Solar Panel Guide Discussion

zeupater

Kevinf wrote: »

I've been working on a scheme for ages in Gloucestershire that is just ready to launch, funding solar panels on community buildings through a community share issue, similar to schemes in Lewes and Oxford. In our model a village hall with a 9.9 kWp system can get over £1000 a year as well as the free electricity. I can't see any reason why this model wouldn't work for house holders, although it works best when the system is close to 4 kWp so again the people who can afford the biggest houses benefit the most ;-). Put house holders and potential investors together (who could be friends and relatives) and they can set up a coop and work out the best deal to suit all parties. No more rip offs! If you want to explore this idea more then contact me, or come along to our meeting at City Works in Gloucester tomorrow (Weds) at 6pm.

Hi

'Rent-a-roof' with a cashback incentive .....

Looks like about a 70%/30% split of the FiT in favour of the scheme operator if the £1000 is correct ... better than typical R-A-R by miles if it could be replicated for domestic properties, however, you'd probably find that the local WI & gardening club would work their miracles in order to raise the ~£25k required to purchase a system outright for a village hall if someone explained the options available ...

HTH
Z

heatproof

I was approached by the Energy Savings Trust, to have solar panels fitted on a "rent my roof" basis. They demanded a £300 survey fee. I paid it in May, and after a lot of phone calls, asking for an installation date, I eventually had my money returned. It was only later, that I realised, the £300 survey fee, was in fact for roof insulation, and other energy saving items, I can get free from Warm Front.

digitaltoast

heatproof wrote: »

I was approached by the Energy Savings Trust, to have solar panels fitted on a "rent my roof" basis. They demanded a £300 survey fee.

STOP! Alarm bells ringing!

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/About-us/What-we-do

The Energy Saving Trust is the UK's leading impartial organisation helping people to save energy and reduce carbon emissions.

We do this by:

Providing expert insight and knowledge about energy saving
Supporting people to take action
Helping local authorities and communities to save energy
Providing quality assurance for goods, services and installers.

The EST do NOT supply and fit panels. What other details do you have of this company that approached you? It's massively fraudulent for them to claim they are the EST. Name and shame them right here, or call the EST on 0800 512 012 or PM me with the details and I'll do it for you. It's outrageous the tactics some of these companies use.

John_Pierpoint

See my post #564 above and listen to the programme.

Studlea_Phatt_Katt

An update on the Guardian Competition sponsored by PV Solar. (I appreciate this is not the purpose of this thread but this item started here.)

We have had telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges with PV Solar confirming our ‘win’, and also, confirming there will be NO INSTALLATION charges despite the Terms & Conditions of entry.

We provided PV Solar with the spec etc from the former ‘Roof Rent’ provider, and PV Solar have thus remotely assessd the optimum potential for an installation at our home.

We have received a specification for a 3.51kwp system to be installed using SHARP PV panels, with guaranteed performance of 90% after 10 years, and 80% at 25 years, an AURORA inverter, CLICKFIT roof installation and internet based ‘live’ remote monitoring, and of course Feed in Tariff.

The PV Solar surveyor will visit with us next Tuesday to assess / confirm installation methods and issues.

The former ‘Roof Rent’ provider with whom we had signed terms but not arrived at installation have accepted the cancellation with good grace and warm congratulations.

So, from our little knowledge, both PV Solar and Ecovision are decent people to deal with.

Looking good.

SPK.

P.S. We’re not gloating, just keeping you informed, and we do feel very fortunate.:)

John_Pierpoint

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Beware of sales agents collecting and selling on potential customers with an up front fee.
The problem seems to be with houses that the installer decides are not suitable, but the up front fee has gone.

[I suppose this is a bit like the Tesco business model?]

Dozens of consumers who have struck deals to rent their roofs to companies who supply solar panels say there's been no sign of the panels and they haven't been able to claim back hefty fees they have paid up front.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014pw4f

Tonight Energy Saving Group of Redditch Worcestershire, an unregulated firm of sales agents, got given "The Weakest Link" treatment by "Watchdog" on BBC 1.

zeupater

Studlea_Phatt_Katt wrote: »

An update on the Guardian Competition sponsored by PV Solar. (I appreciate this is not the purpose of this thread but this item started here.)

We have had telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges with PV Solar confirming our ‘win’, and also, confirming there will be NO INSTALLATION charges despite the Terms & Conditions of entry.

We provided PV Solar with the spec etc from the former ‘Roof Rent’ provider, and PV Solar have thus remotely assessd the optimum potential for an installation at our home.

We have received a specification for a 3.51kwp system to be installed using SHARP PV panels, with guaranteed performance of 90% after 10 years, and 80% at 25 years, an AURORA inverter, CLICKFIT roof installation and internet based ‘live’ remote monitoring, and of course Feed in Tariff.

The PV Solar surveyor will visit with us next Tuesday to assess / confirm installation methods and issues.

The former ‘Roof Rent’ provider with whom we had signed terms but not arrived at installation have accepted the cancellation with good grace and warm congratulations.

So, from our little knowledge, both PV Solar and Ecovision are decent people to deal with.

Looking good.

SPK.

P.S. We’re not gloating, just keeping you informed, and we do feel very fortunate.:)

Hi

Congratulations .... I bet that the T&Cs had you thinking for a while as they certainly made me wonder when I read them .... good to see that they were wrong though ....

Sunglasses on in preparation for bright skies after your system is installed .. :cool:

Z

Elainemary

Studlea_Phatt_Katt wrote: »

An update on the Guardian Competition sponsored by PV Solar. (I appreciate this is not the purpose of this thread but this item started here.)

We have had telephone conversations and e-mail exchanges with PV Solar confirming our ‘win’, and also, confirming there will be NO INSTALLATION charges despite the Terms & Conditions of entry.

We provided PV Solar with the spec etc from the former ‘Roof Rent’ provider, and PV Solar have thus remotely assessd the optimum potential for an installation at our home.

We have received a specification for a 3.51kwp system to be installed using SHARP PV panels, with guaranteed performance of 90% after 10 years, and 80% at 25 years, an AURORA inverter, CLICKFIT roof installation and internet based ‘live’ remote monitoring, and of course Feed in Tariff.

The PV Solar surveyor will visit with us next Tuesday to assess / confirm installation methods and issues.

The former ‘Roof Rent’ provider with whom we had signed terms but not arrived at installation have accepted the cancellation with good grace and warm congratulations.

So, from our little knowledge, both PV Solar and Ecovision are decent people to deal with.

Looking good.

SPK.

P.S. We’re not gloating, just keeping you informed, and we do feel very fortunate.:)

I think we all know you're not gloating - just very happy about your good luck. How about keeping us up to date with progress? If it's satisfactory we'll know PV Solar and Ecovision are the good guys . If not.....:)

Lotus-eater

We had another firm round for a quote the other day and I'd like to run some points past you.

He said that his was one of the few firms which send an independent structural engineer round to check the roof before they do any work. Then they let me know if any work needs doing to the roof and I get the chance to back out. They say that about 65% of rooves need some sort of strengthening.

They use a sunnyday inverter with 10 years warranty.

Suntech panels, it was said that the panels weren't just on a click on fixing, but everything was screwed down correctly to the rafters, then the brackets come out of the bottom of the tiles, is this the best system?

The name of them is Spirit Solar, their website is very good and I get the feeling they are a very reputable company. The salesman wasn't pushy in any way and I thought he was very good.
They have some other things which they say make them better than the normal solar company.

They use no contractors, give a sunny beam wireless display. 10 year warranty on workmanship.

The only problem was the price!

British Gas quote was 3.22 KW and £12k
Spirit solar said they could only get 2.45 KW's on the roof and it will cost £12k

Thoughts please?

ukmopar

Most sites, including this one, do not, in my opinion, correctly calculate the payback period on these solar panels. unless you are taking out a loan to pay for the installation, you have to include the lost interest that results from cashing in an investment or savings and spending it on the panels. At 2.4% after tax a £12k investment is worth some £10,252 and that has to be offset against the money earned by the panels. The effect is to nearly double the payback period.
Also the inverter, which converts the panel's DC current to AC, only lasts, typically, 10 years and costs some £2000 a time. The payback period is getting longer and longer!