Solar Panel system advice really appreciated please

Mamzie

We were debating getting a system installed and thought we had missed the boat with the changes...

But thanks to contacts we have managed to source a system that would be up and running before the changes??? This would be a large part of our savings gone but hopefully a good investment for the future. Plus I have always wanted our own renewable energy source.

Its a 3.64KWp system, made up of 14 T9-Ubbink 260 panels and a Fronius lg 35 inverter, all installation, notification, etc.

What other Q's do I need to ask, and should we go for it???

Yut_Man

your question opens up a right pandoras box. the system you quote seems good with the information you have given, however some idea of price would help ( current price seems to be 11k ish). It boils down to can you get the system fitted and registered with your electric company by december. If your system is fitted before the date you still have to get it registered and the electric companies seem to be totally swamped at present so the problem you might encounter lies there. how much of a chance can you make?. If you wait a little while say 6 month the prices will settle and you should find you can get the same system at a much lower price. but your yearly income from the system will also be lower. you sound very similar to me. Large investment that hopefully will help me into retirement. I got my system fitted a week before the goverment made the announcement and am at the registration stage. Personally I wouldnt chance it at present no matter how many promises the fitters made, I would wait a few month and see what happens. buying a system a few thousand pound cheaper would help soften the blow. but plenty of people are trying to get the system up and running in time. Can your nerves take it.

Mamzie

It is just under 10k to us, and they have everything they need in stock. Fitting date would be within 7 days. I have been lucky as personnal friends are involved, so may have managed to pull a few strings I guess, iyswim. My problem is I need to decide quite quickly as they could fit and sell this to quite a few other people, but have been given first chance.

Yut_Man

It all sounds good. Price good system fine, install date amazing. They would really shift to get it done it that time, scaffolding etc. but if your coinfident they can do it in that time then its decision time. you might find this link helpful: http://www.solarguide.co.uk/solar-pv-calculator#bestresult itll give you a idea of the expected money you will recieve. but make sure the FIT price is set right. it will do current price and new tariff.

ViksB

If the time scale is definite, then I would go for it.

jamiesurf

Solar pv is a very good investment and being involved in this industry for a number of years and monitoring systems which we installed last year the kw output figures are exceeding the calculations.Just a note of caution on registration make sure that the application form is correct as i have been informed by energy companies that if not could effect valid application thus lower rate.(i am trying to check this out as if a digit/number incorrect can not believe that it would invalidate registration))

Equaliser123

Mamzie wrote: »

We were debating getting a system installed and thought we had missed the boat with the changes...

But thanks to contacts we have managed to source a system that would be up and running before the changes??? This would be a large part of our savings gone but hopefully a good investment for the future. Plus I have always wanted our own renewable energy source.

Its a 3.64KWp system, made up of 14 T9-Ubbink 260 panels and a Fronius lg 35 inverter, all installation, notification, etc.

What other Q's do I need to ask, and should we go for it???

Sorry to disagree but that doesn't sound like a great deal. Not bad (never heard of the panels, btw) but not great.

Paid £9.8k for a 3.3kwp Sharp/ SMA transformerless system just about a year ago. Would have expected a price a lot less now.

OK, if they can ABSOLUTELY promise to get it installed in time, it's not bad. But beware the mixing of friends and business....

mardycow

Go for it, make sure you download and fill in the paperwork with your electricity supplier before the install so that when it has been fitted the remaining info can be completed, check if your elec supplier will accept forms onliine or emailed - mine didn't (Scottish Power) but i sent my paperwork recorded delivery when i got the MCS certificate (1 DEC) then emailed to check and Scot Power confirmed paperwork received and registered 2 December. Good luck - my install was done within 1 week of signing up.

Gizmosmum_2

Just a note of caution - most costs associated with pv are going up (Sanyo panels have increased in price by 15% this week alone) and all decent installers were booked up in advance by a week past Monday when the announcement was made. For 10k what sort of installation are you going to get? Panels that aren't mainstream, installers that weren't already fully booked, they may be brilliant but I'd be concerned.

On a more positive note Eon and British Gas are both accepting scanned and emailed applications froms until midnight on 11th december. As long as they receive the application and it's correct you will get 43p. Both are setting up an automated receipt service and your installer can generate your mcs certificate with half an hour of commissioning the system - so no need to worry too much about that.

bris

I did everything by email with British gas, my MCS cert was emailed to me with an hour of the final checks being done, the forms are very easy to fill out, scan in the proof of ownership and email it all back, I was registered and complete with a week. The deadline is still very much doable, it will all depend on how many installs the fitters have lined up.
OP you still have the time, the price looks right, if your going to do it, don't wait. You may save a couple of grand in six months time, I doubt it, but you may, however you will lose 7 or 8 hundred quid a year in FIT payments for the next 25 years.

zeupater

Gizmosmum wrote: »

Just a note of caution - most costs associated with pv are going up (Sanyo panels have increased in price by 15% this week alone) ....

Typical supply and demand, totally predictable and totally predicted ..... simple greed somewhere along the line .... makes very little difference to wholesalers which are buying on a scheluled contract basis, so it's just down to those who buy on spot pricing and those upping their margins ....

HTH
Z