Are the Middle East issues forcing Solar Considerations?

NedS

I have solar, a battery and a heat pump.

We previously had bills (oil and electricity) of around £2,500pa, rising to closer to £4,000pa during the last crisis (Ukraine).

We now have no bills - we are net zero both in terms of cost and generation/usage.

[Rhetorical] Regardless of how much it cost us to get there, what value would you place on having zero bills instead of £2,500pa (rising with inflation) over the next 10-20 years, plus the security of not being affected by this or the next energy crisis?

And that's before we have even considered the savings in CO2 emissions.

Nick_Dr1

With a south facing roof, I'd seriously consider putting solar on it. Its minimum disruption and will insulate you against sudden price rises to a certain extent. Put as much on as will fit -nobody ever said "I wish I'd installed less solar".

Batteries are falling in cost so even if you don't get one straight away, make sure the system can incorporate one later, then its just a case of plugging one in. (Specify a hybrid inverter).

As others have said, it is now really a home improvement so actually adds value to your house - there are studies that have shown this, and its common sense really.

It will inevitably pay back eventually, but it is also entertaining and satisfying to see the energy being generated! People pay for entertainment, so if you want to you can factor that in as well!

Heat pumps are different. If you have a newish gas boiler, probably not worth considering.

If your boiler is old (15-20 years) then it will need replacing at some point and then it is worth considering a heat pump. This depends considerably on the individual circumstances and construction of the house. However, in this situation (old boiler) a preventative change of the boiler is a good idea - you don't want it to fail and then replace it as this results in panic installations of what's available rather than what's best. Best to replace while its still working. Perfect planning, and all that.

No1 is insulation though. Good insulation will save energy irrespective of if it comes from gas or electric.

Heat pump installation can be a simple case of just replacing the old boiler, or it can need re-piping and some bigger radiators (not as difficult as it sounds in many cases). You'd need a local installer to assess your situation.

Of course you can go full electric and get an EV to use up all the excess solar in the summer (or even just an Air to Air air conditioner!). Second hand EVs are currently the bargain of the century, especially if you just need to nip down the shops or do local travel. They don't even need a specialist charger for local journeys- a normal mains socket is good enough. I ran a Tesla for several months on a standard wall socket as I only did short journeys.

Screwdriva

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81929966#Comment_81929966

I can't speak for every household, but the 200+ homeowners I've helped are enjoying a 13-15% return on investment (or better) for rooftop Solar. Not sure how many purchases can deliver that tax free year on year with the other positive benefits that come with the technology?

The major contributing factors are:

1) G99 Allowance - a 3.68 kW export allowance will restrict earnings vs. a 11kW allowance.
2) # of Panels - The higher the number of panels installed on a South/ West or East aspect, the greater the return on investment (especially combined with a higher G99 allowance)
3) Export Tariff - Battery households on Intelligent Flux earn close to 29p per kWh on average. This dramatically improves the return on investment despite the higher upfront cost.
4) Consumption - Annual import of < 4000 kWh will struggle to earn a return on a battery within the above time frame with the exception of households on 3)

There are additional factors like panel type and wattage, battery charge/ discharge capability and compatibility with tariffs etc. but these tend to have a relatively smaller impact on the financial equation.

When it comes to heat pumps, it all comes down to the SCOP achieved for the system relative to cost. Anything with a SCOP over 4 will save the homeowner £ relative to a modern condensing gas boiler. (Take away the BUS grant and the subsidized tariffs or add Solar PV into the mix and the equations change significantly). This is why I only recommend heat pumps as replacements for Oil boilers/ LPG boilers or where the SCOP of 4 or higher is guaranteed by the installer (eg. Heat Geeks).

Hexane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81930916#Comment_81930916

I think you mean a 3.68kW export allowance, not a 3.68kWh export allowance?

Only being able to export 3.68kWh per day, would be very limiting indeed.

Hexane

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81930592#Comment_81930592

I'm not too sure about this. Nowadays we seem to see an awful lot of clear sunny days around this time of year (March) when solar PV production is already quite high, but temperatures remain stubbornly low.

Screwdriva

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933539#Comment_81933539

Correct. I mean limited to 3.68 kW at any time.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933540#Comment_81933540

Additionally, whilst export prices are still comparable to import prices, you can take an annual view where the export earned in summer offsets the import purchased in winter. For example, last summer SEG prices were 15p/kWh and this winter Cosy cheap rate imports were 14.8p/kWh so summer solar simply offsets against winter usage. The grid effectively becomes a large annual battery.

I grant this may not continue, but it's great whilst it does.

Gronk

Just to thank everyone for their input which is appreciated.

Using such valued advice I am definitely planning to go ahead with as much solar power as I can get on my South facing roof along with the appropriate inverter so I can consider adding a battery at some point.

Thanks to All.

Screwdriva

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81934403#Comment_81934403

I've always found this sub forum unusually helpful and overflowing with real world wisdom.

Mind if I ask what your annual electricity consumption is? And how large your roof is? This may help provide a clue on the right system configuration for when you decide to pull the trigger.

Swipe

I'm definitely interested in the plugin solar that's popular in Germany if allowed here. I'd be prepared to pay £350-£400 for an inverter and panels to cover the bulk of my daylight background usage (pond pump / UV filter, fridge and freezer and computer/monitor) Spring to Autumn.