tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
I just realised they replied in May and I missed it, messaged back!
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Talk to me about solar panels.
- Thread starter Jade-clothing
- Start date
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Hows ripple working out at the moment? Whats the payback per kw you purchased? Seriously need to look into something, wish I'd done it when you posted now.
The Hawk
Well-Known Forumite
The wind farm I invested in, which was their 2nd project, isn't due to come online until next year. Their 3rd project should be launching in the next few months; I'll probably purchase a few extra kW s in that one as well.
c0tt0nt0p
Well-Known Forumite
I've been starting to give some serious thought to having solar panels on the roof. Not so much for selling back to the grid but for our own consumption via a battery system. We have a relatively flat consumption shape and don't consume a massive amount but anything we could store and offset against gas (such as an immersion heater to heat the water rather than use has) had to be a good thing...
There's always an outside chance the govt may assist (I did say outside chance)...
There's always an outside chance the govt may assist (I did say outside chance)...
The Hawk
Well-Known Forumite
I opted against solar, partly due to the shape of my roof and partly due to the long payback period. So, I decided to just go with batteries and charge them up on cheap overnight electricity.
When I ordered my first battery, the payback period was around 5 years; it's looking more like 3 to 4 years, with the latest forecasts. However, the energy markets are volatile, as are the way that prices are set and the differential between day and night rates will determine whether that payback period shortens further or lengthens.
The idea is that I will buy off the grid overnight, currently at 7.5p per kWh, and run the house off the battery during the peak hours. The windfarm, I've bought into, should return enough credit to reduce my electricity bill to zero.
I am now focusing on my central heating and looking to eliminate my gas usage. I am currently on the waiting list for a night storage electric combi boiler, the first of its type, which is due to be available late next year. The company making these combi boilers already has a night storage regular boiler available but, for me, a combi version, which would be a straight swap with my existing gas combi boiler, is much more appealing.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Self install is looking awkward now, need to talk to people once bank holiday is over but it seems that you really need the MSC certification just to shut up your insurance company or to sell the house, but most solar installers aren't interested in certifying self builds. Which is understandable when you realise they make a couple of grand per job when doing the install themselves!
I'm leaning back towards batteries and night time charging for now, but that depends on getting onto a tariff thats worthwhile.
I'm leaning back towards batteries and night time charging for now, but that depends on getting onto a tariff thats worthwhile.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
But the best night time rate tariffs are only for those with an EV, great. Why does it matter what you use the power for?
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
Octopus don’t actually ask you for proof of an EV
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Just in case it's any use to people, this is the monthly data from a local well positioned 4kw array:
Solar energy, see for yourself| Real time information
www.staffordsolar.co.uk
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Going back to battery only...
I use about 250kw/month phantom (i.e. not at home) and 400kw/month when home.
Assuming I could switch all my usage to battery and off peak stored I could repay the battery costs in roughly 5 years, anything after that is free. Thats assuming a good quality well know brand of battery, I could go for lead acid in the shed and reduce the payback to 2 years. In reality we don't know if the tariff will stay, we don't know what the future will bring, so it's all a gamble really. One thing is for sure, I'd rather my money went to buying me an asset than given to the energy company.
First mission is reduce the phantom load to it's minimum, as that will heavily influence the battery size needed.
I use about 250kw/month phantom (i.e. not at home) and 400kw/month when home.
Assuming I could switch all my usage to battery and off peak stored I could repay the battery costs in roughly 5 years, anything after that is free. Thats assuming a good quality well know brand of battery, I could go for lead acid in the shed and reduce the payback to 2 years. In reality we don't know if the tariff will stay, we don't know what the future will bring, so it's all a gamble really. One thing is for sure, I'd rather my money went to buying me an asset than given to the energy company.
First mission is reduce the phantom load to it's minimum, as that will heavily influence the battery size needed.
Theresa Green
Well-Known Forumite
Are we expecting a Government initiative loan/grant for domestic solar panels?
Or is that just ridiculous?
Or is that just ridiculous?
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
They don't tend to like solar, but I think it's more the sort of solar that ruins the view from the west wing of their mansions rather than solar on oiks houses.
The sensible think to do would be subsidise it if people forego the pittance of a SEG, and instead get the energy companies to pay that back to the gov. In reality they'll do another green homes grant where somehow 5k of public funds will be spent to save you a fiver.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
So I called Octopus, they say you do need an EV as well as a charger. Couldn't tell me what proof I'd need though!
EDIT: There are grants to install a charging point in your property, but only for landlords not for home owners!
EDIT: There are grants to install a charging point in your property, but only for landlords not for home owners!
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tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Short version, he contacted some right dodgy people! No different to dodgy double glazing people from the 90s (and some still about). As he says in the video, never sign a contract at the first meeting. If they try to pressure you walk away.
Cue
Well-Known Forumite
Government run Rent a Roof sounds like a great idea tbh
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Only 1 day of data but the new FF used 1.5kwh and the smaller older one used 2kwh.
BobClay
Well-Known Forumite
I have 16 panels on my roof. They're coming up on 11 years old now. They didn't cost me a penny, they were installed on a roof lease scheme which meant the company got the feed in rate and I got first bite at the power generated. No battery backup but I'm not an insatiable power user anyway, even though I'm all electric. (I'm sorry guys, but I wont have gas in the house.)
The only cost I incurred at the time of installation was a replacement consumer unit. My old fuse loaded (or plug in breaker mounted) box had to be replaced with a 17th Edition box (inbuilt RCD's and breakers.) I initially played the game and got an electrician in to quote me for replacement ... he wanted £400 plus the cost of the consumer unit itself plus any time spent if the RCD's picked up a fault on any of the house circuits (earth leakage.)
For a day's work I rejected that and put the thing in myself (not that big a deal if you've spent a lot of time in engine rooms.) The RCD's did trip out on one circuit, a classic, external lighting .... exposed to weather etc. Simply scrubbed that circuit out of existence which gave me another spare slot in the box. Job was completed in one morning and the consumer unit was bought from the Screwfix shed.
The panels are still going strong, but have fallen off slightly in 11 years, but as you can see from the data below they've pumped in a fair bit of power over the years (the inverter is networked and the data easily accessible.) The company send someone round to check over the plant now and again, usually because of a comms hitch and they lose data. Replacement comms card fixed it both times.
On the whole I'd say I was happy with the set up, after all, it didn't cost me a penny (other than replacing the consumer unit, which is reasonable as RCD's are a much safer idea anyway.)
Apparently there can be some issues if you decide to sell the place, buyers might be less keen but since I intend to croak in this house I disregarded that. I've left the whole thing lock stock and barrel to a family member and it'll be their problem when I'm a mouldering in the grave ... (actually I'm going to medical research so don't really care about any of that.)
The data dates from early 2012 even though they were installed in 2011. This is because I didn't network the inverter until some months afterward.
PS. I do have an almost due south facing roof, which the leasing company tend to go for.
The only cost I incurred at the time of installation was a replacement consumer unit. My old fuse loaded (or plug in breaker mounted) box had to be replaced with a 17th Edition box (inbuilt RCD's and breakers.) I initially played the game and got an electrician in to quote me for replacement ... he wanted £400 plus the cost of the consumer unit itself plus any time spent if the RCD's picked up a fault on any of the house circuits (earth leakage.)
For a day's work I rejected that and put the thing in myself (not that big a deal if you've spent a lot of time in engine rooms.) The RCD's did trip out on one circuit, a classic, external lighting .... exposed to weather etc. Simply scrubbed that circuit out of existence which gave me another spare slot in the box. Job was completed in one morning and the consumer unit was bought from the Screwfix shed.
The panels are still going strong, but have fallen off slightly in 11 years, but as you can see from the data below they've pumped in a fair bit of power over the years (the inverter is networked and the data easily accessible.) The company send someone round to check over the plant now and again, usually because of a comms hitch and they lose data. Replacement comms card fixed it both times.
On the whole I'd say I was happy with the set up, after all, it didn't cost me a penny (other than replacing the consumer unit, which is reasonable as RCD's are a much safer idea anyway.)
Apparently there can be some issues if you decide to sell the place, buyers might be less keen but since I intend to croak in this house I disregarded that. I've left the whole thing lock stock and barrel to a family member and it'll be their problem when I'm a mouldering in the grave ... (actually I'm going to medical research so don't really care about any of that.)
The data dates from early 2012 even though they were installed in 2011. This is because I didn't network the inverter until some months afterward.
PS. I do have an almost due south facing roof, which the leasing company tend to go for.
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