Domestic Solar PV Quotes 2020

farmerdeb

Hi looking to install a of system getting quotes would someone pm me the details of the company in eniskillen. Thanks

rx8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118200382#Comment_118200382

Pm sent

haille

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/112652016#Comment_112652016

Is it possible to name the countrywide company name or PM me.Thanks

bullit_dodger

Just fyi haille/mickeroo those quotes are pretty terrible.

haille

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058055040/domestic-solar-pv-quotes-2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058055040/domestic-solar-pv-quotes-2020

Solar panels or not.Completely new to this area.I have a large dormer bungalow , back of house is facing south west.I had two quotes .They said I could easily fit 12 panels.My wife and I are 64, 63.Adult children living away.My electricity usage up to mid November was 4524 KWH.This includes electricity usage from a small 1 bedroom apartment adjacent to our main house which is let as a holiday rental.We use oil heating in both properties with immersion used during Summer months.

What would be an adequate system to try reducing our electricity usage.With or without battery , with or without diverted.May need charger in the future if I opt for electric car or if my guests needed to use facility.Very conscious of our age with regard to payback.Our roof could possibly accommodate more than 12 panels.Is it better to maximise the amount of panels or consider batteries and diverter.?

Our apartment cum garage has also a long roof 17 metres in length though it is facing east.

The first quote I got was for a 12 panel 4.7 kip plus 4.8 kip battery was €13353-€3000 grant= € 10353;

or with a 7.2 kip battery pack €14998-€3000= €11998.

The second quote I got was more interested in me advertising their company.I have been told the above quote seems dear?

Any advice please basically how to word a template for quotes.The companies do not seem to give a breakdown per panel, what battery or inverter costs.

bullit_dodger

The general guideline that most people go for on the forums is

(€1k for every 1Kwp in panels) + (€1k for every 2.5KwHr in storage for a battery) + (€500 for an Eddi/hotwater diverter) = approx price to pay.

This is after grant of €3000 has been applied. Bear in mind that it's not a binary thing where if the formula gives say €7200 and you pay €7350 you are being ripped off. It's only an approximation for something to aim for. Most suppliers can't meet that formula and that doesn't mean it's necessarily a bad quote. If you apply that formula to your 1st quote for example, and work out an approximate price you should pay would be

(€4.7K panels) + (4.8/2.5 x €1000 Battery) = ~€6500 and you were quoted €10353. So you make up your own mind. :-)

Your usage of 4000-5000 unit per year would probably put you in the 4-5Kwp for panels and I'd say ~5Kwhr battery. You should be able to get that for €7-8K from a supplier.

haille

Many thanks for all that info.Great help

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118201130#Comment_118201130

Scary bad.

Please refuse them folks, and keep shopping around.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118201320#Comment_118201320

That €1k per 1kWp should be the very max, not the target. Its still massively expensive.

And anything over that is, well, it's just taking the piss!

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202201#Comment_118202201

Sorry but that's an exaggeration. Very very few quotes have actually beaten that guideline here. There are a few companies who regularly come close.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202385#Comment_118202385

But some do if people look back a bit. That's the point. Probably hard to wade through the this thread tbf, it's a monster now!

I'd urge everyone to get as many quotes as possible. There is good value out there. Plus, look outside boards as sometimes the same few companies are being shared around. I know it was the case when I was looking.

ELCAT2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118202513#Comment_118202513

I think prices have definitely gone up in the past few months....supply and demand. Cant see them getting cheaper anytime soon. I think as DrPhilG said anyone getting near the guideline is doing probably as well as they can now.

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118203094#Comment_118203094

I voice this about 3 months ago.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118203094#Comment_118203094

Fair enough.

I know the supply of batteries (pylontechs) have been an issue for the last few months. Inverters and panels the same? Hopefully it improves soon for customers.

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118203222#Comment_118203222

I'm hearing about the second quarter of 2022 it might easy off but feck knows at this rate.

bullit_dodger

I personally beat that formula myself, but only by about 200-300 euros on €8500, so 3-4% and I rang around a lot, and I mean a lot. If I was doing it today I don't think I could match the formula, but hopefully I'd get close.

Again, it's a just a simple general guideline. If you are in about that, super. Rock on! The main thing though is that it helps weed out the suppliers who are actively gouging the market. Eagled eyed people will see what i did there :-)

rx8

That's about the '8 th" time you've said that ;)

bullit_dodger

LOL

slave1

We deffo need to change this thread title to 2020/2021 and lock it at the end of the year I suggest as it's too long.

I would read back all 160+ pages but others just come in here time after time with same previously answered questions

championc

If only a master post could be created and edited

deravarra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118206003#Comment_118206003

That would be what's called a website :)

MAULBROOK

I don't think it will do any harm in starting a 2022 page now.

New things are shortly coming and the interest has increased. New companies are popping up every day and the old gouger gard are still around.

This page has had some run and I think we all can be proud of a job well done. We have saved may people thousands of Euro.

Hears to 2022.

Thanks everyone for your input.

AndyBoBandy

Would be nice to add up all the newly installed capacity from the users here and see what it all adds up to…….

maybe folks add their system to the below and we get an idea of total installed in 2021 in this thread??

my system: 5.78kWp

(Copy this next bit but add your system size to my 5.78kWP and so on and on)

THREAD TOTAL: 5.78kWp

DrPhilG

2021 only?

Booooo

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118207607#Comment_118207607

A new thread would be better for this. And add in the cost.

bullit_dodger

As requested....

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058219217/installed-capacity-in-2021-and-before/p1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208123#Comment_118208123

Great idea.

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208144#Comment_118208144

Nor sure prices will add much unless we give details of size of battery, eddi etc. Otherwise you're comparing apples and oranges.

maw

can you PM the names of NON-gougers folks

I'm in South East in case that's useful info

have a crowd from Monaghan coming out and I need to add to the list a good few for comparison

I'll be looking for at least 5kWp with over 5kW Battery + Eddie

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208427#Comment_118208427

Be aware that a certain crowd from Monaghan are the worst price gouges in the country. Especially if they have a number in their name...

maw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118208766#Comment_118208766

Thanks - not those thankfully

simpsimp

Quick question... The "rule of thumb" mentioned above, i.e. (€1k per 1Kwp) + (€1k per 2.5Kwhr battery), is that including or excluding VAT?

bullit_dodger

Including VAT - basically it's the price that that the average Joe Soap would be "out of pocket" doing an installation at home, grant money included.

Again, I'll stress it's just a good target to aim for. Many (most?) suppliers won't be able to match it. Some will beat it, but if they are within a few % points, that's ok - your not being ripped off. it's not a binary thing. The purpose of the formula is to give end users some appreciation of roughly what to pay. People come here (myself included) and while I'd be "tech savvy" it's hard to know what is a "good" price, until you spend time and effort understanding the domain. It's not my formula either, but one that I like.

If it stops some people from being gouged for €3,000-4,000, that's a "win" and the main thing it's trying to achieve - at least in my humble opinion. I think if I'd overpaid by €3-4K I'd be pretty cheesed off. If I overpaid by €500-600....not so much.

Niceday20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118211363#Comment_118211363

If we are starting a new 2022 thread, can I suggest this is the first post so it is visible to anyone looking for guidance on prices?

septicsac

Installation due next Monday, panels, battery and Eddy. What are the things to look out for, make sure that they are done in certain manner etc?

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118212133#Comment_118212133

Leave them alone and don't get in their way. Plenty of tea/coffee and the good biscuits.

Its that simple.

seligehgit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118163701#Comment_118163701

Can somebody PM their details?

Do they install further afield/nationwide?

seligehgit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118154690#Comment_118154690

Could you PM me too?

rx8

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118212575#Comment_118212575

Nationwide is not a problem.

PM Sent

MAULBROOK

Question, why cant people just say where they are located and not just nation wide?

Some Nation wide companies might be a little more expensive than a local contractor.

DrPhilG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118212877#Comment_118212877

Not necessarily @rx8

I spoke to the boss man last week re another issue (some electrical work) and he said that they may have to limit themselves to the north of the country, Dublin and above as they're so busy.

poker--addict

Savememoney mentioned in the thread a few times is now called Veep energy

MAULBROOK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118213216#Comment_118213216

Same thing happened to my preferred installation company. They are out the door with jobs.

I think its even more important now to check company references from previous customers.

simpsimp

I have just received a quote for almost the exact Solartricity kit linked below (7x360kW + 2.4kWhr Battery), priced by Solartricity at €4,463

(Price tweaked to include the 3.6kWhr battery).

Quote I received was for €7,835 / Grant would be €2,550 / Net cost after grant would be €5,285

Now, going by the rule of thumb shared elsewhere on this thread, I should expect to pay around €4,000 net

I've gotten worse quotes than this; in fact, this was the best of four quotes I've received.

But I kind of think the margin here is a little high, i.e. around 30% higher than expected.

Can anyone please DM contact details for any reliable installers in the Dublin area?

I think I need to get more quotes!

https://solartricity.ie/grant-kit-34-panel-1/

kennypowers

Anyone have any experience of this.. products/component/huawei-backup-box-1-phase/ .My understanding it's being sold as a switch over method during power outages ""supplies backup power to homes during a grid failure. This allows homeowners to seamlessly operate off-grid .Would be ideal for what I am looking for if true.

idc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118213848#Comment_118213848

Most hybrid inverters have a backup power supply built in via either a standalone socket(s), a sub consumer board with a small number of circuits on it or a manual change over switch providing power to whole house (but obvious caviat here is what power your battery/solar can provide). I'm not sure what the huawei (and sonnen do it too) backup box does extra that is not achieved with the hybrid inverter and manual changeover switch.

Gumbyman2000

Hey! Long time lurker on this thread, finally close to taking the plunge. I have a few quotes, the best one is a quote for 22 panels, 8kw (12 on East face, 10 on South), iBoost diverter, 8kw solis inverter, zappi. 8600 incl VAT, net of grants. I might need additional optimisers on the East face as there is a pesky dividing ridge in the centre of the roof, this is TBD. 

Does that sound reasonable? I’m in the Limerick area. 

Would also love to get a 2nd opinion on my overall plan for it. Main bit of uncertainty - I am not getting a battery but will get an EV so between that and the hot water diverter I plan to mop up most of what I produce. Was toying with getting a battery too, mainly for the Summer to contribute to some of the night usage but if I switch to a Night Saver meter this makes the payback questionable. The system quoted above leaves the option open to add a battery down the road if it looks like a better option. 

 Thanks all (and thanks for all the info everyone has added to this thread, so useful!).

bullit_dodger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118221051#Comment_118221051

That's a good quote that.

It's always a harder one to call when you have an EV in the mix (in a good way). If your EV is present for most of the day when the sun is shining and your producing, your right, the need for a battery is mostly diminished. Course with 8Kwp (which is a nice big system), you have to be actually driving a lot to be able to absorb that generation. What it is.... 5Km/1Kwhr or there abouts? So if you put 30kWhr into it on a day, that's 150Km you have to drive to lower it down for the next day.

Obviously I don't know your usage, but to give you a question to ask yourself......would it not be the case that if Monday is sun shining and all the generation goes into your car battery, would it not be full when Tuesday comes along? Where does your surplus go?

A hard one to call without knowing more details, but I'd probably drop back to 7Kwp and then get a 5Kwhr battery. However if you can afford both.....rock on! I know......I'd be going against the grain there with reducing panels, but having a mid sized battery gives you a lot of flexibility. I'd even prioritise it over a EDDI - as you can in effect do the function of a EDDI with a battery. Just manually turn on the immersion with the energy you stored in the battery - but naturally you can't power your tv/kettle from the energy which is in the hot water tank. So the battery gives you some options. 5Kwhr is good for most people, but if you have the consumption.... payback is slightly quicker on larger ones. Expect ~10 years. Less if you go DIY on the battery.

Good strategy that most people do with night rates, is charge the battery in the winter on night rate when you have abysmal PV generation, and then use that during the day to help pay for itself. Having a battery helps smooth over breaks in sunshine too during the day. e.g. sun has been shining all morning and at 11am, you turn on the washing machine for 2 hrs, and then 11:30 the clouds roll in!

AndyBoBandy

Are any providers still putting people on D/N rates?

If you have a smart meter installed, Theres no option to switch back to a Day/Night meter right?

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118221890#Comment_118221890

Consensus here points to no going back after Smart Meter install unfortunately