Mid-Terraced house EV charging options

Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
22,052
hah hah boom boom - installation costs on the roof aren't a negligible part of the install , have concrete roofs tiles,
if I got 50% efficiency, with twice as many panels out of vertical easterly & westerly facing garden fences wouldn't be a bad harvest.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,986
Location
Norwich
What are you expecting on your RoI? Almost everyone I have spoken to have said theirs have actually paid off in under 8 years, some are as low as 5 almost regardless of when they had them installed.
I would only be doing it from a financial point of view as I don't really see micro generation as being that beneficial in the grand scheme of things.

I don't have an EV (yet) and my wife is home all day so time of use tarrifs are out. Let's say, for arguments sake, that leaves me with a £10k install that takes 8 years to pay itself off. That is comparing solar verses leaving cash in the bank. The reality is that I'd invest that £10k so what I'm really comparing is a ROI of zero (for the solar) verses 8 years of compounded growth.

The latter isn't guaranteed but over 8 years it'll almost certainly be £15k+. So from a purely financial point of view the figure that matters to me is how long it takes to cover off the solar plus save/make me £5k.

For reference I currently spend less than £70 a month on electricity. Maybe if I end up getting an EV things will change but that is in the hands of my employer.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
14,214
Location
West Midlands
For reference I currently spend less than £70 a month on electricity.

If you are only using 7.5kWh per day then you are a low user, so it'll never look like a wise move to go for a big system.

What you can do is get a setup with a single,/dual panel and an inverter that goes to a normal 3-pin socket, this would cost very little but takes away most of the day light hour base load costs, which for a light user like your self probably make up 1/3 of the bill.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
22,052
google throws up a lewis calculator (yes - he's like a stopped clock) ... and lords not wrong that the capital gain putting the money elsewhere isn't included in the break even

How long it will take to break even

If typical bills fall by 20% (1)Savings based on the Price Cap from 1 April 2024If typical bills rise by 20% (1)
Electricity bill savings (2)Average: £188
(£112 to £276)
Average: £235
(£140 to £345)
Average: £282
(£168 to £414)
Smart export guarantee payment (3)Average: £273
(£220 to £320)
Average: £273
(£220 to £320)
Average: £273
(£220 to £320)
Cost of system (4)£7,000£7,000£7,000
Years to break even16
(15 to 17)
14
(13 to 16)
13
(12 to 15)
Correct as of April 2024. Source: Energy Saving Trust. (1) Electricity bill savings are based on the 1 April Energy Price Cap, in place until 30 June 2024. (2) Savings vary depending on how often you're home, how much electricity you're using and when (we've given the range in brackets above). (3) Based on a rate of 12p per kilowatt hour. (4) Based on a 3.5 kilowatt-peak system.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,986
Location
Norwich
If you are only using 7.5kWh per day then you are a low user, so it'll never look like a wise move to go for a big system.

What you can do is get a setup with a single,/dual panel and an inverter that goes to a normal 3-pin socket, this would cost very little but takes away most of the day light hour base load costs, which for a light user like your self probably make up 1/3 of the bill.
We use more than that. Favourable Octopus tracker rates probably make it look like we are lighter users than we are.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
14,214
Location
West Midlands
We use more than that. Favourable Octopus tracker rates probably make it look like we are lighter users than we are.
Still only puts you at 10.5kWh per day using the average 17p tracker rate for the past year, inc SC.

If the price keeps dropping then you'll be fine, but there are options out there without a big upfront layout, E.on will do you a full install on %0 APR and if you are in the Next tariff pay you 40p per kWh for export, which could net you £1500 to £2000 in a year from an average sized system.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2003
Posts
15,986
Location
Norwich
Still only puts you at 10.5kWh per day using the average 17p tracker rate for the past year, inc SC.

If the price keeps dropping then you'll be fine, but there are options out there without a big upfront layout, E.on will do you a full install on %0 APR and if you are in the Next tariff pay you 40p per kWh for export, which could net you £1500 to £2000 in a year from an average sized system.
10.5 kWh sounds about right. I'm surprised we are low users as my wife is home during the week and we don't worry about how often we run the dishwasher, washing machine etc. Tumble dry pretty much everything. I'm not complaining though.

Maybe it is something we should look more into. I can see us being here another 18 years give or take based on when I decide to pack in work. I'd probably be more inclined to get solar if you could get a solution that looks nicer on a hip roof. I know they exist but they aren't commonly used. In fact I've never seen an install in the UK using the triangular panels.
 
Back
Top Bottom