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Solar panels
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By *hocmanxMan
over a year ago
Birmingham |
I'm currently studying electronics so I've done a bit of research into this.
Basically the government wants you to have them so there are schemes and discounts all over to help you get them installed.
Overall they're definitely worth while. You'll save on your bills and any power you don't use you can get money for because it feeds back into the grid.
I'm gonna stop now before this turns into an essay lol |
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"They certainly save you money, but they can be very noisy when heavy rain or hail hits them.plus they look horrible."
The tube ones do but the flat overlook ok.
OP look at the local irradiance level for your area as it varies in different parts of the country. I'll look up some websites later.
The recent changes to the FIT mean they aren't quite as lucrative as before but you will still earn some money. You cam get rent a roof schemes where a company lays foe them to be installed, they take the FIT and you just get the free electricity.
You may also benefit from the green deal but take up hasn't been that great as its quite confusing!! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I sold them for a while.
Do not believe any of the savings that people tell you. You don't start making any noticeable money back till years down the line, normally 10+ years. Majority of the company's that sell them give ridiculous claims that are calculated by going off the rise of energy cost over the past 10 years as a percentage and adding it on to the previous price. When I was doing training with one company they showed us how to work it put and expected you to tell customers that if the price kept on rising as it has in the past 10 years then you would end up paying approx £45k a year for electric in 20-25 years time |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I was always told that the initial cost, takes a very long time to recoup if they even last that long, in terms of savings you make!
They're not very efficient..  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I've just bought and had installed 50kwp of panels for the business I work in, or, put another way, over 220 panels!
They're great, performing well, and exceeding the profile of expected returns that was sold to us. We'll get payback on the cost in 6.4 years, with an expected lifespan of 25 years. We're so impressed we're at planning application to more than double the array we have.
However, I think they look great on buildings designed for them, I'm still to be convinced the aesthetics work on residential buildings, but that's a fashion thing that will change over time as they become more popular. Certainly the more expensive ones look better, (and are more efficient). |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I've just bought and had installed 50kwp of panels for the business I work in, or, put another way, over 220 panels!
They're great, performing well, and exceeding the profile of expected returns that was sold to us. We'll get payback on the cost in 6.4 years, with an expected lifespan of 25 years. We're so impressed we're at planning application to more than double the array we have.
However, I think they look great on buildings designed for them, I'm still to be convinced the aesthetics work on residential buildings, but that's a fashion thing that will change over time as they become more popular. Certainly the more expensive ones look better, (and are more efficient). "
Warranty is up to 25 years and recouped costs expected in 7-8 based on minimum figures. The system is enphase as opposed to string... |
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dont forget if you get them installed via a company and dont have to pay, if you decide to see the house you will have to find somebody willing to take on the remainder of the contract . also from what we have been reading banks and building societies arent keen and can refuse a morgage on properties with solar panels |
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They're great..... On a large scale.
You will find it very hard to get solar panels on a rent a roof scheme now on a domestic install. The reason for that is because they are so inefficient the only way the government could make them work is by paying a subsidy to people in the form of the feed in tariff (Fit) if they had them installed. At that point it was a no-brainer investment and the rent a roof schemes were thriving.
Then the government realised they couldn't maintain that level of subsidisation so they cut it, then cut it again. It used to be roughly £8 - £12k for the average install then ten/twelve years to see a return on the intial outlay.
Now it is more like 20+ years until you see a return on the intial outlay. And the warranty covers 25 years, remember it is not just the panels it is the meter and connections in the loft aswell. There may also be issue's if you decide to sell as you will hold a contract for the panels that a new owner will have to be willing to pickup.
Invest your money elsewhere for 20yrs you'll get a better return.... |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"dont forget if you get them installed via a company and dont have to pay, if you decide to see the house you will have to find somebody willing to take on the remainder of the contract . also from what we have been reading banks and building societies arent keen and can refuse a morgage on properties with solar panels "
The mortgage statement scared me but that is connected with rent a roof, phew. |
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"no interest in rent a roof. I just want the reality of when costs are recouped, although they're classified as self funding..."
Well they are.....
If you don't mind waiting 20+ years to see your money back.
Even if you finance the panels yourself the mortgage statement still hold true.
Say your drop 10k on panels then in ten years decide to move...
You won't have seen the return on the panels and there's a risk no one will mortgage the property with panels on. Are you just going to have them removed?
Right now there are much, much wiser investments to make with 10k over a 20 year period. It's that simple. |
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By *B9 QueenWoman
over a year ago
Over the rainbow, under the bridge |
My brother was going to have them put in when he bought a house but was put off when the estate agents told him that it can affect the price of property negatively (which seems to make no sense to me). Don't know if people don't like the maintenance or what as I know little about them to be honest. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"no interest in rent a roof. I just want the reality of when costs are recouped, although they're classified as self funding...
Well they are.....
If you don't mind waiting 20+ years to see your money back.
Even if you finance the panels yourself the mortgage statement still hold true.
Say your drop 10k on panels then in ten years decide to move...
You won't have seen the return on the panels and there's a risk no one will mortgage the property with panels on. Are you just going to have them removed?
Right now there are much, much wiser investments to make with 10k over a 20 year period. It's that simple."
Methinks I'll ask my mortgage company. I don't want to invest in something that'll impede future chances of selling.
Thank you all for the input  . It's all mind boggling  . |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"My brother was going to have them put in when he bought a house but was put off when the estate agents told him that it can affect the price of property negatively (which seems to make no sense to me). Don't know if people don't like the maintenance or what as I know little about them to be honest."
I didn't discover that upon googling but the best people to advise me are the village estate agents. They'll certainly have up-to-date knowledge. |
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"no interest in rent a roof. I just want the reality of when costs are recouped, although they're classified as self funding...
Well they are.....
If you don't mind waiting 20+ years to see your money back.
Even if you finance the panels yourself the mortgage statement still hold true.
Say your drop 10k on panels then in ten years decide to move...
You won't have seen the return on the panels and there's a risk no one will mortgage the property with panels on. Are you just going to have them removed?
Right now there are much, much wiser investments to make with 10k over a 20 year period. It's that simple.
Methinks I'll ask my mortgage company. I don't want to invest in something that'll impede future chances of selling.
Thank you all for the input . It's all mind boggling ."
Wise move. Do remember it won't be your mortgage company that could have the potential issue though it will be your buyers mortgage company.
I think I read somewhere that Nationwide won't mortgage a property with panels fitted might be worth a call to them to check aswell... |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Ikea in Malaga run their store off them , it must of cost an absolute fortune to install them but they double as car port shades to park your car under .
I suppose theyll pay for themselves in a few years time. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I agree with the person who said 8 year payback, I did some research a few months back and found it wasn't feasible for me at the moment.
My advice would be to look at the numbers thoroughly as you don't get all your electricity for free and will still need to pay the grid for some. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I agree with the person who said 8 year payback, I did some research a few months back and found it wasn't feasible for me at the moment.
My advice would be to look at the numbers thoroughly as you don't get all your electricity for free and will still need to pay the grid for some."
Yes, non daylight hours (which means more national grid usage in winter). |
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the Eery Saving Trust have a section on their website for individuals (i.e. not businesses) about saving energy and renewable technologies.
They are independent and so wont exaggerate savings and income etc |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"oooh, do you know the EPC rating of your building?
thats critical for determining what level of tarrif you will get"
Between d and c, so it's the high rate. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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That I live in an area where you can't build a shed without approval. Thatched roofs, old barns etc. but in between them we now have ugly blocks of glass stuck on roofs.
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?
Ironic that the solar things can be thrown up everywhere - but you should see the activity going on each time a wind turbine is proposed anywhere within 10 miles! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"What Looks Worse ???
All the Windmills.. or the Solar-Panels
"
I quite like the windmills.
Not so sure I'd like the noise from one as a neighbour though. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"That I live in an area where you can't build a shed without approval. Thatched roofs, old barns etc. but in between them we now have ugly blocks of glass stuck on roofs.
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?
Ironic that the solar things can be thrown up everywhere - but you should see the activity going on each time a wind turbine is proposed anywhere within 10 miles!"
Windmills are slightly more intrusive though aren't they. You don't notice solar panels unless you're specifically looking at someone's roof.
I personally like a lot of renewable energy technology but I'm biased as I worked for the carbon trust lol |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"That I live in an area where you can't build a shed without approval. Thatched roofs, old barns etc. but in between them we now have ugly blocks of glass stuck on roofs.
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?
Ironic that the solar things can be thrown up everywhere - but you should see the activity going on each time a wind turbine is proposed anywhere within 10 miles!
Windmills are slightly more intrusive though aren't they. You don't notice solar panels unless you're specifically looking at someone's roof.
I personally like a lot of renewable energy technology but I'm biased as I worked for the carbon trust lol "
Well I took a bit of interest in wind turbines - mostly how much they cost etc. and I worked out that based on how many homes they claim to power.. If that amount of households clubbed together and paid for one to be installed it would take 5-6 years to recoup their money and after which they'd never have to pay for electricity again.
I know it's obviously not quite that clear cut but I do wonder if the Govt were to provide a loan scheme that allowed communities to invest in such a way - how much more willing people might be to have them installed when it's them that would reap the benefits rather than some company directors. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I've just bought and had installed 50kwp of panels for the business I work in, or, put another way, over 220 panels!
They're great, performing well, and exceeding the profile of expected returns that was sold to us. We'll get payback on the cost in 6.4 years, with an expected lifespan of 25 years. We're so impressed we're at planning application to more than double the array we have.
However, I think they look great on buildings designed for them, I'm still to be convinced the aesthetics work on residential buildings, but that's a fashion thing that will change over time as they become more popular. Certainly the more expensive ones look better, (and are more efficient). "
25 year lifespan???? Erm i work for a multimillion pound,multinational who makes one on the components for these panels, a MAIN component. 25 years, never!!!! And the quality we make is shite |
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"I've never been close a wind turbine but I heard that on the decibel scale they are quieter than a soft conversation"
They are very Noisy.. the workers on the windmills - have to wear ear-Muffs.. lol no pun intended..
but having first hand experience you can hear the constant whirl and whoosh of the blades and its fooking annoying  |
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"
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?"
There are solar PV tiles available on the market already .... use your search engine and you'll find them. solar PV works very well and the equipment is inexpensive ..... it's the price of labour that you will get screwed on by "accredited" installers. if you want to sell the excess energy back to the grid then you are forced to use accredited installers. if you're not motivated by greed then it is possible to grid tie them yourself but obviously you won't get a cash return but you will reduce your energy costs. ultimately, if you use less energy and install lower power consumption devices in your home then the power generated by a solar PV array will be enough to take you off-grid. spend some time researching about living off-grid and you will see that it not actually that difficult. the bonus is that if you are not tied into the grid, if or when you move house you can take it all with you lock stock ...... hope this helps. |
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"I've just bought and had installed 50kwp of panels for the business I work in, or, put another way, over 220 panels!
They're great, performing well, and exceeding the profile of expected returns that was sold to us. We'll get payback on the cost in 6.4 years, with an expected lifespan of 25 years. We're so impressed we're at planning application to more than double the array we have.
However, I think they look great on buildings designed for them, I'm still to be convinced the aesthetics work on residential buildings, but that's a fashion thing that will change over time as they become more popular. Certainly the more expensive ones look better, (and are more efficient).
25 year lifespan???? Erm i work for a multimillion pound,multinational who makes one on the components for these panels, a MAIN component. 25 years, never!!!! And the quality we make is shite"
I'll add to all my posts that I work very closely with this industry aswell, though not in it I might add. I know at least 6 different people with panels fitted.
The figures being quoted in this thread are miles out using the latest fit etc. |
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"
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?
There are solar PV tiles available on the market already .... use your search engine and you'll find them. solar PV works very well and the equipment is inexpensive ..... it's the price of labour that you will get screwed on by "accredited" installers. if you want to sell the excess energy back to the grid then you are forced to use accredited installers. if you're not motivated by greed then it is possible to grid tie them yourself but obviously you won't get a cash return but you will reduce your energy costs. ultimately, if you use less energy and install lower power consumption devices in your home then the power generated by a solar PV array will be enough to take you off-grid. spend some time researching about living off-grid and you will see that it not actually that difficult. the bonus is that if you are not tied into the grid, if or when you move house you can take it all with you lock stock ...... hope this helps."
Lol of course using accredited installers is nothing to do with safety and them being connected by fully qualified electricians that know what their doing.
I can see it now 'No officer no idea how that fire started the instructions said connect the red wire to the blue wire and that's what I did!'
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By *hocmanxMan
over a year ago
Birmingham |
" The system is enphase as opposed to string...
Am I right in thinking that with the cheaper string systems, if part of the array falls in to shadow the whole arrays output is lost?"
I wouldn't have thought so. An entire module maybe but not the whole array |
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I am a qualified electrician .... just highlighting the financial costs of the labour involved ...... average cost of a 3Kw installation = £6500 ..... cost of hardware £2000 max ...... time taken to install max of 2 days ..... ergo £2250 a day for labour ..... me thinks that customers are getting ripped and installers are making more than bankers.... the capitalist nature of the alternative energy industry in this country is creating barriers to development and taking people for a ride ..... too many consultants who work closely with the industry maybe |
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"I am a qualified electrician .... just highlighting the financial costs of the labour involved ...... average cost of a 3Kw installation = £6500 ..... cost of hardware £2000 max ...... time taken to install max of 2 days ..... ergo £2250 a day for labour ..... me thinks that customers are getting ripped and installers are making more than bankers.... the capitalist nature of the alternative energy industry in this country is creating barriers to development and taking people for a ride ..... too many consultants who work closely with the industry maybe"
Good guess... No cigar though lol
If you read my posts I have not exactly been advising people to invest.
Your a qualified electrician advising people to do it themselves?
I can't claim to know wether your figures are right or wrong. But I don't understand the logic of subsidies if it's all in the labour cost.
It wouldn't surprise me having said that everyone seems out to rip everyone off of recent times. |
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"Anyone here with experience of the buying of them and using them?
"
No, but a guy I used to live near had a wind turbine thingy fixed to the side of his house. There was an initial outlay of a couple of thousand pounds.
It was supposed to provide him with free electric and any extra he could sell back to the National Grid.
It lasted about 8 months as his house was in a valley and even when it did decide to rotate it was too noisy and kept them awake at night  |
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"Good guess... No cigar though lol
If you read my posts I have not exactly been advising people to invest.
Your a qualified electrician advising people to do it themselves?
I can't claim to know wether your figures are right or wrong. But I don't understand the logic of subsidies if it's all in the labour cost.
It wouldn't surprise me having said that everyone seems out to rip everyone off of recent times."
lol ..... do it yourself was meant figuratively ..... I am only pointing out that business, profit, government is preventing alternative energy from advancing. the government are only interested in anything as long as someone makes a large amount of profit, which is why we have very little in the way of community energy production. they want folks to be tied to the grid so they can keep farming cash. there is plenty of scope for free energy production in this country but so much red-tape that it is stifled at conception.  and in just as a matter of interest, you don't actually have to be a qualified sparks to install domestic installations, you just have to show that you are competent enough to fulfil the requirements of part P of the building regs and get your local council building control to sign off the work. now excuse me while I light my havanna lol |
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"Good guess... No cigar though lol
If you read my posts I have not exactly been advising people to invest.
Your a qualified electrician advising people to do it themselves?
I can't claim to know wether your figures are right or wrong. But I don't understand the logic of subsidies if it's all in the labour cost.
It wouldn't surprise me having said that everyone seems out to rip everyone off of recent times.
lol ..... do it yourself was meant figuratively ..... I am only pointing out that business, profit, government is preventing alternative energy from advancing. the government are only interested in anything as long as someone makes a large amount of profit, which is why we have very little in the way of community energy production. they want folks to be tied to the grid so they can keep farming cash. there is plenty of scope for free energy production in this country but so much red-tape that it is stifled at conception. and in just as a matter of interest, you don't actually have to be a qualified sparks to install domestic installations, you just have to show that you are competent enough to fulfil the requirements of part P of the building regs and get your local council building control to sign off the work. now excuse me while I light my havanna lol"
Can't dissagree with you when you out it like that.... |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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Hmmm I'm gravitating towards a no no. However, today I'll contact the village estate agents and my mortgage company (Santander are big players, they'll have an opinion). |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"
Surely it can't be that difficult to design them to look like roof tiles at least?
There are solar PV tiles available on the market already .... use your search engine and you'll find them. solar PV works very well and the equipment is inexpensive ..... it's the price of labour that you will get screwed on by "accredited" installers. if you want to sell the excess energy back to the grid then you are forced to use accredited installers. if you're not motivated by greed then it is possible to grid tie them yourself but obviously you won't get a cash return but you will reduce your energy costs. ultimately, if you use less energy and install lower power consumption devices in your home then the power generated by a solar PV array will be enough to take you off-grid. spend some time researching about living off-grid and you will see that it not actually that difficult. the bonus is that if you are not tied into the grid, if or when you move house you can take it all with you lock stock ...... hope this helps."
Our house is listed so not worth the hassle. In any case I don't see how an 'investment' in technology that will take 10+ years can ever be a sensible investment given how quickly technology develops.
If they can make the bloody things look nice I really wish they'd insist people use ones that blend in. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Mine are on the back of the house,so can't be seen , nothing but fields behind us ,so didn't need to worry about the look of them.
But ,yes some houses I've seen with them on look terrible  |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Don't believe a word estate agents tell you."
The estate agents match what i found via google: they do not put value on the house but may assist saleability.
Surprise surprise the saleman's "65% of estate agents state it increases the house's value by £10,000, 35% state no change". My assumption would be that reversing the percentages would still not be telling the true story. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Don't believe a word estate agents tell you.
The estate agents match what i found via google: they do not put value on the house but may assist saleability.
Surprise surprise the saleman's "65% of estate agents state it increases the house's value by £10,000, 35% state no change". My assumption would be that reversing the percentages would still not be telling the true story."
I've no idea but I'm watching "that" film tonight.   |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"Don't believe a word estate agents tell you.
The estate agents match what i found via google: they do not put value on the house but may assist saleability.
Surprise surprise the saleman's "65% of estate agents state it increases the house's value by £10,000, 35% state no change". My assumption would be that reversing the percentages would still not be telling the true story.
I've no idea but I'm watching "that" film tonight. "
Enjoy  |
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By *ickndomCouple
over a year ago
Wimborne |
There is a line of thought that in a few years time when the first wave of used panels are ready for disposal, the government / councils will view them as the next asbestos and they could well cost a lot of money to get rid of them
you may need to allow something in your calculations for this  |
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By *hocmanxMan
over a year ago
Birmingham |
"
Our house is listed so not worth the hassle. In any case I don't see how an 'investment' in technology that will take 10+ years can ever be a sensible investment given how quickly technology develops.
If they can make the bloody things look nice I really wish they'd insist people use ones that blend in."
But technology can only develop if people invest today. It's almost like a catch 22 |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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I've decided to cancel. Too many niggles have arisen and I really don't like the idea that I will have to stay in my present home for in the region of 10 years to recoup cost.
In future I will stick to my philosophy of never signing up on the day of the sales pitch. |
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I have them on my roof there are great and the pay back is working out at about 12% so I don't think you will get that on any other investment and the energy company's are looking at putting up there bills again this winter. I Think as long has you get A survey done with a MCS company they will Guide you in the right direction. |
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By *ickndomCouple
over a year ago
Wimborne |
We have a solar hot water system, now that I would recommend, I have run the hot water heater 2/3 times in the past 2 weeks as its been dull, but prior to that I think we last used gas to heat the water was about April.
Even through the winter we still only heat the water by gas or electric 2/3 days a week on average it save a fortune, our old house cost about £2200 in gas and electric per year and the new (new) house costs about £700, all down to solar, low energy lighting and insulation |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"
Our house is listed so not worth the hassle. In any case I don't see how an 'investment' in technology that will take 10+ years can ever be a sensible investment given how quickly technology develops.
If they can make the bloody things look nice I really wish they'd insist people use ones that blend in.
But technology can only develop if people invest today. It's almost like a catch 22"
Absolutely - but the clever people let the others waste their money first and then reap the benefits.. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"
Our house is listed so not worth the hassle. In any case I don't see how an 'investment' in technology that will take 10+ years can ever be a sensible investment given how quickly technology develops.
If they can make the bloody things look nice I really wish they'd insist people use ones that blend in.
But technology can only develop if people invest today. It's almost like a catch 22
Absolutely - but the clever people let the others waste their money first and then reap the benefits.."
As do us poor ones  |
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"I have them on my roof there are great and the pay back is working out at about 12% so I don't think you will get that on any other investment and the energy company's are looking at putting up there bills again this winter. I Think as long has you get A survey done with a MCS company they will Guide you in the right direction. "
When did you have them fitted? On a 10k install that's £120 a month?!
I'll guess and say over a year ago certainly not since the fit reductions at that rate of return. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I have them on my roof there are great and the pay back is working out at about 12% so I don't think you will get that on any other investment and the energy company's are looking at putting up there bills again this winter. I Think as long has you get A survey done with a MCS company they will Guide you in the right direction.
When did you have them fitted? On a 10k install that's £120 a month?!
I'll guess and say over a year ago certainly not since the fit reductions at that rate of return."
If they could give me guarantees that my income would cover the load and they would then be self funding, then yes they seem great. I kept pressing on that point but at the end of the day those figures are only projections and at least for the first year (and possibly the majority of winters for the next x amount of years), I will have to find the money.
Self-funding is a very loose term indeed hmmmmmmmm. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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"I have them on my roof there are great and the pay back is working out at about 12% so I don't think you will get that on any other investment and the energy company's are looking at putting up there bills again this winter. I Think as long has you get A survey done with a MCS company they will Guide you in the right direction.
When did you have them fitted? On a 10k install that's £120 a month?!
I'll guess and say over a year ago certainly not since the fit reductions at that rate of return.
If they could give me guarantees that my income would cover the load and they would then be self funding, then yes they seem great. I kept pressing on that point but at the end of the day those figures are only projections and at least for the first year (and possibly the majority of winters for the next x amount of years), I will have to find the money.
Self-funding is a very loose term indeed hmmmmmmmm."
Loan not load... but hey this a "naughty" site |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I was talking to a guy at work today about this very subject .
I don't like them but said to him that at least if there is a power cut you can power some of your house and said that is not so .
If there is no feed in there is no feed out !!.
Is this correct ??. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I was talking to a guy at work today about this very subject .
I don't like them but said to him that at least if there is a power cut you can power some of your house and said that is not so .
If there is no feed in there is no feed out !!.
Is this correct ??."
If its dark it doesn't matter either way.
I think though all you generate feeds out though through 1 meeter and all you use back in through another meeter so they may be right. Don't quote me on it though It was just how I was told it worked by a 3rd party. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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So you could be in a situation where , for whatever reason, there is a power outage and your panels are capable of producing power but you cannot utilise it !
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"All I will say is that a Dr friend who develops New tech in solar energy tells me not to waste my money
Why?"
He is one of the leaders in research in this field. Any he says waste of money at the moment. But he did say wait 5 years |
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By *ammyDodgaMan
over a year ago
Nottingham/and everywhere my location says i am ;) |
Sod lecky ones, fit water ones.. Biggest consumption of energy is heating water.. 60% of of your energy.. Trust me I'm a plumber  lol
But serious, I fitted them to my last house. Without to much technical detail I could heat up my hot water for free in summer. Winter I got the tank upto 44 degree in jan.. You only heat water to 60 anyway.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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It's correct that if the power fails you cannot use the power from the solar panels. This is a safety feature so that people aren't electrocuted when they think the power is off.
They aren't economically viable unless the government subsidises them and that isn't going to last. People say give it a chance for the prices to come down but even if the panels were free the installation costs make them uneconomical without a subsidy. |
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"Anyone here with experience of the buying of them and using them?
"
If you are considering buying get different companies to talk to you....Some of this thread is accurate some isn't.
Unfortunately this is one thing where cheapest does not alwasy work out to be best in the long run.. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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".............Some of this thread is accurate some isn't.
...............
A thread on fab which isn't wholly accurate?
Shurely shome mishtake."
Sean, is it you? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"It's correct that if the power fails you cannot use the power from the solar panels. This is a safety feature so that people aren't electrocuted when they think the power is off.
"
In that case there should be a change over switch like we had on the farm generators Mains, Off, Generator .
That way you know that the power is live.
On at least two occasions (storms of October 1987 and Febuary 1990 ) we had no power (or water) for over two weeks.
If in that time my expensive solar panels were busy not helping I would of been a little pissed off !. |
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
".............Some of this thread is accurate some isn't.
...............
A thread on fab which isn't wholly accurate?
Shurely shome mishtake.
Sean, is it you?"
That'll be Shir Sean, if you don't mind.
Another Nationalist 'hero' who bowed the knee to an English Queen. |
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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago
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".............Some of this thread is accurate some isn't.
...............
A thread on fab which isn't wholly accurate?
Shurely shome mishtake.
Sean, is it you?
That'll be Shir Sean, if you don't mind.
Another Nationalist 'hero' who bowed the knee to an English Queen."
British (German origin) but they will be links somewhere along the line to James I, son of Mary queen of Scots. |
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
".............
That'll be Shir Sean, if you don't mind.
Another Nationalist 'hero' who bowed the knee to an English Queen.
British (German origin) but they will be links somewhere along the line to James I, son of Mary queen of Scots."
Proof, if proof were needed, that shaggin' yer cousins is a bad idea. |
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" The system is enphase as opposed to string...
Am I right in thinking that with the cheaper string systems, if part of the array falls in to shadow the whole arrays output is lost?
I wouldn't have thought so. An entire module maybe but not the whole array"
Thought I'd read this somewhere
Partial shading. If the shadow of a tree branch or another solar panel falls on the panel (as in the above photo) and diminishes the sunlight hitting it by, say, a percent, you might innocently think it would diminish the power output by a percent. Actually, even a small shadow can completely zero out the power. Because the cells are wired in series, knocking out one can knock out all, just as a single blown Christmas tree bulb can black out a whole string of bulbs. Even when uneven illumination doesn’t choke off all the power, it worsens the electrical mismatches. In a typical setup, Sella said the power output declines as much as 25 percent.
from here:
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/solar-at-home/2009/08/26/invert-your-thinking-squeezing-more-power-out-of-your-solar-panels/
So even partial shadowing of a panel can easily drop output by 25%. Partial shadowing could be due to passing cloud or branch of neighbours tree you cannot cut down.
Real world returns are pants compared to quoted figures from vested parties like politicians and installation companies. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I sold them for a while.
Do not believe any of the savings that people tell you. You don't start making any noticeable money back till years down the line, normally 10+ years. Majority of the company's that sell them give ridiculous claims that are calculated by going off the rise of energy cost over the past 10 years as a percentage and adding it on to the previous price. When I was doing training with one company they showed us how to work it put and expected you to tell customers that if the price kept on rising as it has in the past 10 years then you would end up paying approx £45k a year for electric in 20-25 years time"
Old thread I know but I'd like to ad my two penny worth.
To this poster if you sold them for a while I assume it was one a commission basis for ridiculously high prices. The figures you would have given customers would have been inflated to justify the high price. However it did not stop you selling them "for a while". So well done you on that.
If you get quotes from decent local companies with electrical backgrounds that DO NOT EMPLOY greedy lying sales people on commission only then solar panels are well worth looking at.
Repayment of your outlay should be about 9 to 10 years.
Go to the Energy Savingdd Trust website and take it from there. |
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By *nnyMan
over a year ago
Glasgow |
Most of the contributions seem to be about installation costs v ongoing savings with a nod to appearance thrown in.
Bearing in mind the Global Warming thread elsewhere on Fab, what about the environmental aspects of solar panels?
I rather like the idea of generating (some/most) of my own electricity and I'm taken by the idea of generating it close to home, as opposed to from a wind farm 30 miles off the coast of Lewis and having it brought to Glasgow via mile after mile of unsightly and vulnerable cables on pylons - we saw what happened on Arran recently.
I'm not being an old hippy in this respect. Were it legal and practical, I'd be happy to have a smallish nuclear reactor in the basement providing my power needs.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Very expensive to buy, if you are buying them for your own house, it also needs to face the right way otherwise you are unlikely to recoup the original cost. And with the comment about mortgaged properties, think I will pass |
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