New build- solar panels

sophiem10

Hope someone can help!
So weve just purchased a new house which is a taylor winpey new build we have 4 solar panels on the roof we have been abit blind with these with all the stress and excitement, today i asked the office what actually happens with them, do we just use the free energy etc and she didnt have a clue! So I thought id start finding out tonight on here? What do we need to do? Ive been told we have been automatically joined upto british gas for both gas and electric until we sort things, so will British gas be the “owners” of these panels? Its all new to us. And i cant seem to find much info! Thanks in advance

House_Martin

Have a look around for a feed in tariff meter somewhere in the property. The builders who built the estate would have done a deal with one supplier and everyone will be initially signed up with that supplier for both the electricity and the solar panels.
I m a meter reader and it seems more common now for new build estates to have a few solar panels on the roof nowadays.
The FIT meter can be virtually anywhere in the property. The loft and the meter box are common spots. One estate I go to has the meters, , in with the relays in the consumer unit. Some of the occupiers did nt even know where the FIT meters where and thought that the Inverters were the meters.
when you find the FIT meter enquire with the supplier when you need to submit a reading.
If the panels are owned/rented by the occupiers you will only get a visit from the suppliers meter readers probably only after a year and then only once every year or even two years .
4 panels is nt much but its better than nothing.16 panels is the norm for a full 4 kw system

System

The panels need to be registered if you want to receive feed in tariff payments:

How to Register for FITs?

An MCS installer will provide you with an MCS Certificate once the installation is complete. To register for the FITs you will need to send the MCS Certificate to your FIT Licensee (an electricity company) who will complete the registration process. You should contact your chosen FIT Licensee to find out what additional documentation they require you to provide as part of the application process.

EPC Requirements

Since 1st April 2012 customers must provide an EPC with their Feed-in Tariff (FIT) application showing the building the installation is attached to or wired to provide electricity to is a level D or above. You can find further information on the EPC requirements here.

More Information

For more information or if you have a specific query about FITs, please contact one of the following organisations (depending on the nature of your request). The Energy Savings Trust have very comprehensive information on the scheme and they also have a cash-back calculator to help you find out how much you could earn and save through the FIT scheme.

Check with your builder.

Raxiel

First of all, are you sure they are solar electric?

Some new builds near us were fitted with solar thermal, hooked up to the (electrically heated) water tank

tim9966

I have them on my new build, and you should get a small payment for them.


You need a letter from the solicitor saying you now own them, as normally the electricity companies ask for an invoice which you won't be able to provide, then you need to MCS certs and a copy of the EPC which you can find online.