Solar Panels

Anybody got solar panels and is it worth having them installed?
Just toying with the idea of getting some.

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Sorry jjordie can't help you there except we got a quote a month back.....11k so that idea is off for us

 

You after electric or Water Heating?

 

Worth installing? No.

A system, which provides hot water, costs around £5,500 - it will reduce your bill but only by about 10% per year (that's around £55 p.a.) - you don't have to be Einstein to work out how long it would take to 'pay for itself'.

 

You may have trouble when or if you should think about selling your home. The installers (if the job was done 'for free' may 'own your roof. Hot water can only be used by yourself (if you see what I mean) but electrical jobbies can send power into the grid but the government has chopped the return fee on those.

I shall be watching this thread with interest.

Cheers, Tony.

 

I just had some quotes done. Info I got was thusly

1. on November 1st, the feed in tariff is being reduced from 16p to 11p per unit (I think, don't quote me!)
2. you don't need sun but you do need a roof facing anywhere from east to west, with south east being the best - bright overcast skies will be suitable
3. my house (bog standard ex-council 3 bed semi) can take 8 panels for leccy
4. the charge is Dc and constant so when you are not using it, the charge goes to your power company via a special gizmo
5. mostly the energy generated will be sufficient to meet your needs but if you exceed the panels' output, then you will draw from your power company of course
6. the water heater panel is an optional extra and will provide hot water direct into the house which can be stored in a tank until you need it
7. there is no 'feed in' from the hot water panel though you will, of course, be using less leccy so therefore a greater feed in
8. solar panels make a small increase to the house value
9. the roof remains yours
10. my quotes were all around 6k give or take, with an extra 1k for the hot water panel

That's about all I can remember.

 

All the free Electric installers refused me as my roof doesn't face directly south, despite gettin the sun till about 7 O'clock.



The above pic shows the 30 tube solar water heating which has been brilliant in summer, as otherwise i'd have to put the fire on to heat the water, and you don't want that in an insulated house in the summer.

The pic was taken during the build, which is why its not finished.

 

Oh, the system cost a bit over £2k.

The other small panel is solar electric 12 volt, powers strip lights & has plugs for laptops in the event of a power cut.

 

Has anyone thought of making the panels triangular.
Quite a lot around here have them but the panels are all rectangular.

Just strikes me a triangular panel would allow greater coverage on hipped roofs