Current PV panel prices

malch

i would certainly get more than one quote, after i had the first guy round i had a prety good idea of what size system i wanted for 12 sharp panels with inverter ranged from £18,000 (gulp) on special offer reduced to £12,000 finally bought for £8,500. the system is fine,great instalation team, but wouldn't recommend the company. i think you need to have a good shop around.

zeupater

David_Aston wrote: »

Didn't know if I should just tack this onto an existing thread.
Really just a few comments on a home visit by Solatricity, a company selling PV technology. The guy arrives pretty much on time, and spends two and a half hours doing a very thorough pitch. In fact, by the time he got down to projected payback charts, I think he was as shattered as we were. His company uses Kyocera panels. A ten panel "self sufficiency" package would pay back in eight to ten years. A twenty panel, "Investment return" package, (the largest amount of panels we can get on our roof,) also paying back in the same time. Just short of thirteen grand for ten panels, and just short of twenty grand for twenty. There was a two grand reduction for being the "first postcode in the area" purchase, on both of these prices. He had a laminated sheet with the prices on which seems very straightforward. A twenty four panel system costs, neatly enough, twenty four grand. This being the largest setup qualifying for the FIT system.
We didn't purchase, my wife in particular felt we were too old to benefit.
However, I can't fault the salesman on his presentation.
Hope this info may help some prospective purchaser.

Hi

Quite simply this looks to be old fashoned double glazing sales practices ... a 2.5 hour presentation with all of the associated confusion, carrot & pressure tactics should not be allowed. I see from a later post that you feel a little pressurised at the moment, there are supposed to be standards & codes of practice in place to prevent this.

Quickly looking at the company's website it looks like they aren't actual installers themselves but contract out installations to MCS installers, I suppose that's how they would attempt to get around the requirements of the REAL code too (which I can see no reference to on their website) .... Did their quotation or any of their paperwork mention that they were members of REAL scheme ?

For reference, read section 5.2 (Behaviour of sales representatives) of the REAL code .... http://www.realassurance.org.uk/scheme/consumer-code#tag5.2 ... regarding what should happen.

Anyway, if they contact you again just say that you were looking for a system at well below £3.50/Wp and they're just not competitive, they'll either drop their price substantially or leave you alone. If you're no longer interested in a system ask to be removed from their marketing database ...

HTH
Z

reeac

I've been thinking a bit more re. PV panels as a financial investment. With inflation currently at ca. 4% the true net return on any bank account/building soc. etc investment is about zero whereas the 9% index linked return on PV/FIT spend is still 9% making it infinitely better. True, you've spent the cash and can't get it back unless it adds a bit to the house value but current inflation levels certainly tip the scales towards PV/FIT.

jerryd

I have just ordered a 3.92 kWp system using Sharp Panels and Fronius inverter for under £12500. That's almost the largest size you can have and still get the best FIT. Installers offering 20% off or £1000 off if you order today are salesman and are usually selling something that is way over priced. I expect to get Fit payments of £1600 pa, £50 for units returned to the grid and save £150 per year on units used. Total C £1800 all tax free. :rotfl:

bjohnson

reeac wrote: »

I've been thinking a bit more re. PV panels as a financial investment. With inflation currently at ca. 4% the true net return on any bank account/building soc. etc investment is about zero whereas the 9% index linked return on PV/FIT spend is still 9% making it infinitely better. True, you've spent the cash and can't get it back unless it adds a bit to the house value but current inflation levels certainly tip the scales towards PV/FIT.

And don't forget that you could put the FIT money in an ISA which would effectively give you compound interest (although not at 9% which would be very nice!)

zeupater

reeac wrote: »

I've been thinking a bit more re. PV panels as a financial investment. With inflation currently at ca. 4% the true net return on any bank account/building soc. etc investment is about zero whereas the 9% index linked return on PV/FIT spend is still 9% making it infinitely better. True, you've spent the cash and can't get it back unless it adds a bit to the house value but current inflation levels certainly tip the scales towards PV/FIT.

Hi

Following your logic it's surely a matter of comparing ....

Leave money invested : 4%InvestmentReturn-4%inflation=0%
v
Solar PV : 9%Return-4%InvestmentReturn(-x%Risk&Maintenance)=5%(-x%Risk&Maintenance)

I agree, it looks much better than leaving money in the bank, but the improvement should really take the baseline investment return into account.

HTH
Z

OllyB

jerryd wrote: »

I have just ordered a 3.92 kWp system using Sharp Panels and Fronius inverter for under £12500. That's almost the largest size you can have and still get the best FIT. Installers offering 20% off or £1000 off if you order today are salesman and are usually selling something that is way over priced. I expect to get Fit payments of £1600 pa, £50 for units returned to the grid and save £150 per year on units used. Total C £1800 all tax free. :rotfl:

Hi Jerryd - thats sounds a good price - who and how did you get that from?

I've just had a Solartricity sales visit, and they quoted £19.5K for just under 4KWs worth of Kyocera panels

Cardew

OllyB wrote: »

Hi Jerryd - thats sounds a good price - who and how did you get that from?

I've just had a Solartricity sales visit, and they quoted £19.5K for just under 4KWs worth of Kyocera panels

There is plenty of evidence that some firms are charging what the 'market will stand'.

Despite MCS accreditation, which is supposed to stop this sort of thing, it seems some solar salesmen have reverted to type!

David_Aston

reeac,
My original comments on needing to get back the cost of installation prior to benefiting from the 9%, did refer to the fact that you can access your money if is left on deposit, but not actually pay for a holiday for instance, by removing one of the panels from your roof and offering it to Bales or Kuoni!

David_Aston

zeupater,
I love your formula. I don't suppose you would care to replace the -x%risk and maintenance figure with an actual figure would you?