Solar Panel Megathread

[Mayfield]

But,a ground source heat pump,should pay for itself in just 6 years,and with riseing energy prices,that will drop dramatically,and is ALWAYS assured,as the source is right beneath your feet

 

Ground source heat pumps may pay for themselves in 6 years but you wont get any incime from them. P.V. however will generate an income for a further 15years and after that you will still have the energy generated. The panels last a minimum of 25years and as they have no moving parts will last a lot longer but their efficiency will deteriorate slightly.

 

A P.V. installation costing 10K can generate in excess of 25k over the 25years.

 

 

FORE Re: Solar Panel Installation

Is the feed in tariff subject to income tax?

 

FITs are exept from tax.

[Quint]

Correct, you are much better owning your own! Please visit our web site for more informationwww.solar-roof-solutions.co.uk

[Quint]

Just wanted to get peoples thoughts on the recent news about the increase in energy costs and whether solar power is an option for you? Or indeed any other means to cut your energy bills?

[hotrock]

As a council tenant i Have looked into both solar & wind power i found that the initial outlay was beyond our pockets, being on a lower income bracket i thought that it would benefit us due to lower energy bills in the future. Upon deeper investigations they both took an average of 10 to 15 years to make any significant returns/profits due to the cost of the systems and maintenance. i would have thought that at 10 to 15 years the system would be due for a major overhaul or even replacement, thus the cycle starts again. i have however now made my shed energy efficient using solar lights, but again the cost of setting it up was £80.00 for 4 20 led lighting units in a 10 x 8 shed, this gives sufficient lighting for around 6 hours continuous use, which would be very rare to use them for that length of time, so given the cost of the setup compared to actual usage its going to take a good few years to make the £80 back, & then i will probably have to replace the rechargeable batteries a couple of times lol.

[convert]

The real question should be:-

 

Are the rising energy prices due to people switching to solar?

[barleycorn]

I rent so no. In the winter months I intent to wear more jumpers.

 

jb

[Total Chaos]

The real question should be:-

 

Are the rising energy prices due to people switching to solar?

 

Nope,its just greed.Oh and us British just moan about it and do nothing,pay it and moan again.

[fake]

Until the cost of the panels come down I doubt it.

 

The other problem is they generate electricity when the sun shines and most people are out. The best thing people can do at the moment is reduce their consumption or pay the price.

 

Energy companies don't help either as they give discounts and reductions on the more you use. It should be discounts on the first units and then a higher charge for extra usage.

[Susil]

Generally, photovoltaics (the electric generating solar panels) don't pay for themselves in Britain. They have a limited lifespan (around 20-25 years if memory serves) and because we have British weather, there's not enough solar energy on them for the output to be particulalrly efficient, especially not copmpared to installation costs / maintenance etc. Plus, they're full of chemicals that make them difficult to dispose of, much like fridges, so once they're useless they become a much less envrionmental-sounding option...

 

I don't know as much about the water heating systems - I would presume the fact that they're a simpler system avoids many of the above issues. I stayed in a house that ran the shower of them, it was pretty warm - though how much energy is saved 'per shower' I've no idea.

[carltoncdx]

Generally, photovoltaics (the electric generating solar panels) don't pay for themselves in Britain. They have a limited lifespan (around 20-25 years if memory serves) and because we have British weather, there's not enough solar energy on them for the output to be particulalrly efficient, especially not copmpared to installation costs / maintenance etc. Plus, they're full of chemicals that make them difficult to dispose of, much like fridges, so once they're useless they become a much less envrionmental-sounding option...

 

I don't know as much about the water heating systems - I would presume the fact that they're a simpler system avoids many of the above issues. I stayed in a house that ran the shower of them, it was pretty warm - though how much energy is saved 'per shower' I've no idea.

 

If i may comment.....

Solar panels WILL pay for themselves at around the 10-15 year mark...some sooner some later.

Most panels carry a 5 year warrenty....Sanyo now give 10 years.

All panels carry a performance warranty...This ensures the panels will generate at least 85% of their design output at 25 years old...they have to for the feed in tarrif.

Panels are made of sillica sand...same stuff pooter chips are made of...oh and a bit of silver for the electrical conections.

If your roof faces due south great...if its a bit west or eat it will still work but not quite as well...but a good engineer will work out the best system to get a good return on your investment.

So you pay £14.000 for your system.

IF fitted by an MCS engineer you will get:-

43.3p per kw of electricity you generate. For 25 years garanteed!

You can use that electricty in your home and you will still be paid for it!!!

If you do use it that means you don't buy that electricity from your supplier so you save around 12p per kw.

Half of all the electricity you generate will be "bought back" for 3p per kw.

Maintainence every 5 years or so....electrically test the system....takes about the same time asit takes to drink your tea!

http://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPageOverview.aspx?page=915ccf0d-789d-4482-9574-17071e7ca7e3&plant=3ab2415d-0586-4514-b7fb-6794c19fb84f&splang=en-GB

Have a look at the link...its a 3.4kw system fitted to a house in Chesterfield...fitted in April this year and has alreaduy earned the owner nearly £500 TAX FREE!!

Go on......do the math!