The market for solar PV panels which generate electricity is taking off in the UK and with the Feed in Tariff scheme demand is set to increase. So where is the best place to buy solar panels?
To qualify for Fit, it’s not just a matter of slapping some panels onto the roof and plugging them in, installation should be carried out by an installer in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (includes a long list of approved installers and products).
Some retailers and installers are a little shy of displaying prices online so ring through to get pricing over the phone, or have them come round to do you a quote, it’s worth negotiating as prices have been volatile and they are coming down.
If you haven’t got the money to make an upfront investment, some firms such as Isis Solar are offering free solar PV panels and cheap electricity, in exchange they get the Fit subsidy, which may work out to be worth more than the panels, which we point out, you get to keep after 25 years! Money Saving Expert has lots more on incredible solar panel deals.
Check out this article from the Guardian about these free solar deals, how there are risks involved and how you might save twice the money by investing in the panels independently. The Telegraph warns that the feed in tariffs promised by some energy company look too good to be true and contain dodgy clauses in the small print.
Which Magazine have a section on buying solar panels, and link to Southern Solar. However, they found that many firms gave misleading advice, in particular exagerating the potential savings. Quotes were provided without proper inspection of property. According to Which an average PV system costs between £8,000 and £14,000, and a 2kWp system can provide around 40% of annual electricity need, cutting £200 from the electricity bill.
The Energy Saving Trust estimate that a 2.2kW system will cost around £12,000 and can generate savings and income of around £900 a year.
Solar Shop Direct, have a good selection of solar panel modules, kits, components and spares. Apollo Renewables in Wiltshire will install a 2kWp system for approximately £10,000, Eco House Systems in Gloucestershire quoted us approx. £8000 for the same and Green Shop Solar also in Gloucestershire have some useful pricing information on their website, differentiating between low and high efficiency solar PV systems, prices from £9000 to £12,000.
There is a good range of panels available at places like ebay.co.uk, but you really need to know what you are buying, solar panels have lots of technical specifications and different modules may not be compatible. Approved solar pv kits available from places like mysolarshop.co.uk and Romag PowerGlaz solar pv kits.
In the UK, Sharp are one of the largest suppliers of solar panels, their website links to installers and distributors of Sharp solar panels, such as EvoEnergy who who estimate supply and installation cost at £10,000. Solar Cube work closely with architects, developers, contractors and MCS installers and offer solutions in photovoltaic engineering for all aspects of building work.
In summary, solar PV on your roof can chip hundreds off your energy bills, there are now a huge range of options available so it’s worth shopping around and getting some quotes from installers, then negotiating. Good luck and please do report any interesting experiences you may have had!
Get free energy using a magnetic power generator!
Diy Solar Panels, some interesting articles with photographs on how to make your own solar panel.
Photovoltaic Systems, from Wikipedia.
The Simon Dale website describes in detail the building of a straw bale house which took 4 months to build, an estimate 1000 -1500 man hours and just a few thousand UK pounds.
As well as using less energy, green buildings can command higher rental rates and have a higher asset value, they also performed better during the recent downturn, according to a research paper published recently by the RICS covering the economics of green building called, 