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

HotSwap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662903#Comment_120662903

Did you get any other quotes? It’s a good price. What brand is the inverter? 5kWh I assume?

CptMonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120663666#Comment_120663666

I don't have that info yet. Waiting on email with those details. Quote over the phone.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662903#Comment_120662903

Doesn't seem to bad, what's your inverter details? Are you doing a split or all on one side of the roof?

lotusm

Quote form a supplier ... please give your opinion ... thank you

4.8 kW system

12 SolarWatt Panel classic H 2.0 pure 400W (made in Germany)

Solax-Hybrid 5.0 inverter

Solax Triple Power 3 kw Battery

Change over switch (If power cut happens it takes electricity from the Battery)

Roof mounted

€9,900 after the grant

we have already have a hot water with a thermodynamic panel install a few years ago ( no need for an eddi)

We have to pay for the BER ourselves

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661358#Comment_120661358

In my experience when getting quotes it made no difference, in fact SSE Airtricity bought a solar install outfit to get a going concern business and they are not competitive at all.

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120662903#Comment_120662903

We had the same reasoning as you on the eddi and battery and there's someone home every day to manage usage.

Not a bad quote, get a couple more to compare.

on_the_roots

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120665958#Comment_120665958

They are indeed very expensive and used to catch people who don't shop around at all. I know someone that got a 4kWp system a few months ago with them, no battery, and total quote was €8k.

They have a referral scheme where you get a 100% refund of your installation if you get another 6x customers. I think it lures people in closing deals with them.

Metalpanic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120663098#Comment_120663098

Hmm disappointing. The option of paying it off interest free over a couple of years is probably the only way some people can afford the installation.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666741#Comment_120666741

The price some of the utility companies charge is outrageous, you would be probably cheaper getting a car loan or if anyone does a green loan you would still work out a lot cheaper than most I have seen are charging. Maybe you might find one who knows.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666741#Comment_120666741

Avant were cheapest in market when we got solar, and offered a green loan rate. This gov site compares all the providers and can see the cost of the interest: https://www.ccpc.ie/consumers/money-tools/loan-comparison (but Avant are more expensive now, not sure if they stopped the green loan). We're AIB and got the loan approved in a few hours.

We were lucky enough that a family member loaned us a portion in the end. So we're paying them back each month interest free. Was very kind of them to do that.

And 'interest free' likely means they have built the cost of the interest into the price to you already. That's the way of the commercial world for anything we buy. Maybe I'm a cynic!!

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120666358#Comment_120666358

That's not the worst quote in fairness (assuming a good number of panels and a hybrid inverter).

I got several quotes and none were showing as 'good' using that calculator (davidhunt.ie).

Have to say the quote and decision making process around the solar panels was a complete pain in the hole and one I don't want to repeat anytime soon! It's very easy to get information overload with Facebook groups and even this thread.

Obviously they are helpful but personally my head was melted in the end.

Dravida Nadu

Just got my system installed few days ago. Thanks to this forum for the valuable information and inputs.

5.16 kWp setup with 12 nos 430W Jinko Tiger Neo N Type All Black Panels

1 nos 6 kW Solis Hybrid Inverter. No Battery.

8000 Euros inclusive of VAT, 5600 Euros after Grant, BER assessment and grant payment to customer's account.

Thank You!

CptMonkey

That's a great price.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669593#Comment_120669593

Class. Welcome!!

Sheep Shagger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120669593#Comment_120669593

Great price, I assume this is with the VAT reduction if you only got it installed a few days ago.

Dravida Nadu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120672219#Comment_120672219

Thanks.

Yes. This is with VAT reduction. Total cost is 8000 Euro ex Vat. I stand corrected.

con747

Have the rules changed here? I'm not trying to piss in anyone's cup, but there has been a lot of pm requests and a couple of naming companies on here.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120674650#Comment_120674650

Jonathan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120675514#Comment_120675514

No. But I haven't got unlimited time to be reading every post in every thread. If you see something, report it please.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120675518#Comment_120675518

PM might be best, flag still doesn't work by other Mods feedback.

on_the_roots

Finally got a decent quote:

16x 400W panels + few optimisers;

1x 5kw Solis Hybrid Inverter;

Without battery or 'Eddie';

Total: €8.5k before grant.

I got previous quotes for this same system up to €13k.

Tip here is, shop around! Get several quotes and make installers fight against each other for better price. Competition always works!

deezell

You know the market is distorted when you can find the exact same model of inverter advertised to buy from €1000 to €2500, no installation, just online order and deliver. I think the key to the value of that quote is that the installer would have added very little extra over the panel/rail cost for say a jump from 10 or 12 to 16. The additional labour to extend the rails from 6 to 8 panels over two rows would be trivial, and the labour to haul up an extra 4 panels, bolt down and plug in series would warrant only a fraction of the cost over and above the extra materials. I suspect some installers see 16 panels, mid sized inverter, and they just double an 8 panel quote, or treble a 5 panel one. Economy of scale should benefit the customer, not just the installer.

HotSwap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120683556#Comment_120683556

How many KWh do you use per day on average? Do you have a smart meter? Do you have a heat pump?

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120683556#Comment_120683556

Your system might generate about 10kwh daily on average over a year, a lot less in winter, more on sunny summer days. As the maximum output is unlikely to coincide with when you need it, and the battery will do well to shift about 2kwh, it would be fair to estimate that half the output might be used directly, half might go into the grid to get a feed in tariff. If energy prices come back to where they should be, say 25c/kwh and half that as FIT, your daily average saving could be estimated at 5x25c + 5×12, €1.85 daily. Ten grand divided by this is just under 15 years. Current exorbitant unit prices should not be used for long term calculations, we're the most expensive in Europe by a country mile.

15 years is pushing it for battery life expectancy, it's last 5 years may well cut the contribution to daily savings by kwh or so.

For anyone interested, this €54 Shelly em current sensor can be managed by Home assistant and used to close an immersion relay when the panels exceed a programmed output. It has the relay output built in, so a cheap consumer unit mounted 220v 16A relay would be sufficient.

https://www.shelly.cloud/en/products/shop/em-120a

bullit_dodger

Generally the advice to "get as many panels as you can fit/afford" stands well. As Hotswap mentions though key to that decision is your consumption. it's (normally) the same inverter that is used for 10 panels as 16 panels, so it's just the panel cost (and some marginal cost of the extra rails) so expect €200-250 extra per panel on the quote. €300 per panel extra would be a stretch... but not completely nuts, if you like the supplier etc. Anymore than that, then they can jog on.

If your using what the average household in Ireland uses in Electricity (4500Kwh) then you would be well served by 5-6Kwp in panels. The battery conversation is debatable. I'd be a HUGE fan of batteries, and even I would be the first to advise caution there. If your DIY'ing your own battery which isn't THAT hard if you have decent knowledge of electrics that's the best way, but off the shelf.....while if you can get a decent price they WILL break even, that's probably in the 10+ year mark. With an EV there in the driveway, I assume at least at weekends, then you sort of don't need one as much.

For me the decision wasn't solely a fiscal one. I like batteries as they help "smooth the grid" and as well as that, in winter when the solar panels are doing feck all, I can charge them at night rate and use that during the day which helps reduce my bills when I need it most. (i.e. when the bills are highest in winter) so there are other things to look at than purely money, but each person is different there I guess.

msghhh

Hi all, decided to install PV panels after buying an EV. Got a quote from a Dublin-based installer:

15 Panels 400 Watt (LP182*182-M-54-MH) with Solis Hybrid Inverter (no eddi or battery) - €8,950 before grant. Panels will go to East and West sides of the roof.

Two questions:

1. Does it makes sense to get more quotes? I know that the general advice is to get at least 3 quotes but I already got seemingly good price and not sure I want to waste my and someones else time.
2. Do people normally have contracts with installers? Mine says they normally don't have formal contracts with customers which boggled me as SEAI's Scheme Guide indicate that they require the installer to have a written contract with the homeowner. Also, not sure how warranty for the installation would work without the contract, what if the installer would mess up shingles on the roof? Wondering what others thing. Am I overcautious?

deezell

You always need to see their insurance, especially anyone going on your roof. You or your home insurance could be sued if they fell off without cover. Beware of cowboys cleaning roof moss and gutters. They couldn't spell insurance, they probably can't spell anything.

msghhh

I wouldn't call them cowboys.. they are a relatively large company focused on solar PV and EV chargers installations, with good reviews on the internet. So, I'm almost certain they have insurance, although double checking that would not hurt. My concern is mainly the lack of contact which might be normal for domestic solar installations, that's why I wanted to get others view on that.

deezell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120689579#Comment_120689579

I wasn't calling the solar guys cowboys, I was making the point of 'buyer beware' about who you let crawl up and over your home. In general you'd have to be certain they're an approved and registered company. They would have to be to sign off on the grant and get on the seai list, ( but could be subcontractors to the quoting company).

A contract at the least will give you an indication of how the long term warranty works with goods with a lifetime past that of normal consumer goods. You wouldn't want to be told after 2 years that faulty panels or inverter was now your responsibility to remove and replace. There has to be some mechanism to enforce the long life claims on batteries and panels with the actual reality of occasional failure. I Invoked a 10 year warranty after 8 years on an IKEA mixer tap. It was discontinued, but they offered me a free exchange to another model, reinstallation was on me, which was OK. Something like that in a contract would be vital.

Have a read here to understand the sometimes subtle difference between warranty on goods and statutory rights. https://www.eccireland.ie/ecc-ireland-issues-advisory-on-consumer-warranties-and-statutory-rights/

The 6 years redress period is comforting, but I'd still like to see what the suppliers think they have to cover in writing.

corkmans1

In the past while searching the Renewable Energies thread, I came across a Excel file that was being updated with quotes for new solar systems....I have never been able to find it since. If anyone knows what I am speaking of could you please tag me on it :). Thanks in advance.

Ha Long Bay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120692025#Comment_120692025

There is a site that another helpful poster setup that people have uploaded details of the installs.

https://www.pvstats.eu/install_info.pl