Solar Panels UK - is it worth it?

[PITA]

I would be very surprised if we had regular power cuts. It’s going to be a tough winter but the grid will shed industrial loads before domestic ones.

I think there's two big risk factors this Winter.

1) Infrastructure damage, whereby the power can't get through to homes. Through Storms etc like last Winter when there were 3,000,000 homes on the East Coast affected. All we need is a weird 'Polar vortex' type thing to sink the Grid. Also, I heard the Grid operators have instructed technicians to repair not replace, due to parts shortages.

2) Capacity Margin Failure, whereby there just isn't the capacity to meet demand. Relying on Interconnects into EU may not be reliable this time around. No sun, no wind, no gas, no interconnect supply...

So... get a mix of that lot, or all at the same time...

 

[JHWL]

I'm just starting to look at solar + battery for my home, but my initial concern is by the time the system has paid for itself, the panels are already at their end of life and require replacing. Am I just incredibly wrong in my assumption?

 

[exlatccatsa]

I'm just starting to look at solar + battery for my home, but my initial concern is by the time the system has paid for itself, the panels are already at their end of life and require replacing. Am I just incredibly wrong in my assumption?

Don't quote me, but that was the case when kWh prices were about 10 or 15p. Now they're 40p and if you can move onto an export tariff for the summer, like Octopus's Agile export where your export is attracting in the region of 30 to 40p kWh. I think repayments periods are getting towards 8 to.10 years.

 

[RedMod3]

I think there's two big risk factors this Winter.

1) Infrastructure damage, whereby the power can't get through to homes. Through Storms etc like last Winter when there were 3,000,000 homes on the East Coast affected. All we need is a weird 'Polar vortex' type thing to sink the Grid. Also, I heard the Grid operators have instructed technicians to repair not replace, due to parts shortages.

2) Capacity Margin Failure, whereby there just isn't the capacity to meet demand. Relying on Interconnects into EU may not be reliable this time around. No sun, no wind, no gas, no interconnect supply...

So... get a mix of that lot, or all at the same time...

There are too many press comments to be ignored. We are unlikely to get power from the EU if they do not have enough themselves.

Europe's energy crisis deepens as more countries try to save power

Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish PM, appeared tie-less in front of reporters in Madrid as he said he has told all public sector workers to ditch the neck-wear to stay cool instead of using air con.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[HenryT]

I'm just starting to look at solar + battery for my home, but my initial concern is by the time the system has paid for itself, the panels are already at their end of life and require replacing. Am I just incredibly wrong in my assumption?

If your main driver is financial I wouldn't do it. Too many imponderables to get a fix on payback in advance.

If your driver is some degree of energy independence, green issues, etc, then it's definitely worthwhile and may prove to be a financial benefit..

 

[ACarneiro]

There are too many press comments to be ignored. We are unlikely to get power from the EU if they do not have enough themselves.

Europe's energy crisis deepens as more countries try to save power

Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish PM, appeared tie-less in front of reporters in Madrid as he said he has told all public sector workers to ditch the neck-wear to stay cool instead of using air con.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The Daily Mail?
Definitely one to ignore

 

[JaseW]

I'm just starting to look at solar + battery for my home, but my initial concern is by the time the system has paid for itself, the panels are already at their end of life and require replacing. Am I just incredibly wrong in my assumption?

With the current energy situation the ROI is now around 7 years, but even before that it was 10 years.

Panels do degrade but go well into 20 years, you’re fine. Solar batteries aren’t stressed as much as EV batteries so you don’t see them degrade as fast, I’ve heard of someone who’s into the 11th year of his battery and said he hasn’t noticed any degradation.

I do agree with the above though if your sole driver is financial it’s probably not worth it.

 

[roadcred]

With the current energy situation the ROI is now around 7 years, but even before that it was 10 years.

Panels do degrade but go well into 20 years, you’re fine. Solar batteries aren’t stressed as much as EV batteries so you don’t see them degrade as fast, I’ve heard of someone who’s into the 11th year of his battery and said he hasn’t noticed any degradation.

I do agree with the above though if your sole driver is financial it’s probably not worth it.

I dont agree at all. I did my installation 3 years ago now, based on 11 year payback. My only regret is that I didnt get in earlier and get Fit payments. Inflation has already reduced my payback to 7 years and no doubt future inflation will reduce it further. My second regret is that I didnt get a second Powerwall., which is necessary to bring a large degree of self sufficiency. I dont mind the current price but I cant wait a year for it. I need it now.

 

[JaseW]

I dont agree at all. I did my installation 3 years ago now, based on 11 year payback. My only regret is that I didnt get in earlier and get Fit payments. Inflation has already reduced my payback to 7 years and no doubt future inflation will reduce it further. My second regret is that I didnt get a second Powerwall., which is necessary to bring a large degree of self sufficiency. I dont mind the current price but I cant wait a year for it. I need it now.

I’m lost, which bit don’t you agree on?

 

[Battpower]

DNO should allow more generation locally as long as you can guarantee sticking below 3.68 export

You'd think so. But DNOs don't get much if any benefit from us making loads disappear intermittently from their network and also have a strange way of looking at your inverter's ability to ensure export remains at any particular level.

 

[HenryT]

I’m lost, which bit don’t you agree on?

I agree.

 

[btc1k]

Re powercuts:

Six million homes could face winter power cuts due to energy shortages - report

Under plans drawn up by ministers, electricity could have to be rationed for up to six million homes at the start of next year, mostly at peaks in the morning and evening.

news.sky.com

I'd rather be safe than sorry.

The government plan for all sorts of contingencies, many you never hear about, and some you do. Life is too short for individuals planning for every single one... but each to their own

 

[JHWL]

Don't quote me, but that was the case when kWh prices were about 10 or 15p. Now they're 40p and if you can move onto an export tariff for the summer, like Octopus's Agile export where your export is attracting in the region of 30 to 40p kWh. I think repayments periods are getting towards 8 to.10 years.

If your main driver is financial I wouldn't do it. Too many imponderables to get a fix on payback in advance.

If your driver is some degree of energy independence, green issues, etc, then it's definitely worthwhile and may prove to be a financial benefit..

With the current energy situation the ROI is now around 7 years, but even before that it was 10 years.

Panels do degrade but go well into 20 years, you’re fine. Solar batteries aren’t stressed as much as EV batteries so you don’t see them degrade as fast, I’ve heard of someone who’s into the 11th year of his battery and said he hasn’t noticed any degradation.

I do agree with the above though if your sole driver is financial it’s probably not worth it.

Thank you all for your insights. My primary driver is definitely financial and my secondary is resilience (power cuts). I'll have to dig deeper into researching export tariffs and their effect on the ROI. My assumption is I would use battery storage to capture all I can during daylight and use the offpeak rates to top up the battery (if needed) using the off-peak rate each night, so there isn't anything left to export.

One alternative path I've tried to calculate on excel spreadsheets is to only have battery storage without the solar input. Essentially relying on a 12kWh battery during peak hours and using the offpeak rates to recharge the battery and Tesla MY each night. With my power usage estiamtes, it's also about 10 years for ROI.

 

[roadcred]

I agree.

I dont agree that "if your sole driver is financial it’s probably not worth it."
I THINK IT IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.

 

[Fursty Ferret]

It can take a year or more to get anything back on an export tariff (and possibly never if you're in a dead spot for smart meters). Don't include any export in your budget.

 

[hash]

Excited our goes in tomorrow, will report back when done

thanks

 

[RedMod3]

Just done my sums on the newest GO rates. If I had not joined this forum 18 months ago and had not ordered my PWs, our electric bill for the month of December next year on the current GO rates would be £620, but with my PWs, that will come down to around £180. We have no gas or oil.

I'm so pleased I bought a Tesla 21 months ago and found this forum with all the helpful contributors. I have no doubt that solar and PWs (or battery storage) is the way to go, particularly if you have an all-electric place.

 

[David T]

I'm getting a PV & battery installation soon. Regulators demand payback calculations based on a 7% year on year increase in electricity costs. BBC news this morning quoted a 54% rise so far this year, before the autumn price cap increase. My install comes just as I go from current 15p/kWh:5p/kWh octopus rate to their current one

 

[Mrklaw]

I'm getting a PV & battery installation soon. Regulators demand payback calculations based on a 7% year on year increase in electricity costs. BBC news this morning quoted a 54% rise so far this year, before the autumn price cap increase. My install comes just as I go from current 15p/kWh:5p/kWh octopus rate to their current one

my solar + battery install from Eon will be £300pm for 3 years 0% finance. Depending how bad the prices go offsetting as much as possible of those increases might pay for quite a bit of that

 

[arg]

so there isn't anything left to export.

That's a pretty rare combination to achieve. If you've got enough battery to absorb a burst of fine days in mid-summer, then those batteries are probably not earning their keep in the rest of the year. It could make sense on that basis if there is only a small amount of generation and the batteries are primarily there for off-peak arbitrage rather than storing the solar, but that doesn't usually make sense in terms of the balance of cost between batteries and panels.

So I think most people still end up exporting a fair bit even if they don't aim to do so.