help with solar pv - south west london

13

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  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    And you are back to that joke Monbiot article again. You never learn. You are the gift that keeps on giving.

    So I guess you're still not ready to admit that PV has been successful. Perhaps when all your single pensioners, in electric flats, have to start paying for Hinkley, when the subsidies for PV have reduced to zero, you'll change your tune.

    Then again ..... probably not, you're in too deep, and you just can't stop digging!

    You didn't answer me last time, so I'll ask again - Did PV run over your dog?

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Exiled_Tyke
    Exiled_Tyke Posts: 1,185
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    Cardew, since you quoted me from a different context I feel entitled to express my opinions. I'm inclined to agree with Mart. Because:

    1. You claim that repairs are 'probable' with no evidence to back it up. Occasionally we hear of queries on here about faults developing but remarkably few given the number of people who visit here (and I would have thought it would be a first port-of-call for many). 'Probable' without justification is misleading. A reader would be forgiven for thinking you were suggesting probably faults with panels from the way your post read.

    2. Your original post didn't appear to be dealing with Inverters which are a different issue - it's acknowledged that potential replacement needs taking into account and no-one is shy from discussing this. However the situation with these is getting far better with lives becoming longer. There is every possibility that a new inverter will now outlast the payback period.

    With hindsight, it may not have been appropriate for me to use the word 'repairs' when referring to potential inverter replacement but obviously I didn't expect my post to be used in a different context. I can't even remember making the comment and am certainly not going to waste time looking into it.

    I would have far more respect for you if you came clean with enquirers on your position before offering seemingly unbiased advice.

    Of course we have our position too, but that comes from our experiences with PV, learning a lot of lessons and pitfalls and of course wanting to pass on any useful advice we may have.

    As Mart. says PV is a useful and now economic part of the generation mix. Investment in it has been justified and it's continued uptake is only to be encouraged - but with care. Which is why so many of us are concerned that we help people to make the right decision. I wait for the day when you do anything but try to put people off.
    Install 28th Nov 15, 3.3kW, (11x300LG), SolarEdge, SW. W Yorks.
    Install 2: Sept 19, 600W SSE
    Solax 6.3kWh battery
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    Cardew, since you quoted me from a different context I feel entitled to express my opinions. I'm inclined to agree with Mart.

    Although it is pretty well accepted that an inverter will need to be replaced in the life of a PV system. I used the term 'probable' for repairs because the response was advice to a 'newbie' who was asking advice on the economics of a system. What was biased in that post?

    Obviously the diagnosis of a faulty inverter and its replacement comes under the generic term 'Repairs' that being a term you - as you acknowledge - and others have used for inverter replacement.

    If you care to re-read my initial post it is advice on economics given the prices the OP quoted, which the OP thanked.

    You of all people are aware that Martyn's stupid response to me - and they are stupid - was antagonistic. Had anyone else posted exactly the same message as mine - especially a member of the MSE PV club - he would no doubt have bestowed his thanks.

    Do you really feel you need to take Martyn's side!
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Cardew, we can go on knocking heads, I can continue to laugh my socks off at your nonsense, but is it now worth it?

    Have you really not realised that you've been 'explaining' why PV doesn't work for so long now, that you completely missed the point when it did work.

    Once UK PV became cheaper than off-shore wind, it became a valid member of the UK RE mix.

    Once PV became cheaper than nuclear, it reinforced that position, and brought low carbon generation to the demand side.

    You spent a lot of time stating that hamsters on wheels were better than PV, yet domestic PV is now (today!) generating leccy at a lower cost than HPC will generate in 2028. So those 'ickle 4kWp systems on rooves' that you hold in contempt, are cheaper than a future 3,200,000kW nuclear plant - that's a lot of hamsters!

    The weakness of wind and hydro in the summer months, requires a summer specialist to prevent those who only focus on what something doesn't do (like PV at night) from criticising them.

    The moment you finally let slip that you were a nuclear supporter, your anti subsidy arguments collapsed, particularly given that PV FiT subsidies go back to the demand side, whilst nuclear subsidies go back to the supply side - and in the case of HPC will go to French and Chinese governments.

    If you want you can criticise all RE on the grounds of intermittency, but an appropriate mix of technologies and storage remove that argument. And nuclear is not immune to storage since it will also require storage to exceed ~16GW, since it will start to bump up against minimum night time demand. But nuclear can't demand follow*.

    I have no doubt that you will keep arguing, but at some point you need to realise that it's over, you are trying to wrongly predict the result of a race, when the race is already over.

    Mart.

    *HPC can be ramped down to 60%, but since almost all costs are CAPEX, not OPEX, there will be next to no cost savings, so ramping down, simply pushes the unit cost up. Also, under the 35yr CfD subsidy, ramping down would reduce guaranteed sales by 40% of 3,200MW, which would lose France and China approx £3m per day. M.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    The relevance to the OP's question of yet another rambling diatribe is??
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    Cardew wrote: »
    The relevance to the OP's question of yet another rambling diatribe is??

    The OP is thinking about PV, and PV works.

    Have a nice day.

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Hello all, Apologies for the radio silence from my end. I decided to stay the course with PV, having given some weightage to the green aspects. I finally decided to go with 15 Solar world 285 panels and with SolarEdge inverter. (9 panels South and 6 panels East) £6800 for a installed capacity of 4.275kw. I know I am paying a premium of around £750 (or more), at these prices. None of the e*ay based suppliers were forthcoming with proposals. That made me think that after sales service could be an issue with these suppliers. I am not much of a risk taker and decided to go with a local supplier and pay the premium, after getting very good references from his customers. The spouse and and I also felt that the said person was honest when we spoke with him. Thanks a lot for the support and advice from the forum members. I will keep you posted..
    4.65kw PV LG 310w, SMA inverter and monitoring. SW London. Installed - 12/10/16
    Heat Genius smart home heating - 12/02/15
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 14,713
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    django01 wrote: »
    Thanks a lot for the support and advice from the forum members. I will keep you posted..

    Best of luck with it. Once it's up and running pop onto the generation thread and let everyone know how it's doing.

    Renewables: "talking 'bout my generation"

    Best to skip to the end, unless you want to read 16,000 posts!

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 5.58 kWp PV systems (3.58 ESE & 2.0 WNW)

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • Thank you and I sure will post in the generation thread..
    4.65kw PV LG 310w, SMA inverter and monitoring. SW London. Installed - 12/10/16
    Heat Genius smart home heating - 12/02/15
  • Finally, pulled the trigger on this project and placed the order. I was hoping for a vendor who will not ask me for my first born!! Turns out the wait was futile!!

    Although I (with lot of difficulty) got some attention from google earth jockeys - with some very aggressive pricing, I could only get the one quote from a guy who did the impressive bit of turning up onsite, climbing up the roof and measuring. Pricing £6700 for 15 X 285's (4275w) I think the exchange rates post Brexit have also played a role in keeping prices high. Thanks again to this group..

    Another question - my leccy supplier don't do FIT tariff. Can i apply to any of the other suppliers without changing my supply over to them? EDF seem to have a good reputation for paying out quick.
    4.65kw PV LG 310w, SMA inverter and monitoring. SW London. Installed - 12/10/16
    Heat Genius smart home heating - 12/02/15
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