Soldato
Do no users here have any of them water heating panels?
Solar panels
- Thread starter mdaw
- Start date
Do no users here have any of them water heating panels?
Soldato
We've got one - a solar heat exchanger. I'm only a tenant here so while I monitor the solar gear, I don't have much insight into the costs, savings, usage etc.
Not sure about the financials but one drawback of the heat exchanger/storage tank is, the hot water is hottest in summer and coolest in winter! The tank is usually about 35°C in winter and 65°C in summer. Must be helping with heating costs I'm sure, but we have gas combi so that's cheaper than electric anyway.
Seems like Givenergy battery, yes Pylontech does 2.4 and 3.0 kWh batteries (purchase one, then another later, then another, must be same size type version for your battery pack) ranging from £900 to £1200 respectively, various inverters will run off these batteries.
Without DNO approval from start limited to 3.6 kWh inverter...4kWh inverter above you need DNO approval...especially for exporting energy for SEG you need MCS certified build of PV Array, max 5.5p lol save the solarfor your EV charger ie Zappi or Hypervolt 2.0 or for domestic hot water iboost+ and iboost Buddy reducing your energy costs, works works well and loads management of solar... today my Solax X1 Boost 3.6kWh made 9.4 kW which is quite good for October, diminishing solar as we hit winter, my yield so far is for October 136 kW from my 2.6 kW SW string, SE 2.6kW string on two roofs; 5.2 kW PV Array.
If yo u do have Smart Smets 2 meter with half hourly reading available to your energy provider ie Octopus Energy and on their EV Tariff Octopus GO for 4 hours early morning cheap energy at 5p
charge your EV 28kW in four hours @ 5p total cost £1.40 for aprrox 100miles. also you can charge your batteries for to at least 50 -70% per cent and let the early forecast with topping up with Solar energy for later in the day and use early evening depending on size of battery, its a balancing thing, don't forget
every day will be different... and plan ahead. If you are in it for ROI for your PV energy it will take a long time to payback 8-15 years maybe longer depending on your total outlay and size of PV.
if for Eco reasons you will adjust your Energy bill... electricity has gone up 150% in less than 10 years, and only one way to go.. with inflation is upwards... Solar PV is effective but the battery addition is not really feasible still today for pound£ per kW storage unless the Government instills again more incentives... just like for EVs on take up the grant
I have solar thermal on my house.
Have 4 flat plate collectors, 2 facing east and 2 west. Both feed a 500L thermal store which heats the hot water and also gets used for the heating.
The solar collectors, pipework, pump stations, controller etc was just shy of £4k, fitted it myself so don't know installation costs.
The system works well, plenty of hot water in the summer and it helps the stove out on clear days in winter days.
Did briefly consider solar pv but unless you can keep what you produce it doesn't pay.
Plus you need a lot more surface area, inverters etc and they all have a life span, which seems to be around the break even point.
Associate
- Joined
- 19 Oct 2010
- Posts
- 2,081
Same here. I have 16 panels hooked upto a 3kw inverter. on the 25p fit and i get paid about a grand a year. I've had solar since 2011 (on a previous house) and now is the 1st time my electric costs are going to be more than my fit payments.
I'm looking for a 12kw approx battery and a charger for it.
Associate
Do you think you'll get much charge into the battery over the autumn/winter period from a 3kW array? I'd love a battery, have a 4kW array, but they just seem too much still and i dont think we'd charge it over the darker months so we'd actually have any battery power to use when it gets dark in the evenings.
Soldato
Well you'll get 33% more charge than if you had a 3kW array so at least that's in your favour!
These have went up a fair bit in price. Just had a quote of £6k for the same setup from the same company.
Soldato
Wow, that is a jump. My breakdown was £2560 for the materials, £1500 for the labour. Add the VAT on top.
I also had to fork out some more recently as Pigeons were starting use my panels as a home!
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With VAT now 0% on it then looks like parts and labour are up about 40% in six months. I'm waiting on some more quotes from other companies but if it's really jumped that much I'll likely wait and see what happens.