Where should I install the battery and inverter?

I'm going for the 8.2kWh battery and the 5kW hybrid inverter.

It sounds like the battery should be kept warm for efficient operation. Any downsides to installing it in the house, rather than outside or in the loft?

It also sounds like the inverter kicks out a lot of heat, and is therefore worth sticking inside to support warming the house (efficient use of the excess heat). Or will that cause overheating and throttling, actually reducing energy efficiency?

Anyone running these indoors, or can otherwise share their experience or expertise?

If you put the hybrid in the house, will you have an always live DC wire running thru?

If you accept inverter losses of around 5%, then at 3kW AC output, the inverter needs to dissipate 150W, that isn't going to overheat a house. So from that perspective, no problem.
But I do think that the DC cable run from the Inverter to the batteries needs to be as short as possible, to reduce losses there. So the batteries should be adjacent to the inverter, wherever that is.
I do not know what IEEE regs have to say about siting of large batteries in domestic premises, tbh.

We have our batteries & inverters installed in the garage below the bungalow.
The temperature in there is fairly cool & constant. In the winter it feels warm (compared to outside) and in the summer it feels cool (compared to outside). Which I understand is good for any electronic components.
I have also put a couple of USB fans on top of the battery inverter heat sink, which appear to lower the inverter temperature by about 10 degrees C when it is running at peak charge or discharge, keeping it well within spec.
I would avoid putting any of the equipment in the loft, as the temperature variations can be quite extreme.

Thanks for the input.

That's a really good point that the heat these kick out is just a function of the efficiency rating, so the heat is calculable, and the loft does indeed sound like a bad option as it'll be cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

I don't have a garage but the hallway/utility sound like the right installation location. Big enough space for both units together, cooler than outside in the summer, warmer in the winter, and it has an outside wall which presumably makes it easy for the cable to run down from the roof.

We have a secure brick porch on the front of the house which had plenty of space for the battery to be fixed with the inverter above. It is on the north side of the house so remains cool in summer and the warmth from the units takes the chill off in winter. Access for cables in and linked to the understairs consumer unit etc was relatively easy according to my installer. Looks neat, is out of the way but easily accessible.

sungrad The datasheet for my hybrid states an operating temperature range of 0 to 55 degrees C. The units are also IP65 water resistant for exterior install. The installation instructions just state they shouldn't be installed in direct sunlight or where rain can fall directly onto them. Exterior installation with a draughty enclosure preventing water ingress sounds like a good option, but installing in a draughty loft would also work. If you have the space in your downstairs hall, then I think your installer would think he'd got a cushy job for a change. As long as the DC connections are as short as practicable and physically protected (trunking or ducting), it would be OK. My installer was clear that he preferred pulling an AC cable "round the houses" because the losses were minimal, if it meant keeping the DC connections as short as possible. This means putting the inverter as close as is practical to the PV and the battery next to the inverter.

I would put it where the heat can be used most efficiently. I think the battery and inverter efficiency means they give off more than the 150w but even with that figure your getting up to 3.6kwh of heat. That would be 5% of my heating bill.
Its more a towel rail amount of heat than a radiator but is free or lost energy.

My installer decided to run the DC all round the house rather than install the inverter outside. He said it was the longest run he has ever done. Was that the wrong choice? I estimate it is 25-30m

sammackrill The manual says up to 50m, as long as the cable is selected to avoid excessive voltage drop.

sammackrill As @stevelewis said, as long as the cable is sized to avoid excessive voltage drop at full load current, it shouldn't materially affect your plant performance. My main concern would be protection of the cable. An AC installation can be fitted with MCB/RCD or RCBOs to prevent overcurrent and to protect people if the cable is damaged and live conductors come into contact with earth. DC is more difficult to protect from this sort of fault although a suitably rated fuse or DC-rated MCB at the PV end would protect the cable. As long as the physical cable is mechanically protected (SWA cable or ducting or trunking or something else) it would be OK. Accredited electrical installers should know all the regulations and best practice.

Tim Oh yes, it is fully protected in trunking.

I have a mine in the alley between myself and next-door outside the property. The reason I chose this are:

• Its outside in the cool but never really gets direct sun
• Easy to install and maintain / upgrade
• Its wired directly into the electric meter and bypasses the need to go via the consumer unit in the house
• It copes down to -10c so temp not an issue
• Its very sheltered

So far I've seen up to 6.4kW from my 6.08kW system so seems efficient (on cold days)
I like the idea of a cool integral garage but lofts get really hot, so not keen on that really. My cable from the PV array to the inverter runs down the wall cavity so looks neat and is protected