Solar Panels --- a bit of a Gimmick

2010

jimjames wrote: »

2010 seems to have completely missed that. Payback in 6 years is a pretty good deal for most people.

Despite the comments over the poor weather in the UK it isn't actually as bad as you might expect. Even over the winter we've been generating about 20% and during the summer it could be nearer 75% of our requirements albeit not all used during the day.

£10k might buy electricity for 30 years but in that time you'll also have earnt somewhere around £30-£50k from FITs as well.

I can`t see where I missed it as I replied in post #23.
The gov. is already starting to renege on it`s promises now they`ve got enough interest aroused.

See the final sentence of post #23 (that`s what it`s all about)

Earnings of £30k to £50k in 30 odd years

---

maybe but no guarantee.

2010

Hobbo2006 wrote: »

Maybe this isn't for you, maybe you don't have the capital. My personal opinion was that I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity of buying an asset that IMO adds value to the home and brings in so much cash through the Feed In Tariff.

Even if you don't have the capital there is an arguement to say get a loan. If you borrowed £10k then you'd probably pay back around £13k over the life of the loan. At the £43p rate the Feed In Tariff payments may even cover the cost of the loan so after 6 years you could have paid nothing out and still have the solar pv installation!

Affordability is not a problem, it just seems a waste of money for something that probably won`t live up to projections.
If people want it, it`s their choice and money.
I just hope they don`t regret it in a few years time when real calculations can be made and not installers mega, no-brainer, king`s new clothes, projections.

Let`s hope for a hot summer.

Martyn1981

2010 wrote: »

Affordability is not a problem, it just seems a waste of money for something that probably won`t live up to projections.
If people want it, it`s their choice and money.
I just hope they don`t regret it in a few years time when real calculations can be made and not installers mega, no-brainer, king`s new clothes, projections.

Let`s hope for a hot summer.

2010 - If you're interested in PV and not necessarily in getting it, just curious. Then, as you are already doing, I'd suggest reading up and taking it all in. It's incredibly interesting, in a geeky kind of way.

A few years ago, probably the lame horse of the renewables field, stuck at the back, and limping for home, but with the massive expansion of production, fourfold in the last 2 years, prices have fallen considerably. It looks like PV will be the first of the renewables to reach full financial viability.

Already cheaper than diesel in India for off-grid generation, and approaching grid viability in similar sunny countries at a very healthy rate.

For the UK, you are right to think that there is less sun, but you might be surprised at just how much there is.

Living up to projections, do you mean the kit, or the generation. The kit is still improving, but has been around for decades and works well, and reliably. As for projections, these can be obtained from sites such as PVGIS. All of my salesmen (about 5 called) all quoted the approved 'Sheffield' figures, which is actually about 7% to 10% low for Cardiff, as I'm a solar region or 2 better off.

So far generation has been spot on target, below in months that were below average for sunshine, and above in months that were above. Plus some additional losses on my smaller system from shading Nov to Feb (about 10%).

The numbers are surprisingly solid. However, if you were inferring mis-selling, by salesmen, possibly in regard to over estimates of electricity savings, then sadly, you could be right. Some people and sites were suggesting very high savings, that most PV'ers would not be able to achieve.

Mart.

2010

Martyn1981 wrote: »

2010 - If you're interested in PV and not necessarily in getting it, just curious. Then, as you are already doing, I'd suggest reading up and taking it all in. It's incredibly interesting, in a geeky kind of way.
Mart.

Thanks for that Mart,
To tell the truth I`ve never until this past week given it a great deal of time or thought.
I`m not against it in principle but like wind turbines, loft insulation, CWI, new boilers, it`s all about government emission targets and promises made which they`re finding hard to keep.

The government and the sellers/installers of these energy saving products will say and project all sorts of things to try and reach their targets.

When I get the chance I will do as you suggest and try to find an UNbias site and read up about solar panels.

The_Green_Hornet

2010 wrote: »

Affordability is not a problem, it just seems a waste of money for something that probably won`t live up to projections.
If people want it, it`s their choice and money.
I just hope they don`t regret it in a few years time when real calculations can be made and not installers mega, no-brainer, king`s new clothes, projections.

Let`s hope for a hot summer.

Lots of people are coming up to the second anniversary of having their solar panels installed so there is a lot of real-life actual data available.

From my own experience they are performing much better than the installer's mega, no-brainer king's new clothes projections, so I have no regrets.

Let's hope for a sunny summer.

raider

2010 wrote: »

I just hope they don`t regret it in a few years time when real calculations can be made and not installers mega, no-brainer, king`s new clothes, projections.

Knock yourself out.

http://www.pvoutput.org/map.jsp?o=c&d=desc&country=243

thenudeone

2010 wrote: »

I can see what the idea is that they generate energy from the sun`s rays, hopefully enough to supply your electricity needs.
Any surplus, in theory you sell on to whoever at X amount per KWH.

Just Googling, the amount of energy produced varies greatly and in most cases there`s no surplus to sell on, more so in winter.

If you didn't have three stars and thousands of "thanks", I would think you were a troll because you just don't seem to "get it".

It's got very little to do with having a "surplus" to sell on.

It is all about receiving an income of 4 x the going rate for generating electricity, even if you use it yourself.

Whether the FIT or Panels in general are a good way to cut our reliance on dwindling fossil fuels is a separate debate (and which has also been discussed ad nauseum), but what is absolutely clear is that most people who have invested in solar panels have made a very astute investment choice which offers a risk/ reward ratio which is miles better than any other investment opportunity.

If you don't agree, you just haven't looked at the numbers.

raider

Well said thenudeone, could not have put it better myself.

You only have to look at the title of the thread and most of the 2010's assumed answers to realise little effort has gone into researching SolarPV.

2010

raider wrote: »

Well said thenudeone, could not have put it better myself.

You only have to look at the title of the thread and most of the 2010's assumed answers to realise little effort has gone into researching SolarPV.

See post #48.

I`m willing to have a closer look to see if the numbers really do stack up.

2010

thenudeone wrote: »

If you didn't have three stars and thousands of "thanks", I would think you were a troll because you just don't seem to "get it".

What is there to get.

You`ve invested X amount in these panels and have been told in X amount of years getting X amount back you`ll be X amount in profit.

If the sun shines very brightly.