Does anyone have solar panels...................................

[minskey]

Just wondered if anyone has solar panels if you do what sort and what do you think about them?

I love the idea, just got a quote from a company who is offering me a 1.44kw system which they say will generate 1286kw pa.

12 x 120w panels, 1 x SMA inverter and an Owl monitoring system, fitting etc for £3700. Is this a good deal?

Sounds good to me, they give all sorts of fact figures etc which say my annual return would be £314 [feed in, export and bill savings combined] My OH is really sceptical and says they will say anything to sell their product................................

Am I just gullible

[chris]

I wrote a system in work to to calculate all that boring stuff. There is a huge push coming up for solar (as a lot of the old 'eco' / 'affordable warm' scheme is drying up now). Especially if you fit into a certain radiation band in the UK.

If you want the maximum savings, you're better off buying the panels yourself & getting a contractor to install them - simple fact. You'd be *shocked* at the money companies make when they trade in their carbon saving (infact, I'm writing a website for that too ).

Obviously the FIT is less than it was, but some companies will take a hit and claim you'll save more by offsetting their profit against what you'd have lost from the "original" FIT.

What's the company name? (hoping it's not who I work for... and if it is the case I'd firmly advise against going for it ).

[veggiechicken]

I've had mine about 3-4 years - when they were much more expenssive but the FIT was higher. I love them - especially when I can run the washing machine (and other appliances) for nothing just by using them when the panels are at peak generation. If you have the money to invest and you're going to stay in your house for some years, do it. Its very satisfying.
Shop around for other quotes first before you accept this company.

[Bigmallly]

I don't know anything about solar panels but did once apply for these but the roof wasn't at the right angle.
A Shade Greener - Free Solar Panels for your home in the UK

[veggiechicken]

If you want the maximum savings, you're better off buying the panels yourself & getting a contractor to install them - simple fact. You'd be *shocked* at the money companies make when they trade in their carbon saving (infact, I'm writing a website for that too ).

Obviously the FIT is less than it was, but some companies will take a hit and claim you'll save more by offsetting their profit against what you'd have lost from the "original" FIT.

I may be wrong, but if you use a contractor who is not "registered" to install them, you're not eligible for the FIT.

[chris]

I don't know about that side of things VC. When I wrote this system for the solar stuff here I was gobsmacked at the money that they'd make (that's even partnering up with an installer). If they take the work on themselves the money earnt per job is unbelievable.

There's a lot of new panels coming to market I hear too (I *think* Samsung might be manufacturing some.. I wasn't really paying attention in the meetings as I'm leaving this place, but their conversion to power is supposed to be much better... and is battery storage now too).

*shrug*

When I build a house I'm going to install an array.

Mins - it may even work out better in the long term to take a loan out if you can't afford the cost of the panels/install.. I'd do some seriously calculation before you take up any company touting their product.

[alldigging]

Get some more quotes.

[Alison]

Ours too cost a lot more but they were more expensive a few years back, then again we get the much higher FIT so it's swings and roundabouts. On our tariff last year, we got well over £1000 in payments plus our electricity bill is less than half what it was over the year. We have got very good at using timers on all our appliances thought

[rhonsal]

I installed a 4kw system last year and love it - even in dull days in central Scotland i can usually run basic appliances for free (although the oven and tumbledryer are killers)! As a result i've reduced my electric bill to £10 per month so far over the winter, and hope to be virtually zero during the summer.

Big investment to begin with but should pay for itself in about 10 years, and i get the FIT payments for 20 years so should eventually make a profit.

Sad to say i get very excited when the sun comes out at the thought of making free electricity, and some money for a change!

I'm hoping to install a smaller system in my greenhouse to power heater/propogator in the future - but that's still in the planning!

[Mikey]

I think I need to build, I have my mind set on a lovely welsh oak frame longhouse with GSHP, underfloor heating, solar panels, and a great big wood burning rayburn. I already have the perfect spot I just don't quite have the capital to achieve it.... one day.

[chris]

I'd suggest teaming up, but as much as I like you, I don't really want to live with you

hehe

[WilliamD]

Check whether it's like the company one of our neighbours used: their scheme/system doesn't store the power generated, so you only get solar-generated power during the hours of daylight. If you're out at work in the daytime, that makes it a lot less useful than the sales patter would have you believe (I'm sure the company itself bagged the feed-in revenue too).

[veggiechicken]

You'd need massive batteries to store the electicity generated, these are used when you're living off-grid. Conventional systems use the National Grid as their "battery".
If you're out during the day, timers can be used to run appliances - if you're home like me, it doesn't matter one jot

[Alison]

Check whether it's like the company one of our neighbours used: their scheme/system doesn't store the power generated, so you only get solar-generated power during the hours of daylight. If you're out at work in the daytime, that makes it a lot less useful than the sales patter would have you believe (I'm sure the company itself bagged the feed-in revenue too).

That's how it does work. You use what you need doing generation and sell the rest back to the grid. Well actually they don't monitor what you actually send to the grid as our meters aren't that sophisticated so they assume a 50/50 split and get paid for half what you generate. As I mentioned above you tend to get good with timers, our peak generation is late morning to mid afternoon so that's when the washing machine and dish washer are always set to run


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[Kristen]

Can't remember the name of them, but as an alternative to timers there are gadgets that will bring appliances on but only when there is excess power being generated.

And 50% of the units you generate are deemed to be "exported", so if you can use, say, 100% of what you generate you still get paid for the 50% that you are assumed to have exported. When all your clothes and dishes are washed it can then bring on, say, the immersion to convert your excess power into hot water for tonight's shower

I've got a bit of old rope here that I'm going to sell next week

I went for Panasonic panels because a) they are properly black (no white border) so blend well on my roof, and b) have an excellent guarantee (can't remember exactly but its something like "Lose no more than 2.5% power at 10 years and not more than 5% at 20 years").