Gadge-it Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 I've been thinking on getting these installed, I had a company come to my door saying that theyll install them free of charge and I'll get free electric though the day and what ever left they'll sell the rest back to the grid,what I am asking is does anyone have any bad points about this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 The bad point is that they will in effect own your roof for 25 years. With a hefty buy back price if you want it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted September 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 According to them that they do this for 20 years then after that they belong to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Will you be moving house in the next 20 years? What happens if you need roof repairs - who pays for the panels to be removed? Some companies offer one removal for repairs. If they are so good - these companies would have their offices covered with them - I think not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 Do you work? If you are not in during the day, you won't be using the free juice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/advice/articles/the-pitfalls-of-solar-panels/ Makes depressing reading for would be solar panel users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 What if the FIT changes again. I think they are the stone cladding equivalent from the 1980s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted September 4, 2015 Report Share Posted September 4, 2015 (edited) You'll need to get your finger out then as the government are slashing revenues from solar pv by 87%. Have a look here - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/energy-bills/11828078/Rooftop-solar-panels-to-lose-3840-payout-in-drastic-cull-to-green-subsidies.html Mrs H & I were considering it when we did the house extension and refurb the other year but held off until we had stockpiled the reserves again. Looks like our hands will be forced. Those already in the mix should be ok though Edited September 4, 2015 by Doc Holliday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol p Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Consider the issues involved with servicing, repairs, warranty and future resale first. Will the parts needed still be avalible in 17 years time, has the the fitting company gone bust or insolvent, who will repair them if they are damaged, would a future house buyer want to buy a house wilth what looks like a dodgy disassembled greenhouse on the roof etc. we get offers all the time, after a chat with the expert consultants I found that three of them used to sell used cars, house alarms and worked on checkouts at sainsburys. Not great backgrounds in the future of environmentally friendly affordable products or first point contacts. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) Scaremongering at its best-spares? Warranties? Do people honestly believe that a Company would come along and install free Solar Panels if they were not going to get a good return? Our panels have a 25 year warranty from both the supplier and the manufacturer (LG) plus a guarantee of performance loss of less than 7% over that period-buy your panels and they will be paying you back in less than 10 years-most likely 5-6. Our panels have reduced our combined energy bill (large 3 bed semi ex council property) from an average of £120/month down to £37 so if we could use less gas we would be laughing. Had ours installed bout a year ago by a Company called "Create Renewable Energy" who have been faultless-they fixed our existing wiring when a serious fault was discovered free of charge (took the Sparky 4 hours) and when a glitch in the system made the time/date on our inverter wrong they sent a chap all the way down from Lancashire to fix it. As for where the sales team come from Pistol p-do you know the employment history of everybody that you buy from? I used to clean toilets for a living-would you buy anything from me? Edited September 5, 2015 by bruno22rf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Scaremongering at its best-spares? Warranties? Do people honestly believe that a Company would come along and install free Solar Panels if they were not going to get a good return? Our panels have a 25 year warranty from both the supplier and the manufacturer (LG) plus a guarantee of performance loss of less than 7% over that period-buy your panels and they will be paying you back in less than 10 years-most likely 5-6. Our panels have reduced our combined energy bill (large 3 bed semi ex council property) from an average of £120/month down to £37 so if we could use less gas we would be laughing. Had ours installed bout a year ago by a Company called "Create Renewable Energy" who have been faultless-they fixed our existing wiring when a serious fault was discovered free of charge (took the Sparky 4 hours) and when a glitch in the system made the time/date on our inverter wrong they sent a chap all the way down from Lancashire to fix it. As for where the sales team come from Pistol p-do you know the employment history of everybody that you buy from? I used to clean toilets for a living-would you buy anything from me? Depends if you had washed your hands Seriousley I am pretty sure people are allowed a career change and as long as they have had the proper training why should they not be able to do the job ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) Consider the issues involved with servicing, repairs, warranty and future resale first. Will the parts needed still be avalible in 17 years time, has the the fitting company gone bust or insolvent, who will repair them if they are damaged, would a future house buyer want to buy a house wilth what looks like a dodgy disassembled greenhouse on the roof etc. we get offers all the time, after a chat with the expert consultants I found that three of them used to sell used cars, house alarms and worked on checkouts at sainsburys. Not great backgrounds in the future of environmentally friendly affordable products or first point contacts. Just saying.That's the company that owns the panels' problem not the op.According to them that they do this for 20 years then after that they belong to meChange what I said to 20 years then. If you are using your own money, solar panels are a pretty good investment. Someone else's, not so much. Edited September 5, 2015 by BrowningB525 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) IMO its a bit of a con, a neighbour of mine has them all over his roof and last time I spoke to him about it he said he wished he hadn't bothered. Undoubtedly they are the future but twenty years ago I would have been writing this on a 286 computer. Do you want to lock in for 20 years? Edited September 5, 2015 by Vince Green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wascal Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Got ours ground mounted in the garden , that way the direction and angle are set exactly right , our roof faces east/west :-( We used savings to pay for them and are getting a better return than leaving the money in the bank , so happy alround. I don't like the idea of rent-a-roof schemes though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVB Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 I am in the market for a new house and have walked away from many when seeing the panels on the roof. Munger posted on here a while ago about the perils of buying a house when somebody else effectively owns a slice of the roof. And 9 times out of 10 they look horrendous. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 (edited) The fitters who installed mine (SOLAR SOLUTIONS) damaged a number of tiles "brand new roof" and just covered it over with the panels and said FA about it. I am now trying to get the tiles repaired. I was up the ladder a few weeks back cleaning out the guttering and noticed at least 5 broken within the first 4 rows of tiles! Add to that they become a shelter for pigeons I get a chorus of coos early hours and have had the hose pipe out a few times now to get rid of them and their carp. I am going to look into some fine mesh netting to try and keep them out, Edited September 5, 2015 by Lord Geordie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveboy Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 I think that in a few short years you be able to just paint something on your tiles and that will produce electric.(already read about it) These will end up free like loft insulation .http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2713394/Spray-cells-turn-ANYTHING-solar-panel-Breakthrough-technology-offers-cheap-way-harness-sun-s-energy.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 How do you stand with regard to your house Insurance re damage to the roof due to weight. The roof timbers are calculated for the weight of the tiles and nothing else . On new houses they seem to be getting thinner my longitudinal members are twelve by four inches, it's a hundred years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted September 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 (edited) The fitters who installed mine (SOLAR SOLUTIONS) damaged a number of tiles "brand new roof" and just covered it over with the panels and said FA about it. I am now trying to get the tiles repaired. I was up the ladder a few weeks back cleaning out the guttering and noticed at least 5 broken within the first 4 rows Add to that they become a shelter for pigeons I get a chorus of coos early hours and have had the hose pipe out a few times now to get rid of them and their carp. I am going to look into some fine mesh netting to try and keep them out, was it a company from brunswick industry est Edited September 6, 2015 by Gadge-it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 was it a company from brunswick industry est Not sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett1985 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 2 doors down from me had some installed last year, 6 big panels. they paid outright for theirs though,at a cost of £3750, so are seeing the full return. they seem to produce enough power to keep the hot tub hot and run most of the electrical appliances during the day, plus still get some money from the feed in. at last count they said its saved them approximately £500 on electric. if your going to get them, the general consensus seems to be that buying them yourself is the smart option, and prices have come down so much that its not impossible to own your own instead of renting your roof out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrowningB525 Posted September 8, 2015 Report Share Posted September 8, 2015 2 doors down from me had some installed last year, 6 big panels. they paid outright for theirs though,at a cost of £3750, so are seeing the full return. they seem to produce enough power to keep the hot tub hot and run most of the electrical appliances during the day, plus still get some money from the feed in. at last count they said its saved them approximately £500 on electric. You get the feed in tariff for everything that you generate, you then get an export tariff for a deemed 50% of what you generate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 Surpost to come today at 9am didn't show so that's it thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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