Project Solar

thematrixryered · 18 May 2021 at 10:32AM

Morning all,
Little to my surprise someone in my household organised a meeting with a sales rep from Project Solar and I've read so many negative reviews online. They signed the contract but there is a 14 day cooling off period so I am doing my research.

I wanted to get your opinion on the costs with my offer. It is roughly £17.5k for 12 x Evolution UltraMax 370W solar panels giving an output of 4.44kW and a triple power 17.4kW battery storage with a hot water controller. Of course the usual certificates labour etc which they claim is priced at roughly £1.5k.

What are your thoughts on this? I am going to get a quote from another provider today.

Thanks!

QrizB · 18 May 2021 at 11:11AM

That 4.44kWp solar PV system should be under £5k fully installed for a "normal" home. (You don't live in a lighthouse or castle or anything?) The battery is around £7k. The hot water controller cost is insignificant in the grand scheme.

Say £12k fair market value for your system, including all parts and labour, installed and commissioned and registered.

Personally I would cancel immediately. If you can't get a much better price you can always go back to them in a couple of weeks!

QrizB · 18 May 2021 at 11:22AM

Just to add, here's a similar system (4kWp PV, much smaller 4.8kWh battery) for £6350:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164384391223 (an example, not a recommendation).

The batteries in this case are Pylontech, which have many happy users on the forum, and are easily expanded. You would probably need to add another £5k or so to expand it to the same size battery that Project Solar quoted for, so total £11650.

Hexane · 18 May 2021 at 11:54AM

QrizB said:

The hot water controller cost is insignificant in the grand scheme.

Indeed - worth about £200. (I paid more like £300 for mine.) And is unlikely to save you any money at all if you use gas to heat your domestic hot water.

thematrixryered · 18 May 2021 at 1:21PM

Thanks for your comments.

They have said they will also replace any parts free of charge which is where they can also add value, however would this be adding 5k worth of value? I am waiting for the second quote so i'm curious to see what they come back with.

Exiled_Tyke · 18 May 2021 at 1:33PM

Don't even wait for another quote. There are numerous reports of issues with this company on these boards. Cancel immediately and refuse to enter into any further discussion. Send the cancellation notice by recorded delivery and keep a copy with proof of posting.

Solarchaser · 18 May 2021 at 1:35PM

I'd second what exiled tyke says.
This company is well reported, avoid avoid avoid

Dolor · 18 May 2021 at 1:38PM

thematrixryered said:

Thanks for your comments.

They have said they will also replace any parts free of charge which is where they can also add value, however would this be adding 5k worth of value? I am waiting for the second quote so i'm curious to see what they come back with.

Which actual parts are they talking about? A PV solar system with a battery is standalone. Yes, it will need to wired into the property and this might need a new sub consumer box. The solar diverter is nothing more than a box of electronics that is connected to the cable that powers the hot water cylinder immersion heater. The extra bits that were required comprised 3 screws and 6 inches of wire.

Walk away while you can. I had a 7kWp array installed on 2 roofs (with in roof installation) along with a £8500 Powerwall with a Gateway 2; a Zappi 2 EVSE and EDDI solar diverter form about £2k more than your quote.

If family members are keen on getting a solar array, then my advice would be that 3 quotes are required from carefully chosen installers. YouGen is a good source to identify installers that have good feedback. A good installer will look at your roof; consider shading etc and tell you what the art of the possible is regarding the number of panels etc. They will also discuss such mundane things as VAT. You can be hit for 20% when a few changes to the installation might reduce this to 5%.

https://blog.spiritenergy.co.uk/homeowner/get-5-vat-solar-panels?_gl=1*1t6oqd7*_ga*MTM4ODU4MDIxLjE2MjA4MTg2Mjg.*_ga_H2QDK3X5H3*MTYyMTM0MTUyNC4zLjEuMTYyMTM0MTU3OS4w

Hexane · 18 May 2021 at 5:26PM

thematrixryered said:

They have said they will also replace any parts free of charge which is where they can also add value, however would this be adding 5k worth of value? I am waiting for the second quote so i'm curious to see what they come back with.

I'm not sure how this is different from what should come as standard with any installation from a reputable supplier, i.e. insurance-backed guarantees on the workmanship of the install, warranties for the panels and for the inverter, warranties on the long-term output of the panels. (Although that last one never seemed to have any particularly significant practical value to me - what am I going to do, contact the panel manufacturer in November 2038 telling them that my panels are generating 3% less than I think they should and asking them to remove them all to test them?) What parts do they imagine you're going to need replacing, and what are they going to do about it that's any different to any of the above?

Petriix · 19 May 2021 at 2:53PM

Run a mile!

While technically not deception, what they offer is about as close to a legal scam as you can get. The contract will detail just what a terrible deal you are signing up for so they can show that you were fully aware and signed in full knowledge, but it may not reflect the words of the salesman which you cannot rely on.

Here's a simple test: how long will it take your household to use over £18k worth of electricity? Remember that solar will reduce your bills mostly in the spring and summer, less so in the autumn and minimally in the winter so you'll still need to import up to half of your demand and pay the standing charge regardless. So, even if your annual electricity bill is a whopping £1200, it will likely only go down to £600 so you'll take 30 years to break even. If your usage is a more normal £500 then the savings will be no more than £250 per year or a ludicrous 64 years ROI.

If you want solar then get a quote from a local installer. A 4kWp system should be under £4k. Batteries are unlikely to be a good investment unless you are very high users and have a good strategy for maximising their use. Solar hot water diverters make sense only if you have an expensive method for heating water normally; if you're on mains gas then it's cheaper to use that and export the surplus solar generation.