PV v Monocrystalline Solar Panels

silentotter

Hi

I've someone coming over tomorrow to discuss and quote on solar panels. Can anyone advise if there is any real tangible difference between the energy produced by PV panels and monocrystalline panels throughout the seasons of the year including the dull dark winter/autumn months? I know the guarantee period for them both is 25 years but do they both last as equally long before needing replacement?

Thanks

markin

Most/all rooftop PV panels are mono crystalline, Anywhere from 16%-26% efficient, With the most common used being around 22%.

ALL panels are 'PV'  it simply stands for PhotoVoltaic, Not the type of panels.


Your looking for a quote that is around or under £1.30 per watt installed, so a 4kwp system should cost around £5,200, And a Battery should cost around £500 per KWH.


Once you have many quotes post a new thread over here. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/green-ethical-moneysaving


Heres a look what production may look like over the year for a 5kw peak system.

Tool to use here. https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/tools.html


 g

markin

And home visits aren't needed for a quote, Thats a red flag! Expect a hard sell for a over priced system.

Anyone quoting should be able to use google images of your roof and the tool i posted to give a basic quote over Email.


What are your actual needs, and annual kwh use? IF you use 4000kwh a year that is all you need to install, batteries have a long payback and often aren't needed if your home all day to use the power.

silentotter

Thanks everyone. I got a good quote from a company that used google images for the quote with no hard sell. Panels have been up for 5 weeks now and saving us a lot of money on electricity, not used anything from the grid since they have been up.

Gracieacey

Don't forget you may need a new inverter after a few years at a cost of approx £1000

QrizB

Gracieacey said:

Don't forget you may need a new inverter after a few years at a cost of approx £1000

My first inverter lasted 11 years. The replacement was £500.

Depending on brand, a new inverter might have a 25-year manufacturer's warranty.

Gracieacey

I'd be interested to know where it was purchased from and did it include fitting into the price? I was quoted £1000 and that was 4 years ago.

Qyburn

markin said:

And home visits aren't needed for a quote, Thats a red fag

Not convinced on that at all. I was speaking to one installer after he'd given a desktop quote, and it turned out he was assuming some completely impractical interconnections. In the end I sent a rough schematic showing where everything is, and that's the last I heard from them. I assume if I'd gone ahead then at some point they'd discover it was impossible but I'd far rather know that before ordering. 

QrizB

Gracieacey said:

I'd be interested to know where it was purchased from and did it include fitting into the price?

From https://www.bimblesolar.com/ongrid/gridinverters where you'll find inverters in various sizes and capacities. Mine was this one - not the cheapest, nor the most expensive.

No, that price didn't include fitting. It was 30 minutes work for an electrician.

Gracieacey said:

I was quoted £1000 and that was 4 years ago.

Even four years ago, £1000 was at the high end (unless you wanted an inverter with lots of bells & whistles).

Gracieacey

It wasn't an inverter that had anything special ....just a quote by a reputable company. 

QrizB

Gracieacey said:

It wasn't an inverter that had anything special ....just a quote by a reputable company. 

As long as you're happy with it, and with the service they provided, there's no problem.