Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

Mcfi5dhc

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Definitely a win win situation;)

I doubt the electric companies will see it that way!

XRayDave

Hi Cardew,

Thanks for pointing that small error out - it is indeed 41.3p/kWh for PV installations under 4kW (although elsewhere on the same page it says for installations less than 5kW - under the heading "About the Scheme" ??). This rate is for PV panels retro-fitted to homes. For new-build homes the PV FIT is 36.1p/kWh (see under "Tariff levels, for technologies installed...."). Dunno where I got 41.6p from!

Anyway, the link (lets see if this works now) is: http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Sell-your-own-energy/Feed-in-Tariff-Clean-Energy-Cashback-scheme (EDIT: yay! it does).

Regards

XRayD

DonnySaver

furndire wrote: »

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.

Furndire,
Do you mind if I ask how much it cost you to have the panels installed?

furndire

DonnySave - I've pm'd you re cost.

Re export meters, we've opted not to have one yet. We use a lot of electricity, so won't be actually exporting much. When you add up what you are running, its surprising what you use. That is going to be my goal in the next few weeks to see exactly where it is going. At the moment we are using 21 units per day. It seems to have dropped to about 16 since we got the panels fitted.
They certainly changed our usage habits. Washing machine or dishwasher now go on around mid day to get the most of what we are producing.
They seem to start off about 200 watts in the morning rising to average of 2500/3000 watts around noon. Occasionally we have hit 4000 almost 4100. Then decreasing to 100/200 early evening. The thing I am disappointed with is when its still light at night 7/8 pm they are not producing electricity, even though they are supposed to work when there is the smallest amount of light. I need to check up on this, and will be doing so when we get back home.

manny1983

anyone gonna get this done?

Mcfi5dhc

furndire wrote: »

The thing I am disappointed with is when its still light at night 7/8 pm they are not producing electricity, even though they are supposed to work when there is the smallest amount of light. I need to check up on this, and will be doing so when we get back home.

Mine are the same (though mine are privately bought, not ASG)

They probably are still generating in the late evening, but the invertor needs some power to run. So if the power required by the invertor is more than the panels are making, it'll go into hibernation until the next day.

Doc_N

So, looking at the above posts, am I right in saying that:

If I use more than 50% of the electricity generated, I'm better off without an export meter

and

If my existing meter starts to run backwards (very unlikely, I imagine, as it's got a digital display) that's going to be to my benefit.


I can see that life is going to change somewhat after the panels have been installed (paid-for system), with an awful lot happening between 11 and 3!

noncom_2

Yes to both.

Cardew

Has it been established that if the disc runs backwards that the meter readings actually lower, in proportion to the excess energy produced by the panels? e.g. If the panels produce 2.5kWh, and 1kWh has been used in the house over the same period, that the main supply meter will be reading 1.5kWh lower.

Or could the meter mechanism be such that it doesn't wind back. The best analogy I can think of is like a bike freewheel mechanism, I can pedal backwards as fast as I like!!

I know years ago that it was possible to 'reverse' the connections on gas meters(i.e. have the dials facing the wall) and the meter ran backwards. They apparently prevented this on newer meters.

So is the meter mechanism 'fixed wheel' or 'freewheel' to use the bike analogy!!

Mcfi5dhc

On my spinning disc meter, the numbers would go down, they wouldn't freewheel

Sadly, it has now been replaced by the digital export meter