Biting the Bullet

Woodstok2000

We are thinking of biting the bullet and getting solar panels installed, plus battery/batteries. We have one EV, will be getting a second when my wife changes car next year. We have a relatively new boiler, so thinking about a heat pump further down the line. A picture of the house is above - we're in South East Scotland with a NE/SW facing roof.

Have been doing some reading and looking at websites but I find all the different options and configurations a bit confusing so was hoping to get some clarity. We were with Ovo until recently, they had quoted about £12k (I can't find the quote details now), a near neighbour recently had an installation and they seemed to be saying they paid £20k (16 panels and battery)!

There are quite a few local suppliers, plus the bigger nationals and the energy companies but before we go looking for quotes I'd really appreciate any advice on what we should be looking for. What brands are good, any recommendations for installers, what the system should/shouldn't have etc etc.

Thanks in advance!

QrizB

I don't want to put words in @Screwdriva 's mouth but if you were in England or Wales I expect he'd suggest a roof-full of Eurener panels and a Tesla Powerwall 3 for £12-13k.

Something like his recent post on this thread.

For folk like you in Scotland or Northern Ireland, or one of the various island communities, the options are different due to local market factors.

South East Scotland - central belt, or south of it - might possibly get somewhere close to that offer.

Screwdriva

A survey should show it possible to fit 10-12 X 515W Eurener bifacial panels on that roof (8 on the SW aspect, the rest on the dormer facing SE) . Down here, this would cost £11-11.5K installed when paired to a Tesla PW3.

If the garage to the South of the image is yours, you can safely add another 3 panels (at £200 each) to the above system, making it a genuine 7+ KWp system. I'd also locate the PW3 in there. I'm in two minds about the NE aspect given your location. I'm sure someone can make the case for it but the image above is honest representation of the solar irradiance your roof is receiving.

Sadly, I no longer attempt to help anyone North of the border, as it has backfired, but I'd add no more than £1-1.5K for the above specification if I were you.

debitcardmayhem

I looked at the image, but I wondered about the garage getting shade from the building at the SW bottom but you will know better what the position is like .

Woodstok2000

Thanks All for the advice, very helpful! The garage is half ours, and it does get shaded by the house behind in the winter, but 7-8 months of the year its pretty good.

Woodstok2000

Do I need to know anything about inverters, wiring etc or will all installers do the same if we specify the above panels and powerwall?

Screwdriva

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82101114#Comment_82101114

If they are an authorized Tesla installer, they have already been checked by some of the most rigid standards in the industry. They must have MCS Certification, RECC or HIES and have demonstrated sufficient business capital and had their staff trained for several days by Tesla. This is a large part of why Tesla installers are much rarer and why everybody and their uncle installs Fox, Sigenergy etc.

Make sure whoever installs your system accepts payment by credit card, has been trading for 7+ years and has a 10 year workmanship warranty.