Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

weeowens

post by yanuoo0 @ #352 reported to abuse

Jon_Tiffany

You guys are getting some great output from your panels, what rating are they? I take these are the A Shade Greener panels?

furndire

Mine aren't SG's - decided to go for the FITs for myself 3.96 kw system - 22 panels

They need to be giving a high output at the moment, as they will be very low in the winter months, judging by how quickly there is no output when it is still daylight.

Cardew

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

You guys are getting some great output from your panels, what rating are they? I take these are the A Shade Greener panels?

The 'A Shade Greener' systems are all a standard 3.3kWp and are installed in the Yorkshire area. They will not install them unless they are pretty close to a optimum location(South facing and correct pitch roof).

They expect a minimum output of 2,800kWh per year.

XRayDave

Hi Jon

Yes, my panels are from A Shade Greener (ASG) for short.

Well chuffed with them - I suspect that I will be even more chuffed with them when we receive the electric bill!

18 panels is the standard 3.3kW system installation - so that would make each panel 183.3 W (I was told by the installers that they produce 80V dc and give a fairly nasty zap) so that would make them 80V, 2.3A, 183.3W panels. Hope this helps.

XRD

XRayDave

Here are the panels being installed ...



... and the panels waiting to go on the roof.



Hope these help.

XRayD

Jon_Tiffany

Thanks for the replies everyone. 2,800kWh per year is a lot of free electricity (I think we use around 3,500kWh per year), are you managing to use all of that or is some being exported to the grid? Either way, it must be making a nice reduction on the leccy bill. I think its a great idea.

EDIT - wanted to also ask, I assume A Shade Greener cover the cost of replacing any parts of the system that might break or fail? I guess those panels must cost a fair bit.

John_Pierpoint

Note the scaffold in the above picture and compare it with the American way of doing the same job.

The link is in this thread and leads to a film of a "crew" in USA doing what looks like a one day installation:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/34657453#Comment_34657453

The scaffolding on a three story house will be a significant element of the cost, if the experience of a friend getting his house repainted, now that working from ladders is not allowed, is any guide.

In the 1930's builders would put two ladders against the wall and fit a bracket to each. This bracket would hold a plank and at waist lever another slot for a guard rail. Plank & rail would span from ladder to ladder. Mind you those were the days when scaffolding was made of tree trunks roped together.

Cardew

Jon_Tiffany wrote: »

Thanks for the replies everyone. 2,800kWh per year is a lot of free electricity (I think we use around 3,500kWh per year), are you managing to use all of that or is some being exported to the grid? Either way, it must be making a nice reduction on the leccy bill. I think its a great idea.

EDIT - wanted to also ask, I assume A Shade Greener cover the cost of replacing any parts of the system that might break or fail? I guess those panels must cost a fair bit.

Although it might produce 2,800kWh most of that is a couple of hours either side of Noon and much more in the summer than winter.

If you look at other threads in this section you will see how small a proportion of that can be used according to people with export meters. On person with a wife at home all day(with children) thinks he would only be able to use about 15%.

Generally it seems that on smaller systems people manage to use 40% to 50% of generated output; and it will be less on bigger systems like those from ASG.

Arthurian

ASG own the panels so they will repair them, if I understand correctly.

It might make a difference to the overall viability of the scheme if sometime in the next 25 years you decide to move, but you lose a purchaser who might otherwise have been keen, (or if they decide to offer £15,000 less) because they think the panels are unattractive. Of course, not a problem if you know you're not going to want to move house in the next 25 years.