Are solar panels on a new build worth it?

pile-o-stone

If you're planning on staying in your new home for a long time then it'd be worth fitting solar panels, especially as you mentioned someone is home during the day when you'd be generating the electricity.

If you've got a hot water cylinder then you can add an iboost type device to divert excess solar power to your immersion heater, providing you with hot water for a large part of the year.

With a new build, I'd suggest looking at roof integrated panels, they look fantastic set into a modern slate roof. With any sort of home improvement you have to consider kerb appeal, and solar is no different. Solar panels seem to be a bit 'marmite' and people either love them or hate them. With roof integrated you broaden their appeal (see example below).



Roof integrated panels are slightly less efficient at the height of summer because they get hotter than those that sit on the roof like a hat, however you'd probably have excess power anyway.

I'd look at fitting as many panels as you can (subject to the size of your roof and how they look if you have an eye on aesthetics). I'd try and get the ones that produce the most power too (350w to 400w). While you'd be generating way too much power in summer, the larger your array the more use it is in winter or dull days.

I'd not worry about a battery as they don't seem to be economically viable just yet. You can always add one years later if they come down in price.

silverwhistle

Solarchaser wrote: »

If the "normal" tariffs increase, then yeah, but my normal tariff at the moment is 13p,

Mine is around 20 something pence, but no standing charge! Wouldn't work for a three person household..


If you thought mmmmikey's post on prioritising batteries interesting you might also find the posts by Zarch interesting as he has been investigating and recording adjustable tariffs which have got down to a few pence a unit overnight when wind has been generating well and demand low.

Solarchaser

Yeah I have Zarch's page saved for my region.
As my plan is to buy several more batteries before the end of the year and switch to octopus go.... but not to agile, as the graphs show that although in certain days its below 5p on agile overnight, in many more cases its above, and the 4pm -7pm rate is as high as 40p, and try though I might, I cant stop the wife firing a load in the washing machine, starting the dishwasher and the dryer, then heading upstairs to use the electric shower, quite often around 6:30pm, so the risk of buying a few kwh at 40p odds is not worth it.

I've had 6kwh useable of batteries for 11 months, when I get to 12 months I plan to up that to 20kwh useable, and switch to go, charging overnight.

I figure in the april - September time I could be almost 0kwh bought.
The figures for roi dont quite stack up, but I like the idea of testing off grid ability for half the year, so see it more like a project

markin

If you can get 2.5kwh (could be a very small roof) for £3K the payback would comfortably be under 12 years.

Zarch

Solarchaser wrote: »

Yeah I have Zarch's page saved for my region.
As my plan is to buy several more batteries before the end of the year and switch to octopus go.... but not to agile, as the graphs show that although in certain days its below 5p on agile overnight, in many more cases its above, and the 4pm -7pm rate is as high as 40p, and try though I might, I cant stop the wife firing a load in the washing machine, starting the dishwasher and the dryer, then heading upstairs to use the electric shower, quite often around 6:30pm, so the risk of buying a few kwh at 40p odds is not worth it.

I've had 6kwh useable of batteries for 11 months, when I get to 12 months I plan to up that to 20kwh useable, and switch to go, charging overnight.

Just to clarify, Agile never reaches 40p per unit, there is a maximum ceiling of 35p.

But saying that, its only hit 35p once in the past 9 months.
The average top end figure each day is currently around 25p.

This is every day graphed for the past 20 months.



This probably doesn't change your situation, but just wanted to provide clarity over pricing.

Solarchaser

Yea, thank you for your clarification.
I need to learn not to say figures from my head.

I've just checked your page there, its 25p at peak. And it's been under 5p almost as much as over in the last 7 days.

But you are correct, it does not change my mind. 25p and the highest usage time in my household makes no sense.

I guess if you had a battery system linked to the prices it would be more appealing, but with our current (dumb) options, a steady tariff makes far more sense, where the batteries can be set for same time each night, and the cost can be worked out easily.