Solar panels - are they worth it?
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I too am moving shortly and I am considering having solar pv (its a bungalow, with a nice big south facing rear roof). The property is new build and has an ASHP for both heat (underfloor wet system) and water. I am not expecting to move for many many years, if at all. I am home all day.
I'm wondering if it may be a good idea...to utilize some of my cash now to pay for installation...in order to have lower future energy bills. I have absolutely no knowledge of what the bills are likey to be with an ASHP.
Any advice or info with be lovely.0 -
I cannot answer this question from any personal experience but I have done some research. An ASHP should be much cheaper than older forms of electric heating, such as night storage heaters. Hopefully you will find running costs comparable to having a gas boiler. ASHPs are at their most efficient when it's not too cold outside so the temperature difference between the inside and outside air is not too high. You will find the pump working hardest when the outside air temperature is below freezing but that doesn't happen too often during daytime when you will want it warmer inside.turning_worm wrote: »I have absolutely no knowledge of what the bills are likey to be with an ASHP.
I had a solar PV system installed this March and I have been very pleased with it. But I got in just before the government's FIT scheme was abolished. Now I'm inclined to say that there is no need to hurry. I don't see anything pushing the price of solar PV systems up and if you want a battery as part of that system then hopefully battery prices will continue to drop and there will be more schemes offering a subsidised battery.Reed0 -
ladymarmalade1970 wrote: »Hi,
We are moving to a house where we could have solar panels.
Are they worth buying and what about these free deals?
I don't really understand how it works. As in can you run the whole house off them and when/why do you sell it back?
Any help or pointers to other threads greatly appreciated.
It shouldn't really be that complicated see it as a hobby don't even do the payback calculations it's a hobby a hobby costs money if you think you want solar panels and have the cash in a bank account then go for it you will learn stuff along the way which you can bore people you mildly dislike with
If you have anyone that needs convincing like a wife then Just pretend they will last 100 years and you will get your money back eventually....
if the objective of life is saving every penny and doing a cost analysis on everything then just get rid of the dog sorry Fido the cost analysis says your no good for me1 -
turning_worm wrote: »I too am moving shortly and I am considering having solar pv (its a bungalow, with a nice big south facing rear roof). The property is new build and has an ASHP for both heat (underfloor wet system) and water. I am not expecting to move for many many years, if at all. I am home all day.
I'm wondering if it may be a good idea...to utilize some of my cash now to pay for installation...in order to have lower future energy bills. I have absolutely no knowledge of what the bills are likey to be with an ASHP.
Any advice or info with be lovely.
Solar with ASHP seems the perfect match to me. And Its good its a new build, But the is always a chance ASHP could be more expensive than Gas if you already had it.
Air Source Heat Pump - Technical Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8cBKBTTLBw0 -
If you hadn't already cottoned-on, GreatApe likes to take a contrarian stance on this forum.It shouldn't really be that complicated see it as a hobby don't even do the payback calculations it's a hobby a hobby costs money.....................
If you ask for a quote from an installer they will almost certainly give you a projection of how much money you will save on your electricity bil (a "payback calculation"). There are two facets to these projections that are questionable. All the ones I have seen are, in my opinion, over-optimistic about the amount of electricity you will save. If you boil a kettle when you get up in the morning and cook your evening meal in the evening then that's electricity you won't save. Likewise your ASHP will be running throughout the day and night, not just when the sun shines (although if you have a hot water tank you might be able heat that when the sun shines). The other questionable aspect of these projections is whether electricity bills will continue to rise, as they always have in the past. Maybe the wind power used by our electricity generation companies will eventually become so plentiful and cheap that electricity costs stabilise. So if you really believe green energy will prevail then you have less reason to provide it for yourself via solar panels.Reed0 -
And of course one day nuclear power is going to make electricity "too cheap to meter" (a confident prediction from 60 years ago).Reed_Richards wrote: »The other questionable aspect of these projections is whether electricity bills will continue to rise, as they always have in the past. Maybe the wind power used by our electricity generation companies will eventually become so plentiful and cheap that electricity costs stabilise.
NE Derbyshire.4kWp S Facing 17.5deg slope (dormer roof).24kWh of Pylontech batteries with Lux controller BEV : Hyundai Ioniq50 -
Money aside, think of hassle.
What if they need cleaning, how will you get up there? e.g. if the house is near to a tree and debris drops, or in an area where birds p00 a lot.
What if pigeons nest under them - pigeons are increasingly seeking out panels to nest under. What're you going to do now?
What if the roof needs looking at/fixing? How much is it to get them removed/reinstalled?
You have to look at hassle, the "what could possibly go wrong" and any associated costs with that.
For some, it might make a future buyer nervous about the system, about them in general.
How long would you be planning on living there?
Might be more hassle/cost than it's worth.0 -
PasturesNew wrote: »Money aside, think of hassle.
What if they need cleaning, how will you get up there? e.g. if the house is near to a tree and debris drops, or in an area where birds p00 a lot.
What if pigeons nest under them - pigeons are increasingly seeking out panels to nest under. What're you going to do now?
What if the roof needs looking at/fixing? How much is it to get them removed/reinstalled?
You have to look at hassle, the "what could possibly go wrong" and any associated costs with that.
For some, it might make a future buyer nervous about the system, about them in general.
How long would you be planning on living there?
Might be more hassle/cost than it's worth.
I certainly agree that it's a good idea to take a balanced view and consider the potential risks.
However, just because the things listed can possibly go wrong doesn't mean that they are likely to.
Based on my own expereince and what I understand to be the collective expereince of most posters on these forums, I suspect the overwhelming majority of solar panel owners would tell you that they are likely to be remarkedly hassle free.
I bought a bungalow with panels installed 2 years ago, and the only "hassle" I've had has been submitting a reading online once a quarter and working out how to spend the £1500 or so of income I've received to date
It's very difficult to say with any certainty how long it would take to see your money back because that depends on what happens to future electricity prices and (in my view just as important) pricing structures.
But one thing you can say with a high degree of confidence is that you probably won't either make or lose a fortune, and even if you do make or lose a bit that profit or loss will manifest itself as monthly bills that are a few pounds higher or lower over a long period so unlikely to bankrupt you or facilitate a lifestyle of drunken debauchery
If you do invest in solar panels, you will be make a significant and worthwhile reduction in your personal carbon footprint / greenhouse gas emissions, and given that this is unlikely to cost you much and may even make you money, my view is that this in itself makes the investment worthwhile and a good reason for going ahead.1 -
That won't apply to new installs of course, so there will neither be this small hassle nor the extra money.I bought a bungalow with panels installed 2 years ago, and the only "hassle" I've had has been submitting a reading online once a quarter and working out how to spend the £1500 or so of income I've received to date
Regular cleaning of solar panels is not required - if they are sloped then the rain handles that. Some recommend cleaning them once every couple of years, you would pay someone to do that.
Pigeon infestations are best avoided, and any competent installer can include pigeon mesh to prevent that, problem solved. Incidentally my installer told me that pigeons won't nest below a certain height (and he has been right so far), so on a bungalow you may not need the pigeon mesh anyway.
About roof repairs, a good installer will check the condition of the roof before installing. Properly built roofs don't need replacing every ten years. The steel frame for the panels can actually strengthen the roof.
As regards using energy during the day, which as others have said is the best way to maximise the financial saving from having the panels, one approach I take is to start the dishwasher's full load intensive cycle when I leave the house in the morning. The full cycle takes nearly three hours so it's using peak daytime power even though I'm out of the house. If you're regularly in during the day then it's much easier, and even if you're only in at weekends you can aim to do your laundry etc. on those days.7.25 kWp PV system (4.1kW WSW & 3.15kW ENE), Solis inverter, myenergi eddi & harvi for energy diversion to immersion heater. myenergi hub for Virtual Power Plant demand-side response trial.0
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