Solar Panels Quote

Minrich

Had someone ring up yesterday who wouldn't quote for what i was specifically asking for , they have their own non branded panels and inverter (stated they had £15m turnover and could get them made specifically for them) . They quoted £6995 ! I asked if they could quote and they said they couldn't . I asked how i could compare their quote and they didn't have an answer .... I left them with this comment ... " I have asked for and want a Land Rover and you are trying to sell me a BMW "
They weren't even cheaper ! Can't remember what they were called but rang from a mobile

ed110220

Minrich wrote: »

Had someone ring up yesterday who wouldn't quote for what i was specifically asking for , they have their own non branded panels and inverter (stated they had £15m turnover and could get them made specifically for them) . They quoted £6995 ! I asked if they could quote and they said they couldn't . I asked how i could compare their quote and they didn't have an answer .... I left them with this comment ... " I have asked for and want a Land Rover and you are trying to sell me a BMW "
They weren't even cheaper ! Can't remember what they were called but rang from a mobile

Unless you have some special reason for requiring a specific panel and inverter, I don't think it really makes sense to require all the quotes to be for exactly the same thing. I see where you're coming from, but I don't think it's going to get you the best value for money. Different companies will have access to different products at different prices but there are a large number of panels and inverters of good quality that will all achieve the same result. So your method will probably tell you more about your initial semi-arbitrary choice which isn't really the important factor.

The car analogy isn't really good, because presumably there would be a good reason for choosing one vehicle over the other. Perhaps more like deciding you're going to fly to New Zealand and asking all airlines to quote for a flight on a particular model of plane, when that's not really especially relevant to your requirements...

Ed

Minrich

How else can you compare quotes if people aren't quoting for the same thing , its stupid not to get them to quote for the same things . Its like getting a quote for a watch or a new computer or a tv , you have to specify what you want . Otherwise of you weanted a 40" Tv and went for the £89.99 quote and got a 22" Tv you would be very annoyed , hence ask for a quote for what you want . I know what i want and i will have solarworld panels or canadian , once i have found who can install for the cheapest and that is impossible if they don't all quote for the same things

Finally who cares what analogy i was using it was just to prove a point .

zeupater

Hi

There are plenty of decent panel makes out there, I'd be more concerned with the panel technology (mono/multi- crystalline)inverter technology and the mounting system than anything else ...

Solarworld & Canadian both have good reputations, so do Enphase so if that's the personal preference then why not specify them .... I wouldn't place more kit on the roof than necessary, so unless there was a serious shading issue I'd stay well clear of microinverters - think about it logically , if they have a design MTBF which is double that of a system inverter and you have 16x more of them, then you're 8x more likely to have a failure - that's a failure with costly access issues.

I tend to agree with the analogy regarding cars, but it missed the point .... If you want a Landrover you must have a reason to do so, so go to a Landrover dealer - why would you go to a BMW dealer and ask them to supply a Landrover ? ... that's not to say that a BMW dealer wouldn't supply a Landrover, after all they're in business to make a profit - but the question stands as to whether they're as familiar with the product when the bonnet's up ? ...

... as for the TV analogy, I'd decide what size I wanted, research the market for the best technologies, set my selection criteria, research the makes/models available and draw-up a short list before even looking at prices ... if what I wanted wasn't affordable/justifiable then the criteria would be modified ...

You can buy exactly the same kettle for £19.99 or £49.99, the only difference being the brand printed on the side ... some will pay the extra just to maintain status ... the problem here is that there are loads of similar quality brands which you could bolt to your roof, all of which look the same, all of which perform the same and all will be that far away that nobody would see the make anyway ....

In a nutshell, if there's no specific reason for limiting your options, why do so ?? ... certainly state your preferences to the suppliers, but at least let them quote what they believe is a suitable solution as well as your preference - you may just be offered a fully equivalent system at a better price, whilst still having the option to reject it ...

HTH
Z

ed110220

Minrich wrote: »

How else can you compare quotes if people aren't quoting for the same thing , its stupid not to get them to quote for the same things . Its like getting a quote for a watch or a new computer or a tv , you have to specify what you want . Otherwise of you weanted a 40" Tv and went for the £89.99 quote and got a 22" Tv you would be very annoyed , hence ask for a quote for what you want . I know what i want and i will have solarworld panels or canadian , once i have found who can install for the cheapest and that is impossible if they don't all quote for the same things

Finally who cares what analogy i was using it was just to prove a point .

Well if your main aim is to for all quotes to be exactly comparable, fair enough, but most people would have their main aim to get a system of a certain wattage using reputable components for the best price. Using your TV analogy you could arbitrarily decide that you wanted a Sony 40" TV and then ask for quotes for it. Supplier A quotes £300, B quotes £350 and C £325. You choose supplier A. Another person decides they want a 40" TV from a reputable maker and gets quotes from the same suppliers and is quoted for a Samsung for £325 from A, the Sony from B at £350 and a Panasonic from C at £250, so they go for the Panasonic.

You got the Sony for the best price, but the other person got what they regard as a comparable product for less.

Ed

Martyn1981

Minrich wrote: »

How else can you compare quotes if people aren't quoting for the same thing , its stupid not to get them to quote for the same things . Its like getting a quote for a watch or a new computer or a tv , you have to specify what you want . Otherwise of you weanted a 40" Tv and went for the £89.99 quote and got a 22" Tv you would be very annoyed , hence ask for a quote for what you want . I know what i want and i will have solarworld panels or canadian , once i have found who can install for the cheapest and that is impossible if they don't all quote for the same things

Finally who cares what analogy i was using it was just to prove a point .

I understand your logic, but it might not work in this situation as not all installers will have access to the same panels and inverters. Remember that there are literally hundreds of different panels, and the installer will probably have a preferred supplier (wholesaler) where he (or she) has an account. That wholesaler may be buying container loads of panels to get bulk price discounts, so might not stock a huge range. Also their stock may vary from month to month depending on what they order and when it arrives.

So your theory on identical quotes is sound, but what if the 'best' installer has to quote you higher on your specific package due to issues sourcing that combination. You then dismiss them, without knowing that they can offer a great deal on their 'preferred kit', but never get the chance.

Your best option is probably a combination. Ask them for a quote on your specific combo, but also for any other package that they would suggest/recommend?

Mart.

Furts

tunnel wrote: »

Power ones have been around for a good while so you shouldn't have any issues.

My first post on Green and Ethical, so here goes. PowerOne might be a good product, and it is only a might, this being because of their track record over recent years. Most people in the UK would be getting their PowerOne, indirectly, via the Worthing HQ.

The reality is Worthing is run by an uninformed character who has a history of employing a changing workforce of "computer says no" staff. There has been a culture of "Sales are King" and to hell with the customer support.

Eighteen months ago, PowerOne was purchased by the global giant ABB. ABB have taken the Worthing ethos and successfully replicated this through many different offices. In the process customers service has been dumbed down to even lower levels.

Hence the product may be good, but I would wager that ABB are setting their stall for lowering the quality, certainly in the domestic market. Having effectively removed any consumer concern the field is clear for them to do this.

From a Customer Support viewpoint ABB PowerOne are an unmitigated disaster area and consumers should ask whether they wish to be involved in this.

Minrich

My location is IP5 area of Ipswich

pw22

Hi Minrich - just out of interest, which system did you go for in the end?

tunnel

Minrich wrote: »

My location is IP5 area of Ipswich

Ok, I've pinned middle of Ipswich and get this
South 1.75kWp 1840kWh a year
West 2.25kWp 1890kWh a year

Now go to PVGIS site and zoom into the map on the left to your location and click where you are(it will pin your location). Next under Installed peak PV power put the panel total(either the 1.75 or 2.25), follow that with slope(preset at 35 so change yours to 30), then underneath there's Azimuth, depending which panels size you put in its either 0(south) or 90(west) then click calculate. You'll then have a box pop up with 12 months on, the first line is average daily totals and the 2nd line monthly totals with the yearly total at the bottom.
Try it and let me know how you get on!!