Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2022 - No PM requests - See Mod note post #1

jiminho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121505151#Comment_121505151

Thank you, that was the answer I was looking for. So that’s €15/mth additionally saved on €65/mth invested but that excludes any “risk” with rate changes and maintenance as you say. Quite a small amount tbh but it is a 23% return on paper. Paying off the loan sooner will probably mitigate the risk costs. Ok, something to think about. Cheers!

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121505235#Comment_121505235

In a nutshell (especially now with the removal of VAT there recently) installing solar is is one of the more fiscally beneficial things you can do to your house. Typical pay periods for a non-battery installation is about 6-7 years, with an extra year or two if you have a battery. Some could be as low as 5 years, and some 10years....It's complicated to go into it over a quick IM here as it depends on the size of the installation, your consumption, the quote you paid for the system, the rates your on with your supplier, etc.

Larger systems "tend" to have a faster payback period - but a decent rule of thumb would be in about the 6-7 year period. After that, your "quids in" and can enjoy lower bills for years. If you have the space - go bigger than 4.3kwp. At some stage in the future you probably will have an electric car and you will want the extra juice. Think ahead.

HotSwap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500509#Comment_121500509

Yeah. The offers that huawei had on inverters seems to be translating into good prices.

jiminho

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121505879#Comment_121505879

Cheers man. That’s the max we can go for the available roof space and I think the output will essentially match our requirement for the year but the goal will be to get an EV and if a manufacturer would have reverse charging on the batteries, the ROI will be even better

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121507345#Comment_121507345

You'll want plenty of free electricity to compensate for the 37% depreciation in a single year on EVs. Just read Adrian Weckler in the Indo today. €15,000 drop on an Id3, not quite a year old. Ouch.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121507437#Comment_121507437

Sounds like the car market is back to normality.

Same thing happens to an ice car. Second hand market is very stale across the board.

mathie

Hi

I've heard some horror stories of companies not uploading documentation to SEAI for people to get their grants.

Have people paid the full amount to companies before getting their grant or should companies be trusted?

thanks

power101

Any thoughts on this - it includes removing 3 thermal panels that are built into the roof and reroofing the area they are in before installing 12 panels. Also Includes a Zappi charger

Net of grants it's €11k

Proposal Details: 12 x Glass to Glass Bi Facial or similar, Mono Crystalline 430Wp (505Wp with Rear Side)

PV Module (with 35-year warranty output & 35-year warranty product) 1 x SolarEdge Inverter (with 12 years warranty)

12 x SolarEdge S440 Power Optimiser (with Arc protection & 25 years warranty) 1 x SolarEdge Import / Export meter

1 x Eddi Hot Water Diverter (with 3 years Labour and Parts Warranty)

1 x Zappi Type 2 EV Charger (with 3 years Labour and Parts Warranty)

1 x 4 Pole Fireman Switch 1 x Electrical Materials, Fuses, etc…

1 x Full Install and Grid Commission

1 x Wi-Fi Kit and Free Monitoring Portal for Life

1 x SEAI Grant Paperwork Management Including BER Assessment for the Grant.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121511733#Comment_121511733

How many could you fit if you kept the thermal? Does it still work as it should? your trading 70% efficient panels for 20%.

Id try and keep the thermal and ditch the eddi. You'll be saving on removal, replacement of the roof and the eddi

While solar thermal isnt usually recommended now because pv is so easy and straight forward.

Where's the Immersion in your DHW tank? If its not at the bottom, your not going to have nowhere near the same amount of hot water.

Also solar edge is expensive kit.

Dev1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121511802#Comment_121511802

Also will there be much gain from mounting bi-facial panels on a roof?

I thought they were more suited to ground mounted systems where the rear face could capture some light unless I'm missing something in your setup?

deezell

Great points @graememk and @Dev1234 . Is this the installers initiative? Probably wants a uniform look, and a straight run on the roof, plus the space. Solar thermal worth having. If you're selling the (carefully) removed kit, post it here.

DaveyDave

Hi all,

Hoping to get 4-5kWp in the New Year, do installers typically charge much to integrate existing panels, any issues with doing so? House has 1.2kWp but I'm not looking to move them as new panels will be on the other side of the house so hopefully a simple installation?

No plans for a battery as I have an EV so I suppose it's just a matter of getting a few quotes?

Going to start reading through this thread.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121513465#Comment_121513465

If they use near identical/same spec panels, there should be no issues in adding them into a larger panel string. The work and materials involved would be a few DC panels interconnect cables, like adding a few extension leads. However, if these panels don't have the same aspect to the sun from the new ones, string output would be compromised if they were wired in a series string. The lowest performing location will determine the output for all panels, unless expensive optimisers are fitted. Is there room for extra panels on the same roof section as the 3 panels I'm assuming you have. How does the new panel location differ, is it back of the house, side north facing etc? It may be the case that you'll connect just your 3 existing panels to one string input of your new inverter, and all your new panels in a single string subject to the string capacity. To get up to 5kwh, the individual string would be required to handle 3.8 kwh, about 9 panels at 430w, so once the string can handle this you could use unbalanced strings. Assuming different roof directions though, its iikely both sets would be operating at max together, say if they are 90° different in direction.

Once you determine your optimum string locations and string size, you can think of your new inverter. I'd assume that as all the work is done for the existing inverter, it can simply be swapped out. This should save quite a bit on installation costs, assuming breakers , cables and switches have the capacity for 5kwh to the consumer unit. As regards paperwork, I'd imagine it should be necessary to update you certification with the new approved inverter model and capacity, but I guess you're not seeking a grant as you already have a solar installation.

Seventy Plus

At the last hour I have a quote of €7,600 before Grant

15 x 435w jinko panels 

1 x solis 5kw hybrid inverter 

10 x tigo optimisers

Vander valk mounting brackets 

BER cert

All grant paperwork 

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523810#Comment_121523810

I don't even need to do the math on that, that's a v good quote.

So 5200 after the grant, just under €800 per kWp.

Can you get the grant?

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121523861#Comment_121523861

I'm betting it's a munster quote.

Seventy Plus

Yes I can get Grant. It took the whole day between two firms as I want to apply for grant in morning.

I was also working on behalf of a friend.

As Munster was mentioned it is Ulster

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524609#Comment_121524609

There's good competition up here. Glad to see good value for money.

Muahahaha

Just came back to report on my own situation. Last week the best quote I had was 4,700-5,000 net of grant for either 7 or 8 panels. 7 would be a 3.05kwp system. Works out at 1,566 per kwo installed which was a bit above the target of paying 1,200 per kwp installed. As I have had 10+ quotes with some as high as 8k-9k across an on-off search for months I was nearly going to go with that quote on Monday. Id resigned myself to the fact that as mine is such a small system that I was never going to hit the 1,200kwp benchmark Id hoped for.

But despite the company ringing on Monday after a site visit the previous week and putting a bit of pressure on with the grant reducing and paperwork needing to be in before Wednesday I decided to hold off a couple of days. Then on Wednesday out of nowhere a final quote came in from a different company at only 3,700 net of grant or 1,233 per kwp installed. Spoke with them on the phone and so far all seems good so I applied for and received grant approval from the SEAI yesterday thus avoiding the 300 grant reduction coming on Jan 1st. To finally hit that 1,200/kwp benchmark after so many months of frustration was almost overwhelming. Im over the moon with it as it will give me an even faster payback period than the quote of 4,700. The grant approval is valid for 8 months so once Ive some bills out of the way in January I'll go ahead with the install in late Feb or early March just in time for the days getting longer and the sun much higher.

Thanks to all on this thread who helped out their with invaluable advice and experience. Literally couldnt have done it without ye.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121524906#Comment_121524906

That's great news. It can be a struggle getting quotes, especially with the grant reduction looming.

When all said and done(and your happy!), if anyone wants to add anyone to the installer list, PM me.

wexfordman2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121500890#Comment_121500890

Actually, I don't think you are being entirely unreasonable. You had a survey, and got a quote based on that professional survey, which would have included a risk assessment for the installation.

You then agreed a price and paid a deposit, not only are you locked in, but so are they.

To my mind, and omission is on their part, and they should have identified the risk at the time of survey, that is not your fault, the blame is entirely with them.

They now expect remedial works to be completed which will just allow them to do the job they were paid to do in the first place, those remedial works having absolutely no benefit to you, and yet you have to pay for part of it ?

There is also the point,.that their initial assessment included the cost of hiring a mewp, which they have now said they won't or cannot use, and have asked you to put in the additional cost, yet they also will save by not having the mewp hire costs.

There is in fact, no fault on your side of the problem, it is entirely theirs. That's not to say dig your heels in and insist on anything, its just to say, come to a reasonable agreement, you should not have to pay beyond what was quoted, and you should be compensated in some way for the delay in install.

Be firm, be reasonable and be fair, keep in mind the origin nal.afreement, and the losses that you are now expected to take on.

Keep in mind the savings they will make by not having to hire a mewp also.

And, last thing to check, was your quote before or after the point where solar installs became vat free?

staples7

Install complete yesterday 17 X 435w Jinkos, BER included, HUAWEI inverter. I'll follow with batteries down the line. 8 HUAWEI optimisers

Company were great, really clean tidy install. E6300 net of grant which blew any other quote out of the water. Booking to install was about 3-4 weeks.

The BER accessor was there during install. This company also took the grant off themselves. So the above was the only price I had to pay.

Hard to beat that!

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121528818#Comment_121528818

Well done! It goes to show there is still good value to be had. Best of luck with it.

Seventy Plus

For completeness this the Quote my friend got for €10,200 before grant

18 x 435w Jinko Tiger Panels

5K Solis Hybrid Inverter

5K Dyness Battery

Eddie Diverter

Van Der Valk mounting system

BER included

Breezy_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121530134#Comment_121530134

When did you get the quotes?

Seventy Plus

On Wednesday / Thursday

Seventy Plus

A quote for another friend of €6,050 before grant

10 JA Solar 435w panels

Solis String Inverter with MPPT

Eddie Diverter

BER included

That was 4th December

snowcat

How many panels max can you put on a string with a 5kw inverter?

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121535110#Comment_121535110

Without knowing the specifics of the inverter and panels, generally 12.

snowcat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121535118#Comment_121535118

Thanks. 430 watts Jinko. Solis 5kw Hybrid. So how do people have more on some installations I see?