Reasonable cost

tunnel

SamRose wrote: »

PS yes, they said that our roof was only big enough for 12 panels and it wasn't worth putting them on the other side of the roof

Which direction does the roof that they're quoting on face?
By the way, WAY too high a quote
I believe if you sign in the home there's a 7 day cooling off period, PLEASE call them and cancel then come back here and get as much advice/help as you need, you really can halve that quote and keep the other halve earning next to !!!!!! all in an ISA

SamRose

Thank you, yeah you are right I am going to call them tomorrow, feel such a fool now for signing without doing my research, totally out of character for me but guess they were pretty convincing! The roof is South facing, 3 story house so absolutely nothing to block the panels

McKneff

Please, do everything in writing even if you do telephone them tomorrow. Keeping copies of anything is also imperative.

SamRose

Good advice, will follow up with an email. The surveyor is supposed to be coming out on Monday, they made us feel like they were doing us a special favour moving so quickly, I now realise they want it doing before we realise we're paylng through the nose! Thanks again x

tunnel

SamRose wrote: »

Thank you, yeah you are right I am going to call them tomorrow, feel such a fool now for signing without doing my research, totally out of character for me but guess they were pretty convincing! The roof is South facing, 3 story house so absolutely nothing to block the panels

Post your rough location on here and hopefully you'll get some recommendations for your area. Believe me, 12 panels...even premium brand like BenQ's would be a hell of a lot cheaper than your quote

SamRose

Thank you. The quote is for 'sharp' panels (they told us these were the best)
We are in Barnsley, South Yorkshire

ed110220

SamRose wrote: »

Thank you. The quote is for 'sharp' panels (they told us these were the best)
We are in Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Don't think there's anything special about Sharp. Nothing wrong, but not one of the more expensive panels.

In the space 12 Sharp panels take up, you should be able to fit 12 of the higher efficiency panels such as BenQ or Sunpower to make 4kW rather than 3kW as they are 330W each rather than 250W. Or maybe 16 Panasonic panels as they are smaller. They are more expensive, but you should be able to get them for a lot less than 8k. Ebay sellers are listing 4kW of BenQ installed for as low as £6399.

Whether it's worth the extra money for the higher efficiency panels or go for a cheaper but smaller system I'm not sure, I'm sure someone else will have an opinion/calculation.

Might be obvious but don't let anyone rush you into signing. If what they're offering is good value they won't need to rush you, it's only people selling things at inflated prices that do this so you don't have a chance to get more quotes and realise you're being ripped off!

Ed

Martyn1981

SamRose wrote: »

Thank you, yeah you are right I am going to call them tomorrow, feel such a fool now for signing without doing my research, totally out of character for me but guess they were pretty convincing!

Don't feel foolish, this is happening more and more lately. PV involves so many numbers (if you want it too) that any 'good' salesman will be able to completely baffle you before pouncing with some dubious conclusions. It annoys the hell out of me and all the other PV'ers on here.

SamRose wrote: »

Good advice, will follow up with an email. The surveyor is supposed to be coming out on Monday, they made us feel like they were doing us a special favour moving so quickly, I now realise they want it doing before we realise we're paylng through the nose! Thanks again x

If you were a fool, then you wouldn't have posted this comment. You've spotted their game, well done. Under the MCS regs PV installers can't install the system until 7 days after the contract is signed. Not just a cooling off period, they mustn't install for 7 days, giving you a better chance of learning about PV. To install within 7 days they need special written instructions from the householder.

The following thread title contains the word fool, they paid £7.5k for a 1.5kWp system, which was installed on day 8. With a little encouragement they fought back, then went silent, suggesting the company folded but told them to stop posting. By then MSE'ers had got the thread onto page 1 of Google when searching for the company. Not great news for My Planet UK or Myplanetuk or myplanet uk :T:T:T

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

Mart.

Martyn1981

ed110220 wrote: »

In the space 12 Sharp panels take up, you should be able to fit 12 of the higher efficiency panels such as BenQ or Sunpower to make 4kW rather than 3kW as they are 330W each rather than 250W. Or maybe 16 Panasonic panels as they are smaller. They are more expensive, but you should be able to get them for a lot less than 8k. Ebay sellers are listing 4kW of BenQ installed for as low as £6399.

Whether it's worth the extra money for the higher efficiency panels or go for a cheaper but smaller system I'm not sure, I'm sure someone else will have an opinion/calculation.

Ed

@ SamRose - exactly what Ed says. You have several options, and you'll need to get quotes covering them all. At that stage you can work out which is best. I can think of 4:

1. Stick with 3kWp of regular panels.
Nice and cheap, simple, decent size, no problems.

2. Push the size up using larger, but still 'normal' panels, in the 270-285Wp range. So 12*285Wp = 3.42kWp.
Will cost a little more than option 1, but probably work out cheaper when comparing total generation to total cost.

3. As suggested, look into higher efficiency panels.
Don't be confused by the term, eg a 250Wp normal efficiency panel and a 250Wp high efficiency panel generate the same, it's just that the higher efficiency panel will be physically small, so more can be fitted on the roof eg 16*250Wp. Or the higher efficiency panel will squeeze more Wp's into the same regular size panel eg 12*333Wp.
Higher efficiency panels cost more relative to output, so the price will rise quite a bit, perhaps £1k more than an equivalent sized 'normal' install. But you'll have maximised your potential.

4. Use your other roof if suitable.
So many PV costs are fixed (scaffolding, internal works, inverter, labour, profit etc) that adding more panels gets cheaper and cheaper. A less suitable roof will generate less electricity, but may (note may) work out ok if the extra cost is equally smaller.
Downside, a north roof (assuming that's your alternative) will be affected a lot by the steepness of your roof. If it's a relatively shallow roof then not too bad, but a steeper north roof pitch (30d to 50d) will have an impact on generation.

Don't be overwhelmed, all of these options can be discussed, and there's a wonderful tool called PVGIS (see section 5 of the FAQs) which can be used to get a very, very accurate estimation of annual generation. When the time comes, if you're not sure how to use it, I'm happy to have a play for you and explain what to do.

Mart.

SamRose

Thank you all so much. I feel so much more informed and have e-mailed the company to inform of my cancellation and have outlined the reasons. I am really hoping that there is no comeback and that I know have the time to research fully and ensure we have the right panels at the right price!:j