Put your solar panel questions to the Energy Saving Trust

MSE_Jenny

Energy efficiency advice body the Energy Saving Trust has kindly agreed to answer your questions about solar panels (free & paid for) and feed-in tariffs.

It will answer questions live on this thread at 10-11am on Tuesday 25 October, though do feel free to post your questions now.

Click reply to post your question below and it will pick a selection to answer.

Full guide: Free Solar panels

James_moneysavingexpert

When are the changes to the feed in tariff likely to happen and what might it change to? Thought the Govt were trying to encourage green initiatives?

Howard_Robard_Hughes,_Jr.

If I have solar panels installed now and then move home in the future, would I be able to take the complete installation with me and have it reinstalled at my new address, and keep the existing tarrif rate?

HalloweenJack

the figures used for potential savings (based upon a 2900kw installation) suggest a unit cost of 15p per kwh ; http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Solar-PV-electricity-panels/Free-solar-PV-offers ; between 25% and 50% energy use in the home.

i think that figure of 15p per unit is too high as it suggests you are using tier 1 pricing - a more realistic figure would be lower using tier 2 pricing of around 10>11p per unit.

also will the government , now realising that venture capitalists are using FiT as a scheme to print money - reduce the FiT payments sooner rather than later? more in line with europe where they saw the folly of high FiT payments.

and finally - i asked this on this forum - what happenes if these `rent a roof` companies actually go bust?

raider

Why are FIT applications taking so long to be approved? My own was 3.5 months, but have read stories of 6 months and more.

Why are actual FIT payments taking so long? My first took 41 days. My second, which I’m still waiting on has so far been 50 days.

If your not happy with the energy company dealing with your Solar generation FIT, how do you go about changing?

The EST cut it's estimate of how much energy from solar panels is used on the home from 50% to 25%, thus 75% exported. Will the deemed export tariff (50%) now be changed to reflect this? If not, why not?

JULIAAH

Is there any possibility that the Government could renege on the FIT rates payable for existing installations. Or is the guaranteed rate of payments for 25 years really watertight? Thanks

sammyleather

Can i supply and install my own solar panels, and still get the feed in tariff,?

Hayct

Although my slate roof is sound at the moment it is quite old and may need attention during the next 25 years. Would I need to employ a roofer AND an electrician?

Blaketon

Given that solar panels are fairly heavy and fixed only on one side of a roof it follows that the load bearing vectors of the rafters will be changed. Have any studies been carried out to predict the stress effect of this over time?

Secondly, the effect of high winds should be considered. When air is forced through a narrow channel, as is the case between panel and roof, it increases speed and so energy. What effect will a violent storm have then on the tiles and roof structure ?

Thirdly, how is expansion and contraction of the fittings catered for? From hot summer (remember those when we didn't have "global warming") to icy winters (which "global warming" or "climate change" as the "experts" now term it, has brought us on a regular basis) the expansion and contraction of these over time could cause them to become loose.

I am minded to fit panels because of the financial incentive, but I would like some reassurance that it will not cause me problems a few years down the road.

Rachy_l

I have a town house with a flat roof. The house is terraced and sandwiched between two blocks of flats one storey higher, so the light mainly comes from above, north and south. Is my property suitable for these solar panels?

Many thanks

Payz

Is there a written contractual agreement between the energy supplier and the householder which guarantees that a FIT will be paid over the 25 year period?