Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

TNA said:
Yea. Demand will hopefully slow down over the next couple of years once people that actually have the means to splash the cash have already done so.
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Probably go the other way, as more people see others with solar, and more people talk about the benefits, and electricity prices continue upwards. Also interest rates will be going up for a while, so people less likely to move house, so more likely to invest in the property they are at.
 
Journey said:
Probably go the other way, as more people see others with solar, and more people talk about the benefits, and electricity prices continue upwards. Also interest rates will be going up for a while, so people less likely to move house, so more likely to invest in the property they are at.
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Could do. We will see soon I suppose.
 
Hedge said:
I like the idea of solar but can't help think electric prices in the future will come down a bit and the roi will change somewhat. Basing that on nothing more than my imagination mind.
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Maybe, and demand is spiking which is putting prices up.

But..... energy prices are not going to go down anytime soon, and the demand on solar might not go down in the short term (couple of years), which will then put higher demand on the materials, and the higher energy prices will factor on this on top.

Meanwhile, whilst you have solar you are saving money every day.

It's like, if you have roughly 10 year ROI on a solar system.

If you wait 3 years, the systems available will need to be 30% cheaper for like for like, because by then you've already received back 30% of your investment.

And then add on, every time they put electricity prices up, it's speeding up your ROI.

Once you've achieved full ROI, it's pure profit.

I wish I had thought about this maybe 1 year ago.
 
Hedge said:
I like the idea of solar but can't help think electric prices in the future will come down a bit and the roi will change somewhat. Basing that on nothing more than my imagination mind.
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My calcs are all at my current rates of 4p/20p for gas and elec, which puts me at about 9.5 years roi. Obviously at current prices which are about 50% more than this I take a significant amount of time off my roi. Even if the rates do come down I don't ever envisage them going below my current rates.

I chucked out a load of old bills a few months back that were about 5 years old and had 15p electricity rates on them iirc... And a much lower standing charge.
 
Thanks for replies. Maybe I should do some calculations myself sometime. I'm in a position right now where I'm still on a decent gas and electric contract until May next year and I'm yet to experience the brunt of the huge increase. I think maybe I should brace myself for it and use this cheaper time to put money aside for a potential solar investment.

Only issue I have is my roof is due replacing too. So I'd likely need money to do that at same time. Which is also a more expensive job than it was two years ago.
 
Hedge said:
Only issue I have is my roof is due replacing too. So I'd likely need money to do that at same time. Which is also a more expensive job than it was two years ago.
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Perfect time to actually save money, as you can get in roof panels so you don't require roof tiles below them, and can save a small fortune, just cover you entire roof in panels and it would make them almost free if you were going to buy the tiles anyhow and have them fitted.
 
Journey said:
Perfect time to actually save money, as you can get in roof panels so you don't require roof tiles below them, and can save a small fortune, just cover you entire roof in panels and it would make them almost free if you were going to buy the tiles anyhow and have them fitted.
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Ooh.. This is something I was unaware of.

Think I have a lot of googling to do.
 
Hedge said:
Ooh.. This is something I was unaware of.

Think I have a lot of googling to do.
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Make hay (or volts) while the sun shines, interest rates on the rise so getting big jobs done, unless paying cash, is going to cost less now that in a couple of years.

I know someone that has just had all four sides of their roof done with integral panels, but has only connected up just over half of them, this was due to affordability, he could afford the new roof/panels but not all the extra kit as he would require a 3-phase conversion to his home, which was quoted at a very high cost. I think he's looking at getting them isolated on a separate inverter now, and connecting them up to his garage/one bedroom annex, and putting a battery in that and moving it off-grid entirely.
 
For me it's about keeping utility bills sensible, big upfront cost that will take years to re-pay itself, but every month that ticks by I'll be paying less than I would otherwise for electric usage, on top of that I think If I ever did come to sell the house it could be worth a little more to any potential buyer with solar already in place.

I am not intending to move any time soon though, so a longer term payback is fine, and if energy prices stay around this level or higher then it will just pay itself off quicker.
 
I think there is still a lot of negative views about solar when it comes to selling houses due to the old FIT stuff and who owns it, think this will change in the coming years and as you say it won't add value but I think people will look at it as a positive, especially if it's the differentiator between 2 similar houses. That and the use of EVs everyone will realise how much solar can save you.

Clear blue skies today, interested to see what my generation will be. I've been chucking about 8-10kw to the grid last few days, really need my wifes car to turn up to use that extra generation. Has been nice just leaving on the aircon all day and night, house is so much more comfortable sitting at a constant 20c.

Slowly learning what I can and can't do to minimise any draw from the grid, put the dishwasher on overnight and can see two short periods (presume drying bits) where it draws a few hundred watts from the grid, in reality it's about 4p worth of electric, but the dishwasher goes on every day pretty much, so can save about £10 a year just ensuring that goes on during the day when there is solar to support the battery output.
 
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June was the best month of the year, so far. I'm going to consume over 12k units PA easily.

Generated 599.2 units, my PW2 was charged 92% from the sun and this was my Octopus Bill:

 
I did all the modelling on break even before I bought mine- some of the quotes also included an analysis, but there’s a lot of variables that bring in masses of uncertainty - energy prices beyond 1-2 years, export prices, production assumptions, home use amounts and hours.

And also assumptions around solar production and night charging effectiveness in winter.

I spent £11k on a 6.1kw system, 5kw inverter and 10kwh or storage. The storage was critical for bringing the break-even forward.

I expect to break even in 6-7 years but I’ve stopped worrying about that detail really now it’s on the roof.

My smugness / satisfaction level is very high! Worth it for that alone.
 
Not aware of any, only thing I can think of is that the panels could let more heat out? not sure.

Tiles or panels would sit above the rafters, and there isn't really any reason that tiles + panels would insulate better than just tiles.
 
Puzzled said:
Any tips or links on how to work that out? Some of the figures from suppliers seem rather optimistic.

A 10 year+ period to break even wouldn't be worth it for us, would likely only benefit the next owner.
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Exactly same issue. Unless the tech aids the house price you are helping the next owners. I know some of the kit you can take with you.


We think se about 9-10kwh a day spread over the day. So a modest battery may be all that's needed. I'm certainly keeping an eye on it though.
 
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