Solar Panels

[hc4361]

A Lot of new houses have been built in my area over the last few years and none of them have solar panels.
If they are so beneficial to the householder and the environment why aren't compulsory on all new builds wherever possible?

[douglas9401]

I think the benefits have been oversold, the returns to homeowners from power companies cut (as usual) and they don't look that great either.

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps because builders want to sell new builds.

[hc4361]

I would have expected them to be a boon especially as more people will be buying electric cars and they must be cheaper to install during construction. Charging points are mandatory in new builds (or will be soon) wherever possible, so this puzzles me.

I think you're right, douglas - they 'ain't all that'.

[The Builder]

"Deals" with solar panel companies often tie the householder to a 25 year lease. In effect, someone else "owns" a bit of your roof.

Many mortgage companies won't go near this arrangement, especially when it comes to resale or re-mortgaging.

The alternative is a sort of government subsidy (feed-in tariff.)
But... this has been cut over the years, until it's barely worth the bother.

So much for encouraging efficiency and renewables :o(((

[hc4361]

I would have expected these huge building companies to be able to do a good deal with the solar panel providers, buying many units at a good discount.

The feedback tariffs may not be as good as they were but the householder would still benefit from reduced electricity bills, especially for their hot water which can be stored.

[beso]

Barely worth the bother? The UK must be a really dark place.

In Australia anyone with daytime loads who does the maths would conclude that they are throwing money away if they don't install solar. They easily pay for themselves including the borrowing cost in a few years.

I'm surprises that more haven't got solar but some people are really quite stupid.

[andy-hughes]

beso - // I'm surprises that more haven't got solar but some people are really quite stupid. //

That's somewhat harsh beso.

People who are naturally cautious and suspicious about the conflicting information around a new idea are just that - cautious and suspicious.

But being cautious and suspicious is not the same as being stupid.

[bhg481]

The 40deg south line runs between Australia and Tasmania and about half of Australia is in the tropics; the 50 deg north line is along the English Channel This means Australia benefits much more from solar power than does the UK.

[fender62]

we dont get much sun in the uk.. how much sun do panels need, to get a return on them, plent of sun at the moment, but not much in winter.

[andy-hughes]

// The 40deg south line runs between Australia and Tasmania and about half of Australia is in the tropics; the 50 deg north line is along the English Channel This means Australia benefits much more from solar power than does the UK. //

There you have it beso, more geography than stupidity.

[The Builder]

I was trying to address the OP.

Firstly, developers are not eligible for solar panel "deals". Nor are they eligible for Feed-in payments. The agreement is made between the Solar panel Co. and the buyer. who is unable to sign such a contract until he actually owns the house.

Such stupidity is wholly bureaucratic.
Further crassness shall be in force in October, when the rate of VAT on solar panels is increased from 5% to 20%.

[hc4361]

Thank you, Builder :)

[Peter Pedant]

govt payments skewing markets again

this a standard analysis: ( in short it aint worf it) but anyway
Say the installation is £500 and there are no annual costs ( unlikely ) . The period over which it will run is 25 y and you save and or make £10
then it is never worf it
( pay back time - time to get here £500 is fifty years)

You can allow for inflation in an NPV ( net positive value) here the £10 is cut by inflation - which you set at what you think, since it is gonna be less whatever the cross over point is gonna be more than fifty years

OR

you can say - I wanna zero pay back, by 25 years - what is the inflation which will give zero balance at 25 y ( IRR) and here it is zero ( never a pay back)

incredibly if NPV and IRR give discordant answers, you choose NPV ( so why do IRR anyway ?)

well you asked: I did not pass my exams on this

[douglas9401]

Buy a diesel car they said
Better MPG
Cheaper fuel
New cleaner engines
Easily offset the extra outlay in a short time
Convert tens of thousands to diesel motoring
Bump the price per litre now we're all captured
Change mind on new engines
Penalise and demonise owners
Start to sell more petrol and hybrid vehicles

Await 'Car Batteries And Cancer' stories shortly.

Our politicians hate us and treat us like feedstock for the manufacture of any old tat.

I'll pass on just about anything they recommend these days.