Smart Savings With Social Energy

[davidk65]

Just received a mail shot from a company named: Project Solar UK ltd.They are selling storage battery systems for use with Solar Panels. They mention the potential to "save and earn" up to £5,907.15. The energy from the solar panels is used to charge a battery bank. However, they are promoting a "Social Energy System" I think a kind of cloud base method, and being part of that scheme takes the potential "earning& saving" to £16,708.85. The stored battery power is then available to use or sell to the National Grid. There is a cost as the battery system (Duracell Battery Pack)is quoted as approx £5,400 (includes vat).
Before I enquire directly from the company concerned; does anyone have experience of this company and how it all works?

[Buenchico]

I'd be extremely wary of any company that claims to be able to calculate potential energy savings down to the last penny! Those figures of £5,907.15 and £16,708.85 look like they've been plucked out of thin air to me!

Further, scam companies in the solar sector (and there are many!) seem to be run by people who've been involved in several such companies before and who often hold directorships of many other companies as well.

The guy behind Project Solar UK Ltd is Simon John Peat, who was appointed as director of the firm on 18 June 2012, a year after the company was set up. (It was created by another guy whose main business interests seem to be in the leisure and catering sectors, such as running an Indian restaurant, which doesn't suggest a great deal of trade expertise in the solar sector to me).

However, somewhat mysteriously, Mr Peat resigned as a director just one month later, on 17 July. Even more mysteriously, he was then reappointed as a director on 1 September of that year, only to resign again just two days later on 3 September. He was then re-appointed as a director on 1 July 2013.

Mr Peat has previously been a director of Project Energy Distribution Ltd, Fun Power Renewable Ltd, Project Solar UK (North) Ltd, Project Better Energy Ltd, Project Energy Distribution Ltd and Bevan Construction Services Ltd, all of which have been dissolved.

As well as his directorship of Project Solar UK Ltd, Mr Peat is also currently a director of Social Energy Ltd, Clearview Property Ltd, Eco Energy Works Ltd, Curv360 Ltd, Project Better Energy Ltd and Project Solar UK Group Management Ltd.

All of that starts far too many alarm bells ringing with me; I certainly wouldn't have anything to do with company.

[davebro]

If it seems too good to be true it probably is. Personally I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole! To earn the sums quoted I think you would need a football pitch sized roof & continuous sunshine.

[fiction-factory]

Another thing to maybe consider- I recall stories of people who have had these installed and then had problems when they come to sell their house

[Huderon]

I was looking into replacing a solar thermal system with soalr panels with a battery backup through a local firm. They advised against the battery backup option as there is not currently a good economic argument for it. So I would put the mailshot in your recycling bin and forget it.