We want to upgrade our solar power system AGAIN.
Currently have:
A. 5kw Enphase system with 14x295W microinverters with 380W LG panels on north-north-west roof
B. Old 3kW system with 12x250W LG panels and 3kQ Sunnyboy inverter on a now non-ideal east-east-south roof
Mrs EEVblog has now approved more panels on the front of the house (north-north-east roof) where she previously didn't want because of looks. (You can't see either of our systems from the street)
We are going to extend our house upwards, on the roof where both existing systems are now present. So we'll have no solar at all during the building period.
Dosn't make much sense to reinstall the old 3kW system on the new extended roof once finished, so makes sense to upgrade it and move to the front roof of the house.
The old 3kW system isn't of much use now in winter time, so thinking about selling the panels and inverter and reusing the racking for a new system on the front of the house.
So options seem to be:
1) Upgrade and move the old 3kw system to the front roof. New 400W-ish panels and possibly a free 5kW+ Fronius inverter they have offered me in the past. But I'd still have two separate systems from a monitoring point of view.
2) New system on the front roof that uses Enphase micro-inverters to extend the existing Enphase system. Most expensive solution, but would now only have one Enphase system. Lower voltage is safer, and potentially better shading performance (see photo from this morning when the other systems were producing almost nothing, shading is from a tree across the road due the low morning sun angle). Peak power output is lower because of the derated microinverters.
Could also just keep the old 3kW system just because we have it and it's paid for itself.
Long term plan is a 2nd EV (not charging at the same time, so no need for more peak power there), a pool with heat pump, and switching from gas to electric hot water. Hence the need for a bigger system.
Thoughts and comments please.
I like the enphase system, but it's expensive, and I kinda don't like the limited peak power output. On the other hand, I don't like having two different systems.