solor panels

[Raleigh Chopper]

We have had a 1.2kw solar PV system in place since we bought our house 3 years ago new and make about £500 per year plus the use of the generated solar energy. We read the meters ourselves so no need to let in servicemen to read the meter. Our tariff is the original 42p rate so bear that in mind when comparing return on investment and assessing the time to get your money back. Also remember to build in wear and tear repair costs of any panels. We have had none yet. Even if it breaks even we have a warm feeling we are doing our renewable energy bit.

As a matter of interest, in 3 years you have had poor and very good summers how much difference does that make it its efficiency and can you put them on any other side of the roof than the sunny side.
To answer Drew people who have them have stated the plus points already and I dont have panels to comment but I did see the programme which pointed out the downside that some salesmen will not tell you to get the business, surely its best to know the pitfalls as well.
I also wonder if the tarriff will fall further and technology get much better. There used to be panels that looked like roof tiles but they were very expensive and not seen them anymore.
Heat pumps are also a great invention surprised you dont see more of them.

 

[drew]

As a matter of interest, in 3 years you have had poor and very good summers how much difference does that make it its efficiency and can you put them on any other side of the roof than the sunny side.
To answer Drew people who have them have stated the plus points already and I dont have panels to comment but I did see the programme which pointed out the downside that some salesmen will not tell you to get the business, surely its best to know the pitfalls as well.
I also wonder if the tarriff will fall further and technology get much better. There used to be panels that looked like roof tiles but they were very expensive and not seen them anymore.
Heat pumps are also a great invention surprised you dont see more of them.

The starting tariffs are likely to fall further because they are there as an incentive. However, once you are on a tariff, that shouldn't fall as part of the contract is that for 25 years that tariff will go up in line with the CPI rate. Because I was lucky to have them a few years ago, I earn over 50p for every kilowatt generated, whether I use that electricity or not. As I mentioned earlier, we have recouped over half of the original price in 3 years and our roof faces south west. If you have a south facing roof then you would be doing even better.

With regard to the weather, they operate whether it is sunny or cloudy however it must be said you get better returns when the sun is shinning.

What strikes me as really odd is that there are so many housing developments going up but how many actually have solar panels, or even heat pumps. The cost of installation on a new build would be considerably less than installing them later plus they would be built into the design so in theory could be more aesthetically acceptable to those that bang on about their appearance.

 

[Mattywerewolf]

As a matter of interest, in 3 years you have had poor and very good summers how much difference does that make it its efficiency and can you put them on any other side of the roof than the sunny side.
To answer Drew people who have them have stated the plus points already and I dont have panels to comment but I did see the programme which pointed out the downside that some salesmen will not tell you to get the business, surely its best to know the pitfalls as well.
I also wonder if the tarriff will fall further and technology get much better. There used to be panels that looked like roof tiles but they were very expensive and not seen them anymore.
Heat pumps are also a great invention surprised you don't see more of them.

That's a really good question.2012 was the worst summer on record for rain, whereas this year was exceptional for sun. Bad year was approx £375, and this year is currently just under £600, so quite a big difference. Our panels are all on south facing roof and despite a small amount of shade from trees in 2012 (which we subsequently pruned down - and may have caused 2012 to be worse) we still generated even in cloudy months. Just at a slower rate

Couple of important tips if you get one

1. When you get it activated check for several days to make sure the meter is running. We had a week where it was not being stored...very annoying. Glad it wasn't several months 'cause we assumed it was all activated
2. Make sure you have no shade during the day on the roof where you plan to put it. If you do get it pruned so you don't
3. Carefully take into account all costs and assess when you might move. We hope to be in the house for years so are doing this assuming no sale on value

I would agree that its very important to consider all the negatives as well. The biggest being will you really be able to generate a return over 5-7 years with potential panel repairs. Many fitters have gone out of business since demand has fallen so sharply since the tariff went down. Cost of installation and panels would need to considerably reduce to make up for the tariff being reduced by 60%. The government were taking losses on the subsidies initially to drive the initiative forwards and be seen to be green. The realisation is now there that this is not a long term sustainable solution for everyone, but if you can make the costs work for you then go for it.

 

[sydney]

don't bother about the sell back ...just work out your leccy bill and get a system installed with the idea of providing a zero bill in the summer.......it's not going to work in the winter though when your panels are producing less and you are using more.....!! 7k sounds an awful lot , a 3 kw system should provide enough power as long as dishwasher , washing machine etc are used during the day when the panels are drawing........you will need them facing south as well , wasting your money otherwise....

 

[Grapes of Wrath]

I am in the process of moving house, and my next door neighbour has a roof full of them, and I think they look horrible. Feedback from a number of people who viewed my house was not positive about the panels, probably not the sole reason for not making an offer but seemed to be a factor. I am currently looking for a new place, and I am swerving any property that has them as I don't like the look of them nor do I want the hassle, I am content to just pay my electric bills as they arise.

Guess its a choice thing, and arguably more appropriate for sunny countries, but I would be cautious about possibly devaluing or making my property less desirable in the event of sale, just to save what I am led to believe is not a significant sum. By the way my neighbour also paid £7K for his

 

[mac04]

I don't think that Solar panels automatically adversely affect the resale value of your house. It depends on the location and style of the property, but if they were on the back of the house I would pay a bit more for them (especially if they were on the older FiT tariff. If you can barely see them, why wouldn't you accept the free cash that they offer.

 

[Blue3]

They are well worth fitting

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

With the rate at which technology advances, today's installations will be bulky and, probably, inefficient compared to what will be available in few years time.

 

[OzMike]

After a few delays I finally got 20 panels installed yesterday, rated at 5.1KW.
I was working outside all day to day and it got to 27 degrees, I had a look and the panel output display was reading 4.5445KW.
Wonder what it will be when we have weeks of above 30 degrees?

 

[drew]

After a few delays I finally got 20 panels installed yesterday, rated at 5.1KW.
I was working outside all day to day and it got to 27 degrees, I had a look and the panel output display was reading 4.5445KW.
Wonder what it will be when we have weeks of above 30 degrees?

You say they are rated at 5.1 Kw. I thought the feed in tariff scheme was limited to domestic systems up to 4 Kw ?

edit. Sorry, just seen you are in Perth!!!!!