Solar Panels - why bother?
Discussion
fatboy b said:
ARHarh said:
My install cost £5.9k in 2013 and has saved me approximately £1.2k a year. So about a 5 year payback. It was a no brainer for me. People who do not have any spare cash to invest in such things have told me they are an eyesore, or they take a hundred years to pay off, or little old ladies cannot afford electric now due to having to pay for my electric. I invested to make my daily costs cheaper so I don't have to work as much anymore.
Then add on (or subtract) about 10% of the property value as it now looks crap 
dickymint said:
I'd like to see the figures for that £1.2k/per year saving - that's either a hell of a lot FIT money back or a hell of a lot electric usage! Either way you've not actually saved a penny until it's paid for
No, but if someone said to you, buy this financial product now for £10k and it'll return 1k per year for the next 25 years guaranteed by the government you'd be daft not to do so. The earlier systems are already in profit after costs.
We have 96 panels at work that were installed just before everything changed and afaik they are doing 20% ROI. Mum and dad have 4 or 6 and I think they are doing about the same, but are on a different tariff set up and they have the time to make use of the cheap juice.
It seems odd to me that all suitable roofs aren't fitted with solar PV panels on new builds and part of the build.
It seems odd to me that all suitable roofs aren't fitted with solar PV panels on new builds and part of the build.
Condi said:
dickymint said:
I'd like to see the figures for that £1.2k/per year saving - that's either a hell of a lot FIT money back or a hell of a lot electric usage! Either way you've not actually saved a penny until it's paid for
No, but if someone said to you, buy this financial product now for £10k and it'll return 1k per year for the next 25 years guaranteed by the government you'd be daft not to do so. The earlier systems are already in profit after costs.
Willy Nilly said:
We have 96 panels at work that were installed just before everything changed and afaik they are doing 20% ROI. Mum and dad have 4 or 6 and I think they are doing about the same, but are on a different tariff set up and they have the time to make use of the cheap juice.
It seems odd to me that all suitable roofs aren't fitted with solar PV panels on new builds and part of the build.
I saw something the other day with solar panels that looked just like roof tiles, quite neat. I'm sure they could be incorporated into new builds to power specific things such as water heaters, internal lighting systems on battery etc. It seems odd to me that all suitable roofs aren't fitted with solar PV panels on new builds and part of the build.
It seems to me every house I see with the big ugly panels on has them on the front of the roof. Not all houses are facing the sun, surely......
Or is it one of 'those' things, like all council houses sporting Sky dishes 30 years ago?
kapiteinlangzaam said:
fatboy b said:
Condi said:
dickymint said:
I'd like to see the figures for that £1.2k/per year saving - that's either a hell of a lot FIT money back or a hell of a lot electric usage! Either way you've not actually saved a penny until it's paid for
No, but if someone said to you, buy this financial product now for £10k and it'll return 1k per year for the next 25 years guaranteed by the government you'd be daft not to do so. The earlier systems are already in profit after costs.
Ours can only be seen from our own garden (and only if you look up). Completely hidden from all 'public' facing aspects. They will have paid for themselves after about 8 years, and in the meantime I pay €75 per month against the government sponsored (interest free) loan to pay them off, and receive about €500 feed-in tariff PA, as well as no further electricity costs.
Depending on the situation they can be a shrewd (and satisfying) investment.
King Herald said:
I saw something the other day with solar panels that looked just like roof tiles, quite neat. I'm sure they could be incorporated into new builds to power specific things such as water heaters, internal lighting systems on battery etc.
It seems to me every house I see with the big ugly panels on has them on the front of the roof. Not all houses are facing the sun, surely......
Or is it one of 'those' things, like all council houses sporting Sky dishes 30 years ago?
Most people see more "fronts" than "rears". That is somewhat the nature of the house/non-owner viewing relationship. I promise you I see many panels on the rears, sides, flat roof sections, garages and outbuildings of properties.It seems to me every house I see with the big ugly panels on has them on the front of the roof. Not all houses are facing the sun, surely......
Or is it one of 'those' things, like all council houses sporting Sky dishes 30 years ago?
fatboy b said:
Condi said:
dickymint said:
I'd like to see the figures for that £1.2k/per year saving - that's either a hell of a lot FIT money back or a hell of a lot electric usage! Either way you've not actually saved a penny until it's paid for
No, but if someone said to you, buy this financial product now for £10k and it'll return 1k per year for the next 25 years guaranteed by the government you'd be daft not to do so. The earlier systems are already in profit after costs.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tile+solar+panel...
Chris Type R said:
... not bothered, but our house came with them fitted.
So, we're getting most of the benefit from their £14.5k investment - top rate of FIT as well. Nice bonus which I'd not anticipated.
Same here, the previous owners had just got the point of recouping their investment and we are getting the benefits. I didn't take much notice of it all when buying the house and was pleasantly surprised when we started getting the payments.So, we're getting most of the benefit from their £14.5k investment - top rate of FIT as well. Nice bonus which I'd not anticipated.
kapiteinlangzaam said:
Like anything in life, they can be made to look good / bad / indifferent.
Ours can only be seen from our own garden (and only if you look up). Completely hidden from all 'public' facing aspects. They will have paid for themselves after about 8 years, and in the meantime I pay €75 per month against the government sponsored (interest free) loan to pay them off, and receive about €500 feed-in tariff PA, as well as no further electricity costs.
Depending on the situation they can be a shrewd (and satisfying) investment.
My hat is off to you sir, looks great. Details/photos on the battery bank/inverter/charge controller?Ours can only be seen from our own garden (and only if you look up). Completely hidden from all 'public' facing aspects. They will have paid for themselves after about 8 years, and in the meantime I pay €75 per month against the government sponsored (interest free) loan to pay them off, and receive about €500 feed-in tariff PA, as well as no further electricity costs.
Depending on the situation they can be a shrewd (and satisfying) investment.
dickymint said:
I'd like to see the figures for that £1.2k/per year saving - that's either a hell of a lot FIT money back or a hell of a lot electric usage! Either way you've not actually saved a penny until it's paid for
yes I do use a lot of electric during the day. and I get average £780 a year from fit.THere are fields full of them around here. Hideous blight on the countryside.
The army is building a new housing estate about 2 miles away from here, every house with a southerly roof has a solar panel fitted, which I assume is just enough to blunt the electric bill a little bit. Looks ok, looks like the roofs have Dormo windows in the middle frankly.
People who say they pay for themselves after 10 years or so - are they ignoring the fact that if they took their 25k upfront costs and invested it in the stock market their 25k would (probably) grow in value and return an income from dividends?
And when you start making an income from them, do you have to declare this on your self assessment?
The army is building a new housing estate about 2 miles away from here, every house with a southerly roof has a solar panel fitted, which I assume is just enough to blunt the electric bill a little bit. Looks ok, looks like the roofs have Dormo windows in the middle frankly.
People who say they pay for themselves after 10 years or so - are they ignoring the fact that if they took their 25k upfront costs and invested it in the stock market their 25k would (probably) grow in value and return an income from dividends?
And when you start making an income from them, do you have to declare this on your self assessment?
kapiteinlangzaam said:
julian64 said:
5ohmustang said:
My hat is off to you sir, looks great. Details/photos on the battery bank/inverter/charge controller?
Are you blind, that's knocked about 20K off the value of his house in 'hideousness'Borroxs said:
People who say they pay for themselves after 10 years or so - are they ignoring the fact that if they took their 25k upfront costs and invested it in the stock market their 25k would (probably) grow in value and return an income from dividends?
And when you start making an income from them, do you have to declare this on your self assessment?
I think the word 'probably' is the issue there! Government backed subsidy linked to inflation is as close to risk-free as things get surely?And when you start making an income from them, do you have to declare this on your self assessment?
The income is tax free, unless it has changed recently.
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