I've been a massive fool...My planet UK Solar.

kripel

you can buy 2kw kit here for 1650pounds, and you can get the 20led bulbs at poundshops at 1quid each
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2KW-SOLAR-PANEL-KIT-PHOTOVOLTAIC-SYSTEM-BEST-PRICE-ANYWHERE-/161738004575?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a856185f


or 4kw for 2499 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4KW-SOLAR-PANEL-PV-KIT-SYSTEM-CHEAPEST-PRICE-IN-THE-UK-AND-EBAY-/161744442837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a8b855d5

Probably you can find even cheaper as I spent 3minutes to go to ebay and show the first listings

Nice margins they have indeed!

Cardew

kripel wrote: »

you can buy 2kw kit here for 1650pounds, and you can get the 20led bulbs at poundshops at 1quid each
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2KW-SOLAR-PANEL-KIT-PHOTOVOLTAIC-SYSTEM-BEST-PRICE-ANYWHERE-/161738004575?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a856185f


or 4kw for 2499 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4KW-SOLAR-PANEL-PV-KIT-SYSTEM-CHEAPEST-PRICE-IN-THE-UK-AND-EBAY-/161744442837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a8b855d5

Probably you can find even cheaper as I spent 3minutes to go to ebay and show the first listings

Nice margins they have indeed!

Just in case anyone is tempted, be aware that you cannot claim the subsidy(FIT) unless the panels are installed by an MCS registered firm.

kripel

yup ,just wanted to show how cheap they actually are.

freshfruitbandit

i'm about to start researching things like solar panels as i want it to be as energy efficient as possible. Ground source heat, insulation, solar panels, led lighting, possibly a wind turbine etc - the only thing i have started doing is researching Light bulbs at the moment as i can use those in my current house.

I'm trying to work out if buying solar panels outright is the best way to go if i can afford it. I don't want to get locked into finance agreements, although i have spoken to a shade greener who fit solar panels for free and then sell the excess energy back to the grid.

Complicated mine field

freshfruitbandit

kripel wrote: »

you can buy 2kw kit here for 1650pounds, and you can get the 20led bulbs at poundshops at 1quid each
[


or 4kw for 2499
Probably you can find even cheaper as I spent 3minutes to go to ebay and show the first listings

Nice margins they have indeed!

Is this not a situation of 'you get what you pay for'? Looking at LED Light bulbs, it would seem that is very much the case, but with solar panels too?

Martyn1981

freshfruitbandit wrote: »

Is this not a situation of 'you get what you pay for'? Looking at LED Light bulbs, it would seem that is very much the case, but with solar panels too?

I suppose time will tell, but having a quick look at kripel's links, there are some mentions of names (panels and inverters) and they appear to be kit often used.

It's pretty simple to google any kit now (panels or inverters) and check that they are certified for UK use. Checking that they are also MCS approved would mean that they are as good as any other kit (give or take).

I think kripel was trying to point out how costs have fallen. If you compare to some installed quotes, adding approx £500 each for scaffolding, labour, certification & paperwork and profit, then you get to £4.5k for 4kWp, which some people have actually got close to on some simple and straightforward installs. £5k to £6k is more the norm, but low 5's and high 4's are appearing more and more often, this year.

But as Cardew has pointed out, a DIY install would not be FiT eligible. You would still have to notify the DNO (district network operator) that you have installed a SSEG (small scale electricity generator) and that notification would have to be signed off by an appropriately certified individual. Another issue with DIY, is that you might not get export payments (which are contracted into the FiT). You'd have to find an electricity supplier willing to buy them.

Perhaps DIY is more suited to ground mounted off-grid installs.

Mart.

rowifi

Well a young guy turned up at the door midday and said was I interested in Solar as they had an engineer in the area - so I said ok - why not - . I was interested but not comitted to getting it.
So the appointment was for later the same day.

Then get a phone call - wanting to confirm postcode and appointment... fair enough, but then they needed my partner to be there too .. some MCS legal requirement.. yeah right.

Told them she may or may not be here at that time - but that wasn't a problem as far as I was concerned.

Then at later, the phone call arrives saying he can't make the appointment - too busy/succesful or whatever can we reschedule..
OK I say - for a couple of days later.. same time.

I missed the call that came in on that next day, just after the appointment time. No one had turned up, so I called them back an hour later. I said it was tough the call was missed but I was here - and the appointment had been agreed so what was the issue???

So, yet again, I was prepared to have another appointment - still presuming whoever was local or in the area - but found out by asking that they were actually coming up from Swindon... what.. just for me??

That was the point I decided to bail out. All I was expecting or willing to give was 30 mins for a look over / consultation and told them that they were onto a looser if they were prepared to invest all that effort in travel.

Clearly I would have had the normal sales closer visit, and they would have gone away empty handed anyway.

I believe that I'm fair in that I won't waste sellers time by being as up front about my intentions as possible, but their handling of this appointment was poor regardless.

Of course .. now I've read this forum...

organum

This site is useful for information and is part of government advice.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/domestic/improving-my-home

This is what they said to a query about panel efficiency
'
Dear Richard,
Thank you for contacting the Energy Saving Advice Service. We provide impartial advice to the best of our knowledge on how you can save energy and reduce your fuel bills.
The first thing to be aware of is that the efficiency of the panels is not key. The output of the panels as quoted has already taken efficiency into account, so a 4 kW high efficiency system will not produce any more electricity than a 4 kW sysem using lower efficiency panels - it will just be a smaller array.
Things you may want to consider or check:
Are both installers registered under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme?
What guarantees or warranties are they offering for their system and products?
Have they fully explained their methodology for estimating the output and Feed-in Tariff income from the system?
Have they asked about your EPC rating and confirmed they will comply with any other eligibility requirements for the Feed-in Tariff (e.g. generation meter in an accessible spot)?
What price are they quoting, and does it include VAT, scaffolding, making good etc?
Are they quoting the correct VAT rate (5% for the panels and installation)?
Can they provide references from satisfied customers who are happy to be contacted?
We recommend that you consider all of these when comparing quotes from different suppliers. Provided you use accredited installers they should all use approved methodology for calculating the system's expected output, and so we would not expect significant variations in this figure if they are offering systems of the same rated output.
I hope this information helps you in making a decision. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Kind regards,
Energy Saving Advice Service
0300 123 1234
The Energy Saving Advice Service offers impartial advice on how householders and businesses can improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
This service is provided by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate and up to date, the Energy Saving Trust cannot accept any legal responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of this advice.
'

Subsequently on a telephone call they also advised me that, due to competition pressures, the maximum price for a 4kWh system should be £6k.

We paid nearly £7k for our system because the boss wanted the panels inset into the roof. She is mightily pleased with the results and the money saving!

If only this site was more widely advertised it should help people no end.

Now after Hanergy, MyPlanet, Green Energy Nationwide, Clean Green Home Energy I had excellent service from TP Solar.

Hanegy (still recommended by Ikea!!) have had all their share dealings fully suspended in Hong Kong.

http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1842384/chinas-hanergy-thin-film-cancels-deals-parent-after-sfc-slaps

Talk about a dodgy company which even the FT in January hinted was a ponzi scheme. Uggh!!

System

This is another very good site for information about renewables including PV Solar:

http://www.yougen.co.uk/

gwenda12

re MyPlanetuk- I am sorry about your problem, we too had a 'free survey' this week from this company and as you say the 'surveyer' was very pleasant-[ at the start] and we could too have been fooled. However after TWO HOURS the discussion had started to go round in circles and he became really pushy, My husband and I refused to agree to accept an installation as we wanted time to discuss the facts given first. After two and a half hours the sales man had started to get very irritating and my husband had to threaten him to leave. He turned out to be a very nasty man who ' asked on the way out-' which car is yours then?' as a threat to us!
After he left we were both shocked and I actually mentioned to my husband how I felt for anyone who was perhaps vulnerable to these selling tactics, perhaps without the backup of someone else there. I can totally understand how this may have happened, as humans we tend to trust and not want to offend. These sales people use this to their advantage. Thank you for posting your warning. I hope by using MyPlanetuk name it may still come up on Google- that's how I just found this thread. Take care. x