Another Solar Noob

[Gingernm]

Good Afternoon.

Another noob here, similar to AttackTitan's thread, but uniquely mine, so not hijacking anyones thread.

Detached house in between Coventry / Solihul. Slighty south of West frontage, hopefully I've attached the small image correctly!

Maybe strange usage @6000kwh per year, but I work shifts in IT, 4 on 4 off. Will be working hybrid so only going to the office mon-fri days. This leave 2 nightshift and weekend days working from home. From home for the overnight is dining room LED lighting, laptop with 2 additional monitors, mobile and generally ipad with music or tv watching.

Then the 4 rest days are based around home too, but this also allows me to get the majority of house work done while any solar system is producing power.

Large family, 2 adults, 3 children of which 2 are over 18. So up all hours. (No electric vehicles yet)

Based on the above... what would you recommend? We are open to ideas, do we need a battery system for my overnight consumption or is this just overkill?

Though the roof space isn't the ideal south facing, could the apex face be used? Based on the west/east roof options if 400kwp panels were used what could we typically expect them to achieve annually?

We have a booking with a supplier/fitter next week and I'd just like to be armed with a little knowledge of what to expect a good system to cost.

Thanks to anyone who's read my waffle to here, and more thanks to anyone who can offer their words of wisdom.

Rob

 

[binky]

Good Afternoon.

Another noob here, similar to AttackTitan's thread, but uniquely mine, so not hijacking anyones thread.

Detached house in between Coventry / Solihul. Slighty south of West frontage, hopefully I've attached the small image correctly!

Maybe strange usage @6000kwh per year, but I work shifts in IT, 4 on 4 off. Will be working hybrid so only going to the office mon-fri days. This leave 2 nightshift and weekend days working from home. From home for the overnight is dining room LED lighting, laptop with 2 additional monitors, mobile and generally ipad with music or tv watching.

Then the 4 rest days are based around home too, but this also allows me to get the majority of house work done while any solar system is producing power.

Large family, 2 adults, 3 children of which 2 are over 18. So up all hours. (No electric vehicles yet)

Based on the above... what would you recommend? We are open to ideas, do we need a battery system for my overnight consumption or is this just overkill?

Though the roof space isn't the ideal south facing, could the apex face be used? Based on the west/east roof options if 400kwp panels were used what could we typically expect them to achieve annually?

We have a booking with a supplier/fitter next week and I'd just like to be armed with a little knowledge of what to expect a good system to cost.

Thanks to anyone who's read my waffle to here, and more thanks to anyone who can offer their words of wisdom.

Rob

can you attach a google maps link, can't see enough in that picture.

 

[Gingernm]

Here’s the link:

https://maps.apple.com/?address=12A...xGtjdsu2C+r853ZfYME0ySkBBcuqrkKNG+r9QBA==&t=h

 

[roys]

As it stood I couldn’t get the battery option to add up, bearing in mind a battery is only good for so many cycles, so at a stab in the dark let’s say ten years, the last time I did the sums the capital cost of the battery system would never pay for itself so in effect would cost more to my pocket and the environment.
Of course the numbers may have changed with energy costs going up, not sure where battery costs are now.
I do use a cheap solar diverter to use up my surplus solar power.

 

[Gingernm]

just received a quote to supply and fit:
16 JA Solar 370w Mono Percium Half cell All black panels
1 Growatt Dual string inverter
Landis GYR E110 meter
plus the rails, and all other associates bits for fitting.

Total cost £6500

This would be 10 panels rear roof and 6 to front.

What are the thoughts from on this from the experts?

 

[binky]

just received a quote to supply and fit:
16 JA Solar 370w Mono Percium Half cell All black panels
1 Growatt Dual string inverter
Landis GYR E110 meter
plus the rails, and all other associates bits for fitting.

Total cost £6500

This would be 10 panels rear roof and 6 to front.

What are the thoughts from on this from the experts?

**** inverter, old spec panels, in short don't bother.

 

[binky]

just received a quote to supply and fit:
16 JA Solar 370w Mono Percium Half cell All black panels
1 Growatt Dual string inverter
Landis GYR E110 meter
plus the rails, and all other associates bits for fitting.

Total cost £6500

This would be 10 panels rear roof and 6 to front.

What are the thoughts from on this from the experts?

PS the meter is ducking irrelevant, it's £15

 

[Gingernm]

Thanks Binky! Appreciate the honesty!

Forgive me as being a noob, but I see your knowledge is widely listened to, do you supply / install systems?

Given my opening post, what package would you put together and what could I expect to pay?

As you’re on the south coast, would the Midlands be outside your travel range?

 

[binky]

I've designed and installed nearly 1 million kw of solar panels, but have stopped that line of work after the government trashed the Feed in Tariff, and I shut my company down. Happy to advise though.

 

[Mike.J]

@binky I too would be very interested to know what you would put together?

 

[BorisJ]

In general in the UK solar is not worth it. You will never break even on the initial cost and annual maintenance. When there was the feed in tariff it made more sence for the individual but not for the rest of us who paid for the feed in tariff through increased bills.

 

[roys]

In general in the UK solar is not worth it. You will never break even on the initial cost and annual maintenance. When there was the feed in tariff it made more sence for the individual but not for the rest of us who paid for the feed in tariff through increased bills.

What annual maintenance?

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

Polite cough:

I think it is unfair to ask "Big John" what he would "put together" and "how much would a person expect to pay"
I say this because I am in a similar boat, I used to deal with something many moons ago (Not electrically related) and I am "not in the trade" any more, but I still know what is a good brand or not, BUT current prices of stuff (trade) I have not got a clue about, and also I do not supply it, but I am happy to advise on it.

So if Big John were to say get the QWE stuff, and it turns out the MNB is better and cheaper, you would think bad of Big John for giving bad advice.

Just speaking from my own experience.

 

[Mike.J]

I've designed and installed nearly 1 million kw of solar panels, but have stopped that line of work after the government trashed the Feed in Tariff, and I shut my company down. Happy to advise though.

But then again we know he is no longer involved, and asking for guidance is what Forums are for, we are just asking for a place to start, and he did offer.

 

[binky]

In general in the UK solar is not worth it. You will never break even on the initial cost and annual maintenance. When there was the feed in tariff it made more sence for the individual but not for the rest of us who paid for the feed in tariff through increased bills.

nonsense, an array will pay for itself even without a tariff. The lifespan of panels is around 30 years, inverters 15-20, and with the significant jump in energy prices there's definetly mileage in fitting solar. Exactly how long they will take to return your investment will depend on your roof, the size of the array you can fit, and how much energy you use / how good you are at using energy from the panels. Even before the recent price hikes I reckon a 4kW array would take about 12 years for the average household, but as energy has just doubled, that should be more like 6 years. Batteries help self-use of energy generated, and it's hard to model the energy savings they can offer. But they can also be used in conjunction with an off peak tariff, so can be topped up like Economy 7 for use during the daytime.

 

[Mike.J]

My thoughts exactly, with the increasing cost of electricity it can't be a negative, I am old enough that I wont see a return on my monies, but sitting in a bank/building society earning nothing does seem a waste.

 

[binky]

My thoughts exactly, with the increasing cost of electricity it can't be a negative, I am old enough that I wont see a return on my monies, but sitting in a bank/building society earning nothing does seem a waste.

One way of looking at it is if the system costs say £5k and saves you £500 a year, then that's 10% on your money. Quite a few of my customers were elderly and wanting to leave the planet better for the grandchildren.

 

[Mike.J]

10% interest is worth having.

 

[binky]

10% interest is worth having.

Can't get 5% on your savings these days. Super low interest rates have been one of the main drivers to install solar

 

[binky]

Polite cough:

I think it is unfair to ask "Big John" what he would "put together" and "how much would a person expect to pay"

I am keen to promote green tech and not particularly worried about making money when the planet as we know it is being destroyed.