Solar PV quote - feedback please 4 October 2022 at 2:52PM in Green & ethical MoneySaving 6 replies 282 views

boots_babe

Hi,

I've been lurking on this forum for a while now, learning as much as I can, before we went ahead to get some solar PV quotes. I've just had my first quote through today and would be really glad of any initial comments or feedback please.

For background, we use 8500 kWh per annum (actual readings). No gas, oil fired boiler, electric cooker, hot tub, and both work from home, so are always in. Our roof is almost exactly south facing, with no shading.

Company that quoted is MCS and HIES - in fact they are the company HIES use to fix issues from other companies. They would prefer to do the G99 application before install, but if we preferred would install and then if G99 was refused (they think likely due to our rural location/end of line) then could fit a limiter.


20 x 405 W JA Solar monocrystalline silicon PV panels. Total rated capacity – 8.1kW

1 x Inverter

1 x Bird Guard Protection

2 x 5.12kWh Sunsynk Batteries

Full installation, electrical infrastructure and connections, Including permissions as may be required, TREE installer warranties and 25 year solar panel performance guarantee.

MCS and HIES registration for Smart Export Guarantee.

All workmanship is warrantied as discussed

Total price £17,420.00

Deposit 20% - £3,484.00



Many thanks.

Screwdriva

A few questions:

1) Where are you located?
2) Any shading on the roof from anything?
3) Do you plan on replacing the oil boiler with a Ground/ Air source heat pump in the future?
4) What brand is the proposed inverter?

Initial thoughts on your quote are:

- You should be paying roughly £250 for a quality panel. 20 Sharp 400W Panels X 250 = £5K
- SolarEdge Inverter w/ extended warranty= £1300
- 20 X SolarEdge Optimizers  - £1000
- SolarEdge 10kW battery - ~£7500 (10 year warranty)

All of the above with a 25 year warranty should cost  <£15K. This leads me to believe that the above is far from optimal and that you would be wise to ask for more quotes. 

boots_babe

Hi Screwdriva, thanks for replying. Answers to your questions:

1. We're in the north west, Lancashire.
2. No shading. 
3. No plans for ASHP. We probably need to replace our ageing oil boiler soonish,but am not convinced by ASHP so will probably get another oil boiler. However, we do plan to install an immersion heater ASAP, so would probably want an iBoost or similar. But he said could easily add that in later, given we have no immersion right now.
4. Didn't specify brand.

Thank you for your initial thoughts on the figures. Currently awaiting visits from other providers, will definitely get more quotes.

Screwdriva

boots_babe said:

Thank you for your initial thoughts on the figures.

Cheers. I do recommend MyEnergi's Eddi solar diverter over the iBoost (very slick app, integrates with their Zappi EV charger well, which futureproofs things). 

If you haven't installed one yet, I'd recommend a 1.5 kW immersion heater over the 3kW. It will take longer to heat the cylinder fully but your 8kW system should easily be able to generate in excess of 1.5 kWh for ~10 months of the year. 

A GSHP may make more fiscal sense over oil for heating if you have the sun bathed land area to accommodate it. They perform well at heating the home and typically have a higher SCOP. Food for thought perhaps. . .

Dave_Fowler

Screwdriva said:

boots_babe said:

Thank you for your initial thoughts on the figures.

Cheers. I do recommend MyEnergi's Eddi solar diverter over the iBoost (very slick app, integrates with their Zappi EV charger well, which futureproofs things). 

If you haven't installed one yet, I'd recommend a 1.5 kW immersion heater over the 3kW. It will take longer to heat the cylinder fully but your 8kW system should easily be able to generate in excess of 1.5 kWh for ~10 months of the year. 

A GSHP may make more fiscal sense over oil for heating if you have the sun bathed land area to accommodate it. They perform well at heating the home and typically have a higher SCOP. Food for thought perhaps. . .

If you're getting a solar diverter for your immersion heater you don't need to worry about using a low wattage immersion as the diverter will reduce the current to it whenever the solar can't keep up. Use as long an immersion heater as will fit in the tank and choose a 3kW power. 

Coastalwatch

boots_babe said:

Hi Screwdriva, thanks for replying. Answers to your questions:

1. We're in the north west, Lancashire.
2. No shading. 
3. No plans for ASHP. We probably need to replace our ageing oil boiler soonish,but am not convinced by ASHP so will probably get another oil boiler. However, we do plan to install an immersion heater ASAP, so would probably want an iBoost or similar. But he said could easily add that in later, given we have no immersion right now.
4. Didn't specify brand.

Thank you for your initial thoughts on the figures. Currently awaiting visits from other providers, will definitely get more quotes.

Hi bb and welcome. Having had our pv installed four years ago then I'm rather out of touch with current pricing especially with demand having rocketted in recent months as well but others posting opinions here are certainly worth consideration.

As you are intending an immersion heater installed then one thing I can make a suggestion upon, is that of space heating, whereby Air2Air heat pumps cost a fraction of the Air2Water cousins and indeed will run either independently of your existing system or in company with it during a severe winter.

We installed a single unit with a COP of 4 - 1 in our lounge which also sufficiently fed the adjacent hall way by opening or closing the door between. We were impressed with it's response, quietness and flexibility so ordered another to cover Lobby, bathroom and two beds. This was all to accompany our GCH.

After a couple of winters we terminated the gas supply and now rely on the A2A pumps only for space heating. So no radiators or pipes to paint, clean or generally clutter up the decor and all at a fraction of the cost of any water based system. We are in a two bed bungalow of circa 100 sq metres floor plan. Oh, in place of immersion we fitted a thermal store, same thing just back to front. So the heated water stays in situ and cold potable water fed thro it to supply hot water with less issues regarding infections etc.

Just food for thought!

boots_babe

Thanks for the various comments on immersion heaters, we haven't got one installed yet, and haven't got as far as investigating the spec yet, so it's interesting to read these posts. I think we need to look into this sooner rather than later.