Free solar panel discussion

GreenEnvy

I have registered on their site as suggested - but have had no contact from them.

Either they are swamped with requests, don't want to extend the offer in my area, or it is a very limited offer to draw people to their web site.

I really hope it is genuine. If not, someone else should take this up as a business venture.

Many Solar PV sell on the promise of a ~10% return on investment - if this is true, then a Solar company that can achieve high volume sales and associated economies should make a killing.

ade916

I’ve just registered my interest in this. Does anyone know if there is a meter that could be fitted in the circuit that would show how much electricity was coming for the panels etc ????

Cheers
Ade

grahamc2003

alzy wrote: »

Looking forward to hear some good news from those that have tried :beer:

Anything that can save money :T

It doesn't save money - in fact it's a total waste of money. The 41p paid as the FIT is paid for on the bills of all other electricity cutomers. The scheme is just madness - a subsidy for just about the most inefficient way of generating electricity. The subsidy is so high because the amount of electricity generated is so very low. Green madness, which we all pay for - edffectively, all consumers are paying around 58p/kWh for this scheme, while the true retail cost is around 10p/kWh - the 48p difference is simply a loss due to inefficiency.

If the government want to spend electricity customer's money on a subsidy, then it should be on a (much) more efficient home technology, like solar hot (or at least pre-heated) water.

GreenEnvy

GenToo Penguin
Your arguments have a lot of merit and common sense.
Unfortunately in the real world we have limited opportunities to do the right things.

We are a high domestic user of electricity (18,000 KW p.a.) - even after all 'normal' energy saving measures like double glazing, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, wood burding stove, and high attention to reduction of wasted energy.
We don't have much choice - we don't have a Gas Supply, and our Heating is Oil Fired (expensive and very 'dirty')

My plan was to install a 15Kva Wind Turbine - which although could cost £35,000 to install, should pay back in 5-7 years. But guess what - chance of getting planning permission is zero being in an "area of ourstanding natural beauty".

So despite the poor efficiency of Solar PV, it is free from planning restrictions, and if the offers of free installation by companies like ISIS are really true - it's the only viable option open.

slimmer1

I've had solar panels fitted 2 months ago.=. Many days the meter goes backwards & I have monitors on mains feed and generation output. I will be paid 41.5p/Kwh for ALL generated whether I use it or if it's sent back into the grid AND some free elec which I then don't have to pay for. Current data suggests around £900/yr from a £11k outlay - a 9% return on capital or 11 yr payback - beat that if you can!! and TAX FREE!!!!! = 11.25% for basic rate payer or a whopping 15% for 40% payers. Panels included on normal house insurance, 25yr warranty.

Don't look at it with a view to what you use, look at it just as an investment with very green credentials. What you use is totally irrelevant to the generation system UNLESS you go for the free panels when you get the biggest you can get then organise your usage to co-incide with maximum output ie put washer/ dishwasher on mid-day.

Have fun

Perry525

4

ade916 wrote: »

I’ve just registered my interest in this. Does anyone know if there is a meter that could be fitted in the circuit that would show how much electricity was coming for the panels etc ????

Cheers
Ade

===================================
Yes. That is part of the system, it tells you how much you have delivered and received.
I wonder how this will work?
On a typical day, the sun gets round to shining on our true south facing walls at 11am and disappears off late afternoon.
Keeping in mind that there is no way of saving the electricity generated and that all our electricity used for breakfast, dinner and during the evening and night will be imported.
We have a situation where the major part of the generation is during the day when we cannot use it.
Do we have a situation where the power companies insisted that the scheme would only be viable, where they can continue to supply power at the times when the customer most needs it?
Will we end up with meters that will charge higher rates at times when solar cannot deliver?
In 1982 an economist suggested at a meeting in Canada that power companies, would make more profit, encouraging their customers to insulate and buy less electricity, rather that stick to their current idea of forever finding more customers with higher requirements for energy and building and running ever more generating capacity.
Has this ideas day arrived? Are we being conned?

sandspider2000

I applied for a fitting by another company (Solar Sense I think they were called). They were very keen, sent me lots of paperwork about how much I could save etc. Then suddenly they just stopped contacting me. A while later I got a letter saying my house wasn't suitable. Something didn't seem quite right about them... I've got a big expanse of South West facing roof, and a smaller expanse of South east facing, as I told them, so don't know what the problem was.

quigleymoon

I just tried to apply to Isis and although my house qualifies, they tell me that I am not close enough to them geographically speaking. This is rather frustrating as I only live 15 minutes drive north of their headquarters ! Am now waiting for them to roll out the scheme a little further so that i fall into the catchment but I would say that if you live north of Oxford you would be wasting your time applying at the moment.

viewpoint

We don't have a hot water tank as it went when we had the gas combi boiler put in. Can we have solar power without one. In other words can we just use the electricity for electrically powered items or will it only run hot water?

bribery

Warlocks2010 wrote: »

One thing that the article or any posts forget to mention is, if you buy the panels yourself, the interest you are losing.
As an example, let's say you extend your mortgage by £12k to purchase the panels at a rate of say 4% (and interest rates will most certainly rise in the coming years!); this equates to interest only of £480 per year.
The article states that you can expect approx an £800 return per annum if paying for the panels yourself (forget the £120 saving as you get this regardless of free or paying for them yourself).
This therefore means the real benefit is a profit of £320 per year.
Over the 25 years, this only works out at an £8000; which is therefore £4000 LESS than the money needed to pay for the panels in the first place.
I would therefore suggest that the FREE panels (including maintenance as well!!) is a far more beneficial option for the standard householder.

I am happy to be proved wrong on my figures above but think they stand up...

As I mentioned earlier - there needs to be a proper calculation done using NPV - yes there is the loss of interest on capital spent now, but the value of the £800 pa will diminish by inflation to be virtualy worthless well before the 25 years is up.
Martin (or one of the team) - or in fact one of the many other experts on this forum, - please can you do a propser NPV & we can then see clearly what the gain/costs are.
I expect it to be a massive net cost if you invest - but that is my gut feeling - like others have gut feelings that it will be a gain.