Photovoltaics

[Kev L]

Anyone got these fitted to their premises? How do you get on with them? Have you found them to give the benefits, cash wise and electrical supply wise, that was promised?
I am thinking of having 16 panels fitted to my roof, which on the figures quoted, should be self financing. Just interested to see if anyone on here has had any experience with them and whether they meet the hype.

[MacV2]

I had 9 fitted last year.

Can't say I've noticed much of a reduction in me bills as I'm at work all day so don't really benefit from the free leccy during the day.

Not had any payments through as my suppliers are being Richard & seem to be doing all they can to avoid paying by stretching out the paperwork...

[Kev L]

That's interesting, they assured me that payments were regularly made every 3 months. Hmmm!

[macdee]

I work for a firm that does them although i,m in the electical end of things not the pv end
i can get you all the info you want from the boss to the men that fit them
they knock them out in a day and its about a five year pay back
I wouldn't touch firms offering free install as i think they get your ROC payments and believe trying to sell your house is a bit of a bummer as they own the rights to your roof
if had the money laying around i would put them in
give me a shout if you need more info the fitters could be working with me tomorrow

[MacV2]

That's interesting, they assured me that payments were regularly made every 3 months. Hmmm!

Yeah I was told that as well...By the salesman! The problem is with my supplier. You have to tell them you've had them fitted & they send you a load of paperwork, fill it out & send to them registered post.

About a month later I got a call...''we have received your paperwork & we need a meter reading from the new meter (the generation meter)...''

Me...Well it's zero of course it's brand new...

Them...''No what it read today please...''

Me.. Yeah but it's been running for a month generating electric which I should be getting paid for so It's Zero...

Them...''No No it has to be the current reading...''

Anyway about a month ago I was checking my bank statement & still no payments have been made was pondering calling them to chase it up & the following day got a letter...Incomplete information we need you to fill out this form...Basically asking If I was a business & did I have any other systems which I was earning money off of...

IMO the money grabbing bastids are just stretching it out...

[Kev L]

Macdee, please fella, if you will.
They are talking about sticking 16 panels on the roof and the option is to use finance supplied by Barclays and Mr Cameron, gawd bless him!!! The panels quoted are from Raydion in Watford and fitted by RNR. The total cost is £9995 taking 10 years to pay off using £130 each month from a projected return of £173 per month from the panels.
This all relies on the projected increase in energy prices achieving the levels predicted by the company.
We are just making enquiries at the moment. Cheers.

[sirch345]

and believe trying to sell your house is a bit of a bummer as they own the rights to your roof

That was what I heard and that put me right off. If I were you Kev I'd read all the small print very carefully before entering into any contract.

Also what if you want to move house in that 10yrs? None of us know what the future holds,

Chris.

[Kev L]

Cheers Mac, surprisingly the sales guy told us the energy companies hail owners of these panels as heroes and it only takes a phone call!!!

[AMCQ46]

Nnnooooo ... Don't do it Kev


I don't give a sh1t about their running cost or payback.... I just think they look sh1t.


Mind you it could be a good deterrent to stop me visiting

[Kev L]

I agree the aesthetics are, uhum, challenging but they would be fitted to the rear of the house. To be fair it's the cheap power and clawing back some cash which attracts me. I'll wait to see what Macdee comes up with and then decide having completed a little more research.

[Wicky]

Life expectancy of the panels and efficiency over the years plus maintenance costs (i.e inverter @£800 and £1,000) down the line? Don't forget that the feed-in tariffs for electricity were cut dramatically in March 2012...

[Kev L]

Just been on the Which website and got some info on the inverter maintenance issue. The current feed in tariff is 14.38 and due to be re-assessed in March this year. cheers Wicky.

[VTRDark]

and believe trying to sell your house is a bit of a bummer as they own the rights to your roof

One would need a bloody huge Umbrella then if that's the case.

Don't get sucked into salesman talk Kev. Their probably on commission and just want to make a sale. Anyway where are you thinking of getting the Sun from.

(:-})

[MacV2]

and believe trying to sell your house is a bit of a bummer as they own the rights to your roof

One would need a bloody huge Umbrella then if that's the case.

Don't get sucked into salesman talk Kev. Their probably on commission and just want to make a sale. Anyway where are you thinking of getting the Sun from.

(:-})

They still produce when overcast albeit at a lesser rate. My house faces south so is perfect but the guy told me I could have them fitted on the back as well, even though they wouldn't get direct sunlight they would still produce power.

When they first started being fitted the feed in tariff was 40p a unit...Mr Camaloon's lot realised that would cost too much in the long run so dropped it down to the current rate of 14.38. At the 40p rate loads of companies jumped on the band wagon offering free panels but kept the feed in tariff money the panels generated, when it dropped loads of them went skint...

The cost of the panels has dropped a huge amount since then which makes it more viable to fit them now.

The figures you are quoted are all based on the original workings out which give an average daily full sunlight of 3.5 hours per day they used Sheffield as the datum for this as it's roughly in the centre of the UK . So they use a calculation based basically on 3.5x 14.38x 365 to give you the figures. Which even in this country is frankly bolloacks...

Yes they look a bit cack on your roof but during the day any electric you use is basically free any you don't use you get paid for...Quids in really.

As an aside just up the road from me they are currently constructing a solar farm...1000's of the panels have sprung up over the months...

http://wessexsolarenergy.com/malmaynes-solarfarm.html

Obviously planning permission was granted as the panels are now sprouting...

[simon t]

They're big down here - lot's of PV farms, warehouse roofs etc. Mind, the south of France gets a tadge more sunshine than Sheffield