Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2020

It is bottled gas essentially and LPG, apologies for the ambiguity, trying to retain a reasonable level of anonymity. Am in a metered estate so community tanks, no ability to switch supplier without getting our own tank installed in the garden (not a ton of room for that, or an oil tank and change the boiler and build housing unit for that). Hence they can pretty much charge what they want. In the west of Ireland, but used the UK figures for conversion of volumes to get a reasonable estimate of price per kwh. The figures quoted are with 8 digits with one decimal place, hence the 10.8 rather than 108, and the meter specifies m3 on it.

The advantage of using gas is that it can regulate the usage - when the water gets hot the gas knows to reduce the amount being used to enough to keep the water hot, the immersion doesn't. We did a comparison and the gas was cheaper than the immersion a few cost increases ago, but should probably do the same again.

If we go for solar an immersion diverter will definitely be on the cards.

Thanks again for your help.

Yeah, I'd chime in behind what garo says above. Swapping to a day/night meter (which he mentioned is a free swap) would seem on the surface a good step forward. Even without the solar factored in. From an energy perspective, assuming your math is correct on the Kwhr for gas, it looks like your paying ~15c/Kwhr per unit of energy on gas. With night rate being in about 9-10c per Kwhr on average, with some providers having it as low as ~6c / Kwhr, you'd probably reduce your hot water heating costs by 50% - by doing that simple swap.

The added bonus, is if you move some of your loads to night time (Washing machine, dish washer), you would save more. Doing that move a few years back saved me about €20/month and just required one phonecall to my electricity provider and 20-30 mins outage one day when they swapped over (I don't think I was even here when they did as it's done externally)

Only fly in the ointment is that with the swap to new "smart meters" they may not want you to get a day/night meter now when they are replacing them all over the next 1-2 years and may ask you to install a smart meter. So I don't know if providers are still supporting the old day/night tarffits going forward. I know technically there's no reason why the smart meters can't slice it day/night, I'm just not sure if they allow people to sign up to to those tarrifs, if you follow me. I would hope that they still do as currently the "smart tarrifs" are pretty "dumb".

I was just talking to an installer who said that the iBoost is no longer legal in Ireland, so please don't take my advice on this!

He had no idea why. I have seen them on sale in Irish websites. He said Eddi was the only legal one they could install.

Better mark up on the Eddi lol?

I think it is more likely that the installer is misinformed or is trying to sell you an Eddi. The statement does not pass the common sense test.

12 x 380W Q-Cells Solar PV Panels/Modules

5kW GivEnergy Hybrid Inverter

5.2kWh GivEnergy Battery Storage

EDDI Smart Immersion

PRICE €6700 EUROS INC.VAT after grant

What do you guys think. A little high?

Yeah looks reasonable. Just make sure you look at the threads about the trouble some people are having with one of the companies that sells Givenergy stuff. Get a reference on the installer if possible.

Hi guys,

Reading through most of the thread, there seems to be a reasonable amount of variance in equipment, so it's hard enough to get a handle on a good price.

Do the below quotes look in the ball-park? I know the arguments against the diverter, so really just looking for any advice on equipment, longi vs bosal, etc. It's a complex enough roof, so there might not be much space for more than 12-14 panels, I think they need to be grouped as a "string" do they?

How much more expensive is 3 "strings" capable inverter versus 2?

I'm in the Limerick region, any thoughts on recommended or avoidable installers (via PM to avoid liability!!) in the region?

Also, quote 2 below was nearly a year ago, so I'm assuming the prices have gone up a bit. Quote 1 was around June.

In terms of the solar panels themselves, they are all much to a muchness. Sure, some manufacturers may give you a percentage point +/- over another, but for the most part, they all just do exactly what they day on the tin. I wouldn't be too concerned on one brand over another. The number you put up, the best advice that I or anyone will probably give you is put up as many as you can reasonably afford. Sure, you don't want to be insane about it, but if you think you need 12 and you can fit 14.....slap up the 14. You'll thank your present self in years to come.

The quotes themselves though are ok. Arguments ensue , but (ballpark) if your paying more than €1,000/1kwp then you are paying too much. yeah, you can get panels installed for cheaper, but if it's more than that....."thanks but no thanks" and move on. Your Quote1 (without the battery) is ~€890/Kwp, so yeah, your not been taken for a ride at least. I've personally seen some scandalous quotes. Free-market-economy of course, and if they want to quote that and they can get people to pay, more power to them. Sadly if it's preying on the ignorance of people, it doesn't sit well with me :-(

Fair play 6.

I think if the forum can stop the major rip offs, then we've done alright. Sure, you might save a hundred here or two hundred there by going with another installer, and it's often not a like-for-like where some installers will pass on the BER stuff to you and/or grant application for you to reclaim....while others will do that for you. But I've seen people save thousands here, myself included. Some right cowboys out there.

The battery thing is an interesting one. I've been for and then against them. With the grant I'm generally "for one" - but it's a ~9-10 year payback on the math. Depends on your individual usage profile, but if your using 15-20units a day, and can use the capacity you've filled with solar.....the larger batteries payback quicker.

Without the extra €600 or so you get from the grant, they are increasingly less desirable - unless your doing self-builds like DrPhil, and that has it's own rewards. What's harder to quality of course is the intangibles such as improving the efficiency of your system, easing the load on grid at peak times, the convenience of not having to put on the washing machine etc at 1pm when the sun is shining to maximize your solar. Those things are worth different amount to people I guess.

But how old is your setup 🤔

I never knew the thinking behind that graememk - I like that math.

I always went the other way - thinking of what it would cost me myself to do it. Approx 3x panels needed to make up 1kwp as they are ~350watts each. Panels cost retail about €150-200 each, so you'd be looking at ~€500 for 3 panels. Course the installers get them a little cheaper than we do as they get them ex vat and in bulk, but just doing rough approx here.

Then there's the rails for each panel to affix to the roof, and of course installers time on the roof. Finally there's the spark who hooks it up and does the grid tie in, so I figured €700 or so for 3x panels including install time .....is ballpark ok. Then you want the company who employs the installers itself to make a few quid, they have people to pay too I'm sure not "on site", advertising etc so I figured anything up to €1k is probably reasonable. Course it's not binary that €999 = ok and €1,000 = bad, but nice to have some guideline.