Free solar power system. Is it a scam?

skelly01

Hi Folks, Just received a long winded email from Homesun. Basically it stated that they will not install free systems in Scotland (Central) because it is uneconomical to do so. They stated that if technology improves then they may look to revisit this stance.

Optimist

Mcfi5dhc wrote: »

Hello

Two more properties for sale with ASG panels. ASG have listed them honesty and with usual integrity on their website, so if you see them on there, you know what you are getting.

The [STRIKE]rogue cowboy[/STRIKE]s, sorry estate agents though, thats a different matter.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-10500612.html

Nice house - the estate agents states "There are Photo Voltaic solar panels fitted to the roof for day time electricity" (thats it)

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-28438891.html?premiumA=true

Again, a nice house - EA states "Solar Panels Providing Electricity" (and thats it)

So in summary, EA not exactly forthcoming with details. I'm not sure what they should put, though I don't think the amount they have put there is sufficient.

Once a few sell, it would be good to see what price they get compared to neighbours, though of course its always subjective and not scientific at all.

Interestingly the first link (the bungalow)has been for sale since 2008 at a original price of £325000 and it is now £25k cheaper. I guess they think the solar panels will be a selling point

John_Pierpoint

SavySave wrote: »

Now for all my questions...

1. Do I get some kind of meter in the house - so I know what I'm using for free and what I'm taking from the grid (paying for).
I.E. If I had an electric heater or the washing machine on during the day - how would I know if I was using it for free? Does that make sense?
You will get a meter that shows the rate at which you are generating electricity plus how much you have generated to date.[As a minimum, you are likely to get some other stuff showing performance over time etc. and you might get something to put on the coffee table to impress/baffle/b*llsh*t your friends and save diving into the meter cupboard or climbing into the loft] Smart metering and remote control via the grid/mobile phone network is coming.
If you are lucky enough to have an old fashioned meter, you might be able to see it going backwards. Otherwise you would need an export meter, but your electricity company will assume that you have exported 50% of what you have generated.
[My late mother lived in a row of 1960's 4 bed houses and as a little old lady worried about energy bills - if she could she used gas.
Circa 1985 the electricity company changed her meter - funny that none of the other houses built at the same time had their meters with little "clocks" on its face changed for a digital one. Perhaps they were being nice to a poor old pensioner?]

2. Does the system heat water? - so I could disconnect my Gas Central Heating from the job. I'm a single Dad with 3 daughters - so this one is of great interest :-)

This one has been done to death elsewhere on this forum/thread:
It is expensive to install something that measures the electricity available for export and then turns on the immersion. Only on really sunny days will the panels generate fast enough to power a 3kw 15 amp immersion heater - so it would most probably still be cheaper to use 85+% efficient condensing gas rather than electricity where 45% of the gas fuel or 70% of the coal fuel has been wasted at the power station or heating the wires in the grid.
.

3. A panel breaks or stops working. Are they guaranteed by the companies or covered by my home insurance? The guarantee maybe specific to the supplier I purchase from - but interested in the general thought on this one.

Good panels are pretty reliable and some have been working for more than a generation (30 years). The expensive bit of kit is the inverter that turns the DC into AC and lets it flow off into the grid. There are4 ideas to put one inverter on each panel, so that one panel in the shade of with a faulty connection won't turn off the inverter.
However the UK has an invented here system and so does not benefit from the mass market available in (say) Germany China USA (?). So don't hold your breath waiting got cheap UK inverters.

4. Do the panels actually last 25years+. I seem to remember reading somewhere that they only last a few years (I could be mad here - so happy to be corrected). See above. It is a bit like that Everest slogan - you only do it once so fit the best.

5. Will these become more expensive next year - when the VAT goes up. (?Good question?)

I'm sure I've got a few more questions - but brain lock has occurred - so I'll leave this for now. Thank you, in advance, for anyone who can help... and hope that it helps other people too.

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jsn999

Thinking about installing pv panels.

I would hope they would increase the value of my house when I sell it

skelly01

Samgloss do you fit these in Scotland?

Mcfi5dhc

samgloss24solarsurveyor wrote: »

An average 3 bed semi-detached house can have a 3.85kWp system installed. Based upon the Energy Saving Trust’s Cashback Calculator, you can save between £217 and £433, depending on daytime energy consumption

1. If the homeowner saves significantly less than £217 (say, £50 a year) would you remove the panels and cancel the agreement, at no cost to the homeowner
2. If the customer is struggling to sell their house at a fair price with the panels on, would you remove the panels and cancel the agreement, at no cost to the homeowner

Edit: I did report it as spam first, but I wouldn't mind seeing my questions answered

Cardew

Apart from it being Spam - that is just about the worst post on solar ever.

At least ASG charge nothing and don't make outrageous claims.

To pay £500 to let a firm use your roof, get all the income, and tie it up with a restricive legal agreement is simply unbelievable!!!

Mcfi5dhc

Just a thought, Heatscape Ltd (above) are advertising in the thread called Free Solar power system. Is it a scam?

So when you Google them soon, which no doubt thousands will, the first thing people will see is "is it a scam", which if he/she hadn't, wouldn't of been up there.

Sam shoots! Sam scores! Own goal!

By the way, I'm losing track of all these companies giving the panels away for free, seems to be one a week.

Skeptic_about_free

I bought my own panels in the summer and am very pleased with the output. However a free system? Two problems:

One, if you use the day/night Economy 7 tariff don't think you can automatically use your free electricity to power your dishwasher or washing machine. They use quite a lot of power for an hour or so. The English and Welsh weather is very erractic - a passing cloud will cost you money even on a good day - and in winter there might not be enough power even on a good day.

Two, in effect you have a sitting tenant on your roof when and if you come to sell: anyone who fancied buying a system for themselves won't be interested in your house.

But am I happy to have bought one? Yes - so far!

DonSwan

Now that the shorter days are upon us, and the sun is lower in the sky, I'd be interested to hear from panel owners (and roof leasers) how much power is being generated, used at home, and/or "fed in" to the grid. What if there's snow on the panels - do they generate anything then?