technical aspects, quality components and detailed installation processes over sales, we feel that we can offer both great customer service as well as bespoke designs tailored to our customers needs.

The Little Green Energy Company have embraced the storage market this year and been introducing the Tesla Powerwall product to its customers.  After careful consideration it was decided that the Powerwall offers the best solution and value for money for our customers.  When designed correctly it complements an existing Solar PV system very well and also is a great addition to any household or business with the ‘Time of Use’ feature in which you can charge directly from the grid.  TLGEC have been pushing the boundaries of what is available currently on the market.

This project was a particularly interesting due to the size of storage required to meet the customers needs.  The customer already owned 2 electric cars and were a high user of electricity.  They had already installed a 4kWp PV system back in 2012 and were keen to explore putting in more Solar PV, but also wanted to have better management over their electricity generation and usage.  It was also very important to future proof the system for years to come.

Once we understood the customers needs we went away and designed a system we thought would best suit them.  We added another 10kWp of Solar PV using SunPower modules and SolarEdge Optimisers, giving 14kWp of Solar PV in total.  The next step was to provide a storage solution to allow them to capture as much of the Solar PV being generated and also being able to deliver enough power at any particular time to keep the house running away from the grid.  This was a challenge given the 2 EV’s and other loading.

It was also very important for the customer to take advantage of future variable Smart tariffs, topping up the batteries using cheap ‘off peak’ electricity so as to move off grid at peak times.

4 Powerwall had never been done before in the UK, however, we decided that this would best fit the profile of the customer.  Working closely with Tesla this was possible, giving a massive 54kWh storage with  a potential charge/discharge of 20kW – enough (and some) to charge 2 EVs.  This would also allow plenty of storage to run the house the majority of evenings and even have some left should you have a bad solar day.  With the added benefit of charging from the grid, the 54kWh storage could be fully charged in under 3 hours if required.

The next step was to get it through the DNO on a single phase supply.  This proved a little tricky but once explained exactly what we were trying to do they accepted our proposal, albeit enforcing export limitation on the now 10kWp PV system.

Once completed the customer was extremely happy with the result, and now has a cutting edge, state of the art energy management system in their home.

The Little Green Energy Company are committed to pushing the boundaries and educating our customers and beyond into the advantages of renewable technologies available to them in their home.

As a retired couple living in a reasonably sized house my wife and I had noted the way electricity prices are likely to increase over the next few years with various subsidy schemes to new generators. We therefore wanted to do what we could to minimise our use of expensive power. We decided to install PV cells where it made sense, and more importantly to use battery storage to take power overnight in cheap hours when electricity demand is light, and use it to power our house during the daytime hours.

Following a personal recommendation, we contacted the Little Green Energy Company. Their chief executive visited us in person, taking note of our objective and our needs. He recommended that we install a Tesla Powerwall 2 configuration.

We had previous excellent experience with Tesla and their car, which confirmed the manufacturer. We wanted to be able to charge our electric vehicles and run other house equipment, which required a 20KW supply necessitating a four Powerwall configuration. This gave the added advantage that we could then store 54 KWh and take advantage of overnight pricing, plus the potential in the future to optimise with half hourly pricing through smart meters.

Following our acceptance of the estimate, the company agreed an installation date less than 6 weeks ahead. The installation team was two men with extensive previous experience. They assessed the site quickly and recommended the best placing of the Powerwalls to minimise the impact on the location, and then commenced the installation.

The team were aware that this would be the first 4-Powerwall installation in the UK. We were greatly impressed by the careful planning which preceded equally perfectionist installation. They went to great efforts to ensure that the installation was of the highest quality with extremely neat and well-placed cabling, with switchgear which ensured all circuits were protected to the greatest extent possible, and that every item was clearly labelled. Amendments to the existing house wiring were wisely designed for full function and minimum disruption. The actual installation is almost a work of art, and visitors comment on how good it looks, an unusual comment for such hardware!

Their testing of the system was very thorough, and identified no issues. They explained clearly and simply the necessary (and minimalist) operating procedures needed for multiple Powerwalls, and ensured that we could operate them.

Throughout the entire project from first contact, their communication has been exemplary: timely, clear, concise and accurate. The team were a pleasure to have around.

Given that it was the first installation of this scale, once it was operating, Tesla sent two of their engineers to do a full site survey including detailed impedance and other measurements. They certified the installation as meeting all their specifications fully.

As customers, the installation has exceeded all our hopes for quality, function and performance and is immediately delivering the benefits we had planned. We would recommend both The Little Green Energy Company as installers and Tesla as battery providers to anyone who could benefit from storage.

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