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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Solar panels - anyone got them that actually dislikes them??

97 replies

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 14/02/2023 13:12

Solar panels are ugly, period, they don't look good.
They've got massively expensive in the last 12 months.
Most claim you need to be in your home 10 years before they pay for themselves.
Mixed messages on value added to homes, some say 4% others just £1800

Yet everyone who has them is absolutely crazy about them, no-one has said they regret them, they aren't what they were expecting etc so....
Anyone got them and willing to admit they aren't all that?!

Updated by MNHQ
Landed on this page in search of solar panel advice? Find our guide to installing solar panels in your home in the UK. HTH!

OP posts:

QuertyGirl · 14/02/2023 13:13

I think they're beautiful.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 14/02/2023 13:15

Big fan of ours. It's not just about the finances, it's also about security and green energy.

cromwell44 · 14/02/2023 13:15

Maybe they are worth it to the people who have them. Plus energy price-hikes makes them even more attractive.
I'd have them if we were staying in our house long-term.

BigMadAdrian · 14/02/2023 13:19

We are about to have them. For us it is about having some independence from the grid - if the power goes off we will have solar panels, plus a battery, and we also have a wood burner. I personally think they should be a legal requirement for all new buildings.

PortiasBiscuit · 14/02/2023 13:20

I don’t think anyone buys them for asthaetic purposes.
What is your point OP?

FourTeaFallOut · 14/02/2023 13:23

Generating 1.8kwh as I type, not bad for Feb. I think they are lovely.

Original poster

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 14/02/2023 13:24

@PortiasBiscuit my point?
I want them, husband is absolutely against them based on all my points listed. I suspect if I have them installed he'll come round, because, I'm yet to find anyone who has them and doesn't like them.
I want to know if there's genuinely people who dislike them, are put off by them or have a bad experience so I can make sure I've covered all angles before getting them installed

OP posts:

Justcallmebebes · 14/02/2023 13:26

Love mine and they save me money. It's great on a sunny day using my appliances and realising it's not costing me a penny in electric. What's not to like?

Wishiwasatailor · 14/02/2023 13:29

Love them! Our total spend so far today is £1.72 and our battery is charged to 100% which will cover us until tomorrow.
@BigMadAdrian make sure they install a switch so it can be used if the power goes down as it isn’t standard even with batteries

UnbeatenMum · 14/02/2023 13:30

I can't even see mine unless I walk down the road so aesthetically there's nothing not to like.

AnotherForumUser · 14/02/2023 13:32

Changed my YABU vote to YANBU when I read your last post. While people can be divided on the aesthetics our solar panels are brilliant. It took just under 5 years to recoup our costs and for the last 6 have been benefitting from the free energy. If you plan to have a battery that helps too. We don't yet have a battery but I have just done the dishwasher then laundry powered by the sun on our panels.

Whatmarbles · 14/02/2023 13:32

I think they are ugly but I can't see ours unless I am driving down the hill.

The other thing I.dislike is that if the electricity goes off you cannot use electricity that is generated by the solar panels. I specifically asked if we could use in a power cut and was led to believe we could. A couple of weeks after installation, we had a 5 day power outage. I was fuming!!

The savings they make are undeniable though.

Nat6999 · 14/02/2023 13:34

I'd want to know how much are the panels, installation & batteries & an estimate of how much energy they would be making each year & potential savings. How often do you look at your roof? I bet within a few months you don't even notice them.

Wishiwasatailor · 14/02/2023 13:35

@Whatmarbles you can get an add on switch that allows you to use your off grid power we just had ours installed was about £600

WednesdaysPlaits · 14/02/2023 13:36

Mine are currently running the house. I live in the middle of a wood and its February and its half term with multiple games consoles etc running. That's pretty good. I also have a battery and solar immersion so in sunny periods I also get free hot water from them.

They're on the back roof so only a few ravens and the occasional squirrel have to look at them

WednesdaysPlaits · 14/02/2023 13:37

Our quote for islanding (being able to use off grid) was about £600 too but it would only have run a couple of sockets and wouldn't have run the boiler, so for us it wasn't worth it.

thebellagio · 14/02/2023 13:43

We had ours installed in the Autumn, so we've not yet had a huge impact that we'll get in the summer, but I have ZERO regrets.

We've got 14 panels plus a 4kwh battery. We were told in the summer when we were quoted that it would take 8 years to break even, but that was before the prices went looney tunes, so I suspect it will be much quicker than that. I genuinely think that the panels will add to the value of my house now - not just the improved EPC rating, but because people are actively looking for properties that are energy efficient.

Some solar panels can be ugly, but I've seen so many houses in our village with them on now, that it's not really noticed. I do like the way some newbuild developers integrate the panels directly into the roof - that looks sleek and smart. However, how often do you actually stare at your roof?

Ours are on the back of the house, so i literally never notice them.

If I look on my energy usage right now, I can see that I've spent just £28 on electricity this month. Because it was so sunny last week, on Monday-Friday last week, I spent just £1 per day - everything else was generated by solar. I did TONS of washing, and I have no worries using the tumble drier because its all solar generated. In contrast, on days when its overcast and I've had to do 2-3 loads of washing, it's cost me about £6-7 so that's a HUGE difference.

Snowpaw · 14/02/2023 13:47

I am not sure what there is not to like about solar panels. The initial cost, perhaps, but once you've paid it the money is spent, so I am not sure why you get them and then decide you do not like them once they were in place! I look at them and see green energy, less pollution, more self-reliance, reduced bills, efficient use of a free resource (light) etc. I wish more people had them.

winelove · 14/02/2023 13:50

Ours have been in about month.
I wouldn't say they were ugly, I quite like them, but they are on the back of the house so not visible from the road. We did not go for the off grid or islanding as I am not sure that is totally viable.

We have a large house and the underfloor heating eats the electric and this is mostly at night, so the solar doesn't really effect this. Where is comes into its own is runs the appliances during the day, and at times we have also exported to the grid (not worth it at 3 pence a kw).

Our expectation is that it will cut down our bill in the summer months to almost 0. We have a small battery of 5kw storage. I think without solar our bill be in excess of £5k p/a possible £6k. I think we may save 50% of that and come out at £2.5/3k.

Cost was £11,500 for 20 panels. So I think it will pay for itself in 4.5 years. Plus it is better for the environment and I think adds value to our house.

londonrach · 14/02/2023 13:52

I don't like them and it put me off buying a house. Be careful as some companies you lose your roof in their terms and conditions.

banivani · 14/02/2023 13:54

Lots of things are ugly but we still accept them - like satellite dishes or even old-fashioned tv aerials, car parks, wheelie bins, those concrete lumps to stop cars from driving into pedestrian areas... It's funny that solar panels become the line in the sand. I once heard a professor of environmental law say that the reasoning seems to be that when weighing the pros and cons on different forms of energy people seem to (unwittingly) put a much heavier emphasis on the aesthetic part of the green energy source, because that's the only way to even the scale.

Fcuk38 · 14/02/2023 13:54

There not there to look pretty they will save you money and ensure your energy security. What a superficial view you have.

thebellagio · 14/02/2023 13:55

I genuinely think if the government wanted to try and solve the energy crisis, one of the best things they could do would be to invest in a scheme that promises 0% finance on solar panels. The biggest barrier to solar panels is cost - you have to have all of the money up front, because any interest payments would negate the savings on the property.

Original poster

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 14/02/2023 13:56

@londonrach that's exactly what my Mum said, although I believe that's linked to original panels where you essentially sold your roof space - this would be fully funded and paid for with no third party having a claim.

We have an East West split pitchen roof so the plan is 8 panels front and 8 on the back, were also a bungalow so I do see my roof alot!

The islanding is interesting as we do have regular power cuts (village life in countryside) I can imagine a full on Basil Fawlty Towers style rant if we had a power cut and the solar didn't kick in!!

OP posts:

BlondeBombshelf · 14/02/2023 13:56

We love ours.

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