Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

DonnySaver

I've put my request for some panels in today. Wait and see what happens ....

big-azza

Saw a report about them on the news yesterday and after a bit of research on the net I've decided to apply for the panels.
Hopefully I get accepted

joolsleeds

Cardew wrote: »

That is good - especially for May/June.

Can you give some details of figures please.

Sure will - won't be until the weekend though, as I am working away at the moment.

I know the long sunny days won't last, but it's a very pleasing performance so far!

DonnySaver

What's peoples opinion on the scheme that Tesco are running? Yes, I know you have to pay for it yourself, but you end up with the profit. A system that costs around £15k to fit, over 25 years will actuallly make you (so they claim) a tax free profit of £19k!

XRayDave

Further update...

After a month of having the panels from A Shade Greener fitted, I reckon that they have "saved" 47% of our electricity energy bills during the month of June.

Now I know that they will work best during the long, sunny (!) summer days and that performance will drop off during Autumn and especially so during Winter but, since they cost nothing to have them installed, as the saying goes "every little helps".

Cheers

XRayD

furndire

DonnySaver wrote: »

What's peoples opinion on the scheme that Tesco are running? Yes, I know you have to pay for it yourself, but you end up with the profit. A system that costs around £15k to fit, over 25 years will actuallly make you (so they claim) a tax free profit of £19k!

Thats the option we've gone for - but not with Tesco. Had it installed last Tuesday. Our roof is slightly off South, and a little steeper pitch than optimum. The company we have used were Evo Energy. The FIT (feed in tarriff should work out around £1200 a year for us. If we didn't get the fits, it would not be worth while.
My decision was that I had a very small pension pot, which I have opted to take, and invested it solar panels. At least this way I am getting a reasonable return for my money, and it isn't going to trickle away on unnecessary stuff.

Cardew

XRayDave wrote: »

Further update...

After a month of having the panels from A Shade Greener fitted, I reckon that they have "saved" 47% of our electricity energy bills during the month of June.

Now I know that they will work best during the long, sunny (!) summer days and that performance will drop off during Autumn and especially so during Winter but, since they cost nothing to have them installed, as the saying goes "every little helps".

Cheers

XRayD

Can you give the method how you work out that figure of 47% please.

XRayDave

Hi Cardew,

Yes, no problem. I have an Efergy Elite energy monitor which measures the feed from the PV panels' inverter - so I know how much energy they have produced over the month. Took electricity meter readings (grid supply) on the day the panels were fitted and exactly 4 weeks later. So I have the actual "draw" from the grid. Interestingly on the afternoon the panels were commissioned, NPower came to read the electricity & gas meters!!

Now I know that this isn't going to be strictly accurate, but I took last year's electricity energy consumption & divided by 52 to get a weekly figure, then grossed it up to 4 weeks (yeah I could have divided by 13 I know). The figure won't be that far off as the main heating & hot water is Gas CH and the kitchen hob is also Gas. The lighting & oven are electric - as are the showers but their use is the same Summer or Winter. Happy that this assumption will be close enough to "real", anyhow...

Looked at the difference between last year's 4-monthly average consumption and this month's consumption and I get only 53% of normal. As the panels have produced close to 400kWh in June (well the 28 day period that is between 2 June and 30th - grossed up to 12 months this figure would be 5200kWh) and this matches the drop in our consumption - just about anyhow - I am inclined to "believe" the 47% saving figure.

Panels are producing an average (over the last month anyway) 16.51kWh per day (and so far in the 3 days for July that I have complete figures, 16.37kWh/day).

Hope this helps

XRayDave

Cardew

Xraydave,

Thanks,

Not sure I understand your explanation.

The panels producing 400kWh in June is to be expected, but it certainly won't 'gross up' to 5,200Kwh pa as June will produce far more than other months. ASG say they expect a minimum of 2,800kWh pa and around 3,000kWh pa would be average.

I would just comment that with a similar set up to you, I use about 15%-20% less electric in the summer. Mainly that lights are on a lot less I suspect. Not that it will affect the principle too much.

However the main point that I cannot grasp from your explanation is just how much your 'mains' consumption dropped in this June and of course that determines savings. Take these examples:

1. If you calculated(by using last years consumption figures - divided by 52 x 4)) that your previous consumption for the month of June was 100kWh and you used 53kWh this June, that would meet your criteria of 'saving 47%'.

2. By the same principle if you calculated that June's consumption was normally 200kWh and you have used 106kWh - that also meets the 47% criteria.

3. June normal consumption 400kWh - used 212kWh - again saves 47%.

All of the examples save 47% off your bill, but example(3) saves you 4 times as much money as example(1)

XRayDave

HI Cardew,

Just trying to figure actual savings - but based on just one month's PV oytput, this is somewhat difficult.

Normal yearly electricity consumption (going by last year's bill) was 10800 kWh. Divided by 13 (and here's where the assumptions kick in) that gives 830.7 kWh/4-week period (aka a Rolls-Royce Month).

Panels have produced just about 400 kWh during the 4 weeks of June (2nd - 30th). (400/830.7)x100% = 48.15%

Now my assumptions here are that the electricity usage will be roughly the same throughout the year. We don't tend to use supplementary heating in the Winter as electrical heating is expensive compared to GCH. Granted that in Summer we will use less lighting (longer days) and less heating overall, and probably less cooking using the oven - but probably not by much.

As I stated earlier, this is just a projection to give me a "take" on a typical saving. It remains to be seen how accurate this turns out to be.

Hope this helps,

XRayD[FONT=&quot][/FONT]