I have just been looking at solar power and was interested at some of the posts in this forum. I was wondering if anyone has any idea why the cost is so high. There has been no price reduction at all in the last 12 months. How is it that all electronic equipment such as TV and computers is reducing fast yet solar is not. I suspect that the price price is artificially high due to green issues, perhaps if the Government was serious about climate change it would offer sensible grants and thus increase takeup thus reducing costs. (Recent grants claimed 50% of cost but with max £3000. Not much when a sensible sytem is £30000)
Solar power
- Thread starter maltaron
- Start date
The cynic in me would suggest that the 'grant' system allows suppliers to move the price upward.
If they were selling direct in a market where they couldn't offer a grant, the cost would be a lot less.
Example (fictive figures) £8k with a £3k grant or ONLY £5k to pay. Direct £4k.
When I did some bare bones calcs for solar heating, as a DIY job I could have sorted the twin hw tank, 6-8 sq m of panels, the pump and control gear / valves for 30% of the suppliers offering grants costs.
Frankly the 15 year pay back for HW wasn't worth taking.
Even having a easy install flat South facing roof space (ideal) didn't sell the idea to myself.
Never considered solar electric due to previous low cost of use- now the electric / gas bills are running at £900 a year the figures look better, but still the payback period when you add in routine service and component failures over 10 years, isn't likely to be good.
If you can sell back excess then that might offset cost, I doubt you'd earn much.
A bit like the Prius car, it's lifetime carbon footprint is actually far higher than a decent eco petrol / diesel engine. All those batteries cost to build, use and recycle. For a 4 bed house, assuming 8 hours a day 365 of solar energy- there's 16 hours a day stored energy needed.
Out of all the green ideas, the ground source heat pump / exchangers seem to be the best thing at the moment.
If they were selling direct in a market where they couldn't offer a grant, the cost would be a lot less.
Example (fictive figures) £8k with a £3k grant or ONLY £5k to pay. Direct £4k.
When I did some bare bones calcs for solar heating, as a DIY job I could have sorted the twin hw tank, 6-8 sq m of panels, the pump and control gear / valves for 30% of the suppliers offering grants costs.
Frankly the 15 year pay back for HW wasn't worth taking.
Even having a easy install flat South facing roof space (ideal) didn't sell the idea to myself.
Never considered solar electric due to previous low cost of use- now the electric / gas bills are running at £900 a year the figures look better, but still the payback period when you add in routine service and component failures over 10 years, isn't likely to be good.
If you can sell back excess then that might offset cost, I doubt you'd earn much.
A bit like the Prius car, it's lifetime carbon footprint is actually far higher than a decent eco petrol / diesel engine. All those batteries cost to build, use and recycle. For a 4 bed house, assuming 8 hours a day 365 of solar energy- there's 16 hours a day stored energy needed.
Out of all the green ideas, the ground source heat pump / exchangers seem to be the best thing at the moment.
B
breezer
Electric solar panels still cost "too much" either that or that are inefficaint, depends which way you want to look at it.
You may point out how cheap solar lights are from diy sheds, and being solar they have a solar cell. That is true, however look how lomg the on time is of these lights in this weather, about 10 minutes if you are lucky. its because the solar cells used are cheap, not very efficaint.
Decent lecy solar panles are still very expensive, and i dont think that good for the UK wioth our poor sunlight (not cost wise)
You may point out how cheap solar lights are from diy sheds, and being solar they have a solar cell. That is true, however look how lomg the on time is of these lights in this weather, about 10 minutes if you are lucky. its because the solar cells used are cheap, not very efficaint.
Decent lecy solar panles are still very expensive, and i dont think that good for the UK wioth our poor sunlight (not cost wise)
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