Solar panels are they worth it?

Jon5321

If you was me would you buy a new build house with solar panels for a extra 5k or so or would you buy a house without and save the 5k?

la531983

Surely it depends what the solar panels on the new house feed, it may just be the hot water boiler rather than the entire house, so the payback on it may take longer. 

Jon5321

Solar photovoltaics panels are the ones that are being fitted.

Alnat1

Do you know the total size of the panels, is there a kWp quoted?

dunstonh

The devil is in the detail.  What size array?   are batteries included (and if so, what size)?  

markin

What size? usually its a 1-2 kwh peak 'token' system? And over priced as everything on a new house.

 If you spent around £6K after the sale you would get to choose the spec and and get the maximum that will fit on the house, And to be able to choose if a battery is right for you and install it at the same time, usually a new hybrid inverter needed if you add on later.

For the solar part the payback can be as little as 6 years. £5.5k, 4kwh system.

Krakkkers

Would need to be a decent size for that money on a new build, maybe 5 kwp?
Any mention of batteries, diverter, inverter?

QrizB

Jon5321 said:

If you was me would you buy a new build house with solar panels for a extra 5k or so or would you buy a house without and save the 5k?

As others have said, it depends on the size of the system and the predicted annual generation.

In a perfect location, in the UK, a kilowatt of solar panel (1kWp) will generate about 1000kWh per year. Currently, if you use the electricity yourself it's worth 30p/kWh or you can sell it to the grid for up to 15p/kWh. Let's take a slightly pessimistic view and assume it averages out at 20p/kWh.

• A 1kWp array will earn £200 a year and pay back in 25 years. Probably not worth it.
• A 2kWp array will earn £400 a year and pay back in 12.5 years. Still probably not worth it unless you expect energy prices to rise significantly or "being green" is important to you.
• A 3kWp array will earn £600 a year and pay back in 8.3 years. That is looking quite promising (8-9 years was a typical payback period under the FIT scheme, which was closed as the government of the day thought it was too lucrative).
• A 4kWp array will earn £800 a year and pay back in 6.25 years. Definitely worth it.
• A 5kWp array will earn £1000 a year and pay back in 5 years. What are you waiting for?

solar panels should last for 25+ years (some even come with warranties that long) so with all but the smallest array you'll be making money before they wear out.

I haven't factored finance costs into this, nor have I included inflation.