My solar panels are now pumping out the watts after working for 2 weeks in late Feb then breaking down until yesterday " your site voltage is too high" boss

Any other solar producers on here? checking the daily or even hourly production is quite addictive. my phone catches the panel info via bluetooth and posts it onto the net, here:-.

http://www.pvoutput.org/intraday.jsp?id=20567&sid=18446

Im not going to get rich on it but its a start, big expansion plans if I get a good year or twos solar harvest At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Is the £12 credit today's total after you have used what you need for the farm, that's pretty good.
How long will it take to break even? I know you have replaced lamps with led etc so you must have a fair old payback period.
Admirable approach to farming though

It's not generating much before 8am maybe a generator and some halogen spot light will help  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

sadly not £12 is the production tarrif plus value of the power that I used, the lecy meter still goes round,just a little slower.

if i dont use all the solar power it goes back to the grid un metered, its assumed by the powers that be that i will export half my production so they pay 4.5 p/kw on 50% of production.
govt pays 14p/kw on all production
I then use as much as i can for free, if i use more than solar makes the meter starts turning.

solar only really pays if you use most of the production yourself. payback of 5-7 years. energy harvest and future energy cost dependant.
panels should last 20-25 years but may be only 75% efficient by then. the inverter cost 15% of the total and will need replacing in 10-15 years.

I have to become more efficent otherwise I have to buy carbon offsets or pay climate change levy on energy At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Electric RRS?
All the VM's are developing a system Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

I have a 3Kw domestic set up installed Sept '11. On target to pay back within 7 years at present  10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

I've got 10 panels on my roof generating 2.4Kw.
Fitted Oct. 2011
1st year earned me over £1000 (tax free) as well as cutting my electricity bill.

i rang a company who put them on your roof and they get the benifit of the feed in tariff, whilst you get free leccy through the day

got told my roof faced the wrong direction, so can't have them

suppose i could put them up there myself, but that cost money  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

trouble with free leccy during the day is that often people are out of the house not using power, you can get auto switches that turn on the immersion heater when panels are working hard enough' but tax free tarrif sounds good, shame mine is commercial so taxable.

personally as a yorkshireman I would rather turn on light bulbs during the day, than give free lecy back to the grid  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Npinks: They would still face the wrong direction..... Or put your hose on a turntable & catch the sun all day....  10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

08 FL2 TD4 SE Manual in Rimini Red (Now Gone)

not sure exactly how much off what the "FREE" companies like to have them at they are, but my roof gets daylight and sun on it

When i originally applied to them, a shade greener, they said the reason was the next door neighbour roof pitch and my chimney would cast a shadow, thus not giving them 100% potential, this was just before the government changed the goal posts. No mention of wrong direction, but when i reapplied a few months ago, they didn't respond, but after chasing them up, they said it was off the passable degree south or something.

If i was to pay for them, the problem is, if they went on one side, fine, but the other side is facing a quick get away for kids and the eggs, will turn into bricks, so if they were someone elses, I would not have to worry about replacing them, should they get smashed  Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Just found this thread, don't know if anyone can help, maybe CG?? Below is a picture of where I work, I was just wondering if any knows if it suitable for solar panels?


The smaller part of the building at the bottom of the site, the roof slopes towards the sun, the remainder of the roof (most of it) slopes away from the sun, however (if it makes any sense!) the roof of the building is in full sun all day long.

Has anyone any experience of solar panels for business? I read on the net that companies will install panels free of charge as they benefit from the feed in tariff, but is it worth while to buy your own panels? Does anyone know if its worth if for a business or is it more geared up for joe public?? Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

you will need a roof survey first and a dno survey to see how many panels you can connect to grid


you can connect upto 10kw (40 panels) without grid permission if you have 3 phase.

that would cost approx £13000 and reward you with £1100+ pa in fits and £1000 ish of saved electricity bills

payback depends on how much of the free leccy you use or dont use, excess is fed to the grid un-metered on small systems. its is assumed 1/2 your production is exported so you get paid 4.5 p/kw whether you use it or not on half.

commercial fit is currently 13.5 pw per kw on sub 10kw systems,

expect approx 8000kw pa output. Im on 6500 since late feb

so

.135x8000 = £1080 tarriff earned
use 75%?? on site at your metered rate 6000 x 13p??? £780 saved
assumed export 4000 kw x 4.5p £180 earned
=£2000


not a huge earner right now but you may get more output on a sunny site, and leccy prices will only go up over the 20 years of the tarrif. tarrif is index linked to so should go up a little every year. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Thanks CG for the info!  Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

If you use a large amount of lighting in your warehouse, which judging by you post re. gas heaters is a fair size you could be onto a good thing.

Make sure you research your potential installer, as there are quite a few dodgy ones out there as our consultancy practice found out just in time, as we nearly got taken for a very very expensive ride.

Bill Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.