For those interested in global warming, now called climate change!

So if me and Mr Kandy shelled out say £15,£16,£17,000 grand for solar panels to fit on the South facing wall of our garage how many years will it take to recoup the money spent out in the first place on the panels with the revenue that we are going to generate from them and what they give us back?

Plus doesn't the Invertor have to be replaced after a number of years which will be more expense

I can't see the builders putting Solar panels onto new builds in the near future because though they could do a deal and get the panels/fitting done quiet cheaply they will still add on thousands of pounds to the cost of the build to make even more profit and the price that the houses cost anyway prevents a lot of youngsters getting on the housing ladder in the first place.

 

The answer with solar panels might come when someone invents a roof covering that is one big solar panel instead of putting on tiles or slates.

Elon Musk (Tesla) has withdrawn his main storage cell due to the economics not stacking up but I've no doubt they'll be back with another type of electricity storage.

The ultimate answer for "free" power is tidal. The tide goes in and out twice a day but the wind doesn't always blow nor the sun always shine. Their answer in tidal power is a "screw" device inside a tube instead of "blades" twirling around. (Please send the royalties to me.)

 

Hiya Kandy

I've just had a quick look online. The first one I came across quoted around £6,000 for a 4kw system. Just sayin'

 

We have just got back from a quick trip out so only just seen both of your replies,Thank You @Freddy and @shiney.

Some friends of ours in the village have sixteen panels on their South facing roof which they got four years ago and paid £16,000 for them so I am not sure if the price of them have come down over the last few years The hubby was saying that since they have had them installed the feed in tarrif (not sure if that is the correct term) has come down so they don't get as much return on them now like they did when they had them installed

The only area we have which is South facing is the end of the garage wall that faces South so that is the only bit that would generate enough power to the panels.

As we are on an Article4 restriction I couldn't see us ever getting planning permission to install any solar panels because from what we have found out from others on the same Article4 directive we can't even have plastic Windows as they can be seen from the road even though the house downpipes are plastic plus part of the window frame above the wood frames is plastic so there would be no way that we could have solar panels on our nice slate looking roof

 

I've never been quite sure of the logic of solar electric panels on a house roof.

Most of the energy consumption in a typical household goes to heating water. Water is actually very energy intensive to heat. So if you're going for solar, why not solar water heating? Simpler technology and less conversation losses.

 

The feed In Tariff was slashed in January 2016, to be phased out totally later this year.

 

Not in this house. Most days Aunt Sally makes I a gert massive pie in the oven

 

In all seriousness, our gas usage is way lower that our electricity usage, which
last year was 3,600kw. If I'm correct, that equates to just under 10kw a day. @shiney, let's say I went for a 4kw system, does that necessarily mean that I would have a 6kw deficit?

 

You will not get 4kw from a 4kw system.

 

Yes, I realise that. I'm just using those numbers to make it simple.

 

Ahh, of course, thanks for putting me straight. So, on the face of it, it's not a bad system. Just the initial outlay that will put many off. I'll have to investigate further

 

It's not a very good investment with the ending of the Feed In Tariff.