Solar Panels Quote advice (again sorry!!)

hartynoll

Hi All

Sorry to bother you again but I'd like some advice about panels.  I've a fairly heavy user as I have a hot tub (turned off for alot of winter) and a plug in hybrid car.  Also our hob is electric and very thirsty if used for a few hours cooking.

First quote - Project Solar (I know)

14 panels, 5.6KW system plus a 6KW battery   - £15,800

You guys have already said how high this is, plus I didn't like the salesman and pressure he put.  Plus he told me all panels had a 99 year warranty, which is intentionally misleading

Second Quote - Swansea Solar

14 panels, 5.6KW system plus a 5Kw Battery - £12,500 and an extra £2000 if I wanted another 5KW battery

These guys are local to me, seem very professional and thorough and I have spoken to them at least 5 times without any pressure from them.  The only downside is that they have said they will order the panels for me, but I have to store them on my property until they can fit them, which raises alot of guarantee/responsibility in case of damage worries for me

Third quote - Eco Care Solutions

16 panels, 6.16Kw system - £6,750

Again, a local guy who is very approachable and seems to know his stuff.  He heavily advised against getting a battery now and said they can install one later if we feel it's needed.  Says he's been doing this for years but can;t find any reviews on his company aside from his own website - he has offered to refer me to customers if I want to.

When I asked about selling excess energy to companies he also advised against getting into these contracts as you sell for 5/6p and then may have to buy back for 30p.  I understand this logic totally but if I don't have a battery, wouldn't all the electricity I generate and don't use just go to waste?

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I am not interested in the first quote but am torn between the two local guys.  Financially, the third guys comes out on top but I do worry about the versatility of his system if I do want to add a battery or sell my excess

I hope this gives you guys enough info to offer some advice.

QrizB

Personally, I'd go for the third guy so long as his references check out (and you can confirm that he's MCS certified, plus backed by HIES or similar). 6.16kWp for £6750 strikes me as a fair price in the current market.

He's correct to say that adding a battery is straightforward; several people on this forum have done just that.

hartynoll said:

When I asked about selling excess energy to companies he also advised against getting into these contracts as you sell for 5/6p and then may have to buy back for 30p.  I understand this logic totally but if I don't have a battery, wouldn't all the electricity I generate and don't use just go to waste?

I think he's mistaken here.

Yes there are a small number of cheap tariffs where you get a reduced SEG, but every major supplier will pay you something for your export. You'll probably know that there's a bit of an Octopus fanbase here, and they currently seem to have the best export tariffs for their customers (and a tolerable SEG even if you aren't their customer).

arty688

The 3rd quote guy seems a bit funny to me , is he MCS registered ? If so why would you not export excess energy?

the battery question is a tricky one you tend to have to be on a TOU tariff like Octopus Go to make the numbers add up. Even then it depends on how much you use .

For example you say you are a fairly heavy user but everyone definition is different me for example would say the same and I use about 20000KWh per annum other people definitions are lower.

hartynoll

arty688 said:

The 3rd quote guy seems a bit funny to me , is he MCS registered ? If so why would you not export excess energy?

the battery question is a tricky one you tend to have to be on a TOU tariff like Octopus Go to make the numbers add up. Even then it depends on how much you use .

For example you say you are a fairly heavy user but everyone definition is different me for example would say the same and I use about 20000KWh per annum other people definitions are lower.

I've just checked here Find a Contractor - MCS (mcscertified.com) and can't find him.  I've asked him directly as well - is that a dealbreaker do you think?

In terms of usage, it's estimating that I will use 8000KWh this year but that is a high estimate as I've only been with OVO since December so that's based mainly on winter months (and 3 months of hot tub use)

QrizB

hartynoll said:

arty688 said:

The 3rd quote guy seems a bit funny to me , is he MCS registered ? If so why would you not export excess energy?

the battery question is a tricky one you tend to have to be on a TOU tariff like Octopus Go to make the numbers add up. Even then it depends on how much you use .

For example you say you are a fairly heavy user but everyone definition is different me for example would say the same and I use about 20000KWh per annum other people definitions are lower.

I've just checked here Find a Contractor - MCS (mcscertified.com) and can't find him.  I've asked him directly as well - is that a dealbreaker do you think?

I would say so, yes.

You need a MCS certificate to get SEG export payments. MCS also ensure your installer has insurance-backed guarantees so you can get any problems fixed if they stop trading.

hartynoll

Update - ok so they are not registered but they use an MCS company to register the installations

gefnew

They will use a MSC registered Electrician to commission and sign off system.

tetrarch

I'm looking at solar for similar reasons. I might be able to help with the hot tub usage. I've had a hot tub since 2004 and it's basically been on almost the entire time. The pic below was taken in Aug 2020 - so after 16 years of constant use to give an idea about energy consumption

Regards

Tet

Magnitio

hartynoll said:

Update - ok so they are not registered but they use an MCS company to register the installations

If you do go with this option, I would suggest you agree with the installer that the final payment will not be made until you have an MCS certificate.

If you are able to charge your car and cook during the day when the panels are generating, then you can manage without the battery and maybe get one in the future when prices and availability improve.

As for hot-tubs, I think they are a major waste of energy and should be banned for the sake of the environment.

Ffion347

Good Morning Hartynoll,

I am also in Swansea and looking for solar panels and battery storage. Did you end up having the panels installed and if so who did you end up using please.

Many thanks in advance