Solar Panels - why bother?

[PixelpeepS3]

I am waiting to accept that i must have missed something but after doing some research the average ROI time for an average install is around 85 years?

So, forgetting all the tree hugging stuff for a sec, why would anyone bother, for a saving of £70 per YEAR on their electricity bill?

Please tell me i have this wrong. anyone got any real world figures of their own install?

[PixelpeepS3]

Robertj21a said:

Interesting, and timely.

We've just had an offer accepted on a bungalow that will need almost total renovation so its why i started looking into it - while the place is stripped bare, having a full re-wire and relocation of the consumer unit it would make sense but not if i won't see a financial benefit in my lifetime!

[PixelpeepS3]

mikeiow said:

I've never understood it when anyone finds solar panels an eyesore. Big vans half parked on pavements, a fridge left on someone front garden, hideous sore-thumb extensions that don't blend in, rubbish in the street: they are eyesores!

I guess others have more delicate constitutions when it comes to tiles v solar!

Anyway, we are in our eighth year of PV ownership (on the back of our place, so hopefully not offending too many here. Payback on ours will be under 10 years. I know we got in 'lucky' with the early higher KWH payments, but I am pretty certain the price of panels has also dropped dramatically since we installed (4kwh system for about £13k).

So if you do not expect to be there for about 10 years, you will likely not benefit financially.
I reckon we use about 25-30% less electricity than before, so we are helping save the planet ....but this is PH, & clearly that is not a big win here!!

For the record, and i am the OP, i don't find them an eyesore - my only concern was how long it would take to see any benefit (apart from the carbon footprint bit.) i could not believe that sites were quoting savings of just £70 a year on electricity.. you saying you generate 30% of your total requirements?

[PixelpeepS3]

4Q said:

A 4kW PV sytem, on a south-ish facing roof will generate around 3800kWh per year.

You'll get paid 4.2p FIT for every unit you generate for 20 years = £160
You'll also get paid 4.85p for export for half of you generation regardless whether you use it or not = £90
You'll also use around 40% of your generation yourself meaning you don't have to buy it saving another 12-15p @12p = £230 you can increase savings by managing usage to generation so things like dishwasher, drier, washing machine etc running during the the daytime.

The install cost would be around £5k and all the above payments rise with inflation so payback should be around 10 years. More importantly longer term is that you've eliminated 40-50% of your electricity bill for the next 20-25 years.

PM me if you'd like a detailed spreadsheet showing actual generation predictions for your location, costs, payback, panel degradation over time and factoring maintenance costs.

Edited to add, I'm not trying to sell you a system - I only teach the subject.

Edited by 4Q on Sunday 19th February 09:30

Such a good response - thank you. if the sale goes through ok (fingers crossed) ill get some proper info like roof angle and coverage area and send it over if you don't mind...?

[PixelpeepS3]

julian64 said:

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'

Dont be a 'tard.

Out of you and me who d'ya think is in the majority when saying its an eyesore and will affect his house price?

unlike you, ill speak for myself. If i went to view a house and the owner said to me 'you'll save roughly 40% off your energy bills and you can have free electric during the summer, you might even get some money back as well' i wouldn't care if my entire roof was a jimmy savile shrine

[PixelpeepS3]

julian64 said:

PixelpeepS3 said:

unlike you, ill speak for myself. If i went to view a house and the owner said to me 'you'll save roughly 40% off your energy bills and you can have free electric during the summer, you might even get some money back as well' i wouldn't care if my entire roof was a jimmy savile shrine

Well on the basis you have no regard to what your house looks like either for yourself or your neighbours, then good luck, but I wouldn't want to live next to you.

This is starting to sound more and more like the council thread.

Quite the opposite - if something makes financial sense why would what it looked like bother you?

Have you ever thought that not everyone finds them an eyesore - its not like they are football flags or washing draped over the roof is it - they are there to be functional not as a cosmetic addition

[PixelpeepS3]

hyphen said:

PixelpeepS3 said:

Quite the opposite - if something makes financial sense why would what it looked like bother you?

Hey, want to swap your S3 for my Kia Picanto? It has 7 years free servicing, better MPG and will save you a packet.

nice try - i don't care what the car looks like, i care what it goes like :-)

S3 was a combination of good performance at a good price.

[PixelpeepS3]

anyone here an actual installer?

[PixelpeepS3]

King Herald said:

I keep getting 'suggestions' in Bookface telling me that I am so lucky because my local area is now eligible for solar panel installation with NO payment up front.....and that I could save 600 notes a year on my bill......


Oh joy....

I thought the bubble had burst and the whole country realised they are a fad??

The irony of that post. it is oil & gas that are the fads !