Nice people thread part 3- Nice as pie

PasturesNew

Doozergirl wrote: »

Roof tile style exist already. Not to produce all your electricity with one tile though!
http://www.solexenergy.co.uk/

Don't know about cheap though and I think you'd have to roof your roof to match the solar tiles rather than the other way around, but I think they look much more attractive.

We've been 'negotiating' over a house where we think we might be able to self-build in the garden. Architect is on holiday until tomorrow, we really need to get her round there but her initial thoughts were that stood we pretty good chance. So I've a renewed interest in energy efficiency myself now, maybe.

Yeah, I've seen these before. I'd prefer to use tiles. I just don't see how strapping something extra to the roof would work - as it'd cause more problems, I'd have thought with maintenance behind the panels.

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

For those just joining us, here is a summary of the pensions/investments discussions: WHOOSH

That is why we use an IFA. I start to understand bits and then the rest goes over my head. Luckily OH understands much more, so knows (I hope) that the IFA knows what he's doing. I just nod, smile, make coffee and admire the view:o

Davesnave

LydiaJ wrote: »

For our amazing resident web-bloodhound, PN, or anyone else with the time and inclination:

One of the salesmen who's been to my house to quote for solar PV recommended hunting about online (especially on discussion forums) for people who've got PV panels of various brands to see how they perform in real life, which may not be the same as in the standard lab conditions used for the official data. So I've been trying to do so.

One salesman offered quotes for Sharp, Suntech or Sanyo panels. I've been able to find references to these without too much trouble. The other salesman I've seen so far was PVE who only install panels from their parent company Solar Technology. I can't find anything much online about them. Can you find anything more than I've been able to track down?

Cheers.

Here's some info I received recently:
The Photon Field Performance Test measures how many kw/hrs a panel produces in RL conditions in a year. Three modules from each manufacturer were tested outdoors in Germany and the results were as follows:

16 best panels:
Siliken About 1040 kw/hr
REC
Trina Solar
First Solar
Solarworld
Photowatt
Evergreen
Solarfun
Canadian Solar
Isofoton
BP Solar
Kyocera
Schott
Solar-Fabrik
Sunways
Sharp About 915 kw/hr

There were another 14 un-named brands below Sharp.
Source: Mole Valley Farmers Newsletter. (Mole Valley supply REC panels)

HTH, though I suspect it might not, as only one panel brand you mention is listed!

chewmylegoff

STing wrote: »

What's happened here is we're both answering different questions, my understanding is you're talking of tax avoidance as in tax efficiency where-as I'm talking of paying no tax on investments.

Two different subject.

well tax avoidance is minimising the tax you will pay on a certain thing you are doing e.g. investing in shares. i mean that's what tax avoidance is.

if you want another example of paying no tax, then NSI products, especially RPI linked certificates, which are the best example i can think of of avoiding tax (and having the double whammy of the government paying you your return!).

it would be strange though, if your investment decisions (i.e. what you actually invest in) were driven by how much tax you can not pay, rather than how much of a return you can generate after tax.

on that basis, i am constantly baffled by the BTL brigade who think that the most tax efficient way to run a BTL is to not pay the mortgage off. you might pay less tax but that's because you aren't making a profit you turnips!

really, the point is, make as much profit as you can, and structure your affairs such that you pay as little tax as possible. there would be no point investing in corporate bonds in an ISA if you received a net return of 5%, with no tax being deducted at any stage, if you could invest in equities and receive a return of 8%, despite the company who paid the dividend having paid £5 billion in tax before paying you the divi. who cares what their tax bill is?

chewmylegoff

PasturesNew wrote: »

Maybe not this year.... can't tell how it'll pan out. Tax free amount's gone up. Depends if my stuff bombs or not.

VAT, any VAT? You must at least buy electricity?!

Just trying to cheer you up

Davesnave

PasturesNew wrote: »

Yeah, I've seen these before. I'd prefer to use tiles. I just don't see how strapping something extra to the roof would work - as it'd cause more problems, I'd have thought with maintenance behind the panels.

If you have the right garden, (like me:D) you can put them on a rack and grow a yew hedge behind it.

LydiaJ

Doozergirl wrote: »

Roof tile style exist already. Not to produce all your electricity with one tile though!
http://www.solexenergy.co.uk/

Don't know about cheap though and I think you'd have to roof your roof to match the solar tiles rather than the other way around, but I think they look much more attractive.

Those are solar thermal, not PV. You can get PV tiles, for example here but they just look like mini panels. They don't blend in with normal slates or tiles anything like as well as the solar thermal slates and tiles do. Although of course having them built into the roof rather than on bars just above the existing slates or tiles does look slightly tidier.

Doozergirl wrote: »

We've been 'negotiating' over a house where we think we might be able to self-build in the garden. Architect is on holiday until tomorrow, we really need to get her round there but her initial thoughts were that stood we pretty good chance. So I've a renewed interest in energy efficiency myself now, maybe.

Oooh. Exciting. Do tell more please. :j

chewmylegoff wrote: »

http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/enforcementguide/wrdeaths/chronology.htm#evidencerule37

Fantastic - just the sort of info I was looking for. The first couple of names on the list are called Dr something, so I imagine they will be the evidence about the nature of the injuries of the people who died. That wouldn't be likely to be disputed in this case.

Davesnave wrote: »

Here's some info I received recently:
The Photon Field Performance Test measures how many kw/hrs a panel produces in RL conditions in a year. Three modules from each manufacturer were tested outdoors in Germany and the results were as follows:

16 best panels:
Siliken About 1040 kw/hr
REC
Trina Solar
First Solar
Solarworld
Photowatt
Evergreen
Solarfun
Canadian Solar
Isofoton
BP Solar
Kyocera
Schott
Solar-Fabrik
Sunways
Sharp About 915 kw/hr

There were another 14 un-named brands below Sharp.
Source: Mole Valley Farmers Newsletter. (Mole Valley supply REC panels)

HTH, though I suspect it might not, as only one panel brand you mention is listed!

Thanks loads. Fantastic resource, if only it had included more of the ones I've been quoted. We'll have to see what the third company come up with. Maybe they will quote for more of the ones on the list. Anyway, it confirms my impression that I'm not going to go with Sharp.

PasturesNew

chewmylegoff wrote: »

VAT, any VAT? You must at least buy electricity?!

Just trying to cheer you up

No. I have no bills.

I do fill up 5x a year though, but currently on DF cigs

Bl00dy internet connection's bad tonight, averaging 12kbps download (no, not a typo).... so about 1/5th of old fashioned dialup. Tried for a whole 1.25 hours to update my control panel with two links and two sentences - it's all too slow.... which is why I'm here instead of working.

STing

PasturesNew wrote: »

No. I have no bills.

Are you a cave dwelling troglodyte?

chewmylegoff

PasturesNew wrote: »

No. I have no bills.

I do fill up 5x a year though, but currently on DF cigs

Bl00dy internet connection's bad tonight, averaging 12kbps download (no, not a typo).... so about 1/5th of old fashioned dialup. Tried for a whole 1.25 hours to update my control panel with two links and two sentences - it's all too slow.... which is why I'm here instead of working.

Well if you will steal next door's wifi to avoid VAT then you can't expect a good service!