How Much Money From Solar Panels?
Discussion
I was looking at the costs / revenues from solar panels and came across this site.
Apparently I can generate amount £1992 of income each year - how much do the panels cost ?
www.solstats.com
Apparently I can generate amount £1992 of income each year - how much do the panels cost ?
www.solstats.com
Jasandjules said:
kambites said:
When I worked it out for my house, they would have paid for themselves in roughly 10 years. That's for a south-east facing roof in the south of England.
And how long do they last before needing replacing 
Jasandjules said:
And how long do they last before needing replacing
The ones I looked at were guaranteed for 25 years - I think the exact wording was that that they'd put out at least 75% of their new power at 25. If it wasn't for the subsidies, they wouldn't be commercially viable but with them they are (or course the same was true of Nuclear power until we shut down our coal mines).
We've just been looking at this and have had a quotation from a local MCS-registered company. When considering lifetime of materials, there are a number of components to consider:
1. PV Panels - as stated above, guaranteed for 25 years retain an 80-90% efficiency during this time
2. The Inverter (the bit that takes the solar-generated electricity and makes it usable by the house or the national grid) - this is an expensive component, relative to the size of the installation, and is guaranteed for up to five years. Only the first 12 months include labour costs though.
We're still doing the math for solar PVs and the feed-in tarif. The maximum size a system our domestic property could support (before being classed as a commercial provider) is 4kW and this will cost us £11,800 exc. 5% VAT (which is 16 panels). It is predicted to generate ~2900kWh per year of electricity compared to the 5500kWh Npower have predicted we will use over the next 12 months.
Unused energy will be thrown back to the grid and we will be paid at 43.3p per kWh. We pay around 13-16p per kWh with NPower at the moment. The 43.3p will rise with one of the inflation measures (and I can't remember which one).
For us, one of the issues is working out whether the energy generated will be used, because we're at home, or sold back to the grid...and it's this that makes the maths hard.
The illustration makes some assumptions and assume the system will pay itself off within 7.4 years, and earn ~£39,850 over 25 years.
The other big issue is moving house. The people who offered us a quotation suggested to us that it's possible to move house, leave the panels, but retain the feed-in tarif payments. I guess negotiation with the house-buyer is required and if they didn't want that to happen, would they be prepared to pay a premium for the installation? After all, they will have reduced electricity costs. Another aspect is would unsightly PVs put people off?
Any thoughts to this debate from readers would be gratefully received.
1. PV Panels - as stated above, guaranteed for 25 years retain an 80-90% efficiency during this time
2. The Inverter (the bit that takes the solar-generated electricity and makes it usable by the house or the national grid) - this is an expensive component, relative to the size of the installation, and is guaranteed for up to five years. Only the first 12 months include labour costs though.
We're still doing the math for solar PVs and the feed-in tarif. The maximum size a system our domestic property could support (before being classed as a commercial provider) is 4kW and this will cost us £11,800 exc. 5% VAT (which is 16 panels). It is predicted to generate ~2900kWh per year of electricity compared to the 5500kWh Npower have predicted we will use over the next 12 months.
Unused energy will be thrown back to the grid and we will be paid at 43.3p per kWh. We pay around 13-16p per kWh with NPower at the moment. The 43.3p will rise with one of the inflation measures (and I can't remember which one).
For us, one of the issues is working out whether the energy generated will be used, because we're at home, or sold back to the grid...and it's this that makes the maths hard.
The illustration makes some assumptions and assume the system will pay itself off within 7.4 years, and earn ~£39,850 over 25 years.
The other big issue is moving house. The people who offered us a quotation suggested to us that it's possible to move house, leave the panels, but retain the feed-in tarif payments. I guess negotiation with the house-buyer is required and if they didn't want that to happen, would they be prepared to pay a premium for the installation? After all, they will have reduced electricity costs. Another aspect is would unsightly PVs put people off?
Any thoughts to this debate from readers would be gratefully received.
Do you think that it is moral that you, and a minority of other electricity users that jump on the scheme before it is fully subscribed, should be paid 43p for something that is worth 3p? And have pensioners unable to afford to heat their homes? PV panels never pay for themselves, they are not commercially viable, the tax payer and other electricity bill payers pay for them.
Apparently the inverters that convert the energy are failing at 3- 5 years and are quite expensive to change.
Most panels will last up to 20 years and are 90% chinese manufactured so the warranty needs looking at closely as to who backs the warranty
The pv panels as posted above will not in real terms cost justify - however the subsidy and FIT is there to help and if you can have them then you should go for it - before the govt decides we go to war on Pakistan / france / any country that doesnt have a sizeable army and uses the monry for that.
Most panels will last up to 20 years and are 90% chinese manufactured so the warranty needs looking at closely as to who backs the warranty
The pv panels as posted above will not in real terms cost justify - however the subsidy and FIT is there to help and if you can have them then you should go for it - before the govt decides we go to war on Pakistan / france / any country that doesnt have a sizeable army and uses the monry for that.
I put in a PV system last year, cost about 12k and it generated about £900 in payments under the feed in tarrif I have with eon. This year it looks like a bit more - a sunny spring has helped and also the tarrif rises by rpi so I get 5% more this year. The rate is guaranteed and the payments are tax free. Hard to get a better lower risk return on one's money if the technology works as expected. Is the fair that the payments are subsidised by the masses, probably not but it isn't fair that I pay £400 for the tax on the Porsche which does 3,000 miles a yeas whereas my brother pays £30 for his Beemer in which he does 20,000!
Thank you for your take on this Mr GrimNasty. Whilst you pose a valid question, I believe that democracy allows the right to take decisions about future welfare in the same way that we have to take responsibility for my future pension provision and such things.
I could make similar remarks to you on the tax I pay that funds the NHS, which is drained of some resource by those that abuse alcohol, drugs and tobacco. I cannot do much about those individuals, but I can do the best to look after myself.
Feel free to rebuke this argument, but I'd prefer a more focused discussion on solar panels and feed-in tarifs. On this point, you open your post with a comment about morality which taints any objectivity you are applying to subsequent comments over viability and the tax payer burden.
A question for Willia68, are you at home during the day, when the panels are generating the most power?
I could make similar remarks to you on the tax I pay that funds the NHS, which is drained of some resource by those that abuse alcohol, drugs and tobacco. I cannot do much about those individuals, but I can do the best to look after myself.
Feel free to rebuke this argument, but I'd prefer a more focused discussion on solar panels and feed-in tarifs. On this point, you open your post with a comment about morality which taints any objectivity you are applying to subsequent comments over viability and the tax payer burden.
A question for Willia68, are you at home during the day, when the panels are generating the most power?
I've been looking at this lately, mostly because it was suggested by a friend who is an installer for an MCS registered company and our house has a large, South-facing roof in the South East of England.
It's certainly worth checking on the guarantee behind the equipment: Friend said his company was approached by a supplier of cheap inverters costing c£600 rather than the £1000+ they were paying. They took 10 for a trial and the six they installed failed almost immediately! Being a decent firm, he has replaced the failed units with the better, more expensive items but be warned.
Another factor to consider is that energy prices will rise and that the subsidies currently on offer will be phased out / withdrawn in the nearish future so if you are going to do it, do it now. Having said that, I'm still not decided, partly because of the initial outlay involved; the effect on the value of the house and any complications which may arise and partly for the aesthetics.
I look forward to reading other posts in this thread.
It's certainly worth checking on the guarantee behind the equipment: Friend said his company was approached by a supplier of cheap inverters costing c£600 rather than the £1000+ they were paying. They took 10 for a trial and the six they installed failed almost immediately! Being a decent firm, he has replaced the failed units with the better, more expensive items but be warned.
Another factor to consider is that energy prices will rise and that the subsidies currently on offer will be phased out / withdrawn in the nearish future so if you are going to do it, do it now. Having said that, I'm still not decided, partly because of the initial outlay involved; the effect on the value of the house and any complications which may arise and partly for the aesthetics.
I look forward to reading other posts in this thread.
All the money comes from an invisible surchrage to electricity users and most of it goes into the pockets of the clever installers and manufacturers who spotted the next eco-gravy train.
I wouldn't do it on moral grounds. Which surprises me, but there you go.
Perhaps this should be a sticky; it crops up with monotonous regularity.
I wouldn't do it on moral grounds. Which surprises me, but there you go.
Perhaps this should be a sticky; it crops up with monotonous regularity.
Edited by Simpo Two on Monday 13th June 09:58
Im thinking of getting some, paid for 10k interest free advance on mortgage ( 0.79% currently, good deal I have)
So they will pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years (if interest stays at virtually nil, which it wont!). But cant see how I can lose really. Large south facing roof here in SE, wont affect neighbours..
So they will pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years (if interest stays at virtually nil, which it wont!). But cant see how I can lose really. Large south facing roof here in SE, wont affect neighbours..
Good luck chasing down warranty companies / original companies who fit them in 10 - 15 years time......
Technology is moving so fast that not only will the existing fitted cells be relatively inefficient in a few years but a lot of the companies will more than likely be out of business also.
It just doesn't stack.
Technology is moving so fast that not only will the existing fitted cells be relatively inefficient in a few years but a lot of the companies will more than likely be out of business also.
It just doesn't stack.
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