Mark Doe
5/5
So I've waited a full year to add this review because I wanted to review the system fitted as well as the service.
Got in touch with these guys and the response was impressive. I asked them to look at one side of the roof & then both to determine the projected performance and ROI. After this Gary and his business partner came out and took a look at the house.
We discussed the possible installation locations and determined that inside the garage roof would be the most convenient for the inverter and battery. We also decided to fit panels to both sides of the roof.
They then provided me with a quotation, which I thought was reasonable.
The system we went for was the Give-energy AIO.
We paid the deposit and booked an installation date. The team came and were extremely quick and efficient.
Sadly, as with 99% of houses, there's no capacity for solar systems so the routing of the cables had to be along the front of the house in order to connect to the mains.
There were a couple of areas I wasn't happy with in relation to the cable routing. I told the guys and we came to an agreement on what was the best solution I was happy with.
They completed the installation. I sent over all the required paperwork for grid connection and we were up and running. First class team of guys and very responsive with technical support which I've used 3 times over the last year.
Now to the system.
When you first get it, it's highly likely you'll be obsessed with monitoring it on the app.
The system also has an online portal which you can configure to suit your own requirements. There's quite a bit to learn about it if you want to or you can get the guys at NPES or Give Energy to configure it to the most suitable settings for you personally.
There are a few groups on facebook with very knowledgeable people, and they keep you alerted when there are saving sessions planned etc.
If you have a battery then the saving sessions are a great way to earn money from your system.
However, what you must appreciate is that these systems are software driven and are not a toy. I've seen so many people on the forums pissing about with the settings then find there's an issue with the system. They then start complaining about the system itself.
I've had 3 issues in a year, two of them associated with the USB wireless adaptor for the inverter, losing connection to my router. The third issue was also something trivial.
There are regular software updates so keep an eye on what's going on with you system through the app or the portal, but really just learn how to discharge and charge your batteries to capitalise on the returns and leave the rest to its own devices.
Having the system installed has been the best thing we've done. It's reduced our electricity bill significantly even though we've had a poor year in terms of sunlight. We've been smart with the technology and capitalised on the offers available from the electricity company and the grid.
Charging your battery at 14.30 pence per KWh (current price) during the night is a significant saving during the winter months. If you're like me, a light sleeper you can also run your most expensive appliances at this time.
You can also sell your stored energy into the grid at peak times or during a grid saving session for which you can sometimes get anywhere from £1.50 - £3.00 per KWh if you discharge your battery back into the grid.
