Someone that does solar panels.

Paulw

http://lvprenewables.ie/products/domestic-hot-water/?gclid=CNi459SG3bECFYIf4QodBC8AGQ

You can say you heard about them here in this thread.

I found them brilliant to deal with. Professional, relaxed ... and great quality work. They certainly were not pushing you to buy on the spot and hand over money.

We got a larger tank than the "alternate" quote, a smaller panel, and at a much cheaper cost.

cathy01

Paulw wrote: »

http://lvprenewables.ie/products/domestic-hot-water/?gclid=CNi459SG3bECFYIf4QodBC8AGQ

You can say you heard about them here in this thread.

I found them brilliant to deal with. Professional, relaxed ... and great quality work. They certainly were not pushing you to buy on the spot and hand over money.

We got a larger tank than the "alternate" quote, a smaller panel, and at a much cheaper cost.

Im going to second that, Love having bath loads of hot water .Bath time is never a problem even with a house of 6:)

SparkyCrk

Thanks Paul & Cathy for the LVP link, just had a look at their web site, I think I will ring them altogether tomorrow morning. The more I think about it the more sense it makes to have solar installed, but at a cost of €8500, I dont see the system paying for itself in the 3 to 5 years quoted by the EnergyCentre.

cathy01

SparkyCrk wrote: »

Thanks Paul & Cathy for the LVP link, just had a look at their web site, I think I will ring them altogether tomorrow morning. The more I think about it the more sense it makes to have solar installed, but at a cost of €8500, I dont see the system paying for itself in the 3 to 5 years quoted by the EnergyCentre.

8500 are you Mad no way price was nothing like that

gambit83

Rushwan wrote: »

Hi there, we got solar panels done last year by The Energy Centre in Duleek. I found them brilliant. I can recommend you to them and claim a reward for myself, so pm me if you want to contact them. The amount of hot water we have in this fine weather is brilliant, even in dulll weather it still builds up heat. They did very neat tidy work with very little disruption. They reckon it will pay for itself in 5-6 years, so well worth it imo.

Hi Rushwan, you mentioned that you got solar panels from the Energy Centre and were happy with them from this post before, how have they done since? would you recommend the Energy Centre?

Khannie

That was posted 2.5 years ago. I'd say you'd be better with a PM.

sawdoubters

is it for water or electricity,you buy them on ebay,if its for water get some one that installs them all the time,you need south facing roof

gambit83

Khannie wrote: »

That was posted 2.5 years ago. I'd say you'd be better with a PM.

Khannie, i did realise that it was a old post and that's why i asked - i was interested to see how the solar panels have performed in the last 2.5 years, to see how much maintenance if any was needed and to see if the company in question would get a recommendation!!!

but thanks for the input, its a valid point and i'll send a pm too as its such a old post

Rushwan

The solar panels are performing very well, especially during the last summer! Even with a little winter sun they provide some hot water. The panels themselves are on a south facing roof, & need no maintenance. I would recommend the Energy Centre, they did a very good & tidy job installing the panels

Paulw

Rushwan wrote: »

The solar panels are performing very well, especially during the last summer! Even with a little winter sun they provide some hot water.

Some hot water?

I have to say that the panel I have, has hot water all year round, even in the coldest of weather we still have piping hot water. The panel is also a good bit smaller and thinner than the evacuated tube type that I assume you have.

NIMAN

Paulw wrote: »

Some hot water?

I have to say that the panel I have, has hot water all year round, even in the coldest of weather we still have piping hot water. The panel is also a good bit smaller and thinner than the evacuated tube type that I assume you have.

But yours technically isn't a solar panel, it doesn't need sun to work.
Calling it a 'solar' panel is a bit of a misnomer.

Paulw

NIMAN wrote: »

But yours technically isn't a solar panel, it doesn't need sun to work.
Calling it a 'solar' panel is a bit of a misnomer.

Well, it needs heat (generated by the sun) to warm the coolant, that heats the water. I'm not sure how else the panel on my roof is heated if not by the sun. :rolleyes:

It doesn't need direct sunlight on it to work, but it does work best that way.

Call it what you want, but it's producing hot water all year round, including during frozen winter days, from a penal installed on the roof.

Rushwan

Paulw, there are 3 of us in the house, even in winter there is enough hot water for showers etc, obviously not as much as during the summer, still very happy with solar panels

NIMAN

Not arguing with you, as I was interested in a thermodynamic panel myself, but it doesnt need the sun at all to work, so its not a solar panel in the common use of the term.

You even add to my argument by saying it produces hot water on frozen winter days. As long as the outside temp is always higher than the coolant (which it always will be) then it will produce hot water.

But I stand by my point that calling them a 'solar' panel is a bit of a misnomer.

cathy01

NIMAN wrote: »

Not arguing with you, as I was interested in a thermodynamic panel myself, but it doesnt need the sun at all to work, so its not a solar panel in the common use of the term.

You even add to my argument by saying it produces hot water on frozen winter days. As long as the outside temp is always higher than the coolant (which it always will be) then it will produce hot water.

But I stand by my point that calling them a 'solar' panel is a bit of a misnomer.

They need sun light .mine are lvp and I have to say i have had no problems at all.glad i got them in.

NIMAN

cathy01 wrote: »

They need sun light .mine are lvp and I have to say i have had no problems at all.glad i got them in.

No they don't.

They work at night as well.

trackguy

Any residents of Seabrook, Rush here? In the process of buying a house there and I was wondering how good the solar panels for are?

jamesmclaren

Rushwan wrote: »

Hi there, we got solar panels done last year by The Energy Centre in Duleek. I found them brilliant. I can recommend you to them and claim a reward for myself, so pm me if you want to contact them. The amount of hot water we have in this fine weather is brilliant, even in dulll weather it still builds up heat. They did very neat tidy work with very little disruption. They reckon it will pay for itself in 5-6 years, so well worth it imo.

Hi I see you used the Energy Centre what size unit did you have fitted,they where out with me last week I am having a 60 tube with new boiler and a 350LT cylinder all in all it came to Euro8,300 I gave Euro2,400 deposit waiting for installation date .I noticed your's was done some time is it still performing for you.

Paulw

jamesmclaren wrote: »

Hi I see you used the Energy Centre what size unit did you have fitted,they where out with me last week I am having a 60 tube with new boiler and a 350LT cylinder all in all it came to Euro8,300 I gave Euro2,400 deposit waiting for installation date .I noticed your's was done some time is it still performing for you.

The "problem" with those tubes is that it needs sun heat. So, in weather like this, you will only get warm water at best. My mother is giving out how she is not getting hot water from her tube panel, while I have normal hot water here.

The reverse refrigeration type works much better with piping hot water all year round.

Rushwan

Hi jamesmclaren, yes ours still working very well, even in winter sun we have some hot water, we got 20 tubes, 200 litre tank & my hubby tells me there are 7,300 hours on the system at present, hope that means something to you! Gas bills much lower also cos we are not heating water

mdfire

Sorry to bump an old thread but I had a salesman out on Saturday from Activ8. It was quite a hard sell and we agreed to take their system- 3 panels and 250l cylinder. With grant and being their solar home in the area the cost is 6,700. Its a large house of about 3,000sq ft with 2 adults and 3 children. Were told there would be savings of 800 a year therefore, paying for itself in 8 years. Reading some of the posts here though that seems a bit unrealistic and the cost on the high side.

Paulw

We had them visit too. Hard sell is an understatement. They were almost bullying you in to signing. :mad:

When I compared their offer to that from LVP Renewables, I felt that Activ8 were just a ripoff and selling way way more than was really needed.

No harm in you getting an alternate quote, from LVP and also putting on hold or cancelling your order with Activ8.

mdfire

Thanks, think i will do that.

SparkyCrk

Hi all,
Well,,,,,,,,,,, we had solar panels and new cylinder fitted by the Energy Centre 2 years ago, it has been a struggle. we have had the engineers out 3 times for various problems. although the job itself was clean & tidy and looks well, they left rubbish thrown about the attic, the panels wernt sealed to the roof properly - we had leaves & even a snail in the header tank! during the last big storm we had water coming down the light bulb in the centre of the bathroom. a panel strip had lifted and water was pouring into the attic as the felt was left damaged. the shower unit they fitted has been changed twice, the system developed a leak and lost pressure, the rad in the hall has to be bled at least once a week due to air build up. in winter we still have to use the gas to heat a full tank of water to have a hot water in the taps and the shower, wish we had kept the electric shower.
Overall i dont think the system will ever pay for itself let alone in under 10 years and yes it cost us a over 8grand.
On a hot day tho, the panels look pretty in the sunshine as the tubes glow pinkish purple!!!!! gives a nice decoration on thte roof!
Persoanlly? i wouldnt retro fit solar panels ever again.
BTW, the salesman who kept telling us he wasnt selling anything but needed the deposit there and then told us we will never have to bring on the gas boiler to heat water, ever again. BS!

Paulw

SparkyCrk wrote: »

we had solar panels and new cylinder fitted by the Energy Centre 2 years ago, it has been a struggle.<snip> in winter we still have to use the gas to heat a full tank of water to have a hot water in the taps and the shower, wish we had kept the electric shower.
Overall i dont think the system will ever pay for itself let alone in under 10 years and yes it cost us a over 8grand.

That is the think with the technology used by the Energy Centre and Activ8. The system installed by LVP Renewables is different.

Since we had it installed, we have always had hot water. We have no other way to heat our water (gas and immersion disconnected from the water heating system). Winter, summer, etc ... always hot water.

When we had Activ8 out pushing us at the door, it made me do my research on solar panel systems. Activ8 wanted to install 3 large panels. LVP installed one small panel. Activ8 quoted almost €10k. LVP - €4k.

Check what is out there folks.

thegrowreport

I would not go near Activ-8 at all.

They put some panels in our house about 4 years ago and while they were fine at the start they now do not work at all. I contacted them but they quoted a very high price for a service (300 euro).

I would guess that we have saved at most 200 euro in the 4 years we have the panels. SO to pay another 300 made no sense at all.

They did the hard sell on us and we fell for it....not worth the crazy money that they charge. Avoid Activ 8.

Vego

Agree activ8 are cowboys ..we called them out to fix something on our house under their warranty ...1St engineer said no bother ..his boss then came out to say nope the fault was with someone else it would be 500.Euro to fix ...he didn't realize I had taken pictures after every install of the house ...they were wrong ....anyway I told them to do one

AvaKin123456

I have just had a quote for Solar Thermal Panels of €12,518 less discounts of a Subsidy for using my house and putting their sign outside my house and the Government Grant bringing it down to €8,764.40. However the sales man wanted me to accept straight away to get that price. I felt I couldn't do that without researching that company. Can anyone let me know is this a "bargain"?

AvaKin123456

This quote was from the Energy Centre in Meath.

proado

What size system is it?

I got a quote of 14,400 euro for a 4.9kwh set up with an Eddie diverted for hot water. After grant's and letting them put a sign for 4 weeks comes to 10 grand. The company is a good company no doubt as a neighbour of mine has their system and is happy with it and they are very professional and don't push anything on you. Just thought the quote was high. The company was nrg panel.