Installing solar panels on roof, pros and cons.?
I am considering taking up the offer of installation of solar panels on roof of my detach house. I believe there are different types of schemes. There is the one that only give hot water, central heating and all household electrical use. There is also the other scheme that will provide electricity for all the household needs and also sell surplus electricity to the national grid for a monthly return. Can someone please explain the different schemes and the benefits and downside of each. What I am not too sure is how much alteration work in the house is needed for each scheme. I am currently using a gas boiler for hot water and central heating and also gas for cooking. Thanks.
The answer to your question depends on
1) Where you live. Cold or warm environment?
2) How much energy you use? How many people live in the house.
If you are sharing a house with 3-4 people, a solar water heater would be a great start. I’m sure everybody is taking a shower and doing the dishes and perhaps even doing laundry with hot water. So if you got 3-4 people living in the house, there is your 20% energy saving…
Once you do that, you can then consider installing solar electric panels (PV) HOWEVER beware, those panels are pretty costly and your return on investment is going to be much longer than a simple solar water heater. If you are planning on leaving your house, or replacing your roof within the next 5 years, don’t even consider PV for now…I personally love PV panel, but gosh darn they are pretty inefficient piece of appliances. A typical home would probably need 20-25 of them just to reduce the electric bill by half.
Last but not least, find a good reputable solar company within your area, make sure to do a good internet investigation and get quotes. They will tell you better which solar system fits your need…
Good luck!
In the long run this solar energy saves a lot of money and here in california the state gives rebates.
Harder and less safe to access than ground installation. They need regular dusting where ever you put them. The shortest line is best since this is DC current. I am looking to start a small wind-solar farm somewhere. There are heavy duty batteries and electric panels involved.
i hope you get more than us answering this question ! I only know i have had quotes , and i feel a lot of the information is kept from us.
I queried a sales person why the panels may need changing or upgrading in the 5 to 10 year span
that one has them …. since the warranty only runs for the same or less ??? This makes no sense to me to spend so much money and then when the warranty runs out ..your looking at spending simular amount of money as before for re- installation.
I love the fact that we could all be using Solar energy from the Sun or any kind of clean energy…but really the technology exists the only thing missing is ‘ A Fare Deal" as they say , Everyone is always out to rip people of . Money is too hard to come by, and greedy companies need to get of their high horses… Government need to support these a lot more ..after all that is what our taxes should cover. Not junkets overseas for fellow Councilers. It should be half the price that they are
offering everyone in Australia! And then Some ……..
i.e. for a minimum of 3.5k and say around 10 panels on a 3 bedroom home // very small home these guys want $7 - to $10.000 ,(And very small solar enery power) ive been told this size would not make a difference in a persons personal grid / pay back of electrical usuage. In fact not it seems till someone uses 3 times this power . Is everyone nuts or what! we have paid so much for power it should be in an interest account and now used for everyone that is how to run a country , NOT PRIVITASATION , which is whats happened here and why people are crying poor.
AUSTRALIA The Lucky Country ? Not for a whyle it is not.not any more.
Biggest problem is availability of sunshine in the UK. Do you get enough to warrant the fuss or financial layout? Another problem is the orientation of your roof. Facing directly south, with a slope (in degrees) equal to your longitude would be ideal.
As far as electricity goes, you have to be tied into the grid to take care of the times you are not generating all the power you need. When you are generating more than you need, you sell it but get paid at the rate the utility normally pays, a lot less than you would pay to buy from them. Still, it’s something.
UK reply
Here is my recent answer to are "free panels" worth it:-
We have installed solar panels that we own so know how the system works.
"Free" ones are just that. The house owner gets the "free" use of electricity generated so you can save on your electric bill.
However to fully benefit you have to be careful when you use electricity. For example if you use a washing machine / dishwasher / tumble dryer at night when the panels aren’t generating you don’t/can’t get free electricity! During a sunny day the panels might be generating 1kw but if you switch on a 2kw appliance you pay for the excess1kw needed to run the appliance.
So yes you will save some money on your electric bill but probably only 40% certainly not 100% of your bill.
The owner of the panels (i.e us!) is the one to benefit. We have a 4kWh system (biggest allowed under Government subsidy) and get paid +/-46p per kilowatt hour generated.
We all buy electricity from the Power Companies at 12-14p unit so it is a huge subsidy - which the rest of you are paying - not the Government - one reason why bills are so expensive now!
As a generalisation the capital cost was £12,000 but I am earning +/- £1600 year. To put another way although I still buy some electricity (at night time for example) and all gas in effect we will be getting all our energy "for free" and about £600 extra cash in hand!
We have gas heating (now only for space heating) but now heat our water electrically with combination of offpeak electricty at night (5p/unit) and from our panels during the day.
If you have the cash BUY YOUR OWN as the scheme is Government guaranteed for 25 years!
In investment terms it is a 8-12% TAX FREE return for 25 years - you can’t get anything like that anywhere else.
If you want more specific help email me and I can do the figures for your house and send some pictures of our installation, which took less than one day with minimal inconvenience.
Basically you have the panels on your roof, an inverter(converts panels DC output to AC mains) in your loft, a conduit running down to your consumer unit and input meter. If it is carefully done all you cans see is a conduit down your outside wall.
P.S. Even on dull days it still generates. Recently on a rainy grey overcast day we were still generating about 240w. So in Janaury when it will be freezing with perhaps snow on the ground as long as the sun is shining we will be generating! It converts light to power - heat is not needed to make it work!
OK, before you start listening to everyone’s opinion, you should call up a good, reputable company near you and ask THEM everything. A good company will not mind and should be happy to answer all your questions. You can also ask them to come down and give you an estimate, that way they see what they’re dealing with and they’ll probably be able to give you more accurate answers. Personally, I was so lost in everything there is with solar and asking people only made me more confused. I’m telling you - Just speak directly with a solar panels company.It was the smartest thing I did. This is who I used—>> (was very happy with them)
If you get it done, make sure they do a good job of sealing the holes in your roof where through access and nails go. Water in your attic and walls does no good for anyone, unless you like black mold.
i hope you get more than us answering this question ! I only know i have had quotes , and i feel a lot of the information is kept from us.
I queried a sales person why the panels may need changing or upgrading in the 5 to 10 year span
that one has them …. since the warranty only runs for the same or less ??? This makes no sense to me to spend so much money and then when the warranty runs out ..your looking at spending simular amount of money as before for re- installation.
I love the fact that we could all be using Solar energy from the Sun or any kind of clean energy…but really the technology exists the only thing missing is ‘ A Fare Deal" as they say , Everyone is always out to rip people of . Money is too hard to come by, and greedy companies need to get of their high horses… Government need to support these a lot more ..after all that is what our taxes should cover. Not junkets overseas for fellow Councilers. It should be half the price that they are
offering everyone in Australia! And then Some ……..
i.e. for a minimum of 3.5k and say around 10 panels on a 3 bedroom home // very small home these guys want $7 - to $10.000 ,(And very small solar enery power) ive been told this size would not make a difference in a persons personal grid / pay back of electrical usuage. In fact not it seems till someone uses 3 times this power . Is everyone nuts or what! we have paid so much for power it should be in an interest account and now used for everyone that is how to run a country , NOT PRIVITASATION , which is whats happened here and why people are crying poor.
i hope you get more than us answering this question ! I only know i have had quotes , and i feel a lot of the information is kept from us.
I queried a sales person why the panels may need changing or upgrading in the 5 to 10 year span
that one has them …. since the warranty only runs for the same or less ??? This makes no sense to me to spend so much money and then when the warranty runs out ..your looking at spending simular amount of money as before for re- installation.
I love the fact that we could all be using Solar energy from the Sun or any kind of clean energy…but really the technology exists the only thing missing is ‘ A Fare Deal" as they say , Everyone is always out to rip people of . Money is too hard to come by, and greedy companies need to get of their high horses… Government need to support these a lot more ..after all that is what our taxes should cover. Not junkets overseas for fellow Councilers. It should be half the price that they are
offering everyone in Australia! And then Some ……..
i.e. for a minimum of 3.5k and say around 10 panels on a 3 bedroom home // very small home these guys want $7 - to $10.000 ,(And very small solar enery power) ive been told this size would not make a difference in a persons personal grid / pay back of electrical usuage. In fact not it seems till someone uses 3 times this power . Is everyone nuts or what! we have paid so much for power it should be in an interest account and now used for everyone that is how to run a country , NOT PRIVITASATION , which is whats happened here and why people are crying poor.
AUSTRALIA The Lucky Country ? Not for a whyle it is not.not any more.
i hope you get more than us answering this question ! I only know i have had quotes , and i feel a lot of the information is kept from us.
I queried a sales person why the panels may need changing or upgrading in the 5 to 10 year span
that one has them …. since the warranty only runs for the same or less ??? This makes no sense to me to spend so much money and then when the warranty runs out ..your looking at spending simular amount of money as before for re- installation.
I love the fact that we could all be using Solar energy from the Sun or any kind of clean energy…but really the technology exists the only thing missing is ‘ A Fare Deal" as they say , Everyone is always out to rip people of . Money is too hard to come by, and greedy companies need to get of their high horses… Government need to support these a lot more ..after all that is what our taxes should cover. Not junkets overseas for fellow Councilers. It should be half the price that they are
offering everyone in Australia! And then Some ……..
i.e. for a minimum of 3.5k and say around 10 panels on a 3 bedroom home // very small home these guys want $7 - to $10.000 ,(And very small solar enery power) ive been told this size would not make a difference in a persons personal grid / pay back of electrical usuage. In fact not it seems till someone uses 3 times this power . Is everyone nuts or what! we have paid so much for power it should be in an interest account and now used for everyone that is how to run a country , NOT PRIVITASATION , which is whats happened here and why people are crying poor.
AUSTRALIA The Lucky Country ? Not for a whyle it is not.not any more.