Solar: New Age Hype?

[LEO]

Hi,

 

I had a PV Solar system installed last year, commissioned 01/11/13.

 

Cost for a 4 Kw system - £7000.

 

Annual Target Kw to be produced - 3618Kw

 

Actual Kw produced to date (30/09/14) - 3200Kw.

 

Highest daily Kw produced - 17/06/14 - 24.71Kw.

 

Payments 01 Nov 13 to 30th Sept 14 - £547.00.

 

Reduction in annual Gas/Electric bill, about £275, standing order reduced from £1800 Pann to £1200 Pann (this will probably be reduced further).

 

A Solar immersion heater provides constant hot water most days, before surplus units fed back into grid.

 

My wife has used the tumble drier all summer (to her delight).

 

A brilliant index linked tax free investment - about 9% per annum.

 

Additional costs - had to have roof slope stripped and retiled as battens in poor condition (cost £1000).

 

I was advised not to use Indian or Chinese panels - instead had Czech made ones installed.

 

Hope this helps..

 

L.

 

To-day, the system produced 9.87Kw and we used 8kw and 1 UNIT of gas (Kw conversion needs to be carried out).

[FORTUNATA]

Hi,

 

I had a PV Solar system installed last year, commissioned 01/11/13.

 

Cost for a 4 Kw system - £7000.

 

Annual Target Kw to be produced - 3618Kw

 

Actual Kw produced to date (30/09/14) - 3200Kw.

 

Highest daily Kw produced - 17/06/14 - 24.71Kw.

 

Payments 01 Nov 13 to 30th Sept 14 - £547.00.

 

Reduction in annual Gas/Electric bill, about £275, standing order reduced from £1800 Pann to £1200 Pann (this will probably be reduced further).

 

A Solar immersion heater provides constant hot water most days, before surplus units fed back into grid.

 

My wife has used the tumble drier all summer (to her delight).

 

A brilliant index linked tax free investment - about 9% per annum.

 

Additional costs - had to have roof slope stripped and retiled as battens in poor condition (cost £1000).

 

I was advised not to use Indian or Chinese panels - instead had Czech made ones installed.

 

Hope this helps..

 

L.

 

To-day, the system produced 9.87Kw and we used 8kw and 1 UNIT of gas (Kw conversion needs to be carried out).

One snag I seem to have come across is shipping. I am checking out Czech panels after reading your post. I have heard there have been all sorts of trade issues over solar equipment and many countries have been complaining about cheaper imports from China.

If I wanted to make an actual profit, it would be far better to make my own PV's but, of course, we all know production is expensive in the U.K.

Lately there have been issues over quality of PV's.

[kazbluesky]

I am new to the forum, don't have a boat and am just kind of hanging around learning things. But i do know a little about solar panels, so for what it's worth - I got solar panels 6 months ago for my house, 4.8kw, the cost was 11,550 pounds. Best month so far was June when the electricity company had to pay ME 144 quid !! On a good day we generate 31 kw a day, but if it is cloudy - nothing, absolutely zero. So from my short experience I'd say home solar panels are a good idea but for a boat in England I don't know, our green and pleasant land isn't famed for it's sunshine. Maybe a small wind turbine would be more reliable.

[Phil Ambrose]

I am new to the forum, don't have a boat and am just kind of hanging around learning things. But i do know a little about solar panels, so for what it's worth - I got solar panels 6 months ago for my house, 4.8kw, the cost was 11,550 pounds. Best month so far was June when the electricity company had to pay ME 144 quid !! On a good day we generate 31 kw a day, but if it is cloudy - nothing, absolutely zero. So from my short experience I'd say home solar panels are a good idea but for a boat in England I don't know, our green and pleasant land isn't famed for it's sunshine. Maybe a small wind turbine would be more reliable.

Welcome Kazbluesky, hmm, how can I put this, 10 years ago I fitted 5 x 100watt panels to my boat and at the time everyone was telling me they were next to useless, that they wouldn't work but guess what? They did work. I was so happy with them that when I changed boats 4 years ago I fitted a PV array to my new boat, if they were useless do you think I would repeat making he same(expensive) mistake again?

Wind turbines are OK upto a point but need a good wind speed to get going and are noisier than solar panels, they are far better suited to blue water boating.

There are a growing number of members who live off grid who survive pretty much on solar alone with just the odd hour here and there of engine running.

Once again welcome and hope you are soon able to get afloat.

Phil

[LEO]

One snag I seem to have come across is shipping. I am checking out Czech panels after reading your post. I have heard there have been all sorts of trade issues over solar equipment and many countries have been complaining about cheaper imports from China.

If I wanted to make an actual profit, it would be far better to make my own PV's but, of course, we all know production is expensive in the U.K.

Lately there have been issues over quality of PV's.

 

The company who carried out my installation were an independent organisation, based in Suffolk who have specialized in utilizing solar power for many years be it hot water units or PV panels.

 

The 'bumpf' they produced on the Czech units was good and thus they use them.

 

My units have produced power everyday, with several days in Nov, Dec, Jan & Feb where less that 1 Kw was produced - not unreasonable.

 

Overall I am very pleased with the insatllation.

 

The cost of the inverter (not an overly large units) makes me realise that anything including the word 'Marine' doubles the price.

 

L

[Laurie Booth]

Hi,

 

I had a PV Solar system installed last year, commissioned 01/11/13.

 

Cost for a 4 Kw system - £7000.

 

 

Fantastic bargain.

[Justme]

our green and pleasant land isn't famed for it's sunshine.

 

 

It might not be famed for its sunshine but it is farmed for it.

 

Solar farms are springing up all over the place.

 

Some are on farm land & some on industrial land.

 

Edit to add.

 

Whilst your yardstick on land is the cost of a unit (1kWh) at about 14p on a boat it will cost more like 50-80p per unit just for the fuel never mind the servicing costs & engine replacement (1kWh or about 80ah @ 12.5v nom). That makes solar 4 to 6 times more cost effective on a boat / off grid.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Justme