Whos got solar panels

suzy_g

Hi we have often thought about getting panels as it sounds good on paper
has any one got them and could you tell how they have benefited you.
thanks:)

Ianwzzz

I had evacuated solar tubes fitted 12 years ago to heat hot water and swimming pool. They did not produce anywhere near the output that we were told they would. The tubes are now starting to fill up with water and 2 have exploded. The biggest waste of ten grand ever. I know they are probably more efficient now but I would decently not go for this type again.

mandm65

Ianwzzz wrote: »

I had evacuated solar tubes fitted 12 years ago to heat hot water and swimming pool. They did not produce anywhere near the output that we were told they would. The tubes are now starting to fill up with water and 2 have exploded. The biggest waste of ten grand ever. I know they are probably more efficient now but I would decently not go for this type again.

wow ten grand for the soalr panels, gosh they were expensive then! I guess the cost must have come down now and i suppose the technology must have improved to provide better output but still i would not pay too much attetion to the 'promised' output rates.
BTW i do recall reading while ago about some sort of the government rebate for solar energy, did that apply then?

jennifernil

We have the PV panels that produce electricity. There are several discussions regarding these on the "Green and ethical" board.

We got them when the FIT was highest, we should be in profit after 8 years unless interest rates rise dramatically.

The panels were much more expensive then than now, so you would probably still be in profit after 8 years even with the much lower FIT.

tony6403

I have flat thermal panels. Got them 10 years ago by joining a council run collective scheme - cost £1,470.
They still work with no loss of performance.
However , during winter they don't very often produce a temperature beyond 30 C and in summer they provide vast amounts of scalding hot water which we have no use for.
It might be better if washing machines had a hot feed but even then they would be drawing significant amounts of colder water from the pipework before the hot water reached the machine.
I reckon that I save about £200 per annum by having the panels.

Debt_Free_Chick

I don't. For me, the reason is that all the data is based on assumptions and future forecasts. There's very little in the way of data about what other folk have actually experienced.

Whilst past performance is no guarantee for what might happen in the future, no past performance is even worse ... just IMHO

mnuelreyes

I use them for water heating. It saves up a lot of electricity.