Panasonic HIT panels and Solaredge power optimizers.

Lei_Chat

As the Panasonic 240w panel is only 798mm wide we can squeeze 16 on to our roof. We'd only get 12 of the Solarworld 250w mono black panels on.

So 3.8kW (around £8k) versus 3kW (around £5.5k).
The quotes include a Solar iBoost and Geo monitor.

Another option, one of the suppliers has suggested, is a Solaredge inverter and power optimizers. The principal sounds great, maximising the output from each panel individually. For around £400 more it seems a no brainer.

I'm also favouring the Panasonic panel option as the higher output is likely to be a better long term investment.

Would appreciate your thoughts please?

Martyn1981

Hiya. take a look at this site (just for comparisons), and compare the Panasonics to other brands and panels of similar outputs.

The Panasonics appear to cost about £50 more, so should only add about £800 to the cost of an install. Or at least that's what seems logical to me.

So with many people getting under (well under) £6k for a 4kWp system, then perhaps you should be aiming/haggling for quotes in the high £5k to mid £6k range?

I've got SolarEdge on my heavily shaded WNW roof, it does its job (shade mitigation) brilliantly, no complaints, but if you haven't got shade problems, then it's 16 extra bits of kit, that are hard to access if any fail.

Mart.

Lei_Chat

Thank you.
Based on the link you shared, we're looking at 12 Solarworld panels at £2000 or 16 Panasonic panels at £3380. There's obviously installation, etc. but as you say, looks like we need to haggle some more.

We've talked to two more companies since our original Ikea and My Planet quotes, but we're not yet getting close to the 4kWp for under £6k thing.

tunnel

Am I missing something here?
12 x £138 is £1656(solarworld)
16 x £176 is £2816(Panasonic)
These are retail prices and I would expect the installers to get the panels much cheaper for bulk purchases(even including 5% VAT)
So just less than £1200 more for a 3.84kWp system and they want £8k...I'd be telling them to do one


You have plenty of time before the FiT rate reduces again so please get plenty more quotes and don't rush into anything. Post your rough location on the thread, maybe someone could give you a recommendation...you certainly need it because the installers that have quoted you are having your pants down...plain and simple!!

pw22

Agree with Tunnel - posters have been quoted 12 x 330w BenQ with SolarEdge for under 7k on here recently.

ed110220

pw22 wrote: »

Agree with Tunnel - posters have been quoted 12 x 330w BenQ with SolarEdge for under 7k on here recently.

Yeah £5995 for 12x 330W BenQ panels. Panasonic seem to be roughly the same in price for 4kW (16x panels). One may fit better than another depending on the shape of your roof.

Ed

Lei_Chat

I'd added VAT at 20%.
Didn't realise the 5% applied to the panels, at retail?

zeupater

Lei_Chat wrote: »

I'd added VAT at 20%.
Didn't realise the 5% applied to the panels, at retail?

Hi

Installers get charged VAT at 20% on all equipment but charge you 5% VAT on the total install ... the installer accounts for this with HMRC in their VAT returns.

HTH
Z

Lei_Chat

tunnel wrote: »

Post your rough location on the thread, maybe someone could give you a recommendation...you certainly need it because the installers that have quoted you are having your pants down...plain and simple!!

We're in central Herts.

After reading the fabulous FAQs posted on the forums I found one of the installers via the shared Which link. The other I found via Panasonic's website, both seem very reputable.
With them both entirely independently quoting reasonably similar prices makes it me wonder what the cons of the under £6k 4kW systems/installers are?

tunnel

Lei_Chat wrote: »

With them both entirely independently quoting reasonably similar prices makes me wonder what the cons of the under £6k 4kW systems/installers are?

They're not reasonable or similar, both are priced way too high. As for under £6k, I have personally overseen/negotiated several installations for friends and family with what I would class as quality/well known kit...all for just over £5k and that was pre Christmas, rates have fallen since then and we've seen quotes for £4.5k regularly on these forums for 4kWp systems.


Have you looked on fleabay? You'd be surprised what you can unearth on there! National companies with multiple installs under the belt at a fraction of the cost you've been quoted, don't take my word for it, type in solar panel installation and see what you get!!

Lei_Chat

The two system specification quotes I'd had from two companies were a similar cost, they are in that respect comparable.

I've had another quote for the 16 panel Panasonic/SMA system today that's considerably cheaper. Another option they've given me is 12 300w LG panels which is £500 less than the Panasonic quote.

They're both the other side of £6k.

I do appreciate your advice and your passion on the topic is inspiring.

I may have been brainwashed by the marketing but I've convinced myself that certain brands of panels are worth paying more for.