Solar Panels - Your thoughts

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Timster

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Hi Folks.

I'm considering installing solar panels on the roof. If i do this it'll be in the next couple of weeks to take advantage of the current feed in tarriff.

System I'm considering:

16 panel, 4kw system, battery ready with Solax inverted.

Plan is to buy batteries for storage as and when the price comes down.

Has anyone got / done this - would be interested in your opinions / experiences.

I've a large, 30degree south facing roof which is ideal for catching the rays!

Cheers.

TIm.
 
I don't want to be negative and misunderstood that I don't care about nature and pollution but I really don't think that solar power can be of any benefit to anyone except salesman of the system. At least not in UK. Amount of Solar energy transfered into current is dependable of solar radiation in area of solar system installation and British Isles can't be considered as sunny Isles and are too much to the North.
Please see photos


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Maybe I'm wrong but I would think of solar panels only if I'm in South Europe. Here in UK I think it's a waste of money.
 
Might be 'green' at point of use, but the manufacturing process of Solar cells is horrific for the enviroment.
 
Must be something in it, considering the number of solar farms sprouting up around here ..
 
There's multiple factors to consider.

Of course it would be better in the med, sunnier climes, but they still produce a reasonable amount here.

And ..... The more people running solar panels - the less requirement for electricity through the grid - the less excuses for this government to build nuclear power plants. That can only be a good thing.
 
There's multiple factors to consider.

Of course it would be better in the med, sunnier climes, but they still produce a reasonable amount here.

And ..... The more people running solar panels - the less requirement for electricity through the grid - the less excuses for this government to build nuclear power plants. That can only be a good thing.

Solar is a subsidised pile of poo.:mad:

And the basic physics of solar energy gathering in winter mean firstly that there is less energy to collect during daylight and a lot less daylight.:mad:

And then we have the impending electric supply doom in the UK of more electric cars potentially grabbing huge amounts of KWh off the grid - a lot of it at night. Your solar panels are a fat lot of use then.:mad:

But what's really appalling is "the less excuses for this government to build nuclear power plants." followed by the ironic "That can only be a good thing".:mad:

I don't often really blow off on one when I see a post but yours is the absolute prime example of the UK's current energy delusion.:mad:

We are heading for a potential disaster and everybody is just oblivious to the lack of generation contingency and the timescales involved to fix a problem that could hit us very shortly as we are in the process of chucking away the last dregs of generation contingency that we had left over from the 70s and 80s.:mad:

And for good measure: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Solar is a subsidised pile of poo.:mad:

And the basic physics of solar energy gathering in winter mean firstly that there is less energy to collect during daylight and a lot less daylight.:mad:

And then we have the impending electric supply doom in the UK of more electric cars potentially grabbing huge amounts of KWh off the grid - a lot of it at night. Your solar panels are a fat lot of use then.:mad:

But what's really appalling is "the less excuses for this government to build nuclear power plants." followed by the ironic "That can only be a good thing".:mad:

I don't often really blow off on one when I see a post but yours is the absolute prime example of the UK's current energy delusion.:mad:

We are heading for a potential disaster and everybody is just oblivious to the lack of generation contingency and the timescales involved to fix a problem that could hit us very shortly as we are in the process of chucking away the last dregs of generation contingency that we had left over from the 70s and 80s.:mad:

And for good measure: :mad: :mad: :mad:


Amen to that brother :thumb: this is one thing we agree on.

The headroom between generation capacity and demand predictions for this Winter is 0.3% what a great energy policy we have to get to that level.

As we speak big industrials are making contingency to shut down for periods. Industry that has serious Diesel generating capacity (BT) are preparing to feed into the grid as are those industries operating CHPP.

The subsidy paid to wind turbines last year was greater than the electricity they generated :doh:

I bet thats even worse for solar arrays

The last coal fired power station in the UK will close in March, then god help us :eek:

Absolute madness :doh::doh::doh:
 
Solar is a subsidised pile of poo.:mad:

And the basic physics of solar energy gathering in winter mean firstly that there is less energy to collect during daylight and a lot less daylight.:mad:

Yes and ....... still does generate during sunlight hours so your point is?

And then we have the impending electric supply doom in the UK of more electric cars potentially grabbing huge amounts of KWh off the grid - a lot of it at night. Your solar panels are a fat lot of use then.:mad:

Agree - hence the battery storage i'm suggesting to charge my EV (which i commute in daily) so your point is?

But what's really appalling is "the less excuses for this government to build nuclear power plants." followed by the ironic "That can only be a good thing".:mad:

Again - your point is (or are you wanting more nuclear plants built?)

I don't often really blow off on one when I see a post but yours is the absolute prime example of the UK's current energy delusion.:mad:

OK - so there's no need to get personal, and there's no delusion about my energy requirements hence my planning to go solar

We are heading for a potential disaster and everybody is just oblivious to the lack of generation contingency and the timescales involved to fix a problem that could hit us very shortly as we are in the process of chucking away the last dregs of generation contingency that we had left over from the 70s and 80s.:mad:

Hence why i'm looking at a solar and storage solution, again, your point is ....

And for good measure: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Bizarre!


 

The only bizarre aspect to this is a country going though a mass delusion and thereby sleepwalking into an energy crisis of its own making *and paying through the nose for the privilege of doing this* through crazy subsidies.

:doh:
 
but surely by becoming self sufficient and aware of my usage I'm avoiding the energy crisis, and playing my part in reducing it - so doesn't that make solar a good thing.

Yeah - it's expensive. Nothings free - i'll contribute my bit to improve this country for me and my kids.

I get that you're worried about the impending energy crisis - me too
I don't get why you're so anti solar - have you got a better solution?
 
all energy is subsidised. inc coal.

Is it *All*?

I buy diesel at the pump and that source of energy seems to be highly taxed as oppoed to subsidised.

Are you telling me that my gas supply to my house is subsidised? The energy company supplying it seems to be making profits - and I seem to be paying some tax on that too.

Are our oil and gas power stations subsidised?

What about our hydro?

Nuclear? Complicated. Who picks up the tab for the decom?

And wind. Sweet landscape despoiling wind? Who pays for that and not just the funny money that gets paid to the operators - but the additional costs of dealing with contingency supply and storage.

And solar. The micro-economic version of wind - who pays for grid support for that over and above the direct subsidies in the form of the feed-in slush fund?
 
but surely by becoming self sufficient and aware of my usage I'm avoiding the energy crisis, and playing my part in reducing it - so doesn't that make solar a good thing.

I think it's great that you seek to review your consumption. Whether it's cost effective or energy efficient :rolleyes: to do it in the way you suggest, well, somebody else can windmill that argument.

Immaterial of the spreadsheet rights and wrongs, I do think is we should all endeavour to reduce our intakes - heat, fuel and food. Lower house temperatures, movement sensing lights, warmer beer, whatever it takes. Hell folks could even exercise a touch, ride a bike, generate some heat, reduce the flab - ok, I know when I'm being silly.

That people will argue that they can afford to pay for what they use is such an asinine argument as to make you wonder why the government doesn't tax stupidity. At least we'd cure the deficit.
 
I don't want to be negative and misunderstood that I don't care about nature and pollution but I really don't think that solar power can be of any benefit to anyone except salesman of the system. At least not in UK. Amount of Solar energy transfered into current is dependable of solar radiation in area of solar system installation and British Isles can't be considered as sunny Isles and are too much to the North.
Please see photos


View attachment 53872




View attachment 53873

Maybe I'm wrong but I would think of solar panels only if I'm in South Europe. Here in UK I think it's a waste of money.

Chap building a house on Grand Designs last night was using solar power...and was 100% off grid...he said. :dk:
 
I've looked at this several times over recent years, every time coming to the following conclusion.

If you're sufficiently south of the UK, and/or just looking to heat water with it, it's worth it. This is the setup we had at my dad's place in Italy, and even in winter by 10am the water tank was pushing 55-60c

Converting to electricity adds to the cost and complexity, and without the subsidies it wasn't even close to worthwhile. At the current rate of subsidy it would take about 10 years to break even. As of next year, they'll still be in deficit by the end of the 20yr subsidy period - I'd probably be claiming a state pension by the time of break even, and we all know they way they're going.

That's not including breakages, failures, maintenance etc. For me the sums just simply didn't add up.
 
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Pair the solar panels with some of these from Tesla?

powerwall-battery-group@2x.png


Tesla Powerwall
 
I love the fact that the ad near the top of this page is for 'Top 5 Solar Panel Deals'!
 

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