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Thread: Solar Panels - The advantage?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Feb 2020

    Location: Fife, Scotland

    Posts: 160
    I'm Gordon.

    Default Solar Panels - The advantage?

    Just wondering if anyone can put any sort of figures against the value in Solar panels, now that they've been around for a while? Is it possible to apply an estimate of their contribution and subsequent savings over a standard electrical supply bills?

    The reason being that I have a neighbour who has had their system for a few years (exact date unknown, but not more than around 6 or 8 years) and has recently had two 'inverters' condemned as not functioning. Outcome: two new inverters will cost £4k (£2k each) and I can't imagine that her Solar panels have contributed £4k in the time the system has been installed? (despite the figures month by month as to how much the panels are earning - and of course to cost of the original installation!).

    Subsequent outcome if this is the case is that her solar system is unviable and pointless.......? Her house is a 40 year old bungalow with 3 bedrooms, lounge, and usual spaces like small utility room and cupboards.

    Any opinions or examples gratefully received guys. Thanks.
    Technics SL1000R, DynavectorXV1t, Garrard 401, Jelco SA750LB, Decca Reference, ATVM750SH, AT33Mono, Hana Umami Red, Reimyo CDP777, EarYoshino 912, Ear Yoshino 509s, JBLK2 SL5800s, ART Dram interconnects / speaker cables.

  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2020

    Location: Suffolk

    Posts: 246
    I'm Ray.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WullieD20 View Post
    Just wondering if anyone can put any sort of figures against the value in Solar panels, now that they've been around for a while? Is it possible to apply an estimate of their contribution and subsequent savings over a standard electrical supply bills?

    The reason being that I have a neighbour who has had their system for a few years (exact date unknown, but not more than around 6 or 8 years) and has recently had two 'inverters' condemned as not functioning. Outcome: two new inverters will cost £4k (£2k each) and I can't imagine that her Solar panels have contributed £4k in the time the system has been installed? (despite the figures month by month as to how much the panels are earning - and of course to cost of the original installation!).

    Subsequent outcome if this is the case is that her solar system is unviable and pointless.......? Her house is a 40 year old bungalow with 3 bedrooms, lounge, and usual spaces like small utility room and cupboards.

    Any opinions or examples gratefully received guys. Thanks.
    It depends when they were fitted, the Govt. payments have been falling. I did get a quote a few years ago but thought it was not worth it. You have to take into direction and shading as well. I think I would get back about £600 per year, that was for 16 panels (4kw), believe it will be lower now. The cost of those invertors seems too high, here is something about them: https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/sola...inverter-costs

    https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ut...-solar-panels/

  3. #3
    Join Date: Feb 2020

    Location: Fife, Scotland

    Posts: 160
    I'm Gordon.

    Default

    Hi Ray. Thanks for that.
    I'm fairly unknowledgeable about solar stuff (don't have it!), but was an engineering analyst in a past life so did a bit of digging.
    Inverters can cost anything between £500 and £5000, depending on lots of things....... But I don't know if a scammer can just pull a plug or switch something off to create a panel indication of a red lamp and information telling that there is no contribution - indicating a fault with the unit!
    Technics SL1000R, DynavectorXV1t, Garrard 401, Jelco SA750LB, Decca Reference, ATVM750SH, AT33Mono, Hana Umami Red, Reimyo CDP777, EarYoshino 912, Ear Yoshino 509s, JBLK2 SL5800s, ART Dram interconnects / speaker cables.

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2020

    Location: Suffolk

    Posts: 246
    I'm Ray.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WullieD20 View Post
    Hi Ray. Thanks for that.
    I'm fairly unknowledgeable about solar stuff (don't have it!), but was an engineering analyst in a past life so did a bit of digging.
    Inverters can cost anything between £500 and £5000, depending on lots of things....... But I don't know if a scammer can just pull a plug or switch something off to create a panel indication of a red lamp and information telling that there is no contribution - indicating a fault with the unit!
    I don't have them either, don't know a great deal. I wonder if you still get the Govt. payback even if they are not working?

    How did she know the invertors were not working?

  5. #5
    Join Date: Feb 2020

    Location: Fife, Scotland

    Posts: 160
    I'm Gordon.

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    Quote Originally Posted by StingRay View Post
    I wonder if you still get the Govt. payback even if they are not working?
    . . . Good question, well asked!!! How would they know?

    Quote Originally Posted by StingRay View Post
    How did she know the invertors were not working?
    . . (Probably the reason for my initial question). She had a 'health check' undertaken by an independent 'power consultancy'. . .!! As I said in my OP the displays on both inverters were showing red lamps and messages indicating no power contribution. The company produced photos of both displays, but again, as I said, I don't know if these could have been contrived (or even photos form other inverters?), but I'm a sort of cynical twat.....(especially with my enquiring background).
    Technics SL1000R, DynavectorXV1t, Garrard 401, Jelco SA750LB, Decca Reference, ATVM750SH, AT33Mono, Hana Umami Red, Reimyo CDP777, EarYoshino 912, Ear Yoshino 509s, JBLK2 SL5800s, ART Dram interconnects / speaker cables.

  6. #6
    Join Date: May 2020

    Location: Suffolk

    Posts: 246
    I'm Ray.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WullieD20 View Post
    . . . Good question, well asked!!! How would they know?

    . . (Probably the reason for my initial question). She had a 'health check' undertaken by an independent 'power consultancy'. . .!! As I said in my OP the displays on both inverters were showing red lamps and messages indicating no power contribution. The company produced photos of both displays, but again, as I said, I don't know if these could have been contrived (or even photos form other inverters?), but I'm a sort of cynical twat.....(especially with my enquiring background).
    This independent 'power consultancy' is now quoting £4k to replace them? If so I would be very wary.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 4,162
    I'm Mike.

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    Sounds like a stitch up to me
    Get other suppliers in for a check.
    Do not say the inverters are gone and see what they say
    TAD CD / DAC / Pre, Technics 1210, MCRU PSU, Mike New Bearing & Platter, Stillpoints LP1 weight, Speedy Steve Ebony armboard, Fidelity Research FR64FX arm, Ortofon SPU. Aurorasound VIDA Phono Pre Amp, TAD Power Amp, TAD E1 speakers. Coherent RTZ 3 Grounding box, Coherent grounding cables, Creaktiv racks. Coherent Mains Cables. SR Blue Fuse. Interconnects : Coherent and Yannis 223.5 Connect Litz. Coherent speaker cable. Audio Magic Transcendence Conditioner. Coherent mains socket. Mains Filters : , PS Audio Harvesters, Russ Andrews Purifiers, Tacima, Vertex. Black Ravioli and RDC supports. Electric Beach S1NX platforms for TAD CD and Technics. Ferrite chokes everywhere except the above. Ears, brain

    Mike

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,592
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by StingRay View Post
    This independent 'power consultancy' is now quoting £4k to replace them? If so I would be very wary.
    Agreed. That quote is truly shocking. Years ago I was installing the panels, but wasn't involved in the electrical side. Even so inverter prices were nowhere near that, and not wanting to sound negative, I'm positive that current prices aren't much more. And as the installation of the new inverter is a straight swap, labour wouldn't cost the earth.

    Sorry couldn't resist
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

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  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2020

    Location: Fife, Scotland

    Posts: 160
    I'm Gordon.

    Default

    Thanks all.

    I can't and I wouldn't disagree with all the comments related to the possible 'scam' situation. But, with experience, would users of solar panels stand up and declare that they actually 'save money'?

    Having read the links that Ray provided early on, it appears that some systems wouldn't pay for themselves in the users lifetime.....!!! Wot's the point?
    Technics SL1000R, DynavectorXV1t, Garrard 401, Jelco SA750LB, Decca Reference, ATVM750SH, AT33Mono, Hana Umami Red, Reimyo CDP777, EarYoshino 912, Ear Yoshino 509s, JBLK2 SL5800s, ART Dram interconnects / speaker cables.

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2020

    Location: Suffolk

    Posts: 246
    I'm Ray.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by WullieD20 View Post
    Thanks all.

    I can't and I wouldn't disagree with all the comments related to the possible 'scam' situation. But, with experience, would users of solar panels stand up and declare that they actually 'save money'?

    Having read the links that Ray provided early on, it appears that some systems wouldn't pay for themselves in the users lifetime.....!!! Wot's the point?
    To be fair if you had got them over 6 years ago you would have got a decent payback but since then it has been reduced by the Govt.

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