Solar panel prices from 2000

[rusty69]

Just having a clear out of some of my old paperwork, and came across this price list of when we installed some panels in 2000. 

Edited September 6, 2023 by rusty69

[Puffling]

That's stucking faggering - a 110 watt panel for £560 quid? 😵‍💫

 

Never heard of a "self regulating" panel before. I wonder why those didn't catch on.

 

Did AB Butt go on to be called something else?

[rusty69]

16 minutes ago, Puffling said:

That's stucking faggering - a 110 watt panel for £560 quid? 😵‍💫

 

Never heard of a "self regulating" panel before. I wonder why those didn't catch on.

 

Did AB Butt go on to be called something else?

It is rather expensive compared to todays offerings. The 40W panel is still on the boat, so at £10/ year,it probably represents quite good value for money, though I don't suppose the efficiency is what it was when new.

 

I think the solar bit of A B Butt disappeared, though Mr Google suggests the company may have been a garage at some point.

Edited September 6, 2023 by rusty69

[Puffling]

Efficiency has almost certainly dropped (the figure I saw was 0.5% degradation per year) but I wonder whether the Siemens' panels were manufactured in Germany back then? I suspect they would have used higher quality materials and have a better life than the Chinese stuff churned out nowadays.

 

Even though solar power wasn't a novelty in 2000, there must have been less competition between suppliers and installers, so margins were almost certainly higher than in today's solar market.

[TheBiscuits]

The latest quote I got was £76 each for 400W panels ...

[Puffling]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

The latest quote I got was £76 each for 400W panels ...

That's a keen price. New or ex-solar farm?

[TheBiscuits]

15 minutes ago, Puffling said:

That's a keen price. New or ex-solar farm?

 

New, but pallet rate not singles.

And plus VAT.

[Tracy D'arth]

16 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

New, but pallet rate not singles.

And plus VAT.

Please do tell where.

[matty40s]

I took a 100w mono panel with a strange home made looking variable voltage controller from a Derbyshire company M&R controls in 2009 for around £420 and made my own bracket. 

I would laugh if someone tried to charge me that now.

[magnetman]

My first solar panels were BP 75w and Siemens 75w. About £350 each in 1995. 

Latest ones were Canadian Solar poly. 415w at £120 each.

(2022) 

Of course the bigger panels are nominal 36v so need an MPPT controller which is more expensive than a simple PWM. I had a Solsum back in the day.