Solar panel installation?

st999

In about 30 years you'll be in profit

As soon as that?:rotfl:

Stan

macman

SarahLou wrote: »

Hello,

Sorry, I realised just a few minutes ago that I should've clarified that for people! Hence I popped back to find your reply. Ideally we are looking to have a PV solar panel installation.

I've been looking into the grants available which appear to be between £2000 to £2500 (maximum) for home owners. Am just looking to hear from other people who have had one installed and what their experience was and indeed how much their panel(s) cost. Got a few people lined up for quotes now - one being Everest (as I was getting them out for a quote for other things too) and I've also got a few local companies lined up too now.

Err, if you look at the Everest website they only sell solar hot water panels, not solar PV.
Even if they did, why on earth would you choose a double glazing company to install them? Solar PV is an electrcial contractor's job and you need a specialist in that field to do a proper site survey and install if you go ahead.
You can do all the basic research yourself, starting with the roof angle-do you have a suitable south or south west to south east facing roof slope that is shadow free for most of the daylight hours? If not then no point in looking further.
I can recommend the installer who did mine without reservation, but they only cover London and the south-east.

penrhyn

Thread on Eco Bling here

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2217961&highlight=eco+bling

diable

G_M wrote: »

Expect hard sell.
"Sign today and agree to be a 'show home' and we'll give you a 50% discount"

But you'l only get to this point after at least an hour, by which time you're head is spinning and 50% sounds great.

Have a friend call you with an emergency at a set time, car broken down or whatever so you can leave the house these salesmen are like limpets and you can't get rid of them oh and wait for the "I'll call my manager" for a better deal spiel. The only ones worse are the Kirby vacuum cleaner salesmen.

daytona600_2

see www.microgenerationcertification.org
for approved mcs installers and mcs solar panels
you need certified products for grants and feed in tarriffs
for grid connected systems

Mcfi5dhc

I paid £5450 (after £2500 grant) for my 1.44 kwp pv sharp system. If you look under the green an ethical forum, find the post called 'my first year solar pv payback' - unfortunantly can't link it today because i'm viewing on my ipod touch.

In summary though, i am happy with the installation, and the contractors. I hunted them down (not the other way round). I am due to payback my panels in a total of about 10 years unless anything changes.

Pm me if you need anymore info after reading my other thread.

Thanks

M

seancollier

Hi, I'm from one of the Solar PV contractors in the North East. Obviously I can't promote who here, but as you would expect me to say... Solar PV can be a good investment as a result of the new European-style feed-in tariffs. Google "Clean Energy Cashback Scheme" or ask an approved contractor on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme list.

In my opinion, in the last year or so the price of PV installations has come down a fair bit, and a grant of £2500 applies only until March this year. After this time, the new scheme above starts and repays homeowners each year based on what your system generates. Therefore getting an expert opinion on your system is a very good idea...

And a side note... all MCS-cretified companies are registered with the REA Code of Conduct which is backed by the OFT - so that we avoid the Window Salesmen approach...

Hope this helps.

Sean

ormus

Mcfi5dhc wrote: »

I paid £5450 (after £2500 grant) for my 1.44 kwp pv sharp system. If you look under the green an ethical forum, find the post called 'my first year solar pv payback' - unfortunantly can't link it today because i'm viewing on my ipod touch.

In summary though, i am happy with the installation, and the contractors. I hunted them down (not the other way round). I am due to payback my panels in a total of about 10 years unless anything changes.

Pm me if you need anymore info after reading my other thread.

Thanks

M

can you give us the sums?
id be very interested to see how you can pay it back in 10 years at an average saving of 200 quid per annum?

my maths says its 30 yrs, and thats not allowing for any maintenence cost etc...

SarahLou

Thanks for all your replies. Just had a guy round from a local company - he's popping the quote in the post so we'll see what he comes back with. He's basing it on a 1.5kWh system.

Mankysteve

ormus wrote: »

can you give us the sums?
id be very interested to see how you can pay it back in 10 years at an average saving of 200 quid per annum?

my maths says its 30 yrs, and thats not allowing for any maintenence cost etc...

Have look in the green ethical forum as he said all the numbers are there.

Make sure you use a MCS credited installer as to be able to get FITs it looks like this will be a requirement. You can pay back the investment in less than 10years with this new scheme Iam not gonna repeat the maths as it posted here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1838505

and the scheme will be guaranteed for 30 years. I recommend the http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/ site its good but naturally there a bit biased toward greener stuff.