Solar (PV) Special deals ?

[KatyMac]

What exactly is the deal?

Getting money back from the elec company?

It's going to cost a fortune isn't it

You get money back from the energy company via the Feed in Tariff. Currently 43p or so per kilowatt produced. If you use electricity during the day produced via the solar panels, then that electricity is free. You will also still receive the cashback from the energy for the amount you produce.

Does that make sense? I will declare that my husband owns a sustainable energy company so I have a vested interest! But it is a good idea if you have a big enough roof space, are interested in being more green and getting an income back from the energy your produce.

Well apparently I'll get £2000 a year (for 25 yrs) plus the cash for the excess we produce, plus we save on the electricity we use

All seems a bit too good to be true tbh

That does sound too good to be true, I agree! We will save around 1600 per year apparently on our energy costs - don't know if that includes the Feed in Tariff projection or not. Will check with the other half.

I think you need to take into account how much electricity you will use during the day by putting your dishwasher on during the day and your washing machine etc and that electricity will be free providing your panels produce enough energy while the day is bright enough - obviously you will produce more energy during summer (hopefully!). And then factor in how big your system is and how much it will produce and therefore how much you will get from the Feed in Tariff.

The MCS website has a list of accredited companies. I'd shop around and get a few quotes. I won't shamelessly promote my husband's although it is on there!

My Elec bill is 2400 @ yr

It would be a bugger of a job - I have a conservatory across the back of the house it's between 12 ft & 16ft wide & they would need to bridge it with scafolding

THIS is a thread i started with not much response, i have been offered free fitting nstallation survey and all fees and my electricity bill reduced up to half from ecovision.

interested to learn about this 2000 a year - what company is that?

Hmmm interesting about ecovision. A system can cost from as little as £5k to install, depending on your roof size. Of course, that affects the amount of electricity generated, but I have seen quotes for up to 4kwh systems for around £11-13k. The 15k figure in there makes it sound very attractive if you think you will be saving that amount of money on your roof.

Also, the bigger the system the more money you will save each month. The current Feed in Tariff level is 41.3p per kwh (sorry, got it wrong earlier). So if you have someone else's panels on your roof, they are getting that money. You are benefitting from free electricity during the day if your panels produce enough to cover your needs but that's all. It doesn't matter that the panels are yours after 25 years as they are generally only guaranteed for that long!

If you have a big roof, then it's a good idea to pay to have some installed. Just work out what you would save in energy costs, what you would get back in Feed in Tariff costs and you can work out what your payback period will be. If you get enough free electricity and money generated from the Feed in Tariff to pay off your system in 8 years, then all the money generated from the Feed in Tariff for the remainder of the 25 year period will be yours.

Does all that make sense?

yes it does,

don't have the readies at the moment so this proposition excites me - that can half my leccy bills.

i wondered though, does anyone have any views as to whether this would add or detract from the value of your home?

I 'thought' the £2000 a year (for 25 yrs) was from the government

I suppose there's an aesthetic angle to it. You can't see ours as we have a flat roof, but some people might think them unsightly. Whoever would buy the house though would benefit from the free electricity during the day and feed in tariff though, so I'm sure it will become more common in the coming years. But I wouldn't have them fitted if you are going to be moving shortly as you won't directly benefit. I would think it would be an added incentive to buying a particular house but I don't know how an estate agent would quantify it.

The feed in tariff is paid by the energy companies but it is a government initiative, so maybe that's what you were thinking of KatyMac.

custado, I think you are unlikely to be able to accurately use much of the free electricity. There is no affordable device that will turn appliances on when the sun comes out and off when it clouds over. Initially you will 'use' half the generated electricity as this is what the companies estimate you might use, but as soon as smart meters are rolled out they will measure what you actually use and most estimates are that it will be considerably less than half (unless you run aircon, which is about the only electric intensive thing that you actually need more of on hot sunny days). stimates are of the order of £100 or so per year electricity saved, which doesn't seem all that much for the use of your roof.

Panels will prevent loft extensions and might look ugly so might lower the value of your property, the roof lease agreement might put off potential purchasers, but the free electricit might appeal to others.

Do check the small print - we had a similar offer, but if we ever needed to do roof repairs we wouldhave been very out of pocket (but some companies will take the panels down for free & then put them back up again after). 25 years is a long time to assume a roof won't need anything doing to it imo.

Katymac the £2k is an estimate based on what your panels will generate (and generally should be reasonably accurate) and is payed by the company you sell the electricity to - they recoup it through electricity bills, so everyone ends up paying for this rather than the government, though the government has set the rate.

"Generation tariff - Up to 41.3p per kWh paid per unit of electricity you generate, regardless of whether it is used/exported. " from "http://www.energyfits.co.uk/apply_fits.html?appPostcode=NR29&appForm=solarpv&next.x=63&next.y=10" so I think I start to see

The 41.3p per KW produced -light so If I have 4KW wrth of panels I'll get
(number of hours of day strong enough to produce electricity) x 41.3p

So the £2000 I have been quoted is an estimated figure

I really need to find out how much sunshine we have on average a year

their calculator suggests a much lower return

Katymac, I'd get a few quotes if I were you. There are some sharp operators out there - think doubleglazing! If you are a bit confused and unsure what a salesperson has advised you, then they are not doing their job very well!

www.microgenerationcertification.org/
Hope that link works. It is a stringent accreditation body for these kinds of technologies. Good independent advice and a list of accredited installers.

Well first I have contacted the mortgage company to see if they will lend anything......otherwise it's pointless

"The computer says no"

Oh that's a shame, I'm sorry.

Not only can I not have any more; but if they knew how much income we had they wouldn't let us borrow what we owe

I know, it's so difficult to get a mortgage now. I feel very glad that I got on the property ladder when I did otherwise there's no way I would be able to afford anything. And, how will our children? It's worrying.