Feed In Tariffs(FIT) Announced.

John_Pierpoint

ie If an individual not commercially turning over 70,000 a year sells electricity, they don't have to charge VAT at 5% to the electricity company. Presumably if you are a high turnover self employer individual (such as a computer consultant) then you do!
Do you add 5% to the 41.3 or 44.3 pence per unit or just the 3 pence per unit that you are deemed to have sold back to the electricity company?
Bit of a bummer if you are a farmer and normally get a subsidy of 17.5% on most things you buy and you now find yourself with a new business that is vatable? Time to turn the farming enterprise into a company?

zeupater

mysterons wrote: »

I finally received my quote for Solar PV via Tesco a couple of days ago. It's a big house on the East coast near the Wash. Just like another Tesco customer has posted over at Navitron forums they've quoted me for a 4.2kW system . 24 Sharp 175w panels with SMA 3300 inverter.
I initially had wanted an under 4kW setup in order to get the 41p top rate of FIT's so was disappointed to get a offered a system that's only going to qualify for the 36p per unit.
However I've run the figures over at the energysavingtrust cashback calculator and for a 3.8kW setup assuming someones at home most of the day and 25% exported it's 3300kwh output totalling £1708pa.
Using the same criteria a 4.2kW system gets 3647kwh and income totalling £1699pa. As you can see less than a tenner difference despite the 4.2kW system only getting 36 pence.
I've decided to accept the Tesco quote of £14999 for a 4.2kW setup. Price seems ok despite me evidently needing non-standard scaffolding and a consumer unit upgrade adding £262 and £105 respectively.
These additions however were offset by my reply to an offer of a £500 off voucher from Tesco which came through the post during the long wait for a survey . The voucher has been applied to my quote so bottom line is £14866 all in. Took around 2 months to get a survey, quote arrived 14 days after survey.
Hoping the suggested install date of somewhere less than 6 weeks is true and I catch the tail end of the summer to generate a few kW before the days start to draw in again .

Hi mysterons

Are you now generating ? ..... if so how did the installation go ?

Z

mysterons

They've given me a date for install middle of next week. Still toying with the idea of asking for them to limit it below 4.0kw. Also evidently it's standard procedure to undersize the inverter compared to the size of the array, normally around 75 to 80% of the max output according to people a lot more knowledgeable than me

Edit;
Actually not being installed until 25th so that's week after next, should've checked my calendar LOL

Doc_N

mysterons wrote: »

They've given me a date for install middle of next week. Still toying with the idea of asking for them to limit it below 4.0kw. Also evidently it's standard procedure to undersize the inverter compared to the size of the array, normally around 75 to 80% of the max output according to people a lot more knowledgeable than me

Edit;
Actually not being installed until 25th so that's week after next, should've checked my calendar LOL

I think a lot of us will be very interested to hear how the installation goes, and what you think of Tesco. Good luck with the weather!

mysterons

Just got off the phone with Tesco after I queried the FIT's reduction due to the 4.2kW install and they've changed it to 3.96kW no problem. 18x220w Sharp panels instead of the 24x175w originally quoted.
Will delay the install probably by a week, waiting for email confirmation. The Tesco lady told me they're no longer offering the 4.2kW system as so many had asked for it to be limited below 4kW.
Will let you know how it goes.

Solargain

mysterons wrote: »

Just got off the phone with Tesco after I queried the FIT's reduction due to the 4.2kW install and they've changed it to 3.96kW no problem. 18x220w Sharp panels instead of the 24x175w originally quoted.
Will delay the install probably by a week, waiting for email confirmation. The Tesco lady told me they're no longer offering the 4.2kW system as so many had asked for it to be limited below 4kW.
Will let you know how it goes.

I was one of them. Offering 4.2kWp system as standard was just crazy, and you have to wonder why they did it.

Enact Energy handle both the M&S solar energy scheme, and the Tesco one. The prices will probably vary, but I imagine that all the installations are done by the Mark Group, who also do them for e.on.

For what it's worth, we recently had a Tesco solar panel installation, and I'm delighted with it. Enact Energy were nice people to deal with, and the Mark Group people were also excellent in every way. Helpful, pleasant, civilised, flexible - exactly what you'd hope for from a group of men working in your house, but don't always get.

The installation works exactly as it should, and it was a thoroughly neat job, done exactly in accordance with the way we wanted it done. Can't recommend them highly enough. We had great reservations about using anything with a Tesco branding to it, and were going to go local, but the price was unbeatable. Delighted to be able to report back that although the price was keen, the installation couldn't have been done better.

e.on, by the way, wanted around £5000 for more or less exactly the same job! Didn't get a quote from M&S (couldn't even find the relevant website!) but it would have been interesting to see how much, if anything, they add on just for the M&S name.

mysterons

Can I ask what size your Tesco install was, 3.96kWp?

Solargain

mysterons wrote: »

Can I ask what size your Tesco install was, 3.96kWp?

Yes - 18 Sharp 220W panels. Well pleased with them because they match the roof tiles and are far less obtrusive than I thought they would be.

I'm not sure what the maximum achievable is, bearing in mind the loss between panels and inverter, but it hits at least 3.6kw in sunny weather, and possibly more. There are plenty of people in here who'll know what's the maximum achievable in practice from a 4kWp system. I'm guessing there'll be a loss of between 5 and 10%.

zeupater

Solargain wrote: »

Yes - 18 Sharp 220W panels. Well pleased with them because they match the roof tiles and are far less obtrusive than I thought they would be.

I'm not sure what the maximum achievable is, bearing in mind the loss between panels and inverter, but it hits at least 3.6kw in sunny weather, and possibly more. There are plenty of people in here who'll know what's the maximum achievable in practice from a 4kWp system. I'm guessing there'll be a loss of between 5 and 10%.

Hi

You'll find that the output will be limited by the inverter, I'd guess that it'd be a SB3300, so 3.6kW would be the maximum.

They must have been keen to fit your system. I was talking to Enact whilst they were having meetings with their suppliers regarding the 220W panel system and having requested a quote many weeks ago am still awaiting a survey .... I suppose that it all depends where you are in the country and how much sub-contract coverage Enact have in your area ......

Out of curiosity, what was the lead time from first contact to survey and then to installation ?

Regards

mysterons

Did you pay the same price as the 4.2kWp system ie £14999?
I ask because they agreed to change mine to 3.96kWp but still wanted to charge me the same amount. I complained especially when I saw the 3.96kWp system has now appeared on the Tesco website at £14499 . They spun me some tale about how the Mark Group had to return the original 175w panels to manufacturer at great expense (don't believe a word of it) but were pleased to be able offer me a further £250 off. I've told them I'm not entirely happy but as it's now the weekend email communication has ceased.
I'll give Enact their due, when I've asked questions they're quick to reply and they did give me a £500 off voucher during the very long wait for a survey which has been applied to my quote.
As it stands at present I'm being asked to pay a bottom line of £14600 which includes £200 odd for non standard scaffolding and £100 for consumer unit upgrade.
I'm hoping they'll do the right thing and give me the other £250 off bringing it into line with the currently advertised system price.
Glad you're pleased with your install, I'm sure I will be happy too eventually once it's up and generating .

@zeupater
Took about 10 weeks to get someone from Mark Group to do a survey. Have you rung them? Letter from Enact thanking me for my enquiry said they'd be in touch within 2 weeks but nothing happened & after 3 weeks I called Mark Group in person.