Solar panels - are they worth it for house with one person living in it

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Mothergoose

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I have gotten a quote for solar panels - 8 x panels,, 1 x 5kw battery, and Eddi for 10k. I am installing them on a 20 year old 3 bed timber frame house. It will be a retirement property. The current heating is LPG fed from a tank for the estate, so very expensive. I was hoping to use some of thd stored electricity to power an electric stove with solar dump for about 3 hrs per day plus an electric range, and cut down on LPG. I will also get an electric car in the future. I presume the solar panels will also increase the Ber and the calue of the house. The Ber is C1.

If I wasn't getting solar panels, I would get new composite front door and pvc tropple glazed patio and side door. I would welcome any thoughts on this solar pv investment as I don't want to make a bad investment.
 
I'm looking into this too at the moment, one thing putting me off is the house apparently has to be inspected afterwards and has to reach some BER rating, don't remember which one but with 30+yr old windows/doors/boiler here I'm not sure that would pass muster and I'm certainly not changing any of them as windows etc are fine and boiler is working away, I'll likely have to change it sooner rather than later but not doing it until I have to. I sure as hell wouldn't be putting in panels if I don't get the grant!

I just want a little bit of power ideally, I have gas heating and fine with that.
 
What is the cost of the LPG per unit?

Currently, using excess solar to heat water doesn't make economic sense as exporting excess solar to grid earns you circa 25c per unit, significantly more than the cost of a unit of gas and likely more than the cost of the LPG. There is also the matter of the cost of the Eddi (circa €500), which is unlikely to pay for itself unless the unit prices change significantly.

Battery storage does make economic sense at the moment, as you can charge the battery at circa 7c per unit during night time, use this electricity during the day (saving circa 40c per unit), empty the battery back to grid (earning 25c per unit) before charging it again the next night. You can do this without solar panels. Even with solar panels, it makes more sense financially to export excess solar to grid at 25c per unit, than to recharge the battery (which is only costing 7c per unit at night).

What power output are the stove and range you are looking at? They won't last long from a 5kWh battery I don't think.

You don't mention the wattage of the panels in your quote but the quote seems very expensive for what is being provided.
Three years ago we got 7 panels (no battery or eddi) for €2,400 after grants - prices may have doubled but your quote is still way off.

What orientation is your roof?
 
I will include that the majority of the above is subject to change, alterations in the unit prices or FIT prices could render battery storage uneconomical or increase or decrease the payback period for solar PV.
 
Crazy expensive... get more quotes and keep looking.
 
Based on what you've said OP, investing in solar should be towards the bottom of your list.
1. Find out and address your main heat losses (biggest bang for buck)
2. Invest in a more appropriate / efficient heating source (LPG is, per unit energy, one of the most expensive forms of energy) once your heat losses are reduced.
3. Then maybe think about a solar install but get plenty of quotes and perhaps forget about the battery & Eddi for now because of the FIT available, though that will likely change in the future.
 
Thanks for the advice. I will keep looking for other quotes. Alkers, I tried to look up the price of LPG currently with Calor, but can't find my last bill with the unit price on it.
 
No that's wrong. A BER of F will suffice , old rules you are writing about, no min BER required for solar PV grant
 
Hello,

That quote for Solar Panels and kit, looks far too expensive. IMHO, it's out by €2k or more!

If you are on Facebook, join a group called "Irish Solar Owners Group" - like Askaboutmoney.com, it's a free resource, with people helping each other, by sharing info etc. It's a great place to get recommendations for quotes, recommendation for installers etc.
 
Please please shop around. So many people are getting shafted by installers, and will take 12-15 years or more to see a return. And saving money is the objective not jumping on a bandwagon.

My array is twice the size for the money you have been quoted.

If you can't make the numbers work to see a genuine return in 5-6-7 years then I would wait. Prices will come down and technology will continue to improve.
 
clinteastwood said:
No that's wrong. A BER of F will suffice , old rules you are writing about, no min BER required for solar PV grant
Click to expand...
Oh good! I read so many suppliers websites for research but I don't remember which one I read that on, obviously someone who didn't update theirs with a while! I might continue looking into it so, thank you.
 
Re the gas price too, I have read before about where many homes are fed by bulk tanks for estates or apartment blocks like yours and they always seem to be charged more than a home with a standalone tank, does someone else get a cut of the cost too I wonder? I have bulk tank gas heating plus hob and I don't find it overly expensive at all and am quite happy with it, then again though someone with a heat pump and 24hr heat and hot water as such would probably find my more limited hours of boiler usage insufficient. Much as I like heat and I'm generally a cold person I wouldn't want or need it all day all over the house so the gas works fine for me.
 
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