Is it worth me spending 5k on Solar Panels?

tumptyteapot

I have searched through the forums before posting but I'm sure this is a common question. Sorry if it duplicates.

This year I used 2300kWh of electricity at a cost of nearly £400 (I'm rounding figures up to make maths easier)

I've had a quote and an initial survey for solar and for just over 5k to install the panels etc. with a system size of 3.24kWp, they estimate it will produce 1,800 kWh per year.

They say my return on investment should be 4.22%. With a feed in tariff they say I should make £120 this year and save another £120 by using my own electricity.

What do you think? It's making my head roll! I'm nearly 50 and I like the idea of getting cheaper electricity when I am older and can't work so much.

I have the money earning nothing in savings. Would it be put to better use as solar panels?

NigeWick

tumptyteapot wrote: »

I have the money earning nothing in savings. Would it be put to better use as solar panels?

I think it depends on how green you feel. It will certainly take years to get any return on investment but your electricity supply is more secure and you would be helping to make coal, gas and nuclear power stations redundant.

I've got a 4kW system and will be looking at a battery backup to save any excess I produce for personal consumption after dark. I bought two years ago and my FiT will pay for the system in about another three years. FiT is a lot lower now so the payback time is greater because the initial cost has not dropped quite so much to compensate.

You pays your money and makes your choice is the real answer.

ajbell

1800kwh is a low target for a 3.24kw system, do you have shading problems?.
My 4kw system produced 4200kwh last year.

tumptyteapot

NigeWick wrote: »

I think it depends on how green you feel. It will certainly take years to get any return on investment but your electricity supply is more secure and you would be helping to make coal, gas and nuclear power stations redundant.

I've got a 4kW system and will be looking at a battery backup to save any excess I produce for personal consumption after dark. I bought two years ago and my FiT will pay for the system in about another three years. FiT is a lot lower now so the payback time is greater because the initial cost has not dropped quite so much to compensate.

You pays your money and makes your choice is the real answer.

Yep, that is helpful thank you. I can't afford a battery as well but I do like the idea of being more self sufficient.

ajbell wrote: »

1800kwh is a low target for a 3.24kw system, do you have shading problems?.
My 4kw system produced 4200kwh last year.

I think so, it is a valley roof with chimney stacks either side.

tunnel

tumptyteapot wrote: »

I think so, it is a valley roof with chimney stacks either side.

Chimneys aren't the end of the world and shouldn't drastically reduce generation THAT much IF you look at either solaredge or micro inverters. Both do the same thing...effectively making each panel work independent of the others.
Can I ask how many panels, roof/rooves direction, panel kWp and rough location?
The more info you give the more help you'll get to aid your decision.

Exiled_Tyke

Plain and simple. the proposed system isn't going to pay for itself unless there is a huge increase in electricity prices. There are far better investments available than this for £5k. The price needs to come down and the estimates need to go up. I like others can't understand why production should be so low. What direction will the panels be facing and at what pitch. As it stands I wouldn't go near this proposal.

tumptyteapot

tumptyteapot

Exiled_Tyke wrote: »

Plain and simple. the proposed system isn't going to pay for itself unless there is a huge increase in electricity prices. There are far better investments available than this for £5k. The price needs to come down and the estimates need to go up. I like others can't understand why production should be so low. What direction will the panels be facing and at what pitch. As it stands I wouldn't go near this proposal.

Thank you, I agree, this is my quandry. Do I wait until the tech becomes cheaper and better or do I install now and get the tariff? It was a shock to me that the electricity cost went up by 25% this year - although the bill was the same because I'd changed all the lightbulbs to LED's.

What else can I do with 5k? There isn't anything else I can do to the house to make living here any more comfortable, apart from secondary double glazing which I can DIY for a much smaller amount of money? It's a small terrace house, not extendable anywhere.

tumptyteapot

tunnel wrote: »

Chimneys aren't the end of the world and shouldn't drastically reduce generation THAT much IF you look at either solaredge or micro inverters. Both do the same thing...effectively making each panel work independent of the others.
Can I ask how many panels, roof/rooves direction, panel kWp and rough location?
The more info you give the more help you'll get to aid your decision.

I've posted the info from the quote, thank you! I asked if the were in parallel or series and he said series so if one goes into shadow they all go, but he said that there was something to stop them loosing all the solar, so I'm guessing there is a buffer of some sort? I clearly do not know what I am talking about! :-)

Exiled_Tyke

Go to http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps4/pvest.php and check out the estimated output for the size of system and where you live. (don't worry about the technical options on there, they don't make too much difference).

As always, get a few quotes and then come back here and ask for more opinions. People here are always very willing to help and would rather you pestered them with questions rather than make a bad decision.

From what you have described so far it sounds like you need a system with optimisers (i.e. SolarEdge) or micro-inverters which will allow the system to cope with different levels of output across the panels. A Solaredge system (while more expensive) comes with decent enough monitoring software so you wouldn't need to pay for that as an extra.

Exiled_Tyke

Also 270w per panel is pretty poor by today's standards. I thought the standard was around 285w and I have 300w panels. This looks like you are being fobbed off with cheap equipment but not for a cheap price.