Solar panels

Solar2017

Hi all, first time poster,

I'm looking for a bit of knowledge from anyone who has had any solar panels installed or any experience in that field. Any information given would be brilliant.

I am looking at getting solar panels installed as I like the thought of not having to high energy bills anymore due to there rising costs.

I got a quote today from project solar uk, for £9000 for a 2k system (7 panels at 285w) including a volt doctor? Break down of the cost, £7065 for panels, £1000 for scaffolding, 600 for volt doctor + vat at 5%

I'm not even sure I need a volt doctor? Any information on this would be brill.

Is this a fair price? This is my first quote I will be getting more in the next week or so.

Seems a lil steep to me I thinking around the 7 thousand mark? Or am I wrong any information would be appreciated. Along with what savings you have had from your systems.


Thank you for your responses in advanced .

Solar2017 .

ajbell

You could get a 10kw system for that.
4kw systems are around £5k these days, so 2kw a bit over half that.
The volt doctor will do nothing.

Solar2017

Is that price just for the system or for the installation and scaffolding.

I was suspicious of the 'volt doctor' so is it useless?

Can anyone suggest any companies which are worth while inquiring into for these prices .. I am living in South East Kent if the information is required.

Thank you for the reply.

pinnks

Welcome to the forum. Folk here will give you good advice. I wish I had discovered it before I did my systems as I would have been better informed and would have approached my shading issues a little differently but hey ho, I found this forum after being fully installed.

Any installer worth their lot will quote you for an install. I had my original 3.5kWp installed in 2013 for about £6k and the second system at £1.75kWp for about £4k. Prices have dropped massively since then.

I wold suggest filing this quote in the bin - it is completely off the wall - but getting more quotes then come back and put those on here. You will find something sensible in the end, I am sure of that.

And don't rush into a contract that you might regret - take your time and make a sound decision based on evidence, including that from those on here who are far more knowledgeable than I...

Have fun.:T

Martyn1981

Solar2017 wrote: »

Hi all, first time poster,

I got a quote today from project solar uk, for £9000 for a 2k system (7 panels at 285w) including a volt doctor? Break down of the cost, £7065 for panels, £1000 for scaffolding, 600 for volt doctor + vat at 5%

Solar2017 .

Hiya and welcome.

Thanks for posting that quote as it's scary on all levels and can act as a warning to others.

As others have suggested, forget it, keep getting quotes. Before the government stuck the knife into the PV industry in 2016 prices were heading for sub £5k for 4kWp systems, now it's all very messy, but a good system, even one with SolarEdge should be £6k or less for 4kWp.

So do your research, perhaps have a read of the PV FAQ's (see my auto-sig), and keep asking questions, as we are PV'ers, not installers, so we gain nothing from misleading you.

BTW you'll note most conversations use 4kWp as a guide/reference, but you can install more (or less). As you'll find, smaller systems cost more (£/kWp) due to all the fixed costs, such as scaffolding, so going bigger, within reason is usually the best package.

Mart.

PS, we don't like voltage optimisers on here, nor those that try to push them, they won't do anything other than lighten your wallet.

Cardew

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Before the government stuck the knife into the PV industry in 2016.

To save electricity consumers £millions in unnecessary subsidies.

One of of the best measures the Government ever took. Let us hope they don't make the same mistake by subsidising batteries.

When batteries become cheap enough they will revolutionise the industry, storing cheap electricity from the mains for those without access to solar/wind. However they shouldn't need to depend on subsidies.

P.S.
Agree with the comments above about the rip-off price you were quoted. There are still cowboys out there hunting for victims.

theboylard

Hiya Cardew, back off holiday I see.

Maybe we should bin HPC, with all the subsidies/costs we'll get stung from that?

As solar and wind with battery storage is winning contracts across the world - even in solar hating Spain now - with the latest contracts having no subsidy at all, can you explain the benefit and cost advantage of HPC over a battery solution that would be massively cheaper to the economy and beneficial now to every home dweller - social housing would immediately be better off?

I could say a lot more but interested on your view?

EricMears

Cardew wrote: »

When batteries become cheap enough they will revolutionise the industry, storing cheap electricity from the mains for those without access to solar/wind. However they shouldn't need to depend on subsidies.

There is a strong argument in favour of some sort of subsidy in the short term to encourage 'early adopters' which in turn should help bring down prices.

jimjames

Solar2017 wrote: »

I got a quote today from project solar uk, for £9000 for a 2k system (7 panels at 285w) including a volt doctor? Break down of the cost, £7065 for panels, £1000 for scaffolding, 600 for volt doctor + vat at 5%.

That's more than I paid for a 3kWp system in 2011 when prices were much higher than now!

Cardew

EricMears wrote: »

There is a strong argument in favour of some sort of subsidy in the short term to encourage 'early adopters' which in turn should help bring down prices.

That was an argument used for the UK to give 'early adopters' stupidly high FIT rates(paid for by all electricity consumers) for sub 4kWp installations on the roof of suitable houses*.

The stupid argument then, and presumably now, was that the 'massive UK market!' was instrumental in driving down worldwide prices.

* Solar farms were not favoured then by the Guru.

Martyn1981

Cardew wrote: »

To save electricity consumers £millions in unnecessary subsidies.

Yawn. Same ole Cardew, same ole hypocritical garbage.

Keep moaning about subsidies paid to his neighbours, but supporting subsidies to France and China for nuclear, despite the industry having been subsidised for 60yrs already.

So lets' see, a reasonable FiT rate would be 6p/kWh, plus 5p/kWh for export on a deemed 50% export.

So to displace 1MWh of gas generation off the grid, we can pay your neighbours 8.5p/kWh or £85/MWh for 20yrs, or pay France and China £100/MWh for 35yrs ....... let me see ...... which one is fairer, which one is cheaper, which one puts the money straight back into the economy, which one lowers the import bill of the powerstation owner, which one is really popular with social housing to reduce leccy bills for tenants, which one hurts the UK balance of payments, which one has been subsidised for 7yrs, and which for 60yrs already, which one is popular with the vast majority of the public.

Same ole Cardew, same ole garbage.