Free solar panel installation

Inazuma

Inazuma

Inazuma

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Two guys from A Shade Greener came knocking at my door yesterday and told me about a government-run scheme for free solar panel installations. They seem legit and have been featured on the BBC.

But I don't get it. What's in it for them if they install solar panels for free to me? Do I really get free electricity, meaning I only have to pay for gas?
 
They take the feed in tariff as payment.
They own the panels on your roof for approx 25 years
You have to "lease" them your roof for 25 years...
 
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I nearly signed up then spoke to a conveyancer who said they haven't as yet but expect problems selling properties in the future.

How do you transfer the lease
What happens if the new purchaser doesn't want to enter into an agree with the provider
 
from what I understand you lease them in the way that they get the electricity generated by the panels and the electricity you actually get from the panels after they take their cut is so minimal its not worth the fuss
 
Is this different to the government scheme run a while back that was subsidizing putting panels on your roof?
 
They make the money, you get lower elec costs and the hassle when trying to sell the house.

I want to buy some for the roof outright but she won't let me :(
 
Isn't there also a yearly payment the government gives to the owner of the panels? Several hundred pounds or so. They pocket this don't they?
 
I didn't say it was moral.

Companies like this shouldn't be allowed to cold call(knocking on doors is cold calling as well isnt it?).
 
Fuzz said:
They take the feed in tariff as payment.
They own the panels on your roof for approx 25 years
You have to "lease" them your roof for 25 years...
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Pretty much as i understood. I wasn't keen after i had someone round and said no thanks.

If a deal is sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.
 
They use the cheapest, mismatched bundles of panels they can buy as well - very low output. Just walk past one of their installations on a sunny day and you will see that each panel is a slightly different colour - no attempt made to optimise or match the set at all.
Only worth putting in if you feel a need to be "green", not for any sort of saving.
 
Inazuma said:
Two guys from A Shade Greener came knocking at my door yesterday and told me about a government-run scheme for free solar panel installations. They seem legit and have been featured on the BBC.

But I don't get it. What's in it for them if they install solar panels for free to me? Do I really get free electricity, meaning I only have to pay for gas?
Click to expand...

No it is that easy..Installation will cost u and there is plenty of maintenance too
 
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DonaldCude said:
No it is that easy..Installation will cost u and there is plenty of maintenance too
Click to expand...

What a rubbish first post.

As said they take the money from feed in tariff and make all the profit.
Al you get is some free electricity (usually about £125 a year worth so it's not a massive saving) when it's being produced, you will still have an electricity bill just reduced slightly.

Most of them you do not have to lease them your roof for 25years (although the one you've linked to does seem to be a 25 year lease one). Most will for free come and remove them, but why would you remove them. However since the feed in tariff was reduced a lot of companies have stopped doing free installations and you need to read the contract etc.

However I wouldn't have one, to much hassle for such a low saving. Unless you work from home and can really utilise the free electricity produced.
Secondly, they are cheap and just fit them yourself and get all the profit yourself. It's under 6k theses days.
 
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Glaucus said:
What a rubbish first post.

As said they take the money from feed in tariff and make all the profit.
Al you get is some free electricity (usually about £125 a year worth so it's not a massive saving) when it's being produced, you will still have an electricity bill just reduced slightly.

Most of them you do not have to lease them your roof for 25years (although the one you've linked to does seem to be a 25 year lease one). Most will for free come and remove them, but why would you remove them. However since the feed in tariff was reduced a lot of companies have stopped doing free installations and you need to read the contract etc.
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The only reason i can see people wanting to remove them is if they want to house to look more fitting in a areas "rustic aesthetic"
 
Glaucus said:
Secondly, they are cheap and just fit them yourself and get all the profit yourself. It's under 6k theses days.
Click to expand...

This is the route I would consider.. although I have some questions..

I have two roofs facing south-ish - the house and the garage.

If I put in a garage mounted panel set (apart from the possibility of bit being nicked (although the garage roof would not be noticeable). I could then have the power pumped in to the garage and house.

The problem I see is that in 10 years the panels would have improved (as there's a lot of research into solar cells) and the fitted panels would probably have reduced efficiency over time..

Most 4kW systems have 14-16 panels.. that's a large amount of space and would probably be bigger than the garage roof.

So at a 60% electricity return.. that's a 2.4KW.. which is enough to help with the daytime activities but if your cooking and heating is gas.. Would it be worth connecting up a grid feed back - this is where the stupid contracts start appearing .

Can you make it so your house gets fed with your solar first.. then takes any additional drawn power from the mains as normal? Rather than just switching or using different sockets?
 
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