Solar panel system quote advice.

EricMears

Exiled_Tyke wrote: »

My figures below seem even more extreme than I expected so I’d be grateful if someone could check them for me.

This battery needs to store (and save you) 47,000 units of electricity before it’s paid for itself. If it could fully charge and discharge (normially not fully possible) once every day (unlikely) I reckon it takes nearly 60 years to pay for itself.

Certainly in right ballpark !

£6995 divided by 15p would be 46,633 units to save. At a full cycle of 2.4kWh/day that would be 876 kWh/year or the 46.633 units would take 53 years and a few months.

Of course the 15ppu would have gone up somewhat in 50+ years which makes the calculation slightly more favourable.
OTOH a full calculation ought to take into account the loss of interest on the purchase price (or finance costs if borrowing that).




(Later)


If you use £2000 rather than £7000 as the battery cost, payback period reduces from 53 years to something nearer 15. Perhaps approaching worthwhile but 10 or less years payback is normally used a test of viability.

Brismith1987

Coastalwatch wrote: »

Hi Brian, certainly an interesting thread. Is 5.1 kWp the max you can fit or do you have space for more even panels! Might be worth considering, if so, as a 4kWp system would only serve basic domestic electricity needs! If you're planning to get an EV in the future and/or wish to include heating as well then the max allowable size(DNO agreeing) is 10 kW!

In combination with battery storage that may then cover all your energy needs!

Just a thought!

Hi Coastalwatch,

I am unsure about the number of panels I can get, though another company quoted 18 panels, this was via a remote survey. No-one else I have contacted has came back yet.

I would assume that is only for the south-facing side of the roof.

The wife is apprehensive as it is with the 5.1 kW system cost without trying to double it :-)

Coastalwatch

Brismith1987 wrote: »

Hi Coastalwatch,
The wife is apprehensive as it is with the 5.1 kW system cost without trying to double it :-)

Point taken, although with the cost of batteries not yet being cost effective and only having one chance at claiming FIT and export it may be worth thinking about putting the batts on hold until the prices come down and spending some of the surplus on additional panels before FIT ends! I'd love a battery for the same reasons as you but won't procede along those lines until there's a visible ROI.
Guess I want my cake and eat it.

Exiled_Tyke

Coastalwatch wrote: »

Point taken, although with the cost of batteries not yet being cost effective and only having one chance at claiming FIT and export it may be worth thinking about putting the batts on hold until the prices come down and spending some of the surplus on additional panels before FIT ends! I'd love a battery for the same reasons as you but won't procede along those lines until there's a visible ROI.
Guess I want my cake and eat it.

To be really clever, leave space for two extra panels to be fitted later. (If the current rules remain) These can be used to be part of a new system when a battery is fitted so getting the reduced VAT rate on the battery. Why two panels? Because one micro inverter can be run from two panels (I suppose one panel would do but scaling up always seems financially beneficial).

Brismith1987

Hi all,

I received the following quote from The Solar Installation Company:

5.31kW 18x 295w Q-Cell Black Solar PV System (Including 20 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Inverter - £6,291.00

2.4 kWh Lithium Ion Battery Storage System with Changeover switch
Operational during a Power Cut - £2,105.00 (I believe Solax and Plyon)

Anti-Bird Protection System - £300.00

Promotional Discount -£750.00

Total with tax £7,946.00

How does this one sound?

Thanks

Exiled_Tyke

It sounds like the batteries are still a false economy. And what’s the strange discount?

What’s the inverter?

Shading needs exploring further as it tends to have a more significant effect than many realise. Unless you are having a solar edge system or microinverters then shading on one panel will bring all the rest on the same string down to the same output. (Typically the panels are split between two strings).

Many more questions to answer before concluding on this one and others here are far better qualified to comment.

Brismith1987

Hi,

The Inverter is a Solax Hybrid X inverter.

The discount is a special Winter discount ending soon lol

Merlin139

Brismith1987 wrote: »

Hi all,

I received the following quote from The Solar Installation Company:

5.31kW 18x 295w Q-Cell Black Solar PV System (Including 20 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Inverter - £6,291.00

Panels around £100 each. Inverter about £700 so 2.5K

2.4 kWh Lithium Ion Battery Storage System with Changeover switch
Operational during a Power Cut - £2,105.00 (I believe Solax and Plyon)

Anti-Bird Protection System - £300.00

Never seen that on a quote but as its being put on at time of install what in it costs £300.

Promotional Discount -£750.00

As the quote is at least 1.5K too much, not much of a discount.

Total with tax £7,946.00

How does this one sound?

Thanks

No point in having a Hybrid inverter unless you get the battery.

Martyn1981

Brismith1987 wrote: »

Hi all,

I received the following quote from The Solar Installation Company:

5.31kW 18x 295w Q-Cell Black Solar PV System (Including 20 Year Manufacturers Warranty on Inverter - £6,291.00

2.4 kWh Lithium Ion Battery Storage System with Changeover switch
Operational during a Power Cut - £2,105.00 (I believe Solax and Plyon)

Anti-Bird Protection System - £300.00

Promotional Discount -£750.00

Total with tax £7,946.00

How does this one sound?

Thanks

Hiya, hope the hunting is fun, not too stressful.

I'd say that that price isn't too bad. Not great, but not too bad. But, do you want/need a battery, and do you need bird protection?

Not suggesting you jump yet, but if you want everything in that package, then it's a nice start. Can you check how easy it is to add additional batts (I think they are about £700 each). Can you simply plug in more yourself, so an easy way to expand storage later if costs fall.

I'm in full agreement with the other posters, batts are too expensive today, but really want one. This package gets you started at the lower cost end though.

Zarch

Throwing something else in to the mix......

Do you have a water tank? If so consider something like an iBoost too. Takes you excess solar generation and heats the header tank. Cost about £300 but will pay for themselves in the long run.

https://www.marlec.co.uk/product/solar-iboost/?v=79cba1185463

Sadly, no use if you have a combi-boiler.