MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Any experts on these out there who can explain if these are a good idea? We have a large south facing roof in the garden (not the house unfortunately so I don't think hot water is an option) & have been thinking about pv panels. It made no economic sense, even to me, before the feed in tarrif was introduced (41.3p per kwh IIRC) - but now I am thinking about it again. I would imagine that the larger the panel array is the cheaper it becomes as there will be fixed costs involved (invertor etc.) but this may just be making it less expensive as opposed to good value!
I have already tried to make the house relatively efficient with extra insulation, efficient boiler and new windows,but still use halogen bulbs which I hope to replace with led's when they get more powerful.
I think they are magic, going to be paying my wages for a while, 😆 working for a component manufacturer
There's an upper limit to the array size to get the highest FIT. Tesco are doing installations using a third party which will give you a baseline for costs - no point in paying higher IMO and you get Tesco club card points !!! You need an accredited installer to get the FIT so can't DIY it. IMO if you're staying in the house for 10+ years then it is worth considering.
[url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/solar-pv-should-i-shouldnt-i ]PV panels[/url]
As DaveGr says really 🙂 I work in the 'business' but can't really add anymore.
How would you be using the output? A bespoke charge for yourself or one of the 'standard' packages to buy into? The technology isn't great with the best PV panels only at about 37% efficiency at the moment. Have you looked at the water heating aspect? Depends how far from your house it is and how long you are going to be there I guess. I personally want my own micro hydro in the future, but I'll need the new house and a watercourse for that!
The investment is only really worth it if you plan on staying in your house for 7+ years, by that time it will have paid itself back.
If you dont have long term plans of staying where you are invest in some more insulation, draught-proofing, energy efficient lighting, double or triple glazing etc.
Micro-renewables aren't always the right answer, start with the fabric of the building 1st.
Solar thermal (hot water) is less of an initial cost with slightly lower payback periods, but with the current feed in tarrifs there isnt really much in it between the 2 systems.
Also to consider are the "free" PV systems that some companies are installing. They install it on your roof, you get the free electricity, but they get the feed in tariff, essentially renting a space on your roof. But again if you have long term plans of staying in the house I think it is more sensible to invest yourself.
shit shit
Also to consider are the "free" PV systems that some companies are installing
Read the T&C's carefully. It won't save you much per year in electricity costs but usually you've signed a 25 year contract which passes to the next owner of your house. This might or might not put off potential buyers - could even be a selling feature.
[url= http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2072787 ]Long thread on it[/url] including input from the company being discussed. Seems like an excellent business model and there's lots of demand. Wish I'd thought of it 🙁
Its what I do for a living so I'm bound to say yes.....
as previously stated, if you are staying in the house for a while, then yes - you can get up to £1500 per year from a domestic roof with single phase supply, but it will cost you £14K to get that.
If you cant afford to buy your own, and are comfortable selling a house with a clause about the panels on the roof, then the free systems are a good idea, but someone else is getting the cream of the deal.
I have seen a lot of folk newly retired and looking to be utility bill 'neutral' for the next 25 years going for PV - £15K and no bills for the next 25 years.
Nick - Where are you? want a quote? 🙂
and, the 37% efficiency is a new one on me - the best readily available PV panels are 13-17% efficient, the ones on the sattelites (Gallium arsenide) are 30-32% efficient - but thats a moot point as they are £25K/kWp !
EDIT - meant to add that the Solar thermal panels mentioned above will save you £100 - £150 per year if you are on a mains gas system, in an avergae sized house with 3-4 persons, less if fewer folk.