Solar panels , would you ?

[Mudball]

No, they really don't.
The old FIT scheme (which is still operational, of course) is a poorly thought out way to move money from the poor to the rich. Everyone pays a supplement on their electricity bill to cover the FIT payments given to those who could afford to install a system. (I speak as someone who had such a system on the top FIT rate until we moved in 2021).

The last thing we need now is to encourage massive amounts of PV that produce power during the daytime in summer when it's not needed, at least not unless there's a way to store it. We should now be encouraging ways to balance demand, ie. installing storage systems and shifting demand to overnight. Unfortunately at present all the easily available battery systems depend on rare materials such as lithium and cobalt. Driving a move towards less environmentally damaging storage systems (eg. flow batteries, gravity batteries in old mine shafts, etc) is where the focus should be.

not sure i understand this.. if anything, we need more help so that more people can put PVs on their roof. Micro generation is the way forward and avoids making massive investments in large new power generation projects. As we know, we have not been the best in bringing new power plant in a cost effective way... Hinkley has been going on for ever. No new fossil fuel power plants. We have yet to figure out way to what to do with nuclear waste. In the meanwhile, the demand is going up. So the q is how we plug this gap. PV + battery is the way forward. I completely agree with you that we need a way to increase storage (aka battery) rather than direct feed ins.

Subsidy is the way forward and should not been seen as taking from poor to give to rich. Otherwise as a car driver, i should start complaining that i pay road tax which bikers are using for free.

 

[cliveb]

Subsidy is the way forward and should not been seen as taking from poor to give to rich. Otherwise as a car driver, i should start complaining that i pay road tax which bikers are using for free.

I don't think that's a good analogy. Car drivers are typically not poorer than cyclists.

There are probably good ways to subsidise uptake of renewables and be inclusive, but the government hasn't cracked it yet.

I was specifically addressing the FIT scheme. The way it is funded is just outrageous. Anyone who doesn't think it's robbing the poor to pay the rich either doesn't understand how it operates or is just burying their head in the sand.

 

[larmen]

For those of you who have solar, did you splash out on the bird protection?



There are 2 houses in the road parallel to us, both didn’t. The one I can see I counted 16 poopers, none on any other roof around us.

 

[PJ87]

For those of you who have solar, did you splash out on the bird protection?



There are 2 houses in the road parallel to us, both didn’t. The one I can see I counted 16 poopers, none on any other roof around us.

Yes, we didn't on flat roof, within 24 hours they got under nesting the noise was awful in loft

Got the Company back they added some for free

 

[Tashyboy]

For those of you who have solar, did you splash out on the bird protection?



There are 2 houses in the road parallel to us, both didn’t. The one I can see I counted 16 poopers, none on any other roof around us.

I didn’t and last year they tipped me over the edge. Bloody pigeons. The thing is, it is not a big job at all to do it when the scaffolding is up. Put the mesh up last year. At the moment the solar panels are smashing it.

 

[PJ87]

I didn’t and last year they tipped me over the edge. Bloody pigeons. The thing is, it is not a big job at all to do it when the scaffolding is up. Put the mesh up last year. At the moment the solar panels are smashing it.

Yeah it's such a small job whilst they are installing the panels themselves it is silly to not get it

They said they don't normally do flat roof ones as they don't need but they got under within 24 hours and the guys went back up and did a makeshift one and since then not a dicky

 

[full_throttle]

Yes, manged to get it done before the scaffolding went down.

 

[full_throttle]

May Update.

Solar power Exported 258.54 (approx £38.70)

Electricity used 11.09 (£3.43)

I have had two bills so far, and made two D/D payments, I am £182 in credit

I think I'm doing OK

 

[PJ87]

May Update.

Solar power Exported 258.54 (approx £38.70)

Electricity used 11.09 (£3.43)

I have had two bills so far, and made two D/D payments, I am £182 in credit

I think I'm doing OK

Yeah my may bill was as follows

£49 charge
£7 credit

So £42

Without that set up my may bill would be £273 so a saving of £231

I used 766.2 kw last month total

I had built up a credit of £1500 (paying £200 pcm DD) I have refunded the lot and put in savings

See what I end up with next April

 

[cliveb]

For those of you who have solar, did you splash out on the bird protection?

Birds (usually pigeons) are one thing, but what you really don't want is squirrels getting in. The bloke two doors down only had his panels up for a couple of months before squirrels chewed through the wiring.

We had to have mesh retro fitted once pigeons started nesting under our panels. But they were installed in 2011, and I don't think there was enough experience back then to realise it was necessary. These days I'd expect any responsible installer to include it as standard.

 

[PJ87]

So the figures are in for June (my bill is 28th)

I top up my account £200 pcm (kept it same from start)

Gas £31 (this will drop now as octopus has offered me a fix price at 7.5p a kw for a year , was 10p so I've taken the offer)

Electric I paid £58 for , and was paid £10 for my exports

However if I enter my figures into what I would be charged if paying 34p (current cost until 1st July) a kw it would cost £326 (including standing charge)

June's savings £278

Brings year 2 savings on the system up to £510 (2 months)

Total savings from system £1767.
But can see year 2 savings is much more than year 1

Very happy with the savings so far.

System cost £15000, left to pay back 13233

I'm sure anyone can appreciate I'd rather pay £200 pcm for my total energy per year (refund normal aswell) and have this system than pay over £300 for one month electric alone

 

[full_throttle]

Month of June update

Exported 304.2kw

Electricity used 10.81 kw £3.34

Gas Used 107.36 £10 38

I'm supposedly getting 15p per kw exported energy, so I'm well in credit, and I have another DD of £113 being taken next week,

3 payments made I am about £280+ in credit

 

[PJ87]

Month of June update

Exported 304.2kw

Electricity used 10.81 kw £3.34

Gas Used 107.36 £10 38

I'm supposedly getting 15p per kw exported energy, so I'm well in credit, and I have another DD of £113 being taken next week,

3 payments made I am about £280+ in credit

Lower prices kick in from today. Only downside is makes payback slightly longer lol

I do love putting a wash on to finish say 6am (using the battery first thing) and then the excess solar just refilling it rather than going back to the grid for my pathetic 4.1p lol

 

[cliveb]

Lower prices kick in from today. Only downside is makes payback slightly longer lol

I do love putting a wash on to finish say 6am (using the battery first thing) and then the excess solar just refilling it rather than going back to the grid for my pathetic 4.1p lol

Aren't you with Octopus? Why not switch to fixed export for 15p/kWh?

 

[PJ87]

Aren't you with Octopus? Why not switch to fixed export for 15p/kWh?

Unfortunately you can't be on octopus outgoing at 15p and go (or any tariff like that) you have to go on SEG which is 4.1p as they sell you overnight for 9.5p , it was set at that when go was 5p overnight

 

[cliveb]

Unfortunately you can't be on octopus outgoing at 15p and go (or any tariff like that) you have to go on SEG which is 4.1p as they sell you overnight for 9.5p , it was set at that when go was 5p overnight

Ah, ok.

I asked them if you can be on Agile import and Fixed export and they said yes, but I guess it must be different with Go.

 

[PJ87]

Ah, ok.

I asked them if you can be on Agile import and Fixed export and they said yes, but I guess it must be different with Go.

Yeah that's fine normally, however have you seen agile outgoing? Real killings to be made with a battery as you can buy when they are cheap and sell when they will pay more

Or flux is a constant one

Agile today has lots of pay to use electric hours , the forums are full of people planning to charge their cars and even offer to charge neighbours cars lol

 

[hyxgrace]

Under normal circumstances, we are in June before the installation of solar panels, July or August belongs to the off-season, the current lightweight type of solar modules have been very concerned, but this year's consumption bottom has been greatly impacted

 

[Mudball]

i have been very keen to get these... but cant justfiy the price - esp since we dont have an EV(yet). Finally got a quote from the Council - buying together scheme. 12 panels + battery for about 11k. I am thinking of going for it. My only concern is that the battery/inverter pack is not a Tesla - it has Growatt Inverter and battery. Any ideas about it.

Also, it comes with 3 battery options - 4.5, 6.5 and 11.5kwh. As part of the quote, it recommends the smallest - as i wont use the full battery. But i am thinking of going bigger, esp if we end up with an EV.

Finally, we are doing a kitchen extension and were going to put a wet underfloor heating. I am wondering if a electric one backed by Solar is an option...

 

[PJ87]

i have been very keen to get these... but cant justfiy the price - esp since we dont have an EV(yet). Finally got a quote from the Council - buying together scheme. 12 panels + battery for about 11k. I am thinking of going for it. My only concern is that the battery/inverter pack is not a Tesla - it has Growatt Inverter and battery. Any ideas about it.

Also, it comes with 3 battery options - 4.5, 6.5 and 11.5kwh. As part of the quote, it recommends the smallest - as i wont use the full battery. But i am thinking of going bigger, esp if we end up with an EV.

Finally, we are doing a kitchen extension and were going to put a wet underfloor heating. I am wondering if a electric one backed by Solar is an option...

What's your usage? Don't worry about Tesla the common view is they are overpriced .. other batteries are good options

Cover your entire day with a battery, however you can set up to make money off the battery by charging at cheap rates (octopus flux) and selling back at expensive rates , so bigger might be best

When you get an EV your battery usage won't Ness go up as you charge it overnight normally when the battery would be either not being used or charging off grid (say winter)

If your worried it's not tesla least the 11.5 is nearest In size to that

Electric underfloor is ok but problem is when you need it most is when you get least solar