Solar panel advice

Many thanks for all the advice. Lots of food for thought!

Muse - we love our solar thermal panels. If you are building yourselves, also look at a Mechanical Heat Recovery Pump - ours is very useful and economical, but it is very difficult to retro-fit.

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DS has a relatively new house. It has a solar panel, but it's the sort that only heats water (sorry, I don't know the terminology).

They have very low energy bills because of it, but the servicing and repairs - they've had quite a few problems with it, including a leak - have outstripped the savings!

It's been quite a headache, and DS is very tempted to do what many of their neighbours have done and decommission the system, though the huge increase in energy prices is making him think again now!

As this has popped up again, I'll just add into the general mix, that we have had no problems with our solar thermal panels, now 10 years old. I wonder how old Oldnproud's son's panels are.
As muse will find, it isn't easy with a new build, to work out what you would have saved, as you have no base. Leaving aside photo-voltaic panels (as they are very expensive and have the feed-in tariff attached, it complicated calculations) I would say from my PoV:
Top energy saving is insulate, insulate, insulate
Next, I can't decide between the solar thermal panels - which produce hot water as long as the sun is shining, even on very cold days; or the Mechanical Heat Recovery Pump which I mentioned above.
I would also say that the underfloor heating (from the solar thermal panels, topped up with gas) makes a huge difference.
But again, it is most efficient if fitted at the time of building.

About nine years old, Nanarose.

Their immediate neighbours (same age of house/system) actually stopped using theirs several years ago because of the problems.

Contact the Energy Savings Trust. They gave us good advice before installing ours and had a list of recommended installers, we did get about 3 quotes before deciding and we did get a roof survey done beforehand. The survey was our own decision, just to make sure our roof could take the weight of our panels. The previous poster who mentioned difficulties with mortgage lenders, that is pertaining to the 'rent a roof' scheme. You are best to buy the panels and install them yourself. We have found the panels a help to our bills. We also do washing, vacumning and use the tumble drier on the sunniest days possible.

One other thing, keep a record of your solar meter readings.

OldnProud - as you are talking about other houses having the same system etc. I wonder if they were all put in by a developer, who may not have researched carefully, went for the cheapest etc.
What a shame! I would be tempted to contact the original maker / installer, highlight poor experience, and ask what they may do to help fix it, as otherwise they are getting bad publicity.

A friend regretted having them fitted as every time the sun went behind a cloud her skinflint husband would switch the washing machine off ?

We used to have them when the feed in tariff was a reasonable return.
We lost ours in a house fire when the roof went up in flames, not a problem with the solar panels though. Our insurance company and their builder wouldn't touch replacing them and gave us the cash equivalent instead. We've left things there for now.

The only problem we have encountered was that after 5 years pigeons moved in. A lovely roofer solved the problem by bolting almost invisible stainless steel mesh round them for less than £100.
It has added value as the property now generates income and we own the panels (so the estate agent tells me). Ours are PV so the length of day is the main factor, not the amount of sunshine. I use most of the electricity we generate but still get paid for generating it. I understand now that it is not as financially beneficial as the feed in tariff has been reduced for new adopters. Water heating panels are still financially advantageous.b

My son is having them fitted in the new year. He is also investing in a battery to store unused energy. He was also saying that it makes sense to get economy 7 fitted so electricity used at night is cheaper.

His car is electric and at the moment they work from home, so day use is heavier than normal.

I think for those who are unfamiliar with them, we need to make a clear distinction between photo-voltaic panels which generate electricity, and solar thermal panels that transfer the warmth of the sun to a circulating liquid, which then warms water for domestic use / central heating systems.

We looked into a battery to store the electricity we generate Whitewavemark2 but the huge cost for the battery meant it wouldn't be cost effective. I would be really grateful to get a PM with details of the battery he is getting.
We have installed a pod point to charge up the car we are expecting in January. Freedom from paying for petrol should save us a lot of money.

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