Solar Panel Guide Discussion

tunnel

orrery wrote: »

Many thanks Mart. I take it that section 10 roughly translates to 'forget it'?

Au contraire, DNO approval for me was done via email by the installer before I'd paid any monies upfront and was straight forward. I have 6.5kWp capacity but had permission for 7kWp.
If you don't ask, you'll never know. Who's your DNO?

Martyn1981

orrery wrote: »

Many thanks Mart. I take it that section 10 roughly translates to 'forget it'?

That made me chuckle.

Well ........ for an additional 4kWp, you'd need to use a separate inverter and TGM, for various reasons, but chiefly to avoid having high FiT units being apportioned as low FiT units.

But, when you ask the DNO, they'll want to know the total sum of the inverters and will (should?) ignore orientations etc, as they (quite rightly???) need to consider the max that could get pumped out in some freak event. So I reckon you'll get a no if you ask for another 3 to 4 kW of inverter. But as T says, and I found to my shock, if you ask they may say yes, and a no isn't the end of the world.

But (again) NW will be tough financially on the current FiT, unless you get it super cheap. Also remember that leccy savings will be low, since the NW will only save you leccy, when demand is greater than your original system is generating. That may seem unfair, but hopefully makes sense ..... with each panel you add, the extra savings drop a bit.

Best of luck.

Mart.

pinnks

I asked and got a yes for my 1750 system, adding onto 3500. I have 2 completely separate systems to avoid apportionment of FITs and because a 4kw inverter would have been too small anyway. The addition cost of a TGM and a bit of switching was minimal. Works a treat.

Martyn1981

pinnks wrote: »

I asked and got a yes for my 1750 system, adding onto 3500. I have 2 completely separate systems to avoid apportionment of FITs and because a 4kw inverter would have been too small anyway. The addition cost of a TGM and a bit of switching was minimal. Works a treat.

Wouldn't you have been better off sharing the TGM to 'shift' a few SSE units onto the WSW FiT rate? Not that the difference would be particularly big, given that the rates since August 2012 are much closer together.

Mart.

orrery

Martyn1981 wrote: »

But (again) NW will be tough financially on the current FiT, unless you get it super cheap. Also remember that leccy savings will be low, since the NW will only save you leccy, when demand is greater than your original system is generating. That may seem unfair, but hopefully makes sense ..... with each panel you add, the extra savings drop a bit.

Yes, agreed. This is just me thinking aloud. My NW roof is almost as good a wide open area as my SE roof (except for a chimney on the W side of the house), so I feel hard done by that it doesn't contribute. I was mostly attracted by the addition to the background generation in cloudy conditions, but also by the clear sunny evenings.

pinnks

Mart,

I probably would have been but my installer offered/quoted on 2 complete systems and through ignorance or otherwise I just went for it. The main benefit would have been the difference between 4kWp rate and the more than 4kWp rate as there was, I think, only 1 reduction in rates between QE 30/6/13 and QE 31/3/14.

Looking at projections and actuals and the difference of 16.11p to 13.72p per kWh for this year the prognosis would be about £3.50 per year times 19 remaining years when system 2 went in, so £70 plus indexation. Every little helps as they say but too late now.........

michaels

SO our installation started today...and then ground to a halt as we are double battened. I knew that but the quoting agent when they came round didn't ask, didn't look and I didn't realise I should have told her. So apparently they will be back first thing tomorrow with the correct mounting hooks....

Norcs

We had a quote form "Use The Sun" installers of Solar PV systems for around £9,000 with batteries that we can use at night. 12 panels, 3Kw system which will hopefully mean we no longer need power from the nation grid.

They claimed that Martin Lewis had worked with them to develop their product/service ... but we can't find any evidence of his input? They are listed on Companies house and they do have the correct certification from MCS and RECC so they look kosha.

Anyone used the company, got any advice?

Many thanks,

Paul

Exiled_Tyke

Norcs wrote: »

We had a quote form "Use The Sun" installers of Solar PV systems for around £9,000 with batteries that we can use at night. 12 panels, 3Kw system which will hopefully mean we no longer need power from the nation grid.

They claimed that Martin Lewis had worked with them to develop their product/service ... but we can't find any evidence of his input? They are listed on Companies house and they do have the correct certification from MCS and RECC so they look kosha.

Anyone used the company, got any advice?

Many thanks,

Paul

As is so often the case this looks woefully optimistic. If this system manages to produce 3,000 Kwh a year. This will equate to something in the region of 2 1/2 - 3 Kwh a day in Dec and Jan and peaking at something around 12-14 Kwh per day around May-July.

So in Summer even with batteries it will be difficult for most households to use all this power (Do you know what your average usage is and how large the batteries are?). More importantly in winter when typically more power is needed there will be nowhere near enough for most households.

To properly assess this system we need the details (where is it? What orientation? Shading?) and what size batteries. However my initial 'gut' feeling is that this is a system which will not adequately cover it's costs.

Post some more details and there are plenty here who can offer sound advice. I'm sure some will have experience of this company too.

organum

Interesting that you are looking at the storage route.
You should consider that a kettle, washing machine or any heating appliance is likely to be 3kW each you will see that you will still be connected to the grid unless you take a somewhat Spartan approach to living. And your 3kW system will not always be generating the full whack especially if you are not facing south. My 4kW recently has struggled around 1kW and daily 4-6kW which could go into storage except that I use it all including a diverter to switch on the immersion when the grid is actually getting something from me! I still get paid of course but no where near what the various salesmen said.

I had the best advice from a phone call to http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/solar-panels
Who gave the vital information that all suppliers should be in a price range of, at the time, £5-6k for a 4kW system as the price of kit is going down all the time. Since I had been quoted up to £12k for essentially the same system this was vital info.
My experience too was a nightmare with so many claims I had to get four quotes and experience one high pressure salesman and two basically fraudulent companies. In the end I think I was lucky and the system has been doing its stuff.

It might be worth talking to them as to whether you are eligible for the feed in tariff if you are planning to store. Their site seems silent on this.

Good luck and it will be interesting as to how you get on.