Pros/Cons Of Solar Panels

[JohnD]

it seems they deliver around ¼ of rated output, so seem rather useless.

I get a lot more in summer, of course.

And, if there's ever a sunny, frosty day, they can briefly generate more, because their efficiency is higher when cold.

 

[flameport]

Turns out the solar panels are on a 'rent a roof' scheme on a 25 year contract through a company called A Shade Greener. I'm not sure what to do now.

Option 1 - the vendor buys the scheme out in full before the purchase goes ahead.
Option 2 - find another property.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Thanks to all for your replies. Some Googling finds no end of problems with rent a roof panel schemes/scams. Panel companies holding up house sales by being evasive, buyers not being able to get mortgages, owners can't get equity release. Hidden charges for removing the panels for roof repairs. Pigeon infestations under panels. extra charges for legal work because of the complications and leases having to be altered.

The house I'm loking at has 20 years to run on the panel lease. That's a long time to be held to ransom by scam companies. Basically you buy a freehold house, but your roof is leasehold for the next 20 years. As some have said, if owners won't buy the lease, I'll look elsewhere.

 

[Lectrician]

There were two systems.
1. Owned outright.
2. Rent a roof.

You need to find out which via your solicitors.

In either case you use the electricity they produce and the excess is sold the the elect co at quite a high rate. However with rent a roof the renters take that money I believe but they may maintain the panels.

Each panel produces around 250w in bright sunlight when they are new so your 16 could potentially produce 4kW. Output reduces with age but I don't know how much by. Dirt and grime will also reduce the output. I don't like cleaning the car let alone solar panels.

If I was buying a place with solar panels I would welcome it if owned outright, if rent a roof I would probably look for another property.

Quite a high rate? Umm. Think you’re confusing the FITs payment from the government which you will get if you use the electricity yourself, or export to grid. The pennies you get when it goes to grid is very small, your better off using it yourself. If it’s a rent a roof scheme, the panel owners get the FITs payments, and you just get free lecky.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Quite a high rate? Umm. Think you’re confusing the FITs payment from the government which you will get if you use the electricity yourself, or export to grid. The pennies you get when it goes to grid is very small, your better off using it yourself. If it’s a rent a roof scheme, the panel owners get the FITs payments, and you just get free lecky.

Talking of FITs, I understand they're about a tenth of what they were when the scheme was introduced. Do FITs stay at the rate when the panels were installed, or does the FIT the government pays the owners of the panel reduce over time? I'm thinking if the FIT that the panel company is now receiving is a lot less than when they installed them, it may be in their interest to sell the lease.

 

[BS3036]

No, they stay at the same rate. FIT is no longer available to new panel owners.

 

[Lectrician]

I believe the FITs payments were fixed for 20years. In 2011 it was around 40p per kWh. 2019 it was more like 4p per kWh.

 

[SUNRAY]

I believe the FITs payments were fixed for 20years. In 2011 it was around 40p per kWh. 2019 it was more like 4p per kWh.

Yep 2008 or 2009 a friend signed up at 45p for 25 years. However he got nothing other than free power for a year until he had a new meter fitted but I don't think that was the actual reason. His neighbour signed up a couple of years later with exactly the same installation but got about half the amount where the FIT dropped quickly.

 

[charliegolf]

SUNRAY, 2012: 16p/unit.

 

[Lectrician]

Yep 2008 or 2009 a friend signed up at 45p for 25 years. However he got nothing other than free power for a year until he had a new meter fitted but I don't think that was the actual reason. His neighbour signed up a couple of years later with exactly the same installation but got about half the amount where the FIT dropped quickly.

To get the 45p, a FIT meter must have been installed by the SOLAR installer by the cutoff time. This is the meter that records purely generation. On small scale generation, an import/export meter was not a requirement, a calculation was done on “assumed” export for your extra few pence.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

UPDATE> Still waiting to hear from house vendors if they can/will buy out the remaining 19 years on the solar panel rent a roof lease.

The panels would have been installed in mid 2015. Would be interesting to know how much the panel co is getting in FITS to work out how keen they are to sell lease. Taking into account dull days when little or no electricity is generated (Winston1 estimated the panels at 4Kw) and the house owner making maximum use of power on sunny days - can anyone guesstimate how much the panel co would be receiving in FIT?

 

[JohnD]

might be in the region of £700 a year. mine were installed 2014, I believe the rate dropped in 2015

generation depends how many panels they have; the angle of slope; the compass bearing they face; if there is any shading; where they are in the country. Mostly lower the further north you go, there is a slight uplift close to the sea, except the west coast which is cloudier.

you can get an estimate from sites like
https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/#PVP
If you look at Africa on the map you can see what region will replace the Middle East as the world's energy source (and site for freedom-loving invasions by America).

or you could take a meter reading and calculate the annual kWh if you know the installation date.

FITS Tariff tables are on
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/fit/fit-tariff-rates