Soldato
Install costs would potentially have been higher though to offset the gains a bit, what did that system cost to install?
Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?
- Thread starter GinG
- Start date
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
- Posts
- 2,553
I paid £7.5k to install a 2kw system on my old house in 2011. Id imagine the solar on this house now was around £15k to install in 2012.
The powerwall I got on a deal. £5.2k + vat mates rates.
The powerwall I got on a deal. £5.2k + vat mates rates.
Last edited:
Soldato
Steal on the Powerwall but does mean you're missing the main reason to get one, the TEP for cheaper electric, but you'll outstrip that with the Go and FIT combo.
If you didn't pay for that solar install even better win
If you didn't pay for that solar install even better win
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
- Posts
- 2,553
I’m “missing” TEP, yes but I’d be worse off with it. The PW is very very good at predicting the solar generation of the day so will only charge from the grid when it thinks it needs to.
I also heat my hot water with any excess and charge my car so my exporting is minimal.
I also heat my hot water with any excess and charge my car so my exporting is minimal.
Soldato
It wasn't quickly removed, it was around for about 8 years, but the rewards for new installations slowly reduced as time went on. IIRC it was removed when the pot of money set aside to cover it started running out.
Not only do we get paid for what we generate, we also get paid for what we export, and in most cases its deemed we export 50% of what we generate.
Mine was installed in December 2015, and I'm currently paid 15.39p per generated kWh, and 5.99p per exported kWh, or more simply 2.995p for every unit generated (50% deemed export), so I'm effectively paid 18.385p for every kWh generated.
If I've done my maths correctly, then our current solar panels have saved us £1877 in electric costs since installation (we actually used 12,330 kWh of the 29,264kWh that we've generated) . We've had £4750 in FITS payments, so a total of £6627, which means the solar panels have paid for themselves in 6 years and 10 months.
Hopefully when my additional system and batteries are installed we'll export a lot less, and save even more, especially given the higher prices now.
Last edited:
Soldato
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
- Posts
- 2,553
Apologies, yes I mean quickly reduced. I mean specifically the initial 50p fit. Your export rate is good. I'm on 27.85p and 4.25p. So basically 30p per unit or £1380 annually assuming my generation is around 4600.
Solar installs costs always seemed to be based around a 6/7 year ROI based on the FIT rate.
Batteries and Go really enable mega savings.
Last edited:
Soldato
FIT was reduced as the balance of generation and price to install improved.
IE is was a very expensive and not very good tech subsidy to get the industry moving.
IE is was a very expensive and not very good tech subsidy to get the industry moving.
Sorry if this has already been posted but I have a weird scenario I'd like to find out if I can do it or if I need to have extra sockets etc.
Pretty much my normal usage is around 6-10kw per day. We don't use much at all, at the moment!
If I were to get solar panels then I'd want to make sure I get the whole energy sent to my house. In summer I'd be running aircon units as much as possible and in winter I want to run heaters or dehumidifiers.
The thing is, I want them to JUST run from the power of solar. I'm guessing this might be a bit up and down so would even a small 1kw battery would be enough? What I probably need is a super large capacitor, rather than a battery! I imagine I'd need to get new sockets installed that are separate to our existing ones as I don't want everything going off when there's no sun, just my addition heating / cooling items.
Until we can get 1 for 1 units of electric sent to the grid, or a decent FIT price, I don't want anything being wasted, if possible!
Pretty much my normal usage is around 6-10kw per day. We don't use much at all, at the moment!
If I were to get solar panels then I'd want to make sure I get the whole energy sent to my house. In summer I'd be running aircon units as much as possible and in winter I want to run heaters or dehumidifiers.
The thing is, I want them to JUST run from the power of solar. I'm guessing this might be a bit up and down so would even a small 1kw battery would be enough? What I probably need is a super large capacitor, rather than a battery! I imagine I'd need to get new sockets installed that are separate to our existing ones as I don't want everything going off when there's no sun, just my addition heating / cooling items.
Until we can get 1 for 1 units of electric sent to the grid, or a decent FIT price, I don't want anything being wasted, if possible!
Soldato
Sorry if this has already been posted but I have a weird scenario I'd like to find out if I can do it or if I need to have extra sockets etc.
Pretty much my normal usage is around 6-10kw per day. We don't use much at all, at the moment!
If I were to get solar panels then I'd want to make sure I get the whole energy sent to my house. In summer I'd be running aircon units as much as possible and in winter I want to run heaters or dehumidifiers.
The thing is, I want them to JUST run from the power of solar. I'm guessing this might be a bit up and down so would even a small 1kw battery would be enough? What I probably need is a super large capacitor, rather than a battery! I imagine I'd need to get new sockets installed that are separate to our existing ones as I don't want everything going off when there's no sun, just my addition heating / cooling items.
Until we can get 1 for 1 units of electric sent to the grid, or a decent FIT price, I don't want anything being wasted, if possible!
Right now a proper solar setup isn't particularly beneficial for small users, its great for high users but not yet really for low users.
Also winter will be low, like potentially under 20% of peak summer and more variable so unless you had a massive array its practically baseload level stuff, highly unlikely to be running heavy consumption things like heaters, maybe dehums you may get lucky.
Are these AC and heating products included in your 6-10kwh, that seems hard to imagine, or are they on top as some way to beat the climate and costs or something.
That usage is without the AC or heaters. I'm guessing my usage will rocket up to 20-30kw with them on!
Summer will probably be fine for that usage but not winter, for sure.
As usual, I'm thinking about being stupid and covering most of the roof with panels! I'm thinking I could get 16 or so up there at a squeeze! So 6.4kw or 1.2kw in winter maybe?
It's the batteries that eat a chunk of the costs so if I can run with just the panels and a super small battery, that might be OK.
Soldato
Batteries aren't that expensive, i'm getting 10.5 useable for about £5.5k, or call it half of my £13k which is for 5.6kwh panels, the batteries I mention, solar diverter and bird netting plus insurance warranty etc
Slightly tricky to isolate exact costs since some are in effect shared
Whilst batteries pushes the ROI out it expands the potentials significantly.
Slightly tricky to isolate exact costs since some are in effect shared
Whilst batteries pushes the ROI out it expands the potentials significantly.
Soldato
So what are planning on doing, putting up panels into an inverter, then assuming not connecting that to anything apart from your AC/Heating?
Or basically keeping it completely separate from the grid or any other of your electrics?
Or basically keeping it completely separate from the grid or any other of your electrics?
Sort of yeah, ideally, I'd want solar to power the whole house like it should do normally but I also want the excess to only power some heating / ac stuff.
So the standard stuff uses solar and grid energy but the ac and heating side (not purchased or sorted yet) just comes from solar (or a smallish battery) and nothing comes from the grid. It just stops working when the sun stops or the battery runs out.
At the moment our heating is at 18 degrees and we are getting used to it being colder, but if there's tons of sun during the day then the excess solar can power some heaters and it might not seem as cold!
Soldato
Partly sounds like what diverters do in the sense your describing the excess to power something before lastly exporting to grid. In my setup the diverter goes to a hot water cylinder.
Not sure what's out there that does what you want but it could be as simple as a heat pump system that cools or warms and you get the solar to supplement this.
Not sure what's out there that does what you want but it could be as simple as a heat pump system that cools or warms and you get the solar to supplement this.
Soldato
Yea I'm not saying it's impossible, but may be tricky.
You can get a hot water diverter,. I have one, but the thing is a hot water element is literally just a dumb piece of metal, it doesn't care if it's getting 3kw or 20 watts.
But particularly AC systems, I imagine need some kind of minimum power to run?
Solar tends to generate in peaks.
You can get a hot water diverter,. I have one, but the thing is a hot water element is literally just a dumb piece of metal, it doesn't care if it's getting 3kw or 20 watts.
But particularly AC systems, I imagine need some kind of minimum power to run?
Solar tends to generate in peaks.
Soldato
I just can't seeing it working to be honest, for the reason @BUDFORCE mentions above. You'd need a large battery to smooth out the peaks and troughs of solar production, and unless you've got masses of panels during winter you're just not going to generate enough.
Just had a solar together quote come through from my local authority, to me it seems *ahem* expensive:
20 Longi 400w panels
So Far hybrid inverter
9.6kwh Pylontech batteries
Installation over two elevations
£20,478
The battery storage adds £8,022 to the bill which just seems to be a ludicrous amount of money for the spec.
20 Longi 400w panels
So Far hybrid inverter
9.6kwh Pylontech batteries
Installation over two elevations
£20,478
The battery storage adds £8,022 to the bill which just seems to be a ludicrous amount of money for the spec.
Last edited:
Soldato
At least we now know local councils are still as incompetent as ever, ensuring their residents and voters get thoroughly ripped off at every opportunity.
Soldato
Just had a solar together quote come through from my local authority, to me it seems *ahem* expensive:
20 Longi 400w panels
So Far hybrid inverter
9.6kwh Pylontech batteries
Installation over two elevations
£20,478
The battery storage adds £8,022 to the bill which just seems to be a ludicrous amount of money for the spec.
I know your local to me, did you ask me for details of my installer, I cant remember who did and didnt.
If you didnt get my installer details drop me a line and I will send them on.
Under a month to go now...
I had signed up for solar together in same area, but never quite completed, they emailed me yesterday in order to finalise. I was tempted just see what they came up with.
Yes, you did thanks and they are on my list. I just haven’t had the mental capacity to get on this fully yet but I roughly know what I want now. It may well be a job for the weekend.
That solar together scheme is just pure profiteering, they reckon it’s 27% less compared to a typical market price. It’s like GPUs all over again.
That solar together scheme is just pure profiteering, they reckon it’s 27% less compared to a typical market price. It’s like GPUs all over again.