Solar PV - thoughts and experience anyone?

Quite agree,which is why I included my current FIT rate. However it is useful to understand the average output of varying systems in order to understand the equation at current FIT rates. My system has consistently produced around 3500kw per year in this climate; I don't know what current installation costs are like and whether new systems are materially more efficient, but at least it gives an indication of the kind of output you might expect from a 4kw system in a not particularly favourable geographical location.

Mmm good question.

Well I guess that if you removed the FIT altogether, then the residual benefit would be the sale of unused electricity back to the grid, plus the utilisation of your own production. I reckon it would reduce the overall benefit to around £350 per year, i.e. £250 from reduced useage plus around £100 from feed-in. I'll dig out some of my statements, and if I've got this wrong I'll revert.(The "Sale back" arrangement is currently done on a pro rata basis, but this is likely to change following the roll-out of Smart Meters).

Interested to hear of reduced energy bills, I have not tried to work out how much I have saved and just look at the FIT income as my return.

I wonder if others use some form of metering to measure energy savings?

Regarding Smart meters, I wonder if these do indeed signal the end of deemed exports and if so perhaps the rate paid will be more like the retail cost of electricity instead of the current pittance. Currently this disparity makes it more attractive to install storage batteries.

Osborne couldn't cut them because David C was walking around green washing everything.

Yes the rent your roof space was taken over by councils and the double glazing salesmen.

I actually have a place in my heart for Nuclear, but the subsidies are through the roof for that technology.

What is failing to get sufficient subsidy is energy storage



Factories with solar, if you drive around Keighley where we have a lot of short flat factories they all seem to have new solar on them.  "renewable obligations" are being replaced by something new but certainly there is a big op there at certain sizes.

We had it done 5 years ago, and we are now in profit (FIT rate appx 45p).  Our inverter was replaced under warranty- I have the impression that inverters are still pricey, wheras panels are way cheaper than they used to be.

The case nowadays isn't anything like as strong

Personally I think what government should do is insist all appropriate new build has it automatically, then it just becomes standard, no retrofit hassle, no paying for door to door sales people and commission depending on overpricing etc, just simple building spec stuff.  On a house say 10 panels at erm £100, inverter trade price erm £300?, wire and stuff, total £1500, less a bit of roofing, not sure which is quicker to fit.  2K tops anyway, maybe less. (No expertise claimed, just seat of pants)

Golly, adrianc, I think we're thinking on the same lines for a change!  All these green subsidies were just transfers from the less well off to the educated middle classes  who had the capital to invest and the understanding of the returns to be made.  Even worse, these same middle classes smugly made out THEY were doing something for the planet. They are only "doing something for the planet" when they personally pay the full cost of whatever the investment is and take market returns.  I accept that new technologies have to be given a helping hand sometimes, but this should have come from general taxation not increased electricity cost per unit which is regressive.  And there should have been a limit on these subsidies for anyone over a household income threshold.  Perhaps that is why GO kept the subsidies going - to keep his potential core vote sweet.

Yes, it is the unknown "while" that makes it harder to decide if battery storage will ever pay for itself.

I think that the domestic FIT subsidy has worked very well, it was always envisaged that it would reduce as panels became cheaper, I believe that the model was copied from Germany.

My primary reason for installing solar panels was the return on investment and I have never suggested otherwise, however, I do pay about 20% more for domestic electricity because I selected a tariff that is supplied from 100% renewable energy sources.

I think that (very) local power generation and storage are jolly good things and I agree with an earlier posting that proposed that all new builds should by law have built in power generation and storage, and extensive rainwater storage if they have a garden.

Oh, and in my opinion probably the only way to encourage folk to reduce their use of environment damaging hydrocarbons is by taxing the user.