First Time Solar, First Time Poster!

x6tus

Hello all. My first post on MSE, hoping to get some good advice from you all.
I've just started on getting quotes for a solar system installed. I understand a fair bit about it all and I just want to make sure I'm not getting ripped off.


I'm planning on getting three quotes.


Today Project Solar came round and quoted me.

The setup and configuration was as I expected.
i have a bungalow with 25% pitched roof. The panels would be split over three sections 2 mainly south facing and one East/south East facing. No significant shading.

Estimated annual output was 3611 kWh. I have all the generation and export details but mainly i wanted to check the initial outlay costs...

14 X evolution max panels £6,844
Installation cost £1711
Total Inc 5% VAT £8,982

He also mentioned I'd need:
1 extra inverter (3 in total) £200
Hot water / immersion device £620
But they didn't appear in the quote.

There was also a Duracell battery option:
Panels and battery £9,348
Installation cost £2,237
Total Inc 5% VAT £12,269

And again didn't include the extra inverter but I wouldn't need the hot water device.

From what I've seen on other posts on here the prices seem high. He also never mentioned labour costs at all during his time with me and I only saw them when I read the quotes.

Any advice from anyone would be appreciated. Also any recommendations on other installers in or around Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire would be great.

I've got a guy coming to discuss solar edge but I think as I have no shading issues or complications I don't think I'll need it although I do like the monitoring stuff.

Thanks!
X6

dktherapy

Looking forward to seeing some responses on this, as we are also having a new system fitted and have a lot of conflicting advice. I’d say it’s vital to have the other quotes: it will bring your price down if nothing else!

Merlin139

Welcome to the Forum.

Its good that you are getting more quotes. Project Solar are just out to make as much as they can. The Basic quote is probably twice the amount it should be. You should easily get a 4 kWp System for under 5K total, Probably 4.5K.

Why do they say you need more than 1 inverter? Are they trying to hide a Voltage Optimiser under another name which is another piece of Crap that Project Solar try to sell. Never been proven to do what is says on the tin!

The hot water device is great for getting free Hot water for about 8 to 9 months of the year by using energy that would go back to the Grid. I have an I-Boost and since May 2014 it has used 5400 kWh's of electricity to heat my hot water during the day.

A Solar Edge System is great if you have shading issues, but if you don't the extra premium to pay for the Micro Inverters is hard to justify. I think its great as the house next door to me is a an angle and its roof is slightly higher so starts to cast a shadow on my house during the afternoon. It adds up to about 10% loss of production.

There are a few threads about Batteries and a few people who regularly post have them but from what I have seen the cost is still too expensive.

If you don't know the key thing is to get the system installed and up and running and registered before the FIT disappears end of March 2019.

ASavvyBuyer

If you are having panels installed on different aspects of the roof, then a Solaredge inverter is likely to be worthwhile, as otherwise your generation will be lowered to the worst performing panel/s.

As others have said, the PS quote is high. The diverter cost, very high and why is another inverter needed?

x6tus

Thanks for the early replies!

I figured that it was expensive but didn't realise by how much.

He said the extra inverter was because I was having the panels installed on three different roof sections, 2 of which are in one direction (S) and the 1 at a different direction (SSE). I presume it's because the 2 in the same need 1 and the extra is for the others.

He mentioned the voltage optimiser, the boiler doctor, the hot water doctor etc. Then he pulled out a Watt/voltage plug in device and told me that my voltage was 238v so it probably wasn't going to work for me. I wouldn't have taken it anyway, complete waste of time and a lot of BS. We didn't even get on to the boiler doctor stuff because I think he realised I actually knew my stuff.

He talked a lot about different panel ratings, as they only used A rated panels and most others used B And C rated stuff. Didn't really know what to make of that. He suggested that Nissan Solar and Ikea used the lesser rated stuff.

I was happy with the layout and configuration he came up with though I must admit. It fitted in with what I had been thinking would be the best way to do it beforehand. But then my roof is fairly simple so it would be difficult to get wrong.

It's certainly a good starting point to compare others with.

Martyn1981

If you have 3 different rooves then Solaredge is the answer, just one inverter, job done.

If two of the rooves are identical (pitch and orientation) then you might be able to get away with one inverter but it has to be a dual MPPT inverter, with each MPPT acting almost like a separate inverter. The two south rooves, as long as they are identical, could even be on separate strings, but running into the same MPPT, but there will have to be the same number of panels in each string, and enough panels to reach the inverters minimum voltage needs, and the MPPT's minimum voltage range. Solaredge may well be the easier choice and you'll have a very high efficiency inverter with a 20yr warranty (12yr standard, but expect the installer to up it to 20yrs (it's about £100 extra)).

BTW, Project Solar prices are always insane, and their claims are untrue.

x6tus

Ok so I've now got a tough telephone quote for a Solar Edge system (12x330w) panels coming in at £7,500 fully installed with iboost. Didn't mention if that was including VAT, I presume not.
They are coming to survey tomorrow so I should have some more details then.
I have another survey being done on Friday 16th too. So hopefully I'll be in a place to make a decision.

Zarch

x6tus wrote: »

Ok so I've now got a tough telephone quote for a Solar Edge system (12x330w) panels coming in at £7,500 fully installed with iboost. Didn't mention if that was including VAT, I presume not.
They are coming to survey tomorrow so I should have some more details then.
I have another survey being done on Friday 16th too. So hopefully I'll be in a place to make a decision.

That seems expensive to me. I recently got 17 x 300w, full SolarEdge on 4 different roof for just over £6000 all in.

I was offered the chance to go for 330w panels, but they were priced at a premium that I thought I wouldn't get back, so went for 300 as better value.

iBoost is about £300 I think. https://www.cclcomponents.com/marlec-solar-iboost-solar-immersion-heater-control?gclid=CjwKCAiAt4rfBRBKEiwAC678Kdo77bksqS-tv_CADf6x6MJ_n8tA13cACvWvQHF5ke2vyCJRmDW8ehoCCPcQAvD_BwE

x6tus

Who did you use to fit your system?

Merlin139

x6tus wrote: »

Who did you use to fit your system?

Installed by CTS Renewables

As shown in Zarch Signature

pile-o-stone

+1 on the solar edge suggestion for multiple roofs.

We also have a solar iBoost+ and it is great for giving us a tank of hot water over summer. I've no idea about current prices, but my original installation in Dec 2015 cost £7k to install 16x250w panels on East/West roofs with a single inverter (dual MPPT input). I sorted out the scaffolding myself with a local company.