Solar Panels UK - is it worth it?

[notmeguv]

Is now still a good time in the year to start thinking about getting solar fitted, bearing in mind I have only just started looking at it in detail and will need to get quotes and choose a suitable installer? Or is it best to continue my research with the aim of having it fitted in the spring next year? Perhaps waiting times for installers will dictate that anyway.

Our 16 year old cheap and cheerful combi boiler has done well but is on it's last legs and will need replacing imminently, probably before winter this year. I'm unsure whether I will want to integrate water heating with the solar as this will mean finding a space for the hot water tank. But I'm thinking I should at least be considering a new boiler that could integrate with solar and a separate hot water tank if needed. I don't think I want to go down the heat pump route due to cost and disruption to the house but really don't know much about them.

I have a MY due in the next couple of weeks and will be having a Zappi charger fitted.

 

[Avendit]

'the best solar panels are the ones on your roof'.

If the combi is running well, I'd sweat that asset - heat pumps are still evolving very quickly, so even just 2 years down the line you will have more heat pump options with better efficiency or less disruption through working at higher temps. But do the research now and be prepared for when the combi dies.

 

[roadcred]

Got my second PW 2 last weekend. That has ensured that the sun has hardly shined this week!
Will run for a couple of weeks on my existing TEP whilst I work out if Flux will be better.

 

[notmeguv]

'the best solar panels are the ones on your roof'.

If the combi is running well, I'd sweat that asset - heat pumps are still evolving very quickly, so even just 2 years down the line you will have more heat pump options with better efficiency or less disruption through working at higher temps. But do the research now and be prepared for when the combi dies.

Thanks. The problem may be that the current combi is possibly about to die soon, or least BER. It has sprung another leak and when we had it serviced recently the guy said the parts are hard to get now (I realise he was just as likely drumming up business for a replacement). Will see what they say when we call them out again (boiler cover policy with YouRepair).

 

[yessuz]

Is now still a good time in the year to start thinking about getting solar fitted, bearing in mind I have only just started looking at it in detail and will need to get quotes and choose a suitable installer? Or is it best to continue my research with the aim of having it fitted in the spring next year? Perhaps waiting times for installers will dictate that anyway.

Our 16 year old cheap and cheerful combi boiler has done well but is on it's last legs and will need replacing imminently, probably before winter this year. I'm unsure whether I will want to integrate water heating with the solar as this will mean finding a space for the hot water tank. But I'm thinking I should at least be considering a new boiler that could integrate with solar and a separate hot water tank if needed. I don't think I want to go down the heat pump route due to cost and disruption to the house but really don't know much about them.

I have a MY due in the next couple of weeks and will be having a Zappi charger fitted.

yes, still good - my Otovo installation came in 3 months after I placed the order.

If interested - can share referal - it will give 100 off

 

[Mrklaw]

Is now still a good time in the year to start thinking about getting solar fitted, bearing in mind I have only just started looking at it in detail and will need to get quotes and choose a suitable installer? Or is it best to continue my research with the aim of having it fitted in the spring next year? Perhaps waiting times for installers will dictate that anyway.

Our 16 year old cheap and cheerful combi boiler has done well but is on it's last legs and will need replacing imminently, probably before winter this year. I'm unsure whether I will want to integrate water heating with the solar as this will mean finding a space for the hot water tank. But I'm thinking I should at least be considering a new boiler that could integrate with solar and a separate hot water tank if needed. I don't think I want to go down the heat pump route due to cost and disruption to the house but really don't know much about them.

I have a MY due in the next couple of weeks and will be having a Zappi charger fitted.

With respect -

I don't think I want to go down the heat pump route due to cost and disruption to the house

And

but really don't know much about them.

Seem at odds with each other. If you’re open to the option eventually why not get a couple of installers around - octopus and British Gas have capped prices for installs although that means they likely cherry pick easier ones. But you may be able to get good info on your heat loss, whether your pipes and rads are ok etc - ie how big the work will really be. Then you can consider maybe going for a combi mainly for heat and an immersion with solar divert for hot water?

 

[Pink Duck]

I’m holding off on heat pump until Octopus roll out their RED units at scale. Still means uprating bathroom/ensuite radiators (and one in study) plus having to clear aesthetically pleasing plants/bushes from around the install site to ensure sufficient air flow. Isn’t like solar with return on investment of course, just that warm, fuzzy feeling of not burning dirty fossils.

 

[notmeguv]

yes, still good - my Otovo installation came in 3 months after I placed the order.

If interested - can share referal - it will give 100 off

What made you choose them? I assume they don't have their own installers and farm it out to a local firm?

 

[notmeguv]

With respect -


And


Seem at odds with each other. If you’re open to the option eventually why not get a couple of installers around - octopus and British Gas have capped prices for installs although that means they likely cherry pick easier ones. But you may be able to get good info on your heat loss, whether your pipes and rads are ok etc - ie how big the work will really be. Then you can consider maybe going for a combi mainly for heat and an immersion with solar divert for hot water?

Yes you are absolutely correct. I'm making a decision based on very little data and should look in to it more. My immediate concern is over the health of the current combi and I may be forced in to making a decision before this winter. My wife will not be happy if we have a troublesome boiler over winter, I may end up sleeping in the Tesla, although at least I'll be warm

 

[WannabeOwner]

Perhaps waiting times for installers will dictate that anyway.

I think that's quite likely. maybe you'd get a better installation price during Winter, i.e. if everyone thinks they would prefer a Spring install?

But I'm thinking I should at least be considering a new boiler that could integrate with solar and a separate hot water tank if needed

Not sure how your boiler would integrate with Solar (but I may well be missing the point). Solar in winter is negatable, so if you get a smidgen, on some Winter days, then its a bonus. Most of the Winter it will contribute nothing. So no benefit to "Winter central heating".

Solar PV could run the immersion (i.e. when PV generation exceeds household usage then put the excess into the immersion heater), so that would mean the boiler would do very little / nothing in Summer (when you only need DHW)

You could also have Solar Thermal (some sort of water "tubes" on the roof that get hot and transfer heat to the hot water tank). They would generate more energy (per unit area) than PV, but all they do is to produce hot water, so once the DHW tank is "hot" then anything extra has nowhere to go. On balance having PV, and electricity, provides more options on what to do with any excess - run an Immersion (or, better still, a heat pump capable of heating Hot Water), charge an EV car (has to be at home during the day ...), or have a static-battery that can be charged up from excess PV and powers the house overnight (and, in winter, charges up on cheaper overnight tariff and then powers the house during the day Peak Rate). But that increases the capital cost a lot.

If you've got the money sitting on deposit somewhere then IMO it would be worth converting it into PV and Battery, which then becomes an index-linked , tax-free, investment-replacement for the lifetime of the kit. If you are having to borrow the money then the sums are much less rosy.

The problem may be that the current combi is possibly about to die soon

Personally I wouldn't want to be going into the Winter with a central heating boiler that was on the blink ... during the Summer I could make-do-and-mend without DHW ... for a short while!

 

[yessuz]

What made you choose them? I assume they don't have their own installers and farm it out to a local firm?

1) price - most competitive MCS price on the market. 8.4 kwp (20 x panels) + 10.5 kwh battery (3 x Pylon US3000C 3.5 kwh) + Growatt inverter. Got it all for ~14k
2) Payment after delivery. So no down-payment, no deposit.
3) pro-active discussions during installation stage during most parts...

and yes, used a local installer.. who could install it earlier but went for summer hols early july. but advantage of that is that since they are local, in case of ANY issue it will be easier to get them to you to see them.. as they are local.

the only one which was cheaper (by ~400 gbp) was ESE group but their ratings are concerning, they do not have MCS certification (tried to tell me that I do not need that.. right) ... and needed 1k deposit.

 

[Avendit]

I’m holding off on heat pump until Octopus roll out their RED units at scale. Still means uprating bathroom/ensuite radiators (and one in study) plus having to clear aesthetically pleasing plants/bushes from around the install site to ensure sufficient air flow. Isn’t like solar with return on investment of course, just that warm, fuzzy feeling of not burning coal/gas.

Newer units are getting there for the ROI. Performance is rising about 15% a year, or you can get higher temps (lets you keep your smaller rads) at the same efficiency. A COP of 3.5 is roughly break even + your nice warm fuzzy feeling. These days I'm pretty sure Samsung and Panasonic units can do a COP of 5.5 - that should have a small ROI factor if they can hit that.

 

[Pete UK]

Is now still a good time in the year to start thinking about getting solar fitted, bearing in mind I have only just started looking at it in detail and will need to get quotes and choose a suitable installer? Or is it best to continue my research with the aim of having it fitted in the spring next year? Perhaps waiting times for installers will dictate that anyway.

Our 16 year old cheap and cheerful combi boiler has done well but is on it's last legs and will need replacing imminently, probably before winter this year. I'm unsure whether I will want to integrate water heating with the solar as this will mean finding a space for the hot water tank. But I'm thinking I should at least be considering a new boiler that could integrate with solar and a separate hot water tank if needed. I don't think I want to go down the heat pump route due to cost and disruption to the house but really don't know much about them.

I have a MY due in the next couple of weeks and will be having a Zappi charger fitted.

Yes. Anytime is a good time. Because you can still benefit from cheap overnight to charge the batteries in winter!

The application to the DNO could take a max of 45 WORKING days so that could be up to 2 months. Then you need to book in the installation which could be a good few weeks after that.
Plus before all that you need to spend quite a bit of time working out how much electricity you use each month. What battery size you need. How fast you need them to charge/ discharge. Upgrade your house fuse to 100kW. Etc etc….

The panels bit is easy. Fill your roof with as many as you can.

I can’t remember the manufacture (think it was on the fully charged show on YouTube) but….
There are now some new devices to market(?) that are super efficient and will charge on cheap rate overnight, store up electricity/ heat(?) and release it as heat throughout the day. They connect to your existing radiators to replace the gas boiler!
That just leaves the hot water. (Immersion or combi?). And maybe you have a gas cooker?

But you may need to plan carefully about max grid draw overnight if you are charging a heat store, Solar batteries, an immersion and a car, etc all in 6 hours !

 

[notmeguv]

Not sure how your boiler would integrate with Solar (but I may well be missing the point). Solar in winter is negatable, so if you get a smidgen, on some Winter days, then its a bonus. Most of the Winter it will contribute nothing. So no benefit to "Winter central heating".

Solar PV could run the immersion (i.e. when PV generation exceeds household usage then put the excess into the immersion heater), so that would mean the boiler would do very little / nothing in Summer (when you only need DHW)

You could also have Solar Thermal (some sort of water "tubes" on the roof that get hot and transfer heat to the hot water tank). They would generate more energy (per unit area) than PV, but all they do is to produce hot water, so once the DHW tank is "hot" then anything extra has nowhere to go. On balance having PV, and electricity, provides more options on what to do with any excess - run an Immersion (or, better still, a heat pump capable of heating Hot Water), charge an EV car (has to be at home during the day ...), or have a static-battery that can be charged up from excess PV and powers the house overnight (and, in winter, charges up on cheaper overnight tariff and then powers the house during the day Peak Rate). But that increases the capital cost a lot.

If you've got the money sitting on deposit somewhere then IMO it would be worth converting it into PV and Battery, which then becomes an index-linked , tax-free, investment-replacement for the lifetime of the kit. If you are having to borrow the money then the sums are much less rosy.



Personally I wouldn't want to be going into the Winter with a central heating boiler that was on the blink ... during the Summer I could make-do-and-mend without DHW ... for a short while!

My limited understanding is that you need a combi boiler that can accept pre-heated water from the immersion heated hot water tank. And yes you are correct that any excess PV generation will only heat the water during the sunny months. Winter months would revert to the combi boiler heating the water.

We're actually a fairly low gas usage household and it my not be worth the extra expense of integrating water heating with the solar. Our gas usage over the last 12 months was approx 6000 kWh which is about half of the so called average for a household of our size. Our electric usage is above average so solar PV for summer and static batteries charged overnight on a tariff such as Octopus IO would lead to higher savings.

 

[DaveNN]

I’m holding off on heat pump until Octopus roll out their RED units at scale. Still means uprating bathroom/ensuite radiators (and one in study) plus having to clear aesthetically pleasing plants/bushes from around the install site to ensure sufficient air flow. Isn’t like solar with return on investment of course, just that warm, fuzzy feeling of not burning dirty fossils.

Any idea when octopus launch their latest HP?

 

[Mrklaw]

Yes you are absolutely correct. I'm making a decision based on very little data and should look in to it more. My immediate concern is over the health of the current combi and I may be forced in to making a decision before this winter. My wife will not be happy if we have a troublesome boiler over winter, I may end up sleeping in the Tesla, although at least I'll be warm

Been there and sympathise. I tried to get some quotes for a heat pump but octopus said it was too complex despite only one rad to upgrade. Mainly odd comments about distance to neighbours (semi detached if you can’t fit one in my house there will be millions similarly limited) and I think the pipe runs were longer than they wanted to fuss with

So we went with a new combi. I made sure it was opentherm and modulated down as much as possible to keep it efficient, and will look at heat pump options during its lifetime. That does mean somewhere for a tank or electric heat store like sunamp and that’s space we don’t readily have available

 

[notmeguv]

Been there and sympathise. I tried to get some quotes for a heat pump but octopus said it was too complex despite only one rad to upgrade. Mainly odd comments about distance to neighbours (semi detached if you can’t fit one in my house there will be millions similarly limited) and I think the pipe runs were longer than they wanted to fuss with

So we went with a new combi. I made sure it was opentherm and modulated down as much as possible to keep it efficient, and will look at heat pump options during its lifetime. That does mean somewhere for a tank or electric heat store like sunamp and that’s space we don’t readily have available

Same situation here… semi detached with not a lot of distance to neighbours bedroom windows.

What make of boiler did you go with?

 

[DaveNN]

Been there and sympathise. I tried to get some quotes for a heat pump but octopus said it was too complex despite only one rad to upgrade. Mainly odd comments about distance to neighbours (semi detached if you can’t fit one in my house there will be millions similarly limited) and I think the pipe runs were longer than they wanted to fuss with

So we went with a new combi. I made sure it was opentherm and modulated down as much as possible to keep it efficient, and will look at heat pump options during its lifetime. That does mean somewhere for a tank or electric heat store like sunamp and that’s space we don’t readily have available

A good move to go for opentherm...providing your stat(s) is opentherm ...

 

[Mrklaw]

Same situation here… semi detached with not a lot of distance to neighbours bedroom windows.

What make of boiler did you go with?

veissmann vitodens 050-w. Opentherm needed a tweak by their engineer to work with nest but then ok. Also needed them to remote in to turn off hot water preheat which wasn’t something we wanted - just wastes gas when most of the day we don’t need hot water

sizes were good, opentherm works well, modulates well - think it was a 1:8 modulation which is one of the best out there. was working well with my flow temperatures set to about 40c unless its super cold outside.

 

[notmeguv]

veissmann vitodens 050-w. Opentherm needed a tweak by their engineer to work with nest but then ok. Also needed them to remote in to turn off hot water preheat which wasn’t something we wanted - just wastes gas when most of the day we don’t need hot water

sizes were good, opentherm works well, modulates well - think it was a 1:8 modulation which is one of the best out there. was working well with my flow temperatures set to about 40c unless its super cold outside.

Thanks again. There are a few local installers listed on Veissmanns site, I’ll get in touch with them.

One downside is we have Hive (stat and TRVs) which doesn’t support Opentherm. I might have to consider replacing with Nest or Honeywell and stick the Hive stuff on eBay to recoup some cost.