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Martyn1981

Cardew wrote: »

You are seriously mixed up and your powers of recall are really deficient. Or perhaps you can point out the post(s) about 'many family cruises we go on each year'.

I'm happy to apologise if you think I was being personal, but I simply recalled postings of your from several years ago. Whilst I can rarely remember why I went up the stairs by the time I reach the top, I do have some strange ability to recall facts and figures form information I've read, something you have commented on before when I kept posting up your previous comments to show you self contradicting yourself over and over ..... and you complained about it.

Your response just smacks of the usual tricks to avoid answering a reasonable question.

As I said I recalled you mentioning children, and one mention revolved around family cruises. Why so upset? You've never been ashamed before - you've been happy to mention your enormous energy bills, cruises, holiday home in the states etc. Quick search found this straight away:-

Cardew wrote: »

With Princess cruises, who invoice on board in US$, it always is best to use a 'good credit card' i.e. no loading, than use the Princess exchange rate.

It is ironic that you should raise this subject now. My wife and daughter cruise regularly with Princess and are 'Platinum' members.

They both have 'good' credit cards(Santander 123 Select) and are well versed in settling their bills.

Are you, of all people, a person happy to throw out all sorts of personal insults, really going to try to divert attention away from a simple question by pretending to be upset?

Cardew wrote: »

You obviously haven't understood:

I did ask nicely if you understood about there 'being no criticism of those who collect the subsidy'. However it is patently obvious you do not understand my point. I am at a loss to understand how to explain it in a simpler manner. Perhaps one of your fans can explain what it means.

Can you not appreciate that if I make no criticism of those receiving the subsidy, it is irrelevant if I received child benefit, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit etc.

I do understand fully. I've always understood fully. You and Graham used to jump on every new thread where folk asked for info on PV. You would always tell them that the FiT scheme was immoral*, however you also stated that taking part was ok.

My understanding of this is twofold:
1. Pure hypocrisy. You can't call a scheme immoral, then state that those taking part are doing nothing wrong.

2. Saying that those taking part are doing nothing wrong, probably protects you wrong being punished by MSE moderators, since the scheme is a perfectly correct, sensible and legal UK scheme, which even MSE themselves give advice on.

*Your immorality claim being based on the fact that all households pay the subsidy, but only some receive it. This is, of course, pure spin. All households pay it, because all households consume leccy, and the households that receive it are investors in RE generation.

The FiT that you find immoral, is of course the only energy subsidy paid to households. All energy is subsidised, and all the other subsidies go to supply side generators, so not a penny to households.

Whilst you may find the payment of FiT to some households immoral, you seem happy to defend the nuclear industry which will be subsidised by all households, and paid to none, that's none. And worse still, whilst the FiT is redistributed among UK households and businesses, the Hinkley C subsidy will leave the UK economy, being paid to France and China.

Going back to my funny memory, I've just remembered a funny fact. Do you recall your anti-PV teammate Graham stating that PV was economically, environmentally and morally wrong, then two months later bragging how he'd had a PV system installed just before the end of the high tariff, but (unlike the rest of us) had paid the low install rates of early 2012? That was quite funny, and your defence of his actions.

Cardew wrote: »

So as you are interested in my family, our holidays and my receipt of child allowance, would it be impertinent to ask if you have children, work for a living or are in receipt of any social security payments? Or is it only you who can ask questions and comment about personal matters.

I have nothing to hide, and unlike you don't need to dodge reasonable questions.

No I don't have any children, that's why I used this example to see if you only run campaigns against subsidies you don't get. I have absolutely no objection to child benefit, nor your receipt of child benefit. It seems a thoroughly sensible subsidy and you should not be embarrassed nor ashamed to receive it, since you invested in the future of the UK.

I worked full time up until 2000, then part time following a spine injury, till 2005 when I had to stop work and take medical retirement. I believe you are already aware of this, as I told you way back when you falsely posted on MSE that I was a rich investor in RaR schemes.

Since you are concerned about my personal goings on, you may be interested to know that MRI results 3 weeks ago show a slight reduction to the pressure on my spinal cord, and I hope to start to learn to walk properly again soon (however I can walk badly already, so life's not bad at all.)

Cardew wrote: »

In any case isn't child benefit paid to the wife?

If the question I asked is too hard for you to justify then fine, don't answer, don't explain your hypocrisy, but please, please, please don't 'dodge and spin'!

Mart.

Martyn1981

UK.

Forster Energy and REI partner up to offer solar PPAs in Scotland

PPa's could be the way forward for PV in the UK to keep the industry alive. They allow the installer to charge a higher price for the leccy than wholesale costs, whilst the customer pays less than retail costs.


US.

Stunning price falls could spark another gold rush for US solar PV market

Due to high balance of system costs (BoS), US installs have always been very expensive compared to the EU and as the article shows, compared to Australia.

However, it looks like the US are getting there. This is very important as the potential US PV market is simply enormous, and already growing fast.


PV costs expected to fall rapidly next year

Overcapacities and subsidy cuts prompt falling prices around the world

It's quite remarkable to think of PV prices approaching $0.35/Wp, down from $70/Wp in the seventies. If only other generating technologies could have seen cost reductions to 1/200th since the seventies ...... we'd have had leccy too cheap to meter!

Mart.

michaels

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Good questions.

Mart.

Brilliant, exactly the calcs I couldn't be bothered to do myself.

One question must be the possible impacts of inflation and interest rates rising - if we assume rates remain 2% above inflation and electricity cots increase with inflation then do the answers remain the same?

And does all of the above imply that if you could get a 4kw install with 6kw storage for less than 7k then it becomes a no-brainer?

Presumably it doesn't quite scale for bigger installs and users as then your peak 'over and above storage' output gets proportionately larger?

2010

I have a query about companies such as "a shade greener" who offer (not at the moment though) free solar panels.
I understand they fit them for free, give you a bit of free leccy during the daytime and they get the government`s FIT.
They are basically renting your roof for 25 years after which the contract ends and they leave the panels in place.

My question is, if something goes wrong with your roof during the 25 years and it needs repairing, obviously the panels will have to be removed.
Who pays for the removal and reinstalling of the solar panels?

zeupater

michaels wrote: »

... does all of the above imply that if you could get a 4kw install with 6kw storage for less than 7k then it becomes a no-brainer? ...

Hi

Storage only starts to make sense when it passes below the £150/kWh(useable) mark and really needs to be closer to £100/kWh for a decent size system (7/10kWh) to stimulate any decent market growth based on justified investment ... this would need to be inclusive of storage, control system and installation ....

... of course (at the risk of provoking further heated ideological discussion), what's needed is a support scheme for storage to act as a market catalyst .... - this would either be structured similar to FiT or simply on a shared benefit/resource basis where the energy sector itself subsidises the installation on the basis that they can utilise the storage to mitigate peak demand issues as & when necessary (smart-grid) ...

HTH
Z

Cardew

2010 wrote: »

I have a query about companies such as "a shade greener" who offer (not at the moment though) free solar panels.
I understand they fit them for free, give you a bit of free leccy during the daytime and they get the government`s FIT.
They are basically renting your roof for 25 years after which the contract ends and they leave the panels in place.

My question is, if something goes wrong with your roof during the 25 years and it needs repairing, obviously the panels will have to be removed.
Who pays for the removal and reinstalling of the solar panels?

I believe that A Shade Greener(ASG) will pay - IIRC it used to be on their website.

2010

Cardew wrote: »

I believe that A Shade Greener(ASG) will pay - IIRC it used to be on their website.

Thanks for that.
I have looked in their FAQ but couldn`t find anything about it.
I did ring them but only got their "boiler dept" who said they had stopped doing free solar panels and there was no one I could put my question to.

This is not about getting free panels, but a close relative is looking to buy a house which has them fitted by ASG and were wondering the proceedure regarding roof repairs.
I would imagine the ASG contract is with the current house owner and will say exactly what happens if roof repairs are needed.

The fact of the free solar panels is the main sticking point whether they will go ahead with an offer for the house or not.

zeupater

2010 wrote: »

I have a query about companies such as "a shade greener" who offer (not at the moment though) free solar panels.
I understand they fit them for free, give you a bit of free leccy during the daytime and they get the government`s FIT.
They are basically renting your roof for 25 years after which the contract ends and they leave the panels in place.

My question is, if something goes wrong with your roof during the 25 years and it needs repairing, obviously the panels will have to be removed.
Who pays for the removal and reinstalling of the solar panels?

Hi

There are a number of threads covering RaR in which this is raised, but in summary ...

The FiT scheme was originally designed to contract for 25 years, which was later reduced to 20 years as the scheme evolved, so the period of the RaR contract would probably have followed the benefits and mitigated time-related risk in line with the changes, but this will be dependent on individual providers and contracts.

Some suppliers seem to have built provision for removal & reinstallations to allow for roof renovation but there's normally a limit to both the number of occasions (memory:1or2?) and non-generation time before charges and/or lost opportunity compensation kicks in .... again this depends on provider and individual contract but may also be further complicated by asset-block sales, consolidation and insolvency in the sector which could result in ongoing contractual issues.

HTH
Z

tunnel

2010 wrote: »

My question is, if something goes wrong with your roof during the 25 years and it needs repairing, obviously the panels will have to be removed.
Who pays for the removal and reinstalling of the solar panels?

If I remember correctly ASG will remove the panels 2-3 times during the lifetime of the lease at no cost to the homeowner.
I have seen a house local to me extend their premises at which point ASG came in and removed the panels for a few weeks or so.


Me personally, I wouldn't touch a house with RaR panels on. Only reason being that I prefer to collect the FiT myself and if I need to sell I can promote the fact that my panels collect close to £2k a year in FiTs(shhh......don't tell Cardew as he'll have kittens....lol)

zeupater

2010 wrote: »

... This is not about getting free panels, but a close relative is looking to buy a house which has them fitted by ASG and were wondering the proceedure regarding roof repairs.
I would imagine the ASG contract is with the current house owner and will say exactly what happens if roof repairs are needed ...

Hi

I would imagine that any decent solicitor should ensure that the lease contract and any associated charge documentation would be made available within the conveyancing process and exchanged/held/stored with the property deeds ... if not I'd be looking to ask why not!

HTH
Z