Solar panels

[mdaw]

Hi all,

When I hopefully get moved in a few weeks I've been thinking about getting solar panels and a solar battery.
My electric usage isn't particularly high at around 2500kwh per year. I think from things I've seen I'd only need around a 3.5 kw system to cover this.
My roof at the rear will be south to South west facing so it will get a good amount of sun/UV over the day and also being in Sussex we do get a bit more than some parts of the country.
My thinking is I will probably get the biggest KW system I can get and if I have excess, use it to get SEG payment but without depleting the battery as that increases degredation believe. I want a battery as my wife and son are primarily in during evenings so I'd like the energy stored up for evening use as when I'm at home during the day as I do shift work I don't use much electric.

From what I can guesstimate using Google earth etc. I think the roof will be around 5.5m wide and about 4m high. That could allow me a 3.7-4KW system using high end panels.

Can anyone give me their experience with a system like this and how good it is during winter? Also how effective is just having solar panels during the winter?

 

[mdaw]

During the brighter/longer days I would be fairly confident my usual daily needs would be fairy well covered but my main concern is winter. Days are short so how much would my battery be charged by the panels? 200-400w does not sound a lot as mentioned above, although that would be a different setup. Other factors will make a difference I know for example which panels are actually installed i.e LG or sunpower (not saying others aren't good) vs some that are not so well rated. When it comes to inverters I've not done any research on those. Are there any particular brands to avoid or things I should look out for when speaking with a installer?
With the solar battery if you can get cheap off peak rates to charge it, then maybe that is the way forward for the winter. Can you get these deals when on a smart meter? I'm not sure if my next property is on one or not. I'm currently on a smart meter where I am now.
Looking at that my highest electric usage has been 169kwh in the last four months. Lowest was 147. On average I'd say 155kwh per month. I have no idea if that could be covered in autumn or winter.

 

[mdaw]

The jinko ones do look good. High efficiency above 20% and are only a little taller than the 400w sunpower maxeon 3. 10 of those panels would do just fine on my next property. As I think that will be my limit on roof space available.

 

[mdaw]

Is there actually any websites where you can compare prices of various solar panels with installation?

Don't be fooled by expensive branded panels, they are not worth the premium that you pay for the slightly decreased degradation and sometimes shorter warranty, I spent many, many hours doing research, as I designed my own solar system inc. battery storage, there are many great panels for not huge sums of cash e.g. the Jinko 395w (JKM395N-6RL3-B) are ~£140, and have a good warranty and are a very well respected brand in the solar industry. As for inverters, if you are going for a battery backup, then you can look at Hybrid ones, as they act as charge controller and inverter for your solar. I said in the other thread, sourcing my own kit means I spent a lot less, and still have a really good sized system (6.2kW solar and 8.2kWh battery), installation costs will vary depending on who you can get to do it though.

I see they now have a tiger pro out as well.

 

[mdaw]

Last time I looked into solar the fit had been nerfed so it would take about 15 years to pay for itself, is that still the case?

Sort of. There is now something called SEG where it's the energy company that gives us you money for feeding back in. The best at the moment is about 5.5p. it was a lot higher at on FIT for a long time I think. To be fair SEG isn't my main concern but if I can get a bit out of it, why not? I'm mainly concerned with trying to pay as little for my energy as possible.

 

[mdaw]

Similar for me a1ex2001. I have been told that my solicitors are about to agree a completion date for my next property for the 30th. My Mrs said to me never again lol. So looks like we will be there a long time, so the solar panels look like a good thing to get done especially how prices are going right now. Annoyingly if I could have moved last week I'd have been able to fix on a deal for £89 per month but now it is going to be at least £100. I know it's gas that has mainly changed but still. If I'm getting the electric down then at least that's something.

 

[mdaw]

On solar panels themselves, the Jinko tiger series mentioned before look like they maybe good value for money just need to find an installer for them and compare prices.
I'm also interested in REC alpha as a potential more premium option. They have very good ratings close to LG and sunpower but meant to be cheaper.

Longi himo4m are another option similar to the Jinko. Generally an upper midrange brand. Produce huge amounts of quality panels.

Futurasun silk pro look pretty good but I can't really find any pricing info but are Italian based and have good performance guarantee 87% after 25 years and over 20% efficiency.

Thing is most solar panels are guaranteed for 25 years. This doesn't mean they are crap over night. There are many thoughts out there believing they will go on for 35-40 years. Of course with degredation continuing. This is the main reason the REC alpha panels are getting my attention as their performance guarantee is 92% after 25 years as long as they are a good price of course.