Solar panels

oxo47

We have 16 year old solar panels and with the new designs now out  we are wondering if it is worth having the panels replaced.

Reed_Richards

2008 predates the start of the FIT scheme; what (if any) payments do you receive?

Ectophile

Do you qualify for FIT payments?  I'm hanging onto my obsolete panels, as I get generous FIT payments.

If you don't, then new panels would generate at least twice as much electricity for the same roof area.

mardycow

My solar panels were fitted in 2010, I think the panels are ok but I remember being told that the inverter in the loft should be replaced after about 10 years, The original installer went out of business so am struggling to find a reliable and trustworthy person to check them.

Petriix

There are some intricacies but, assuming that you own the panels outright and are the beneficiary of the FIT payments, there is a pathway to upgrading your system while retaining the previous subsidy. 

Essentially you would need to inform your FIT provider of the changes and provide a generation meter reading at the point of the change. You would then receive pro-rata payments based on the increase in system size; e.g. If you went from a 2kWp system to 6kWp you would receive payments based on 1/3 of the generation (and deemed export payments from 50% of that or 1/6 of your total generation moving forwards).

It would likely be a good idea to opt out of deemed export payments and switch to a more lucrative export scheme based on metered exports. 

Inverters only need replacing if required by the new system or on failure. 

Ectophile

mardycow said:

My solar panels were fitted in 2010, I think the panels are ok but I remember being told that the inverter in the loft should be replaced after about 10 years, The original installer went out of business so am struggling to find a reliable and trustworthy person to check them.

You only need to replace the inverter if it's gone wrong.  But if it was fitted in 2010 and is still working, then you've got lucky, and have a good one.  My first one only lasted 6 years.

That said, new ones are often internet enabled.  I can go to the Solax web site and see what my new one is doing in near real time, updated every 10 minutes.

32House433

Do you know if you system is working well? if not more likely the inverter rather than the panels, I've just used a company called wonderwall to replace my parents inverter, cost approx £1000, having got carious other quouts between £1600 an £4000