Mid terraced North facing roof - Panels?

waqasahmed

My parents have a mid terraced house, and they've also got an attic. The attic is on top of the roof, and that part faces south.

The rest of the roof faces north. Would it be wise then to even get solar panels if they face north? On the flip side, I guess it'd be cheaper due to limitations based entirely on roof size 

Screwdriva

waqasahmed said:

.Would it be wise then to even get solar panels if they face north?

Quite the opposite. 

Spies

Really unlikely to be worth it. 

waqasahmed

Deleted_User said:

You can see for yourself by typing their address into this calculator. If I put my address in and a 45 degree angle (I'm guessing a roof would be something like that) - if I put in north facing I get less than 2 peak sun hours a day. (As opposed to 5 for my SSW facing). 

If they have a garden it might be possible to put them on pergola or similar. We've got ours on wood stores.

https://footprinthero.com/peak-sun-hours-calculator

Ah that says 2.89 peak hours

On my own house with a west facing roof, I managed to generate 4.3KwH today. I believe I'd be able to generate more than double that when I get my next batch because they can force it to face south on a flat roof

My parents however have a much smaller roof 

thevilla

Half of our 4.7kwp is north facing at 20 degree pitch. It makes 70% of the annual output of the other half which faces south.  Pitch is important as it determines when the sun is going to climb high enough to hit the north face.  In mid winter it hibernates

Martyn1981

waqasahmed said:

My parents have a mid terraced house, and they've also got an attic. The attic is on top of the roof, and that part faces south.

The rest of the roof faces north. Would it be wise then to even get solar panels if they face north? On the flip side, I guess it'd be cheaper due to limitations based entirely on roof size 

You'll need to PVGIS it, but doubtful. I have WNW, which isn't great, but an OK partner to ESE, but I wouldn't do north on its own, unless it's absolutely dirt cheap, perhaps a DIY ground mount, but even then, probably better ways to place it.

Pin in Oxford for PVGIS with 35d pitch roof and I get 1,017kWh pa for south, and 544kWh for north.

Maybe an investment in a RE farm, perhaps Ripple for a direct link to the energy bill?

Screwdriva

Deleted_User said:

For example, they could mount some panels on a house wall. We were able to get 450w panels split between SSE and SSW facing walls (it looks fine). They feed into a solar generator. They do really well in winter. In summer they won't capture all of the available sun, but as there's more sun than you need in summer they do just fine.

Would you happen to have images to share?

diystarter7

Hi OP

Another poster posted a thread her re solar panels and something the solar people don't tell you about IE

Don't forget that next-door mat build a loft extension that blocks out any sun your parents may be getting.

I think there are no laws that state if you have solar panels next door, can't build a loft extension that blocks out the sun, most of it so please remember that as well.

Thanks

waqasahmed

diystarter7 said:

Hi OP

Another poster posted a thread her re solar panels and something the solar people don't tell you about IE

Don't forget that next-door mat build a loft extension that blocks out any sun your parents may be getting.

I think there are no laws that state if you have solar panels next door, can't build a loft extension that blocks out the sun, most of it so please remember that as well.

Thanks

FWIW, my parent's initially wanted to put an attic on both sides of the roof (or one long attic going across both sides)

The planning application for that side was rejected. Nobody is allowed to build on that side of the roof, in the street so the risk of any loft extension going up is near zero if nobody has historically been able to get planning permission

Also, my parents do own the house just right of them too, but not the one just left of them. I've since thought "Hmm if it isn't worth buying, then maybe if they can get it for free for that part of the roof, that's something" even if the costs otherwise don't work out (ie: the pay back period isn't worth it, unless they can perhaps potentially get it for free) 

2nd_time_buyer

diystarter7 said:

Hi OP

Another poster posted a thread her re solar panels and something the solar people don't tell you about IE

Don't forget that next-door mat build a loft extension that blocks out any sun your parents may be getting.

I think there are no laws that state if you have solar panels next door, can't build a loft extension that blocks out the sun, most of it so please remember that as well.

Thanks

That got me thinking about an article that I read a while ago. It seems that blocking solar panels can be a valid reason to block a planning application: 

Judge overturns council's 'irrational' decision to ignore house extension's impact on solar panels | Planning Resource