Solar Panels

[rayburn600]

Been thinking for a while now and thought of asking here first.
 
Anyone gone for the Solar Panels thing.
 
Any views or suggestions?
Ta
Ray
 

[dolau]

With the Feed in Tariff they will pay for themselves in about 8 years if you are lucky and the Government dont change their mind in March/April time and reduce the amount of FIT- or the installer rip you off with inferior equipment

Check you have a strong roof facing south otherwise dont bother. There is a site where you can check the orientation of your house roof but google maps will do the same thing find your house on the satelite image and check your roof ridge runs east to west- then thumbs up!

10m2 of panel is about 1kwhr of output on a sunny day

75% of the annual output is between April and September so make the most of it using electrical gadgets during the day while you are at work to use the power.

If you can get an export meter that will account for a small additional income when you are out of the house while the sun is shining

Hope that helps

[DILLIGAFF]

Me too. The house at the bottom of my road has recently had them installed and I am still waiting to catch the owner for a quick nose.

The upside seems to be free leccy and an income "guaranteed" for 25 years?

The down side is making the decision not to move for at least 10 years, getting them installed before April '12 when the FIT is reduced and trusting the government not to abolish the scheme before payback????

[Oldgit]

me's got a 4 Kw array on my roof-22 panels--freee leckie and money--brilliant so far had me first feed in tarrif payment--mine will be full paid back in approx 3.75 years

[goldfazer]

Just had a call from the Co that were going to do mine - the April deadline has been moved to 12th Dec THIS YEAR. Bugger - no way I'll get pp by then!

http://www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk/news/solar-fit-tariff-to-be-halved-from-december-12-2750.aspx


Act swiftly!

[dolau]

They have reduced the FIT payment for a <4kw array from 43p/kwhr to 21p/kwhr

Basically if you are lucky it will pay for itself in about 15 years and you might be lucky and get 20 ish out of the panels

Degredation is said to be quite highg after about 10 years

Ones we fitted on our building here a few years ago (perhgaps older technology) just about pays for some poor sod to get up there to clean the bird shit off them.... can you tell I at a fan!!

[goldfazer]

FIT is stil 43p if you get it installed b 12th Dec.

[goldfazer]

tht should be by 12th dec...

[Captain Haddock]

Cheers for the tip on degradation, just had a quote for a 2kw setup and that was the first question skyline offer a 90% efficiency guarantee for the first 10 years and 80% for the next 15 years and appear to use a better inverter than most, I quite fancy the idea with a thermal system as well, apparently there will be a feed in tariff for that after april but I have no idea how that works, must be something to do with carbon offsetting or something as I can't see the government accepting a bucket of hot water through the post...
Never easy parting with £10k though is it.
pvoutput.org is where to compare systems, you have to register but it's quite interesting as it gives system specs as well as output, roof direction, and weather conditions, it appears direct sunlight isn't that critical as long as it has daylight.

[Captain Haddock]

So who actually pays the FIT and how do you recieve it? I forgot to ask that question.

[rayburn600]

Capt' H
 
Once the system has been installed and commissioned the necessary paperwork is posted to where ever and registered you then start to receive the money, partly government part electric co.
 
I have held off getting the solar system for now.
One was uncertainty for the future F-I-T and second Dual panels are coming onto the market.
 
Like all things electric something new is just around the corner.
 
I've been told Solar prices are due to fall rapidly in the New Year and deals will be done.
Just means a lower F-I-T but that might still be worth looking at.
 
I think it’s a wait and see game again.
 
Meanwhile it’s back to the Dyno on the rear wheel of the push bike.... 
R

 

[rayburn600]

PS.
 
You get a cheque in the post every quarter for your half of the energy produced..  So I'm told.....

[dx408]

Had mine done a while back free as the company takes the FIT (Home Sun) they say I can use any leccy generated in the day free ! so I looked at it as:-

• They fit and maintain it for 25 years FOC
• The unit installed will be a good quality, as they want to make as much money as they can
• It cost me nothing (well £100 for a new leccy trip switch thing in addition to my consumer board) so anything I save by the free leccy is all good