An interesting conversation if you are considering doing so too! It could also be a useful explanation and a guide to what is involved.The DC generating cell panels are fixed onto roof rails fixed under the tiles by clips screwed to the woodwork that supports them. The DC is converted to mains voltage AC at the mains frequency by the invertor fitted in the loft.The instalation company contacts your mortgage provider and your House insurance company who normally have no problems with it being installed. Insurance of the installation itself is covered by another insurance policy paid for by the investors who pay all the costs of the equipment and of the installation.All generated electricity is free to use by the householder during daylight..The surplus is fed back into the national grid. The whole scheme started rolling with a generous price being paid for the electricity generated but that has now been reduced by 50%. It is soon to reduce even futher so this is really the last chance for such companies to be able to make economic scence of offering free solar panel installations.It is rather short sighted of the government to reduce the subsidy even further because a whole new expanding industry has been encouraged to be set up giving employment and reducing the need for the country to use other means of poluting energy sources. Other countries are providing subsidies encouraging the use of solar power.
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One Company, Yourpower uk, was most knowledgable and helpfull in giving me the following information.
The percentage output depending on house roof direction is as follows. South 100%, East West 86%,South East South West 92%. and even North at 60%.
I have made enquiries from several companies who will install solar panels if you pay for them. I explained our house roof is east west facing which of course is not south,which is the perfect directions for maximum output. One company said after looking at our house on google earth ,you would be lucky to earn £300 per year. A second said after again seeing our house on google earth i am confident you will earn 800 per year. So who do you believe?
i have been convinced by the theory of solar cells. Sadly we are not in a position to buy. Two free solar fims after first saying we could have it, then backed out, the latter after making a case in an advert in the local paper for a house with a west facing roof such as ours.. They I find are quite willing to sell you such a system! I wonder what that says about their claims? I do notice now there are now solicitors who advertise they will defend those who have been miss sold solar systems.
I felt rather incensed by that. I rung them to hear what they had to say. They were full of how it would be a great financial investment for anyone. Then I revealed they had never delivered the contract they had promised for my house. They could only come up with they would have to pay £300 for scaffolding as we have a house and not a Bugallow. Any decent firm wouldnt expect its employees to get on a single story house roof to do the job without scalloding! So be careful who you employ!
The second company who visited and appeared to approve the installation but I never heard from again, has just advertised a case study in the local newspaper showing the expected annual income of a house such as mine facing west. They say this would produce an annual income guaranteed for twenty five years of over £1000 index linked and tax free.
I have finally received a letter from the original company simply saying our house isnt siutable for a free installation .No more than that. It was they who said they could fit panels on our house roof when I offered the garage which is facing due south which appears to be the ideal..I bet things would be very different if we were buying a system!
I will put the question to the owner!
I’m curious how they have installed a new circuit into that old rewirable wylex distribution board and applied RCD protection to meet the 17th edition wiring regulations???? Was there an additional fuse board fitted??
Both the free solar firms i have been involved with, are continuing to adverise free solar in this weeks newspaper. Niether have responded to enquiries from me to explain why they are not progressing my request for a free system. I suppose they feel under no obligation to do so, inspite of being positive about it happening,. when they visited and saw my location.. I am not a paying customer So until you get their signature on the contract you fill in, its not certain its going to happen!
If there still is a Company out there able to supply a free system of 18 panels on a modern detached tiled house that gets the sun on its roof from 10.30 am until dusk, then please get in touch!
I have discovered by experience that there sadly is a great difference in how a customer is treated when trying to get a free system to being in the position of being able to buy your own system. Twice now, we have been visited by a Surveyor who leaves the message that all is going well towards approval for installation and then you hear no more from them!
As my original company had lost interest and not replied to e mails or phone calls I have now found another company who is still able and willing to install free solar. Aparently there is extra paperwork for them now after ! April 2012 and they also have to prove the house meets modern insulation regulations to qualify for 21p per unit. Their surveyor is coming later today. So if you are in a similar situation, do not give up!
I have been sent details of a Company in China who has gone into photelectric cell production in a very big way. They plan to make their panels avialable at a considerably cheaper price which is good news for those of us convinced of their benefits but not having enough cash to afford them.at the present price..
The company who I signed up with three weeks ago did not install the system before the government high return payments ceased, I guess because of the demand. So I am presently unsure if they ever will.
I have been sent details of a typiclal annual generation of 4285 kwh over one year on a house roof in Germany that is not ideally aligned to the range of the sun. That is surely a significant amount of electricity generated polution free.
Its such a shame if government policy should cause this mushrooming industry to die. It already employs many people and the product itself is becoming cheaper. it threatens nobody except competing forms of energy production, all of which polute the planet.
Hi Gunter. What a strange decision for the governments to reduce the subsidies. Could it be other power sources are usuing their influence to hold back the spread of solar power?
Hi Mike,
this is a very good report on the use and promotion of solar power.
The problem is similar in Germany. The subsidies will be drastically reduced.
A whole new industry now threatens to die.
Best regards
Günter
It is a pity that presently it does cost much to get installed. I hope with time it will become cheaper.I believe it is already cheaper than it was ealy last year when we first looked into the possibility of getting solar… We oldies wouldnt live long enough to get our money ( if we had any) back! The investers however do get a better interest on their money than that presently given by banks.
Interesting Mike , a bit crafty that the free electric is in the day time, If the price came down a lot we would all have them installed and pay for them ourselves,
If the price of the cell panels can be brought down by mass production, there could be a case made in the future for new houses being built with the whole surface on the sunny side of the roof being covered with photoelectric cells instead of tiles..
It plays ok at this end. I hope your problem is not experienced by others.
Solar enery surely must be a good thing for everyone. No polution and no carbon doxide generated. If some developing countries go into it in a really big way, especiually those with large desert areas, they could even export electriicty to other countries. it only takes the government to financially encourage such installations that will expand the industry.
Lucky so and so. Pity someone here in NZ would do the same.
is it only me of is the video laggy? ( jerky)
Could be because im rendering a video..
Intresting to see!