Solar Panel advice

Screwdriva

ian1246 said:

Thanks for the feedback - I'm reasonably happy with the Solar Panels themselves (they have quite good reviews from what I can see online - a reasonable balance of cost vs. performance. vs. warranty period), but you are right - the Inverter looks awful. I'm waiting for a few more companies to come and give quotes - but one of the things I may do with the existing quote is go back to them and find out how much extra it will cost to replace the Inverter with the GivEnergy Hybrid one (which will open up the possibility of fitting a battery in the future).

Any other area's of concern I need to be aware of?

Re: Trina, at that price, I would argue why take the risk? They are not what I would consider a reputable manufacturer, no matter what is printed on a piece of paper. Stick to Sharp/ Hyundai/ Solarwatt/ Panasonic/Qcells or REC. 

GivEnergy, SolarEdge, Enphase, Victron and Fronius are all quality manufacturers. 

Some install batteries because it "feels good" but few can justify the financials without the consumption/ import well in excess of yours. Others will say that the brand doesn't matter, till they they run into an issue and need support from the manufacturer. 

Mikeyboy01443

I have Trina panels, they work well for me no issues so far...
Also when i was getting quotes (i got a lot) most were quoting JA or Trina, so based on that i was fine to get them installed

UncleK

Screwdriva said:

1961Nick said:

Buying the battery at the same time as the panels saves the Vat - a hybrid inverter doesn't cost much more than a solar inverter. 

Not necessarily. You can always add an additional panel with the battery at a later stage and pay zero VAT. 

I might be wrong but I was told that I would pay VAT if if I bought the batteries separately. I think the idea of zero rating them if installed later is under review.

VAT is 20% for solar batteries if they are installed as a standalone product

A call for evidence issued by the Treasury yesterday proposes extending the existing zero VAT rating for solar panels, heat pumps and insulation to battery storage, when either retrofitted to a solar photovoltaic system or fitted as a standalone unit.

Screwdriva

UncleK said:

I might be wrong but I was told that I would pay VAT if if I bought the batteries separately. I think the idea of zero rating them if installed later is under review.

That's correct. But if you purchase a single panel + battery, you don't pay VAT as it is technically a PV system. I hope they pass that legislation but knowing the ineptitude of policymakers, I wouldn't hold your breath too long.

Deuxbiers001

I’ve had several quotes for a 7kWh system with battery and am stuck making a decision between two installers who both have good reviews, MCS, HEISS etc. My question is should I get the battery? Our annual consumption is 7500kWh at the moment. In future it should drop as kids leave home! But for now I’m not sure we’ll see the benefit.

ian1246

Just an Update - one of the people who came out and gave quotes sounded initially like he was OK - talking about the East/West Panels having different "strings" and the importance of ensuring there was no shading on either String (the panels giving out the output of the lowest panel etc...) - however he failed when I asked him how the Panels will be fitted. He described to me how the installers will map out where the beams (or whatever they are called are) are installed and then drill through the Slate Tiles, before installing a 6inch screw with a rubber seal on, into the wood.

Everything I can find says that absolutely Slate should not be drilled! Immediate fail there.

The first installer has come back to me with a revised price of £6,390 to have the 3.6kWh Giv-Energy Hybrid Inverter installed rather than the Growatt Inverter - so I'm leaning towards that at the moment, especially as when he turned up he climbed up and painstakingly measured all of the roof (we have a number of different roofs with different angles due to various extensions) and identified where best to fit the panels, as well as taking the time to explain how he would install the panels (removal of slate, installation of a flash-thing which replaces where the slate was, attaching to the beam/wood, and then the slate cut to fit around the panel clamps/ whatever they are called).

Hopefully got 2 more quotes due this week.

powerful_Rogue

Deuxbiers001 said:

I’ve had several quotes for a 7kWh system with battery and am stuck making a decision between two installers who both have good reviews, MCS, HEISS etc. My question is should I get the battery? Our annual consumption is 7500kWh at the moment. In future it should drop as kids leave home! But for now I’m not sure we’ll see the benefit.

Batteries seem like marmite, love them or hate them! I've got batteries, I use on average 10kWh per day. I wouldn't be without them. Will take a bit longer to pay back then if I had got a system without them, but I find them invaluable.

UncleK

Yes I love my batteries too. I wasn't sure but when saw how much of the power we were generating that was going back to the grid I gulped and got batteries pronto. And then saw the benefit of charging them overnight with cheap electricity.

Alnat1

Love my battery too. It feels good when the sun sets but the house keeps going on stored sunshine.

Screwdriva

Assuming you're being quoted for a 12 panel system (for that price) and have a primarily S facing aspect, perhaps a 5kW inverter would make more sense (assuming your installer is willing to do the G99)? 

GivEnergy > Growatt and is the sensible choice. If you have any shading, SolarEdge wins.