Solar panels for shed - need PP?

Merrion

Any idea if fitting a few solar panels to a shed roof would require planning permission?

(I wouldn't have thought so but not seen it here so thought that might be the reason? There's lots of barns with panels fitted in Wales..or is that all down to them having feed in tariff?)

_Brian

That was the feed in tarrif.

There was a time the U.K. would give a 10year guaranteed feed in tariff, this encourages investment. Something that seems to have gone straight over the head of Irish government.

I was looking at solar PV install details here and 60% was estimated to be fed back into the grid for free. Why would I invest in PV just to feed it into the grid for free, and then pay for my power ??

Mad Benny

_Brian wrote: »

That was the feed in tarrif.


I was looking at solar PV install details here and 60% was estimated to be fed back into the grid for free. Why would I invest in PV just to feed it into the grid for free, and then pay for my power ??

Is this because of the ESB or a lack of interest by government?

CloughCasey1

Mad Benny wrote: »

Is this because of the ESB or a lack of interest by government?

Give it 2 years and there will be a few cent per kw on offer. Think they are getting 6c up north. Know a lad who is only paying 1/3 of his old costs for electricity and some months is making a few quid. Wouldnt have a massive area of pv either and got very good grants for it at the time.

_Brian

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Give it 2 years and there will be a few cent per kw on offer. Think they are getting 6c up north. Know a lad who is only paying 1/3 of his old costs for electricity and some months is making a few quid. Wouldnt have a massive area of pv either and got very good grants for it at the time.

I think a big problem up north is the 10year guaranteed price has been done away with, I think anyway I heard this somewhere. I think without that investment will drop.

You’d need a guaranteed timeframe particularly the way the idiot government here flip/flop on stuff.

I’d say it would generate a fair bit of activity in the renewable arena if it were brought in.

Merrion

I don't think we'll get feed in tariff as it would likely need infrastructure upgrade - certainly unlikely in rural areas.
I think energy storage and local group schemes are probably a better bet...

Farmer

Technically, how does the feed in work. Is it with an inverter that synchs with the mains. Must be tricky for working on lines. How are the disconnects handled in this case?

_Brian

Farmer wrote: »

Technically, how does the feed in work. Is it with an inverter that synchs with the mains. Must be tricky for working on lines. How are the disconnects handled in this case?

Indidnt review the specifics, my brother was the one considering buying but the numbers didn’t stack up. It used an inverter, the power would run some low level stuff, heat a tank of water and then all surpluses were fed back into the network, hell, it didn’t even roll back your meter, it just gave the grid your electricity while charging you full whack for anything you used. It was estimated that 60% would be given away free.
There was an option to have battery storage but truthfully this was mad expensive.

_Brian

The only thing I suggested was have a large insulated buffer tank and use the solar PV to heat this, run under floor off this buffer tank. Oil could be used to ensure buffer was hot enough.

_Brian

Merrion wrote: »

I don't think we'll get feed in tariff as it would likely need infrastructure upgrade - certainly unlikely in rural areas.
I think energy storage and local group schemes are probably a better bet...

Yes. No feed in tarrif stops large installations.

But current house regs call for renewable and lots of houses are installing PV which feeds surplus back to the grid. Multiply this over enough homes and they will be getting a significant power input completely free, power for which they charge the rest of us full price for.

Green&Red

You would need planning permission over 11kW AFAIK

The inverter syncs with the mains and feeds in any overflow, you have a micro generation agreement with ESB Networks (Form NC6) but this is purely to notify them. You also have an isolator which the networks lads can shut off if they are doing work in the area.
As for a feed-in tariff that would have to be negotiated with your supplier and I'm not sure any of them are doing that at the moment. So for the time being all excess is given back to the grid for free.

Not to disagree Brian but none of the suppliers have access to this, it sits with networks and is in all likelihood set off against the likes of street lighting and other non-metered demand.

Also if 60% of your power was being delivered back to the grid then either it was being sizes wrong or you're not suitable for solar. Which can be the case. Dairy farms are ideal, they have a pump which runs 24/7. If you have an intermittent load then it really does depend but its probably not for you.

I have priced it for my uncle, roughly a 12 year payback on 300W panels to cover his 3.6kW milk tank pumps, with a tariff of 12.5c/kW. (Assuming elec prices stay the same). These would be the higher quality panels, there are plenty of cheaper ones on the market.
While its true that introducing batteries would increase the capital cost they would bring the overall payback of the project down to below 10 years

pmac086

EV cars are becoming more popular which will put an increased demand on electricity
We are behind on our EU targets for emissions.
The Government is focusing on wind which is better by night
Is it time we all marched down to Gov buildings demanding the regulator to insist that all electricity suppliers have a feed in tarrif of at least 10 Cents for domestic PV
It a win win for everyone including the government..........
Otherwise we will all be paying the big fines..

148multi

Merrion wrote: »

Any idea if fitting a few solar panels to a shed roof would require planning permission?

(I wouldn't have thought so but not seen it here so thought that might be the reason? There's lots of barns with panels fitted in Wales..or is that all down to them having feed in tariff?)

There is talk of solar panels being covered by Tams grant.

_Brian

A feed in tariff would need to be guaranteed for min ten years to be effective.

No good having something in place and then the rug pulled out from under ya.

TooOldBoots

https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2019/march/title,125153,en.html

Small amount of funding available but could suit some

Fine Day

Tempted to get a solar bore well pump for an out farm. Anybody any experience with this. No ESB onsite.