Solar Panels: Costs, Thoughts & Watts
At the end of 2022 I got 12 Canadian Solar 382w Monochrystaline Panels installed on my south facing roof.
2023 ROI Update Records
Solar panels have become an increasingly popular source of renewable energy in recent years.
They are a clean and sustainable way to generate electricity from your residential home costing between £5000 — £7000, (the same package would have been £10–12k 5 years ago).
TLDR Summary
- Vendor : The Solar House NI www.thesolarhouseni.co.uk
- Cost : £6500 (12 solar panels, 1 Growatt Power Inverter & Installation), £500 deposit required
- Order time: 3 months
- Battery Installed: No, actually was not recommended by Solar House NI due to long term performance & current costs
- Installation Duration: 3 hours (Single half day job)
- Warranty Lifespan : 25 years
- Average Expected Output: 125kWh — 200kWh per month
- Expected ROI : 12.25 years
- Needs Cleaned : No, apparently rainwater is enough
- South Facing Roof Needed : Preferred
- Minimum panel count installation : I believe it was 6 panels
- PowerNI: Setup solar account https://renewable.powerni.co.uk/
South Facing Roof (15% more effective than East or West)
An unshaded, South facing roof is ideal for maximum electrical output. East or West facing roofs might be considered, but North facing roofs will not be allowed.
What was Next?
Apart from setting up a PowerNI renewal account, not a whole lot is needed actually, unless you want those sweet stats (coming up).
Once installed and if there’s some sun left in the day the inverter (installed in roof space) starts up and your green electricity production begins!
To use the electricity generated by solar panels, an inverter is typically needed to convert the direct current (DC) electricity produced by the panels into alternating current (AC) electricity
PowerNI Renewal Account
This was very straightforward and only required registering a new account under “Generation Station”, followed by a yearly Meter Reading for the payment of any power I’ll have sent to the grid (excess power that was generated throughout the day by the panels but not used).
This is where you would see the benefit of having a battery installed and have energy saved up for the night as it’s still cheaper to use the panels power rather than rely on payments made back to me.
Payout from this is every September, no more or less but this is where your investment returns should hopefully start to pay off on top of your reduced bills.
Current PowerNI Tariff Rates
Currently it looks like I’ll produce an average of 162kWh per month so with payout current prices that would be;
Yearly Avg Payout : (12 x 162 x 0.1766) = £343
Est Yearly Savings on Bills : £187
Years On Panels : (6500 / (343 + 187) ) = 12.25 years
Stats
You can purchase a separate wifi receiver and lan box to plug into your inverter to get some nice stats to see how effective your panels are, it just took a few trips up and down from my attic to sort it all out, thankfully I didn’t step through the insulation layer!
- LAN Box Link
- Shine Phone App Link
General Usage
I tend to charge up devices now during the day, phones, watches, robo vacuum cleaner (separate blog needed!) to get the most of the day’s light, even having the work laptop set at 100% before early sunsets.
Some Further Questions you might have
Can solar panels go on any roof?
The most common rooftop materials can withstand a solar panel. However, these materials will each have different bearings on the cost of installation. Roofs made from wood are not suited to solar panels and installers will probably advise against it because of the increased risk of an electrical fire.
Why aren’t my bills lower if I have solar panels?
You should notice a reduction in your electricity consumption (units) if you use the electricity while your solar panels are generating i.e. during daylight hours. If your consumption increases dramatically over a short period of time this could be an indication that your solar panels are faulty or that the system has tripped.
Do my Solar Panels need serviced?
Over time Solar Panels my become dirty which may reduce generation and need cleaned. You can review your manufacturers guide for further information on how often this may need done along with servicing guidance. Contact your installer for further advice.
Can I add further panels or a battery after my initial installation?
I’ve been told I can add a battery anytime but 12 panels is the maximum for my roof size but also for the single concerter I have installed.
Conclusion
Solar panels are a clean, renewable, and cost-effective way to generate electricity. Whether you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint, saving money on your energy bills, or increasing the value of your home, solar panels are a great choice. So far I’ve had no issues, feel a little greener and hopefully in 12 years or less, turn in a small profit yearly.
