Solar Panels?

[Tim.Lad]

I don`t want to give you bad advise im no expert but its worth checking out this forum before you take the plunge i would also make sure you will really benefit from micro inverts, the think is the sun may have to be so low for the to have shading issues that the panels maybe be running from ambient light rather then direct sunlight rendering them pointless..

Before anyone recommends micro inverter i would expect them to model the house in a simulator and work out if the extra gains from them out way having a standard inverter..

I have 16x 250w panels going to a Power one inverter that are wired in whats called 2 strings basically the top row of panels act independently of the bottom, i have a huge tree at the back of my house that will cause slight shading for about an a hour a day for 4 weeks a year, my installer worked out i would never recoope the cost of the micro inverter with the extra energy harvested, so compromised on the split strings..

Check out this place

http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/...-energy-forum/

or try this

http://www.solarguide.co.uk/solar-pv...type=2#factors

[big-paul]

Just as an update to this. We finally got our system installed last week. We ended up getting it from another company - aside from the price it transpired that PowerNI were opening up their grant scheme again so we had to get 3 quotes to try to qualify. Anyway we went for the one that wasn't the cheapest but that we got the best feeling about. We've got 26 panels so 6.5kW in 3 strings one of 10 and 2 of 8 (initially it was one of 12 and two of 7 but the 7 panels stings didn't kick in til quite late in the morning as the voltage had to be above 250 before it would kick in). We also got an OWL Intuition Gateway fitted to let us monitor how much we're generating and how much we've using - it's quite cool they have an app that lets you monitor on the iphone or android device. In total the system was about £9.5k and we got a grant of almost £2k as well.

Anyway, yesterday was the first full day we've had it connected up and running in the right configuration. This is my figures for yesterday, we had the immersion heater running for about 4 hours and the tumble drier for about 3 as well as 3 full loads of washing. Frankly I'm running out of things to turn on!

From the calculations it looks like we spent £1.52 on leccy but made £4.68 generating our own as well as the free leccy. I like those numbers!

Although the dosh from the generating figures only gets paid once a year in March so we still have to fork out for the leccy we use. Even so it looks like it was worth it.




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[flumperino]

Are you guys concerned about the aesthetics of these things, and any impact on the value of your house?

[big-paul]

Tbh, I think they look quite cool but I know that isn't a view that will be shared by everyone - they are also pretty unobtrusive once you are in the house, the only kit inside the house is a couple of inverters and some extra cabling.

I also think it will add to the value of the house, who doesn't like free electricity? Who couldn't think of another way to spend the money?

[Tim.Lad]

Agreed I don't see them when i'm in the house, and personally i think it shows a forward thinking person lives theirs when i do see them...

I have mine put in at the end on december and i'm on target to get £530. back in fit payments and £160. in leccy savings the system cost me £5450. so i`m looking at just over 10% return in the first year

[Tim.Lad]

Just as an update to this. We finally got our system installed last week. We ended up getting it from another company - aside from the price it transpired that PowerNI were opening up their grant scheme again so we had to get 3 quotes to try to qualify. Anyway we went for the one that wasn't the cheapest but that we got the best feeling about. We've got 26 panels so 6.5kW in 3 strings one of 10 and 2 of 8 (initially it was one of 12 and two of 7 but the 7 panels stings didn't kick in til quite late in the morning as the voltage had to be above 250 before it would kick in). We also got an OWL Intuition Gateway fitted to let us monitor how much we're generating and how much we've using - it's quite cool they have an app that lets you monitor on the iphone or android device. In total the system was about £9.5k and we got a grant of almost £2k as well.

Anyway, yesterday was the first full day we've had it connected up and running in the right configuration. This is my figures for yesterday, we had the immersion heater running for about 4 hours and the tumble drier for about 3 as well as 3 full loads of washing. Frankly I'm running out of things to turn on!

From the calculations it looks like we spent £1.52 on leccy but made £4.68 generating our own as well as the free leccy. I like those numbers!

Although the dosh from the generating figures only gets paid once a year in March so we still have to fork out for the leccy we use. Even so it looks like it was worth it.




Screen Shot 2013-09-01 at 10.01.37.png

Screen Shot 2013-09-01 at 10.06.58.png

What inverters have you got ?

[big-paul]

They are Schuco SUNNY BOY inverters. They had originally intended to fit Power One but had to change them due to changes in specification requirements from PowerNI. 2 strings of 8 into one and 1 string of 10 into the other.

[Geko]

You are tempting me.

Are the deals still as good as before Cameron ended them?

[big-paul]

Well, I can only speak for NI and bearing in mind I've had no cash back yet - but for every unit I generate I get 17.64p but every unit I use I only pay 13.17p and for every unit I sell to the grid I get 5.41p. Yesterday I made more in payments than I used in leccy and I get free use of whatever else I make. The grants here seem to come up from time to time as well. I'm certainly glad I did it.

[satzzz]

Wish I could install them at mine but not pointing in the right direction

[Geko]

The only problem I see, is that by the time I've paid for them, I'll probably move.

[Tim.Lad]

Payback on mine is estimated at 7 years then 13 years of profit to me is was a no brainer but is does depend on personal situation

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk 4

[Geko]

Payback on mine is estimated at 7 years then 13 years of profit to me is was a no brainer but is does depend on personal situation

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk 4

Yeah. I probably intend to move within 5 years. If it was pre my divorce, I'd have been in. Although that wouldn't have turned out well either. But I intended to spend the rest of my life in that house.