Advice on solar panel quotes please?

Martyn1981

My gut feeling is that that isn't possible, it's £240pa more than my guesstimate, from a 12.5% smaller system. So it must be relying heavily on additional import savings due to the battery, but they'd have to be around 2,000kWh (more) pa.

However, it's probably worth you checking it out, as they are suggesting extra income that would pay off the additional capital cost in 10 years.

Can you ask them for:-
1. An estimate of generation.
2. A detailed breakdown of income and savings.
3. The T&C's of the minimum income guarantee.
4. How that guarantee is protected (not sure it can be?) in case of company failure.
5. Full specs on the battery, including technology type, full size in kWhs, useable KWhs, number of lifetime cycles and at what DoD (depth of discharge). Also rates of charge, rates of discharge and round trip efficiency.

I'd be surprised if a whole number of red flags don't pop up, but the information would be interesting, regardless.

warrenb

You may be forgetting the battery in the leccy savings calc, £7k with battery is not a bad price at all.
But with leccy going up soon, the equations are going to change

Martyn1981

wr_uk wrote: »

He said they guarentee £587.76 Return PA as minimum but said you could add about 15% on top for a more realistic return.

Quick check. Generation estimate from PVGIS of 2,940kWhs (3.5kWp system).

FiT 2,940 @ 4.18p/kWh = £123
Export 2,940/50% @ 4.91P/kWh = £72

Total = £195

£587.76 plus 15% = £676

£676 - £195 = £481

£481 / 2,940kWhs = 16p leccy savings on every unit of generation, or 17p (assuming 10% battery losses on 50% of generation being stored).

Do you pay 17p/kWh for leccy, and could you use every single kWh you generate*?

*Hard to answer without knowing more about the battery, but a 'no' is a fairly safe guess, especially in the summer.

Martyn1981

warrenb wrote: »

You may be forgetting the battery in the leccy savings calc, £7k with battery is not a bad price at all.

So it must be relying heavily on additional import savings due to the battery, but they'd have to be around 2,000kWh (more) pa.

I think it's a pretty good price, given the current cost of batteries, though we'd need to know more about the battery. However, for economical returns, it's most likely a bad price, as the extra £2k+ for the battery probably can't be recouped during its lifetime.

tunnel

wr_uk wrote: »

called back to see what I thought of there quote £9902 for 3.5kW system.

wr_uk wrote: »

He eventually cam down to £6995. He said they guarentee £587.76 Return PA as minimum but said you could add about 15% on top for a more realistic return.

Martyn1981 wrote: »

I'd be surprised if a whole number of red flags don't pop up, but the information would be interesting, regardless.

You mean they haven't already Mart?, sounds more like a window salesman than solar with a sudden drop in price like that and dodgy return figures.


Be afraid....be very afraid....lol

wr_uk

just worked out he sent me the wrong URL for the battery it is http://batterylite.co.uk/technical-information.php

wr_uk

lol just got another quote in from EEC Home improvements again a revised price from what he initially quoted but here they are 16 panel 4kW with solax inverter (Battery Ready) 20yrs warranty.
or with
14 sharp 285W panels (he claims best on the market) for £5640 solar edge package

Martyn1981

wr_uk wrote: »

just worked out he sent me the wrong URL for the battery it is http://batterylite.co.uk/technical-information.php

I have to say that's the least information I've ever read in a technical information link. It doesn't even give the storage capacity in the storage capacity line!

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark, and assume the voltage of the batts is 12V (as less than that would give too low a storage to bother with), and that would give each module ~1.2kWh, or ~4.8kWh for the 396Ah pack.

These guys don't make it easy do they.

Edit: Tried Youtubing it for more info, not a success, but their promo video is hilarious, those ladies earned their money:-

"Do you have solar power ...... Yes ..... Congratulations"

apparently 25-30% of your electricity is down to lighting. I thought it was about 10%, or 2% with low energy lightbulbs?

tunnel

wr_uk wrote: »

lol just got another quote in from EEC Home improvements again a revised price from what he initially quoted but here they are 16 panel 4kW with solax inverter (Battery Ready) 20yrs warranty.
or with
14 sharp 285W panels (he claims best on the market) for £5640 solar edge package

So they've knocked over a grand off the price and I'm guessing they now can fit them all on one roof(not sure you'd get 16 panels on though) and now will supply "premium" panels AND solaredge and are still more expensive than the one company who set their stall out early with their "really low" prices.

I know where I'd be headed if I was in your shoes and still wanted solar(if your head stops hurting...lol)


By the way, I have Sharp panels on my ESE roof, they perform no better or worse than my LG's or Jetions....just so you know

wr_uk

Yeah gut feeling would be to go with CTS. Just not convinced about the return if i invested