domestic solar panels.

[chapel gate]

im after peoples thoughts on these who have them installed on there house/property. not what the sales brochure claims.

they have been around now for ages. if they are that good surely most households would have a 4kw set up on there roof, yet i see very few.

thoughts and experiences?

 

[GeekOKent]

We had a 7Kw (LG panels) setup, with f.i.t for nearly 8 years at our previous place, will be looking to get something similar & if not larger, with batteries at the new place as soon as I can get a few pennies together.

 

[chapel gate]

We had a 7Kw (LG panels) setup, with f.i.t for nearly 8 years at our previous place, will be looking to get something similar & if not larger, with batteries at the new place as soon as I can get a few pennies together.

you found this to work out well GOK?

 

[Firewout]

I have had them for years on 3 houses.
They do what they should do. Produce electricity.
1 broken converter until now after 10 years.
KW production as calculated by installers.

 

[GeekOKent]

@chapel gate worked out well for us. Since I worked from home our day time consumption was higher than most people, and I would run some of our house hold stuff during the afternoon etc.

In 2013 it cost us about £8k. The subsidies totalled up and paid the rest, I think about £5k. The original feed in tariff was a nice 4p on a grid charge of 11p/Kw. The LG panels are great, but I believe no longer in sale. Cleaning about 4 to 6 times a year was ok with a wet mop. I hear some new panels don't need that much and maybe ok with one or two times a year. The inverter was SMA, everything down to the screws came from China.

One thing worth considering is if its worth taking a loan for. Back in the day we had to, and it was clear we were saving more than the repayment. With no f.i.t and no real subsidiary, even with the much much lower prices i don't know if I'd break even today with a loan. Maybe ? With the interest rates being as low as they are now ? Maybe ?

 

[GeekOKent]

Oh also, in today's scene definitely think about a battery to supplement the solar.

 

[AndyCook]

We got 4kw system install in novemeber 2011 for cost of £14700.
two inverters have failed in the 11 years.
currently get 60p per kw FIT (feed in tariff from SSE/government)
broke even a few years ago and have earnt £5k since then this includea deducting cost of second inverter (1st warranty replacement FOC)
we also have an immerSun diverter which diverts excess generation to hot water immersion tank heater and a storage heater rather than grid.

having a cursory look a battery storage units recently too.

never cleaned the panels, a decent dump of snow does an excellent job of wiping them clean or heavy rain storm .
saw this recently when peak solar output dropped from 3.6kw to 3.2kw, then we had snow last week and the peak returned to 3.6kw after the snow melted and slid off panels cleaning them

income and generation records

annual solar generation

immerSun unit, showing solar generation, grid export/import and diversion to water heater

 

[flint]

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels/

 

[GeekOKent]

@AndyCook 60p FiT is really good. How much do you pay for electric you consume off the grid ? I never got more than 30 percent.

 

[Tractionman]

The 'buy back' price of any extra electricity produced, is far lower than what it was originally, so there for will take much longer, if at all, to recoup any initial installation costs and be in profit.
Those that got in early are still on a winner as that higher rate can't be changed.

 

[AndyCook]

@AndyCook 60p FiT is really good. How much do you pay for electric you consume off the grid ? I never got more than 30 percent.

we were paying 19.8p per kw imported from grid until 1st April, now its 26.6p per kw…

 

[AndyCook]

The 'buy back' price of any extra electricity produced, is far lower than what it was originally, so there for will take much longer, if at all, to recoup any initial installation costs and be in profit.
Those that got in early are still on a winner as that higher rate can't be changed.

yeah we were luckily to get system installed in 2011 before rates were reduced. And the payment increases with inflation each year. Think it’s up 5-6% this year so 60p now.

 

[Tractionman]

It will be interesting how Fishy and the government deal with the massive rise in power costs and that increase in inflation.

 

[Raj]

I saw the energy bill recently after April as a friend told it’s increased. It’s coming to about 12£ per day. Though I don’t pay for it directly, I remember it was not this high

 

[Raj]

Is this national average or should I be concerned

 

[GeekOKent]

£12 a day is what about 40Kw / day?

 

[GeekOKent]

@AndyCook we missed the 25 yrs guarantee as well, and only got onto the 20yr one; but with British Gas in London , the best FiT deal we could get basically didn't allow us to get over 30% of our price from grid. It's amazing that you are getting 3 times+ .

 

[Raj]

40Kw

I will check, the smart meter is confusing. It showed that amount per day

 

[Raj]

Electric usage is 110 kWh don’t know the gas one

 

[GeekOKent]

Where do you live? Buckingham Palace ? 110Kwh draw is astronomical. Maybe look at weekly and daily summary?