4kW solar with micro inverters @ 10.2k?

A question about : 4kW solar with micro inverters @ 10.2k?

NB: Reposting from the 'Energy' forum on advice.

Hi everyone,

Has anyone heard of the website www.fundedsolar.org OR had a solar installation supplied via them?

I had a sales rep (SFI consultant) come around yesterday representing a company called Euro Energy Services (who were given my details from the above website), to assess the suitability of our house for solar installation. Post assesment of direction, pitch of roof, space availability, he recommended a 16 panel 4kW system.

The company is supplying 'top of the market' German panels (forgot the brand name, but hopefully will get literature today and should be able to update), with black edges and are monocrystalline. Micro inverters would be used for each panel (apparently these are much better than string inverters). In addition, we would be provided with the Tado monitor and Solar iBoost system for water heating.

The cost comes to Ј10,200/-. Finance is available via Barclays (@10.2%), which i have rejected outright. I will be looking to arrange funding on my own.

However, what concerns me is the cost of approx. 10k. Is this within range with curren market prices for the panels and installation? I have done some research and there are all kinds of costs on the internet from 5495 to 12000 for the systems. Hence need your views folks.

Thanks & Regards,
S

Best answers:

• Cool techie,
  Firstly, micro inverters are excellent if you have shading or an installation over several aspects but they cost more than standard string inverters and are also 16 bits of equipment on your roof that could go wrong. They do come with a 20 year warranty but you may still need to pay for the other costs of replacing them - scaffold etc.
  We had our system installed just over 18 months ago and paid just under Ј6k. A standard 4kw system with a normal inverter should cost around Ј5-5.5k. Adding micro inverters would be an additional cost in the region of Ј1000.
  Adding an i-boost or similar should add a couple of hundred pounds to the cost.
  You could get nearly 2 systems for the 10k you have been quoted!!
• Hi CT and welcome,
  I'm with pw22...way too much, the prices you've seen on the net are more in line with what you should be paying(the lower end that is)
  Do you know if there's any shading? If not stick with a string inverter, it's much cheaper and again as pw22 says its 16 less bits of kit on your roof that can go wrong
  As for german panels....hmmm, if you ask most of the good people on here there's a wide variety of different ones around that you don't need to pay a premium for that will work exactly the same
  Try posting your rough location on here, hopefully someone may be able to give you a recommendation for a localish installer.
  Edit, Doh, just noticed your location, that'll teach me
• Out-of-interest, can you post the projected savings and assumptions.
• Ј10200 is nearly what I paid for a 4kWp system three years ago. Prices (and FiT payments for new installations) have plunged since then. As others have said, you should be aiming for something closer to half of this.
• I paid around a grand less than this for a system one year ago, SunPower (expensive) panels and SolarEdge micro-inverters, including removal of a chimney and roof tiles (the panels were installed flush with the remaining tiles).
  I basically went for every expensive option I could and it cost less than what you are being quoted now, a whole year later.
• Thanks everyone. Hengus, for year 1 it says - (Electrivity saved Ј570, Export Ј131, iboost@50p/day Ј180, Tado saving @22% Ј110).
  For year 2 it says - (Electrivity saved Ј650, Export Ј134, iboost@50p/day Ј205, Tado saving @22% Ј125).
  .
  .
  .
  For year 20 it says - (Electrivity saved Ј6876, Export Ј209, iboost@50p/day Ј2170, Tado saving @22% Ј1326).
  Energy cost is baselined at Ј0.16 with a 14% pa increase. FiT is 0.1388, Export Tariff is 0.0477, FiTs increase RPI% 2.5 and Cell degradation is 0.60%.
  Regards,
  S
• Guys, Being in Milton Keynes, i have now contacted tpsolar to come around and provide a quote.
  Please do let me know, if you know of any other reputable installers in the Milton Keynes area.
  Thanks & Regards,
  S
• Tunnel, I do think the same. Could you please help by being more specific if possible? Looking at the figures, i can see that the expected Energy cost increase is wildly high for a 20 year period. Anything specific you can point out please, which is ridiculous?
  Regards,
  S
• What is 'Tado saving @22%'? - some notional saving due to having a monitor?
  I paid Ј6k 18 months ago for a 4kw installation on the South coast, plus an iboost at cost, so they're having you on, micro-inverters or not.
  They didn't offer a better price if you signed up there and then, did they?
• No way your diversion device will save you 50p a day!