new solar panels

Cardew

jackieblack wrote: »

Originally Posted by Cardew

Also as discussed in several threads using the immersion heater instead of gas is likely to cost money, instead
of saving

So, it is entirely possible, depending on the size of the pv system and what other appliances are in use at the same time

Maybe not for the OP, but for his neighbour it IS possible he has cut the gas bill.

We were advising the OP not the neighbour!! Not much point in telling the OP about how to reduce gas consumption when he hasn't got a Hot water tank/immersion heater.

Even for his neighbour, putting on the Immersion heater, with or without solar power being generated, will certainly reduce the gas bill. However it will increase the electricity bill. The additional spend on electricity will be be more than the saving on gas in most cases.

Gas costs around 4p/kWh* and electricity 12pkWh and most immersion heaters are 3kW.

So unless he is generating sufficient solar electricity to have 2kW surplus(after background consumption -powering fridges etc) there isn't any cost savings.

An immersion heater will cost 36p an hour to run. Provide 2kW from solar reduces that to 12p an hour, which is the cost of gas to provide the 3kWh heat.

A Shade Greener's largest system is 3.3kWp. The number of times in a year when it is producing sufficient power, to make using an immersion viable, are few. Even then it only takes a cloud to drop solar output and the immersion heater continues to take 3kW from the mains electricity.

Unless you are constantly monitoring the output and dashing to switch off immersion it is a waste of money.

* boiler efficiency not taken into account.

jackieblack

Cardew wrote: »

We were advising the OP not the neighbour!!

I apologise that I seem to have upset/annoyed you.
I was simply responding to Macman's statement that 'Solar PV panels cannot possibly reduce your gas bills'.
I guess I missed that the 'your' in that statement referred to the OP.
My point was that for some people, in the right circumstances, they can, and they do.

macman

The OP is starting off on the wrong foot by confusing solar PV and solar hot water.
A Shade Greener are seling solar PV via 'rent a roof'. What his neighbour appears to have installed is a solar hot water system.
I'm quite unclear which system the OP is interested in-or both?
jackieblack; why not tell us more about how you have set your system up to achieve this? It will only be economic if you can provide about 2/3rds of your water heating from your PV system. And of course you will have no PV input at all at the times when hot water is usually in most demand-early morning and after dark.

sheffield_lad

Seanymph wrote: »

Do you own your house?



and from what I am reading you can have problems then selling your house on because you have 'rented out' the space above your house for about 25 years -

Sorry this is totally untrue, I have never heard of anyone having issues selling a property with PV, thousands of sales have now gone through with PV rent a roof homes if the odd owner has an issue with the look of them on the front of the house then perhaps but to keep coming out with the line difficult to sell its nonsense. I know as I often survey such properties but for clarity speak to an EA he would reassure you that there are at least a 100 things more off putting than PV.

jackieblack

sheffield_lad wrote: »

Sorry this is totally untrue, I have never heard of anyone having issues selling a property with PV, thousands of sales have now gone through with PV rent a roof homes if the odd owner has an issue with the look of them on the front of the house then perhaps but to keep coming out with the line difficult to sell its nonsense. I know as I often survey such properties but for clarity speak to an EA he would reassure you that there are at least a 100 things more off putting than PV.

My understanding is that it can be an issue for lenders, rather than purchasers.

penrhyn

I would not buy a house with rent a roof solar, or one with a green deal.

sheffield_lad

Hi Jackie, I think its more an urban myth, while I can't say I have ever heard of such an issue or certainly not in the last 2yrs there may have been an issue previously or maybe currently but with small mortgage lenders. The bigger lenders have no such issues.

sheffield_lad

penrhyn wrote: »

I would not buy a house with rent a roof solar, or one with a green deal.

Why not? Fair play if you want to put your own up but I am interested to know any other reason for not buying?

Genuine Question?

penrhyn

I would want to put up my own, and collect the FIT myself.
I guess it may be prejudice after owning a leasehold flat and always having to refer to the management company if anything needed doing.

Goon Show Joke, There is a curse on the house of Penrhyn. the Abbey National Building society.

Cardew

sheffield_lad wrote: »

Hi Jackie, I think its more an urban myth, while I can't say I have ever heard of such an issue or certainly not in the last 2yrs there may have been an issue previously or maybe currently but with small mortgage lenders. The bigger lenders have no such issues.

There have been a number of posts on MSE about this situation with one running currently.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/469265

Also a lot of reports in the national media as the A Shade Greener representative acknowledged.

Unfortunately it appears that the mortgage company has turned you down because they were ignorant of the facts. Last year the media sensationalised many similar cases where customers who had FREE solar panels installed by a company
based in Birmingham could not get a mortgage for their property from Skipton BS.

It later transpired that many of those refused were due to a misinterpretation of company policy and the society had no issues with the presence of the panels or lease.