Solar options for home in 2022

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#3485613 29-Apr-2026 16:26

Some inverters will give you a second output for backup power that will still have power when the grid is out, see if this one can do that and think if that is enough for you to put a couple of power outlets and some lights on that vs a whole house gateway.

Richard rich.ms

Stu1

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#3485627 29-Apr-2026 17:28

Worth getting it’s only $1500 might as well do it right instead of retro fitting later on

dantheperson

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#3485631 29-Apr-2026 18:07

Stu1:

Worth getting it’s only $1500 might as well do it right instead of retro fitting later on

Is it really going to be done right if they are designing this in the day before install?

lxsw20

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#3485637 29-Apr-2026 18:43

If its "only" costing you $1500 i'd do it, saves more labor down the line.

Paul1977

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#3485723 30-Apr-2026 10:04

Just looking at available reports from Fronius solar.web service. The most granular reports seem to be daily, so no time-of-day info for power usage or generation.

The "Premium" upgrade says it allows customisable reports, but doesn't go into how customisable. Does anyone know if "Premium" allows reports with time-of-day info down to 15 or 30min resolution?

Only about NZD100 for 3 years, so worth it if it gives me that.

Thanks

timmmay

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#3485724 30-Apr-2026 10:11

I have my Sigen integrated with home assistant, it can record anything you like, including time of day consumption. The Sigen shows you data any way you like too in their app.

Paul1977

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#3485738 30-Apr-2026 10:43

timmmay:

I have my Sigen integrated with home assistant, it can record anything you like, including time of day consumption. The Sigen shows you data any way you like too in their app.

I can see graphs in the Fronius app down to something like 5 min resolution, but can't export at that resolution. However, it seems I can do a free trial of the "Premium" upgrade and test it out myself to be sure it gives me what I want before committing. If it gives me what I want, then $100 for 3 years is fine.

I figured out how to enable the local API on the inverter and have installed the Fronius integration into HA, but haven't really had a look at what it can do yet.

billgates

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#3485745 30-Apr-2026 10:56

I highly recommend getting the sigenergy gateway for $1500 @sen8or

A work colleague of mine was charged $1900 + GST for same gateway. You may not get power cuts now but nothing stopping someone crashing into a main pole for your suburb somewhere and taking our power for few hours, cyclone weather taking out substations etc. The gateway also has a smartport which you can control via the app as a timer so when to turn ON or OFF the electric hot eater cylinder if you have one. You can use it as a relay for anything else as well if you do not have a hot water cylinder.

Do whatever you want to do man.

sen8or

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#3485749 30-Apr-2026 11:23

Thanks for the advice. The installer is honoring his original quote with no extra charge for the gateway (it was ambiguous in his words). He is also putting in a timer for the hot water that will allow control from the Sigen app, they are running me through the system tonight when install should be complete.

kangaroo13

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#3485754 30-Apr-2026 12:02

sen8or:

Thanks for the advice. The installer is honoring his original quote with no extra charge for the gateway (it was ambiguous in his words). He is also putting in a timer for the hot water that will allow control from the Sigen app, they are running me through the system tonight when install should be complete.

There are more effective ways to control the hot water cylinder than a simple timer, and I'd be surprised if the Sigen Gateway/app doesn't provide some of that control. Perhaps it does and what you describe is actually a relay that can be controlled from the app based upon time, but potentially other criteria also - most importantly excess solar.

For example - a device like the CatchRelay will monitor excess (exported) solar, and turn on the HWS any time excess solar exceeds a given threshold, with a 'top-up' overnight on off-peak rate should the cylinder not turn on for a sufficient period during the day. That ensures you maximise self-consumption of solar for hot water heating, and that you never heat using peak-rate grid electricity. Hopefully the Sigen gateway provides you with a simlar functionality over and above simple time-based on and off.

The other effective way to direct solar energy into hot water is through a diverter, which has the ability to change instantaneous power into the cylinder based upon excess solar available - that is a more complex circuit involving voltage conversion.

You also have a battery in your system which changes the logic - with a simple timer, during periods of low solar during the 'on' period you may be using solar+battery power, rather than solar+peak grid power which would be the case w/o a battery. So, that may work out fine for your needs.

fastbike

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#3485755 30-Apr-2026 12:10

sen8or:

Thanks for the advice. The installer is honoring his original quote with no extra charge for the gateway (it was ambiguous in his words). He is also putting in a timer for the hot water that will allow control from the Sigen app, they are running me through the system tonight when install should be complete.

There's also the wireless power controller from Iammeter, this has a simple API that can be controlled via a home automation controller. It allows fine grained control over the amount of power delivered to the cylinder

https://store.iammeter.com/wifi-power-controller-wpc3700

Otautahi Christchurch

EgorNZ

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#3485756 30-Apr-2026 12:11

Paul1977:

Just looking at available reports from Fronius solar.web service. The most granular reports seem to be daily, so no time-of-day info for power usage or generation.

The "Premium" upgrade says it allows customisable reports, but doesn't go into how customisable. Does anyone know if "Premium" allows reports with time-of-day info down to 15 or 30min resolution?

Yes, in Solar.Web you can view daily energy analysis with 5 minute resolution.

dantheperson

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#3485757 30-Apr-2026 12:15

fastbike:

There's also the wireless power controller from Iammeter, this has a simple API that can be controlled via a home automation controller. It allows fine grained control over the amount of power delivered to the cylinder

https://store.iammeter.com/wifi-power-controller-wpc3700

Wow that is a bargain compared to the competition.

Paul1977

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#3485790 30-Apr-2026 14:52

EgorNZ:

Paul1977:

Just looking at available reports from Fronius solar.web service. The most granular reports seem to be daily, so no time-of-day info for power usage or generation.

The "Premium" upgrade says it allows customisable reports, but doesn't go into how customisable. Does anyone know if "Premium" allows reports with time-of-day info down to 15 or 30min resolution?

Yes, in Solar.Web you can view daily energy analysis with 5 minute resolution.

Yeah, you can view the analysis graphs in 5 min resolution on the standard Solar.Web, but downloadable reports are limited to daily totals.

Have now signed up to the free trial that gives some (but not all) of the Premium benefits. I can now create downloadable Excel reports at a 5 min resolution. That alone is worth the relatively small cost for me.

Dairusire

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#3485825 30-Apr-2026 17:06

I think this is on topic for here, but would anyone be able to chime in on a company to go with in the hawkes bay (that services Hastings) who can achieve the below?

We've bought a property, about 180M/sq, 4bed, 2 bath REALLY old. Like, 1920s old.. Single roofline facing NNW and other side is SSE, so not super complex. There is zero space constraints on roof space available.

Previously in our (much new 2006 build home), we'd consume lets say up to 650-760kWh in a month through the depths of winter.

tl;dr we're wanting to get a lot done all at once.

10kw Solar
10kw of battery
Ducted heating/cooling for 6 zones (4 bedrooms, kitchen/dining area, Lounge)
Change from Gas mains (nothing else uses it. Will be decomissioned) hot water to Hot Water Heatpump, probably 250-300L tank.

So far, we've had some pretty varying quotes, and none of them are able to do this end to end, so maybe I'll need to split it up, just wanting to find efficiencies.

Also don't really know what is exactly an 'good price'. Does seem that there is a large variance between Major centers and out here in Hawkes bay I think?

The below is just the start on Solar stuff. HWC is anywhere between 8k-10k really from what I've seen.

Ducted systems, yeah 15k-21k. It is what it is.

Ohmen Electrical being just under $30k incl which is a SigenStor system, though when you compare to all the other quotes we've had, this is probably one of the more effective ones? Funnily, and annoyingly for the rest of the quotes, these guys were the only ones to do me the courtesy of actually breaking it down.

SigenStor EC10SP
SigenStor BAT 10
Gateway
24x Jinko Tiger 465w panels giving around 11.16kW

Harrisons come out the most expensive at $31.5k

Teslas Powerwall 3, with 13.5kWH of battery and 10kW inverter.
18x JA Solar 455W panels for 8.19kw
Or 18x Aiko infinite 490W panels 8.82kw generation for an additional $2400

Sunshine Solar came out at $22k with an AlphaESS system

7.2kW of generation
16x Sungrow 450W
8kW inverted (Smile-G3-S8)
12kWh of battery (x3 SMILE G3 4kWh)

SolarHub came out at $23.3k
16x Longi 475W LR7 panels
8kW PylonTech inverter
5.12kWh PylonTech battery

Lightforce Sigen system $26.5k

SigenStor BAT 10
SigenStor EC8.0SP
16x Trina 505w Panels for 8kW
Sigen Gateway

I'm gonna stop here to post this and go home from work. lol

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