Solar PV

[Jobbo]

We've just become an approved installer for GivEnergy, mainly because my business partner was really impressed with their switchover speed compared with others on the market.
Easily replaced battery packs and smart integration with suppliers like Octopus are things to look out for.
Our first install has gone in his house and nothing recognises a power cut switching the mains off - perhaps I need to do an OV9 members special price?

Jim, we’re looking at installing when we’ve moved house. Would you go to (just outside) Worcester? It’s not our immediate priority but will be during 2024 or 2025.

[V8Granite]

The best system will have an inverter which is also the mains switch. You would be able to put certai. Items as priority so for example battery first, then charge car, then direct to home.

The inverter would have a maximum capacity so if you need more than say 3kw it should seemlessly switch to the grid and any excess goes to batteries or car, hot water tank etc.

If you have a battery you want to be in a position where you can charge during the day and wake up with say 30% left. How you average that over a year really depends on what loads you have in the house.

The best systems work without you knowing if it’s working or not, you just have very low bills for electricity and car charging etc.

Also batteries should be the server rack style imo and on a busbar, then you can add batteries of different sizes and ages etc. if it’s done in paralell or similar then the charge rates won’t all be the same and you would be limited by the max output of the poorest battery.

My parents just had some installed but a battery didn’t make financial sense due to their age and size of battery they could have installed.

It’s an amazing technology and I wish it made sense for our house but sadly doesn’t due to where the batteries would need to live and how many I want.

Dave!

[Jimexpl]

We've just become an approved installer for GivEnergy, mainly because my business partner was really impressed with their switchover speed compared with others on the market.
Easily replaced battery packs and smart integration with suppliers like Octopus are things to look out for.
Our first install has gone in his house and nothing recognises a power cut switching the mains off - perhaps I need to do an OV9 members special price?

Jim, we’re looking at installing when we’ve moved house. Would you go to (just outside) Worcester? It’s not our immediate priority but will be during 2024 or 2025.

Sure - just contact me nearer the time.

[Sundayjumper]

How much is a solar system these days ? I'm already with Octopus for gas & electricity so your post caught my eye there.

A quick quote from Octopus has come in at £8,399 for a small system.

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[Mito Man]

These batteries still seem vastly overpriced to me - which must make up a bulk of that quote. If you have the space isn’t it better to get just the solar panels and then a V2G such as a cheap used Nissan Leaf which will still have over 20kwh - way cheaper per kwh. Or does it not work like that?

[Sundayjumper]

The bulk of the quote is the install. I've costed the panels + inverter + battery from that quote at about £3500. The battery is £1500 as part of an install and qualifying for zero rated VAT.

https://www.hdmsolar.co.uk/products/giv ... 7oQAvD_BwE

[Sundayjumper]

Or £1311 here:

https://www.itstechnologies.shop/produc ... octopus-go

[Mito Man]

I just remember reading something silly like the breakeven point on these is about 16 years but the battery won't last that long so you never recoup the cost of them.

[duncs500]

The local council ran a competition for installers for a group buy agreement, but there must have been a few brown envelopes going round because we signed up but the prices coming back were crap.

At the moment it just seems too hard to make it pay, but I guess it will depend on energy prices in the next decade.

[dinny_g]

In principle, I'd like to have a solar set-up on our house - without a penchant for wearing Orange, I am conscious of my personal impact on the environment etc - but I just don't have the money to do it so that is cost effective.

In theory, I could opt to do it anyway and in effect, subsidise the environmental cause but overall, I can probably do more by looking at other aspects of my life - eating less meat, train travel etc. Our house faces south east so the rear roof catches the morning sun but in the summer, by 14:00 and 15:00, it's in the shade.

[Carlos]

The hardware seems to have come down massively over the last year.

We have a couple of deferred maintenance bits from lockdown to deal with but I reckon a 10kw battery would see us through the day charged at 7.5p/KW off-peak plus charging car using dishwasher etc.

Assuming a £5kish set up would surely payback in 3 or 4 years tops.

[Barry]

I just remember reading something silly like the breakeven point on these is about 16 years but the battery won't last that long so you never recoup the cost of them.

Break even in my quote was 8yr, battery warranty was more than that, PV 25yrs.

And don't forget pay back is using current electric prices, and they'll only go up..

[Sundayjumper]

Any payback model that doesn't assume energy prices will go up is seriously remiss. If anything it's in their interest to overstate the increases, generate a shorter breakeven, and part you with your money sooner.

[Mito Man]

I’d be wary about the very long warranties, they’re notorious for going bankrupt as soon as claims start to come in and then start trading again under a different name.

[dinny_g]

I recently filled in a survey online which said that due to my age (49) it is NOT financially viable to install Solar as I'll likely be dead before it pays for itself.

That made me very depressed so I drank some Bourbon, thus somewhat proving their point...

[Barry]

Any payback model that doesn't assume energy prices will go up is seriously remiss. If anything it's in their interest to overstate the increases, generate a shorter breakeven, and part you with your money sooner.

Current prices are known, future are not (accurately at least), so i can see why they might play cautious tbh.

[Simon]

For anyone who uses the Loop app (you need a Smart meter) there's a solar simulator in there.

I think a battery is better than PV for me too, but we'll move soon anyway.

[Sundayjumper]

Heat pumps - you can get a £7500 govt grant towards one ?? Shouldn't this be advertised a bit more ?

[Jobbo]

Heat pumps - you can get a £7500 govt grant towards one ?? Shouldn't this be advertised a bit more ?

That's jolly interesting. Do you have to remove your existing oil/gas boiler to qualify? I can see merit in fitting one as a separate system until you know it works.

[Sundayjumper]

https://www.gov.uk/apply-boiler-upgrade-scheme

It says "replacing" a lot. Not sure if the sign-off for the grant includes confirmation of physical scrapping of the old boiler.