Isis Solar

ParksidePeter

There are several old threads about the 'free' solar panels installed on roofs by a company called Isis Solar c2012. Some of the information is out of date, some of it misleading and some of the questions were never answered so I am posting this to help anyone who needs to contact the company in the future.

Three linked companies were established in 2010: Isis Solar Ltd, Isis Solar 1 Ltd and Isis Solar 2 Ltd.

In a BBC Radio 4 programme, the founder, Lawrence Buckley, interviewed by Evan Davies, said that he had raised £5 million to install the panels. This was at the time the feed-in tariff was 42p. I heard the broadcast but don't have the details.

Isis Solar 1 Ltd and Isis Solar 2 Ltd seem to be the companies that handled the installations, I have a contract with Isis Solar 2, but they have been dormant since 2011.

Isis Solar Ltd was put into voluntary liquidation in 2015, benefitting shareholders to the extent of £13 for each £1 share. The liquidator's report into the liquidation does not say anything about the ongoing FIT payments so I don't know where that money is going. There might be clues in the accounts.

The companies' registered office is the office of their accountants, Calder & Co (https://www.calders.net/), phone 020 7839 6655.
They will, I found, pass on messages to whoever has the interest in Isis Solar. (Twice, when I mentioned Isis Solar, they said, 'Oh, yes,' in a way that suggested that they get a few calls.)

johnsaynor

I am I believe a "victim" of this company. They have proved very difficult to contact in the past, the panels kept tripping my consumer unit and I had to hire an independent company to fix the problem.
I have now managed to contact the company or at least an agent by phoning Calder & Co. They pass a message on and I received an e-mail from an employee.
The new owners are a group of solicitors I believe (Calder and Co?). They are only interested in 1 thing i.e the money the panels generate for them.
I am having trouble selling my house now because mortgage companies do not like such long term leasing arrangements.
Under the lease agreement I/we are entitled to buy the panels and thereby resolve the problem. I asked them how much they would cost and they quoted a sky high, ridiculous price which I believe is designed to account for their loss in government tariff. In other words they would be worthless to the new owner.
Moreover I am struggling to identify whether or not I am actually getting any free electricity as I have a smart meter and that doesn't give me any usage information.

ParksidePeter

Responsibility for these panels now lies with Solar O&M Ltd whose sole director was a director of the other companies. Contact is still via Calder & Co.
My understanding is that you buy the panels for the value of the estimated feed-in tariff for the remainder of the 25-year lease. That is in the lease. In a house sale situation the cost of buying the panels falls on the vendor but the purchaser will receive the feed-in tariff payment until the government stops paying it, so I don't see how it can be worthless to a purchaser.
You can get devices that monitor panel generation. My Network Owl tells me that in the last month I have generated 181kWh and exported 43kWh, so I have had 138kWh of free electricity. I also have a device that detects power returning to the mains and diverts it into the immersion heater so for three-four months a year I get free hot water.

johnsaynor

Thank you that's helpful. The Network Owl sounds interesting ...is that different to a typical Smart meter?

ParksidePeter

It's a self-install device that monitors power input and consumption. Works with any type of meter. Available from Amazon for a lot less than I paid for mine several years ago. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intuition-PV-Cloud-Based-Energy-Monitor/dp/B008SAWQM4
Or Google solar energy monitor

forgotmyname

You use less than £20 of electric a month?

George_Michael

forgotmyname wrote: »

You use less than £20 of electric a month?

With a good solar panel setup this could be possible. My electricity bills haven't quite got that low but they've been close.

I have 15 panels producing a maximum of 3.8kW and on an average summer day I can easily get 24 to 25kWh which means that during the day I am not using any paid for electricity.
The money I receive from the generation and the export easily covers my usage during the time the panels are not producing power.
During the summer months, my electricity bills were:
May. £23.21
June. £24.71
July. £28.10

and as the "free" electricity was also being used to heat my water, my gas bills for these months was in single figures every time.
Even now I am getting approximately 12kWh per day as although there is less sunlight than in the summer months, solar PV panels are more efficient in cold weather so still produce a reasonable amount of energy.

forgotmyname

Probably read it wrong. Assumed producded 181, exported 43 so 138 free.

Just thought is that all they use, but they dont mention what extra they used.

They do appear to defend that company a LOT though. I think there is a vested interest there.

johnsaynor

Thank you again...I'll get one as it will be really quite interesting to check more precisely how much we actually gain/use from the panels