Is Solar PV still worth it?

ABrass

Screwdriva said:

I have a thread on this very subject with detailed actual numbers from 2020. Summarized, without substantially increased electricity tariffs and a higher SEG tariff, solar is no longer financially attractive, essentially impossible to achieve a payback in < 15 years.

Your example doesn't prove it can't be done, just that £7500 on a 4kW system won't.

Solarchaser

ABrass said:

Screwdriva said:

I have a thread on this very subject with detailed actual numbers from 2020. Summarized, without substantially increased electricity tariffs and a higher SEG tariff, solar is no longer financially attractive, essentially impossible to achieve a payback in < 15 years.

Your example doesn't prove it can't be done, just that £7500 on a 4kW system won't.

Indeed.
Your example is a great example on being oversold something, and paying too much for a vision which was not reality.

It's generally accepted that £1/watt is a good guideline for solar, so your 4kw system should have come in around £4k, yes I appreciate you had extra bells and whistles, but its a bad comparison in general.

On the other end of the scale I paid £2k for 6600w of panels, bought £50 of connectors and cable, used some old decking I had lying about and mounted the panels on my garage roof myself 2 years ago, my return on them will be well under 10 years, probably about 4 going by the last two years.

Specific cases don't necessarily help, unless your generation and usage is comparable really.

Screwdriva

ABrass said:

Your example doesn't prove it can't be done, just that £7500 on a 4kW system won't.

I paid £7K in all. That said, I was not quoted less than £6K by any installer in the area and I received quotes from half a dozen. 330W panels etc. Based on this £6K cost, and the numbers I've shared, I'd be willing to accept that these systems can pay for itself if you can prove a payback period of <15 years. I believe you'll struggle, as I calculate approximately £300 in savings/ earnings p.a. I may have missed something. 

As far as claiming I was oversold, I chose top of the line panels and components intentionally due to limited roof space and my preference for those bells and whistles. Unless you know of a quality system being sold for < £3500, a sub 10 year ROI is unlikely in my view.  

That doesn't mean I'm not a fan. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But I believe that an absolute best case payback scenario of around 15 years is more believable unless electricity tariffs rise considerably and/ or the government gets its act together and forces better SEG tariffs.

[Deleted User]

Cost versus value are a matter for the purchaser. I paid just over £7k for a 7kWp array including SolarEdge and in roof fitting on two slate roofs. I was fortunate in that I was able to resurrect a contract that was mutually cancelled due to CV19. DNO approval had come through during Lockdown so when cases were low, I asked my proposed installer whether he was still interested in the work. Within a week or so of my call, the installation was complete. Whether I get my money back is somewhat academic: it is great to see an output of 20kWhs on a bright/sunny February day.

mickyduck55

[Deleted User] said:

Cost versus value are a matter for the purchaser. I paid just over £7k for a 7kWp array including SolarEdge and in roof fitting on two slate roofs. I was fortunate in that I was able to resurrect a contract that was mutually cancelled due to CV19. DNO approval had come through during Lockdown so when cases were low, I asked my proposed installer whether he was still interested in the work. Within a week or so of my call, the installation was complete. Whether I get my money back is somewhat academic: it is great to see an output of 20kWhs on a bright/sunny February day.

The panels must have improved significantly in 10 years.. My 3.99kWp best day this year is 12.5 kW although roof pitch is only 24 degree so not great for winter sun.  I see other people posting figures way better than mine .. but my annual generation is within a sparrows f**t of what PVIS forecasts so as we head towards spring in the words of the song "Here comes the sun"

Solarchaser

mickyduck55 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Cost versus value are a matter for the purchaser. I paid just over £7k for a 7kWp array including SolarEdge and in roof fitting on two slate roofs. I was fortunate in that I was able to resurrect a contract that was mutually cancelled due to CV19. DNO approval had come through during Lockdown so when cases were low, I asked my proposed installer whether he was still interested in the work. Within a week or so of my call, the installation was complete. Whether I get my money back is somewhat academic: it is great to see an output of 20kWhs on a bright/sunny February day.

The panels must have improved significantly in 10 years.. My 3.99kWp best day this year is 12.5 kW although roof pitch is only 24 degree so not great for winter sun.  I see other people posting figures way better than mine .. but my annual generation is within a sparrows f**t of what PVIS forecasts so as we head towards spring in the words of the song "Here comes the sun"

Erm, Dolor said 20kwh for a 7kw system
20/7 =2.86 kwh/kwp
Your 12.5/4=3.125 kwh/kwp so you are actually getting a better result than Dolor.

Results are really only comparable within a few miles of each other though

EricMears

Solarchaser said:

Results are really only comparable within a few miles of each other though

I'd suggest that you should only compare results with a very close neighbour and then only if your roof angles are the same as theirs and if degree of shading (or hopefully lack of) is also similar.   Under any other circumstances you'd be deluding yourself !

Solarchaser

EricMears said:

Solarchaser said:

Results are really only comparable within a few miles of each other though

I'd suggest that you should only compare results with a very close neighbour and then only if your roof angles are the same as theirs and if degree of shading (or hopefully lack of) is also similar.   Under any other circumstances you'd be deluding yourself !

Well yeah, and if the roof faces due south etc etc,  but trying not to be too limiting in comparison 

EricMears

Solarchaser said:

EricMears said:

Solarchaser said:

Results are really only comparable within a few miles of each other though

I'd suggest that you should only compare results with a very close neighbour and then only if your roof angles are the same as theirs and if degree of shading (or hopefully lack of) is also similar.   Under any other circumstances you'd be deluding yourself !

Well yeah, and if the roof faces due south etc etc,  but trying not to be too limiting in comparison 

"roof angles" was used as a term that would embrace direction and slope.
If you're making a  comparison,  you can choose between being 'limiting' but accurate  or wider ranging if you accept a degree of inaccuracy.

Solarchaser

EricMears said:

Solarchaser said:

EricMears said:

Solarchaser said:

Results are really only comparable within a few miles of each other though

I'd suggest that you should only compare results with a very close neighbour and then only if your roof angles are the same as theirs and if degree of shading (or hopefully lack of) is also similar.   Under any other circumstances you'd be deluding yourself !

Well yeah, and if the roof faces due south etc etc,  but trying not to be too limiting in comparison 

"roof angles" was used as a term that would embrace direction and slope.
If you're making a  comparison,  you can choose between being 'limiting' but accurate  or wider ranging if you accept a degree of inaccuracy.

So angles was supposed to be direction too, gotcha. 

Well best include panel efficiency,  inverters efficiency,  you know,  want to be accurate 🙂