Solar panels

Fair play Watergarden, you've expressed your opinion and i've expressed mine. And I applaud your advice on checking the small print, especially with regards to cleaning & maintenance.

There are plenty of weather records to check the average sunshine hours for most areas of the country, another factor to take into consideration for potential users.

I merely quoted the name of the film because that came from the temperature that paper will ignite at, presumably birds nests too, no wind up intended at all

 

Shiney the aspect is ok (south) and the number of panels are about 12 and they have to do a structural survey, I'll reread your link and note down relevant questions. I am still dubious and will give the guy a grilling when he returns next week.

 

I've seen lots of these appearing on roofs around here.
Whether they are a good idea or not I'm not sure, but I do think they are preferable to wind farms as regarding energy.
Lets face it, nothing is actually going to replace power stations, but from an environmental point of view its better than millions of windmills.

They dont work when it not windy, or too windy, and solar panels dont work when its nightime.

But there are millions of roofs out there all doing nothing but stopping the rain.

I'm just very curious how they fix them without affecting the tiles?

 

The electricity they produce goes into the grid's existing "batteries" ie the pump storage stations, to be used when demand is highest.

Fixing the panels is a piece of tree as far as roofing goes.

There are 3 mega solar farms that have sprung up in fields around here, i'll get a pic next time I go past one. So someone must think its worth the outlay.

 

Not sure I like the idea of solar farms.
That is as bad as wind farms.
But there are millions of houses already connected to the grid, with roofs.

OK ziggy, so how do they fix them?

 

You just need a tingle fixed to a batton that comes down under the tile, you'd need to remove a few tiles to do it thats all. Some installations go straight thru the tiles or slates and are then made watertight with roofing mastic, depends on what your roofing material is.

Think my solar hot water is fixed by the second method, but my solar pv by the first, can't remember as it only took a couple of hours a few years back & i've had a lot to think about since then.

 

I saw a solar farm once, when I stopped to take a picture of a view. When I looked over the hedge - there it was.
By contrast, I can always see a wind farm - sometimes from twenty miles away.

 

I can see Hinkley Point Nuclear power station from 30 miles away, likewise I used to be able to see Trawsfynedd Nuclear power station from all over Snowdonia National Park.

The cores of these quick fix energy supplies will have to be encased in concrete for TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND YEARS.

 

I get what you dont use will go back in to the grid, as far as i know they dont store electric (in the grid system) how many watts are you going to get from a typical house say 2 bed terraced house with south facing roof?

I haven't a clue as to what an average house would uses wattage wise, lets just say (pick a number out of a hat) i use 10,000w a day, and the panels give me 8,000w a day, im obviously short 2,000w, so i have to then buy 2,000w from the guys that put the panels in at THERE tariff? is that how it works?

I ask because im considering getting them, but I dont think there going to generate enough electricity during the day (as was mentioned) a fridge washing machine, dryer, and all the other electric goods that are used in the day time,

And as i understand it the panels work from light, not sunshine (u.v. light I think) so if it was covered with snow it would still work

Im very sceptical ( as always when things are free)

 

if you get the free panels, check the small print on the contract as regards selling your home before the contract expires

from what I have heard, if you have the free panels and sell your home, the new owners have to re-negotiate a contract with the solar panel company before the mortgage is approved, or have to purchase the panels outright if they disagree with the terms and conditions

I don't know the full details, however I work for a guy who owns a company who installs these, and I overheard a conversation that he had with a prospective buyer ...

and make sure that these details are clearly explained on the contract

 

found this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/9380113.stm

snip:
Please warn anyone that signs a Solar Panel Leasing Agreement for their roof, that when it comes to selling or remortgaging their property some of the major lenders will not lend if their roof is leased. I work for a major high street bank and we will not mortgage these properties.

not sure if this is true, but it's worth checking

 

We have only just moved here and have no intention of moving again but that could change in the future.

We have decided not to go ahead as we really are no sure about it and have cancelled our appointment.
Thanks for all the imput, it has helped.