Recommendations for Solar Installers

NedS

jackieblack said:

NedS said:

Knowing your budget would help. @Screwdriv's recommendation of a Powerwall 3 is excellent advice if it is within your budget. Also maximise your roof space with as much solar as reasonably possible.

Battery capacity will be important for you with an ASHP, as usage in winter will be high. We have a 13.5kWh Powerwall, and use the Octopus Cosy tariff for heat pump owners in winter, which allows us to recharge 3 times a day on cheap rate. This means we can still make it though the day on cheap rate when our usage can be 40-50kWh per day in winter, without having to buy a huge battery system. A single 13.5kWh PW3 is also perfectly sized for summer, covering a days usage for us.

We now have zero bills. We make enough in summer on the Intelligent Octopus Flux (IOF) tariff to cover our usage in winter on the Cosy tariff. We were previously paying around £2500/year on oil/electricity, so the payback period on a £12.5k battery/solar install is pretty good.

Thank you, NedS
Hadn't really thought too much about budget , I know prices have changed massively since I had my current system installed 15 years ago, and these things cost what they cost, I guess in my head, based om absolutely nothing at all, I'd allowed around £10k but, once the moves are done and all expenses known for sure, I could have some flexibility. The budget won't be unlimited, but Screwdriva's suggested £11k figure doesn't sound undoable.

@Screwdriva's pricing is very good. I paid a little more to go with a local company, but was happy with the service I received and the knowledge they are just up the road if I need any after sales support for any reason.

The Tesla Gateway unit, which provides whole home backup in the event of a power outage needs to be installed next to the meter. The distance between the meter/Gateway and the battery can affect the price, as long runs of cabling cost more and take more time to install. I would estimate that the difference between a simple installation and a more complex installation could easily be £1000. Obviously if trenching or highly complex cable runs are required, that can add further cost.

If you can push the budget wrt maximising solar panels, that will always be worth it (up to a point), but will depend on what limitations if any the DNO imposes - which you will not know until you apply. As well as earning you more cash in summer (to offset against your winter bills), the extra solar can still make a meaningful contribution in winter minimising what you need to import.

I discussed with my installer exactly what I wanted to achieve in the planning phase, and then paid my deposit having agreed a minimum offer that we would need from the DNO to be able to proceed with the project. The initial offer came back low, and below the level at which the project was financially viable. The company would have returned my deposit in full (sucking up the cost of the work for the DNO application), but luckily we managed to obtain a higher offer which allowed us to proceed.

I would discuss and agree a number of quotes for different scenarios, depending what the DNO offers. Don't forget the DNO can limit your site export AND the inverter rating independently. Uniquely, the inverter rating on the PW3 can be set anywhere between 3.68kW and 11.04kW output, but this will also affect how much power the PW3 can output to the house under load, so can be quite restrictive if you are also limited by inverter rating by the DNO. Normally you would choose your inverter hardware based on the DNO rating approval whereas with the PW3 it's one piece of hardware that can be configured in software to whatever the DNO approves making it extremely versatile.

jackieblack

NedS said:

jackieblack said:

NedS said:

Knowing your budget would help. @Screwdriv's recommendation of a Powerwall 3 is excellent advice if it is within your budget. Also maximise your roof space with as much solar as reasonably possible.

Battery capacity will be important for you with an ASHP, as usage in winter will be high. We have a 13.5kWh Powerwall, and use the Octopus Cosy tariff for heat pump owners in winter, which allows us to recharge 3 times a day on cheap rate. This means we can still make it though the day on cheap rate when our usage can be 40-50kWh per day in winter, without having to buy a huge battery system. A single 13.5kWh PW3 is also perfectly sized for summer, covering a days usage for us.

We now have zero bills. We make enough in summer on the Intelligent Octopus Flux (IOF) tariff to cover our usage in winter on the Cosy tariff. We were previously paying around £2500/year on oil/electricity, so the payback period on a £12.5k battery/solar install is pretty good.

Thank you, NedS
Hadn't really thought too much about budget , I know prices have changed massively since I had my current system installed 15 years ago, and these things cost what they cost, I guess in my head, based om absolutely nothing at all, I'd allowed around £10k but, once the moves are done and all expenses known for sure, I could have some flexibility. The budget won't be unlimited, but Screwdriva's suggested £11k figure doesn't sound undoable.

@Screwdriva's pricing is very good. I paid a little more to go with a local company, but was happy with the service I received and the knowledge they are just up the road if I need any after sales support for any reason.

The Tesla Gateway unit, which provides whole home backup in the event of a power outage needs to be installed next to the meter. The distance between the meter/Gateway and the battery can affect the price, as long runs of cabling cost more and take more time to install. I would estimate that the difference between a simple installation and a more complex installation could easily be £1000. Obviously if trenching or highly complex cable runs are required, that can add further cost.

If you can push the budget wrt maximising solar panels, that will always be worth it (up to a point), but will depend on what limitations if any the DNO imposes - which you will not know until you apply. As well as earning you more cash in summer (to offset against your winter bills), the extra solar can still make a meaningful contribution in winter minimising what you need to import.

I discussed with my installer exactly what I wanted to achieve in the planning phase, and then paid my deposit having agreed a minimum offer that we would need from the DNO to be able to proceed with the project. The initial offer came back low, and below the level at which the project was financially viable. The company would have returned my deposit in full (sucking up the cost of the work for the DNO application), but luckily we managed to obtain a higher offer which allowed us to proceed.

I would discuss and agree a number of quotes for different scenarios, depending what the DNO offers. Don't forget the DNO can limit your site export AND the inverter rating independently. Uniquely, the inverter rating on the PW3 can be set anywhere between 3.68kW and 11.04kW output, but this will also affect how much power the PW3 can output to the house under load, so can be quite restrictive if you are also limited by inverter rating by the DNO. Normally you would choose your inverter hardware based on the DNO rating approval whereas with the PW3 it's one piece of hardware that can be configured in software to whatever the DNO approves making it extremely versatile.

Thanks
(Goes off to Google DNO... never heard of that, with my current system the installers came round, looked at my roof and told me what would fit... whether anything else happened in the background I don't know, but don't remember anyone else getting involved and telling me what I could/couldn't have)

NedS

DNO = Distribution Network Operator

You can see who your is DNO here:

https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator

Your solar installer will be very used to dealing with them and making all the necessary applications. You may like to read up on G98/G99 application process.

Basically, G98 is an install and notify process that allows an installer to install equipment up to a 3.68kW limit and notify the DNO afterwards that they have done so. No prior permission required.

For installations over 3.68kW, an application must be made and approved by the DNO before any connection to the Grid is permitted. This is a G99 application. The DNO may just approve it, or they may come back with a rejection and a lower offer of what can be installed, and/or a quote for any works that may be required to the grid to allow the original application such as upgrading the grid infrastructure (although this will almost certainly be cost prohibitive for you).

jackieblack

NedS said:

DNO = Distribution Network Operator

You can see who your is DNO here:

https://www.energynetworks.org/customers/find-my-network-operator

Your solar installer will be very used to dealing with them and making all the necessary applications. You may like to read up on G98/G99 application process.

Basically, G98 is an install and notify process that allows an installer to install equipment up to a 3.68kW limit and notify the DNO afterwards that they have done so. No prior permission required.

For installations over 3.68kW, an application must be made and approved by the DNO before any connection to the Grid is permitted. This is a G99 application. The DNO may just approve it, or they may come back with a rejection and a lower offer of what can be installed, and/or a quote for any works that may be required to the grid to allow the original application such as upgrading the grid infrastructure (although this will almost certainly be cost prohibitive for you).

Thank you
It seems even more has changed than I realised!

Screwdriva

NedS said:

@Screwdriva's pricing is very good. I paid a little more to go with a local company, but was happy with the service I received and the knowledge they are just up the road if I need any after sales support for any reason.

The age old local vs national installer debate is still glowing on the embers. After helping over 200 homeowners now, I have found the following to be the best criteria on selecting one:

1) How long have they been trading? If it's > 7 years, then the installer has survived the past Solar boom/ bust cycle after the FIT program ended and will likely survive the next one. Also check if they are MCS/ HIES/ Trustmark registered. 

2) What component brands are on offer? And at what price? Typically, installers offering cheap unethical brands will be forced to deal with the poor quality on offer down the road, one way or the other. I always recommend quality panels like Eurener and a quality battery inverter system like Tesla at the lowest price possible. The goal here is that the parent companies should look after the end customer regardless of whether the installer remains in business, while maximizing return on investment. 

3) What do their genuine Google/ Trustpilot reviews tell you? This is self explanatory but I always look for installer reviews that seem genuine. These will tell you more about the installer than the paid for reviews they can farm out - If everything looks perfect, something isn't right. 

4) MCS + 10 Year Workmanship warranty or nothing at all. Also self explanatory. Several companies will offer 2 or 5 year workmanship warranties but Solar is among the longest term investments. Having the reassurance of not having to pay for remote or in person diagnostics or resolutions of faults within the payback window is great to have and a must for every household I help.

This should help anyone find the right installer, regardless of where they are based.