Solar Panel Megathread

[ChrisT70]

there are better quality inverters out there than sunny boy , who's make of panels did they fit if you dont mind me asking?

[Mayfield]

Option 1. You pay for the panels and the install and you take all the electricity you generate, you can sell the surplus back to the grid and the government will also pay you around £900 per to have them on your roof.

 

There are currently no grants available as these have been replaced by the FITs.

 

Option 2. You rent your roof to an installer for 25 years and they install a solar system free of charge. They take the payments from the government and the surplus energy. You just get the electricity which you generate.

 

If you are interested in either options we would be happy to help. www.solar-roof-solutions.co.uk

 

The problem with having the free installs is that you are allowing someone to use your roof for 25 years and this may deter future buyers .

[mrm1970]

The problem with having the free installs is that you are allowing someone to use your roof for 25 years and this may deter future buyers .

 

Just the same as paying for the panels, if on never never with the company, or are you going to take the panels with you when you sell your house if paid for.

 

I remember the same argument when upvc windows came out, you will never sell your house with them on, surprise surprise nearly all new builds now have them fitted.

 

We recently had some fitted (free) 10 panels 3.2kw- 230w(If I remember right), we normally average per month £45 the first months usage with the panels is £28 not a bad saving at the moment.

 

The other good thing whether you pay or not is the 10% it puts on the value of you property.

 

So it could be a win win, who knows but time will tell.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Andy
Fixed quote tags

[Mayfield]

Just the same as paying for the panels, if on never never with the company, or are you going to take the panels with you when you sell your house if paid for.

 

I remember the same argument when upvc windows came out, you will never sell your house with them on, surprise surprise nearly all new builds now have them fitted.

 

We recently had some fitted (free) 10 panels 3.2kw- 230w(If I remember right), we normally average per month £45 the first months usage with the panels is £28 not a bad saving at the moment.

 

The other good thing whether you pay or not is the 10% it puts on the value of you property.

 

So it could be a win win, who knows but time will tell.

 

Even if you were get a loan, the system will pay for itself within 12 years.

 

I can't rememeber at any time any agument against UPCV windows and I don't recall anyone offering free window installs or the government offering any type of FITs:hihi:

 

If say in 10 years time, the max time it should take for the systems to pay for itself, you were to sell your property which one would a buyer prefer, a house with FIT's with pay back of £1k+/year for the next 15 years or your house that you can't touch, in this time, the panels/roof with no FITs?

 

Don't get me wrong there are still benifits with the free PV but don't expect them to come without some sort of cost.

[mrm1970]

Even if you were get a loan, the system will pay for itself within 12 years.

 

I can't rememeber at any time any agument against UPCV windows (when they first came into domestic fits, if you was in the trade back in the early, mid eighties) and I don't recall anyone offering free window installs or the government offering any type of FITs (where did I state that!)

 

If say in 10 years time, the max time it should take for the systems to pay for itself, you were to sell your property which one would a buyer prefer, a house with FIT's with pay back of £1k+/year for the next 15 years or your house that you can't touch, in this time, the panels/roof with no FITs?

 

Of course you are going to go with the fits, you would have to be stupid not too.

 

Or...

 

So we have two identical houses say for a couple of grand in price one as solar the other doesn't, I'm not going to buy the house with solar and benefit from free electricity, because it's tied to the house for the remainder of the 25 year lease.

 

 

Don't get me wrong there are still benifits with the free PV but don't expect them to come without some sort of cost.

 

 

What cost, short sightedness or stubbornness, because way back when on a forum somebody said I wouldn't want to be tied into a lease.

[Mayfield]

What cost, short sightedness or stubbornness, because way back when on a forum somebody said I wouldn't want to be tied into a lease.

 

= joke or maybe it should have been

 

The cost is that you are signing your roof away for 25years in which time you will not be able to do anything to that roof i.e put velux windows in. If 2 identical houses were to be up for sale, as per my earlier example, one with the free panels and one where the homeowner owns the panels then I would be prepared to pay a lot more for the system that's been paid for. It's not a case of short sightedness or stuborness it's economics.

[dongle]

= joke or maybe it should have been

 

The cost is that you are signing your roof away for 25years in which time you will not be able to do anything to that roof i.e put velux windows in. If 2 identical houses were to be up for sale, as per my earlier example, one with the free panels and one where the homeowner owns the panels then I would be prepared to pay a lot more for the system that's been paid for. It's not a case of short sightedness or stuborness it's economics.

 

The company im dealing with at the moment who offer the free systems offer in the roof rental agreement the right to buy the panels at any point in the future, the ammount to buy goes down every year.

as for putting off potential buyers there are houses with the free systems that have sold and have been seen buy the buyers as a plus point in the purchase as they will benefit from the free electricity.

and as for the two houses side by side one with free panels and one paid for and the fact that you would be prepared to pay more for it, what about if there was only one house with the free panels, would this put you off? or would you like the idea of free electricity.

Edited September 1, 2011 by dongle

[Mayfield]

The company im dealing with at the moment who offer the free systems offer in the roof rental agreement the right to buy the panels at any point in the future, the ammount to buy goes down every year.

as for putting off potential buyers there are houses with the free systems that have sold and have been seen buy the buyers as a plus point in the purchase as they will benefit from the free electricity.

and as for the two houses side by side one with free panels and one paid for and the fact that you would be prepared to pay more for it, what about if there was only one house with the free panels, would this put you off? or would you like the idea of free electricity.

 

This sounds like a better option and which I'd advise people to look at, especially as if you'd wish to sell your house or make alterations to the roof you or the potential buyer can opt for buy out. I didn't realise that anyone was currently offering this option i'm surprised thats nobody mentioned/offered it before.

 

At the moment people are looking at the free electricity side of things not fully understanding the full picture.

[mrm1970]

What is the problem with a velux on the other side if the roof, you can make repairs to the roof some company's change a small fee to remove the panels, and you can buy the panels at anytime of the lease so if selling the new buyers have got this option .

I think if you look into this with a more open mind and not just negative thoughts about it you might decide it is a good idea. We did after looking at all the options .

And I still believe if two identical houses came on the market one with and one without solar I think people would be more inclined to buy the house with solar even if it is free or not.

Edited September 1, 2011 by mrm1970
spelling

[Mayfield]

What is the problem with a velux on the other side if the roof, you can make repairs to the roof some company's change a small fee to remove the panels, and you can buy the panels at anytime of the lease so if selling the new buyers have got this option .

I think if you look into this with a more open mind and not just negative thoughts about it you might decide it is a good idea. We did after looking at all the options .

And I still believe if two identical houses came on the market one with and one without solar I think people would be more inclined to buy the house with solar even if it is free or not.

 

Velux windows on the other side not a problem only a problem if you wanted to put them on the same side of the panels.

 

Until yesterday I wasn't aware of any company offering the buy back option

 

I didn't realise I had negative thoughts about the free systems, my mistake if i've implied this.

 

You may be right about the 2 houses but if a house with the free panels was more expensive than one without then I would go with the one without. Reason - If still available I could always get the panels installed for free:o

 

Just to clear things up:

 

Free system install - You get the free electricity that the panels generate but you are signing a contract for the install company to use your roof for 25 years which could cause problems if your wanting to alter the roof or wishing to sell later.

 

Free system install with buy back - Good option If your looking to benefit from the FIT's but can't afford to at the moment or your looking at moving/ altering your roof.

 

Pay for the system - If you can afford to then this is the best option as you benefit from the free power generated and the FIT's imediately. This is also a solid investment as the FIT's are index linked and will last for the next 25 years.