solar pv

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krimat2005

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hi all! I'm looking into solar pv panels, I've had 3 quotes and now when I made up my mind up there is a battle beetwen the 2 companies. the price is the same now, but they went into phase where one of them is trying to put me of by showing credit reports, what the turnover was in comparison to theirs. that is not nice is it? what would you recommend?
 
I would say neither; one has a poor credit history (why?) and the other would say/do anything to get the job (why?)……………are either of them companies you can trust?
 
Find a 3rd to quote. Low credit score could mean the Company "may" be at risk of shutting up shop, but could also just be a small company with a poor cash flow. The other Company are playing dirty and I for one would not allow them to win my business with their actions.
 
Why would you want P-V in the 1st place you won't be making money from it unless you are covering a field with it. The inverter will need changing after a max of 10 years and if you move you can't take it with you. It is now a complete farce
 
johns E350 said:
Why would you want P-V in the 1st place you won't be making money from it unless you are covering a field with it. The inverter will need changing after a max of 10 years and if you move you can't take it with you. It is now a complete farce

I am sorry but I don't agree, we had our system installed a few months ago, the installation costs are hugely down on years ago, we looked into the process in great detail, reviewed the data on what we could/should make and reduced by a real world scenario and so far have been very impressed, in the two payments we have received so far we have approx 8% of the initial, outlay returned already, in addition we have seen our monthly DD payment reduced by 15% which is a benefit we hadn't expected so early in the process.

I do agree that if you have any plans to move in the near term absolutely do not do it, but, if you are in your property for 7-8 years or more then in my opinion as long as you get the latest most efficient systems and utilise the power as best you can during generating hours (I work from home and my wife is p/t) then you will reap very reasonable returns and let's face it sticking £6-7k in the bank right now is hardly worth the effort for the interest received so why not stick it on the roof instead?

For the OP I would recommend looking at other companies, there are still Cowboys out there and I wouldn't use any company that bad mouths another on principal alone!
 
If you have the correct facing, right pitch, no shade roof and plan to stay put then go for it. The company I used only wanted a 10% deposit then the rest after it was finished and registered. They may travel down South and I paid around 6.5K for a 4kw system, payback should be around 10 years and that's based on electric prices at today's rate, they may increase...........can't remember parent company name but google heppelthwaites Bourne end and you should find them, very helpful.
 
ikea are in solar panel business below 5k with family card, i been told u can get them for 4k
 
Why would you want P-V in the 1st place you won't be making money from it unless you are covering a field with it. The inverter will need changing after a max of 10 years and if you move you can't take it with you. It is now a complete farce

Sorry John but you got it wrong here. I have Solar PV and its paying for itself in less than 5 years. My Electricity bills are now tiny .... I pretty much get free electricity in daylight hours all year around. I paid less a tad over 5 grand only and am paid not just for what I generate but also for electricity I generate and use!

Thanks for your subsidy. it will help me afford the inverter you claim I will need to replace in 10 years.
 
nictry said:
I am sorry but I don't agree,


See what you think after the winter months for anything decent your outlay is min five to ten grand you have not made a single penny until your system has produced that cost and that just simply is not going to happen short term I know as we install them
 
Anybody got a cash flow model for solar with current installation costs and revenue assumptions?
 
nictry said:
I am sorry but I don't agree,


See what you think after the winter months for anything decent your outlay is min five to ten grand you have not made a single penny until your system has produced that cost and that just simply is not going to happen short term I know as we install them

Why do you install them then? Solar is not meant to give you your money back short term and of course winter production is low at British Latitudes, but over time it makes sense. Not sure I understand what you are saying. :confused:
 
You just answered my question there is no money to be made. We install them as that is part of my job do you seriously expect me to refuse to work and if I have confused you perhaps you should not reply to something you say you don't understand
 
You just answered my question there is no money to be made. We install them as that is part of my job do you seriously expect me to refuse to work and if I have confused you perhaps you should not reply to something you say you don't understand
I supect I understand solar PV a lot more than you do. Evidence exists in bundles to support the financial model in the UK when bolstered by subsidies yet you say that it doesn't work in winter or short term so that is the end of it. Instead of just blowing hot air why not support your argument with some facts? The only thing that confuses me are your unqualified remarks. I assume from your comments that you work for someone else rather than running your own business.
 
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camerafodder said:
I supect I understand solar PV a lot more than you do. Evidence exists in bundles to support the financial model in the UK when bolstered by subsidies yet you say that it doesn't work in winter or short term so that is the end of it. Instead of just blowing hot air why not support your argument with some facts? The only thing that confuses me are your unqualified remarks. I assume from your comments that you work for someone else rather than running your own business.

You need to read what I say as I never said it did not work in the winter. You obviously think anyone that does not run there own business should not be able to have an opinion. As for facts I have not seen any from yourself. And to suggest you know more about the electrical industry than I do is pathetic. You are typical of someone that thinks they are above there station.
 
So I don't want to get into an argument for the sake of it but to respond to the winter question, of course I realise that the return/payments during this period are less, the overall value to me taken on a fairly poor case of ~30% usage of power generated was to break even around year 8, so far I have achieved around 45% usage of generated power due in the main to WFH and also my higher than average daytime power usage.

Punching the numbers in without any hike in elec prices works out at between year 6 and 7 for a full return of the initial investment, yes it may require a new inverter which on today's prices would mean around a further 8 months to recoup that cost come year 10 or so (assuming I am unlucky and need one at that point) but I still don't see how the overall return from the 20 year period can be seen as anything but positive?

Maybe I am just overly naive but you seem totally blinkered by your own opinion that there is no way to profit from aPV install which I find slightly strange especially if, as you say, you work in the industry itself?
 
You need to read what I say as I never said it did not work in the winter. You obviously think anyone that does not run there own business should not be able to have an opinion. As for facts I have not seen any from yourself. And to suggest you know more about the electrical industry than I do is pathetic. You are typical of someone that thinks they are above there station.

Its 'their' not 'there'.

Please show us all why the financial model doesn't work, the onus is upon you to do so as you are the one damning the industry. Assuming you have installed your PV panels correctly of course. You are suggesting that you work for a company that sells and installs equipment under a false premise, that is quite a serious accusation and was also the point of my remark which you have missed entirely. As for 'not working in winter' I mean the financial model that you seem happy to simply write off with your 'off-hand' comment.
 
I think they look horrible and would never put something like that on my roof, saving or not
 

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