Reply to: Solar panels

[Stan.goodvibes]

Don't think it cost me anywhere near 15k.

Which is nice.

I was rummaging around the loft the other day and found the original copy of the Bible.

Which is nice.

I had solar panels which I sold a year or so ago. The price has dropped markedly in the last couple of years so if you buy from the US off the web you can get to down to around US$3000/kW. Basically the Chinese have created some huge factories and are churning them out now.

Of course you then need a controller and a grid-tie inverter, but you can get both those for about US$2K.

Check out http://www.affordable-solar.com/solar.panels.htm if you want to make a comparison with what you can buy direct and what the shuckster is trying to gouge your mum for...

[al_cam]

It's not quite that simple - is it photovoltaic or thermal panels, what sizes have been specified, how complex is the install and where does your mother live - it all affects price.

Anyway, my personal opinion is that photovoltaic is a waste of money almost anywhere in the UK and that assuming your mother is alone, thermal would never make sense. On top of that, if she is elderly, she will likely never see a payback so has been fleeced.

I say fight the b*stards to prevent others suffering the same fate.
Also - name and shame.

Al.

[centurian]

thanks for the info, the deposit was for about 400 so even if she loses that she'll be better off than proceeding I think.

Ah, that's not so bad then. They might not bother with legal action for that amount, whereas they probably would if it was for a much bigger chunk of the 15K

[Ruprect]

You might not want to hear this, but....

The bank will allow you to stop the cheque, but I believe the law was changed recently so that if you write out a cheque and hand it over to someone, they can effectively treat it as cash being handed over to them... i.e you can't change your mind about the payment.

So if you stop a cheque, they can sue you for the money and it is an open-and-shut case in court for them - and this takes precedence over any other claim.

You then have to sue them to get the money back if you have a dispute

Given the amount of money, it might be worth a few pounds speaking to a lawyer, who can confirm my understanding.

thanks for the info, the deposit was for about 400 so even if she loses that she'll be better off than proceeding I think.

[centurian]

thanks mf. Well the figure's in that ballpark, but I've persuaded her to cancal the cheque and send cancellation Recorded delivery to the company. Shysters.

You might not want to hear this, but....

The bank will allow you to stop the cheque, but I believe the law was changed recently so that if you write out a cheque and hand it over to someone, they can effectively treat it as cash being handed over to them... i.e you can't change your mind about the payment.

So if you stop a cheque, they can sue you for the money and it is an open-and-shut case in court for them - and this takes precedence over any other claim.

You then have to sue them to get the money back if you have a dispute

Given the amount of money, it might be worth a few pounds speaking to a lawyer, who can confirm my understanding.

[threaded]

I have a black wide hosepipe that winds back and forth across one of the barn roofs to warm the swimming pool. I have a little control system I built that detects when the water in the pipe is warmer than the pool and starts a pump up. Works really very well.

Don't think it cost me anywhere near 15k.

Which is nice.

[AtW]

Efficiencies of around 65% instead of the 35-40% you can get from the current generation.

How long can they last in real life conditions (not in labs)?

This stuff is just too new to be sure.

[PM-Junkie]

Newer solar panels will generate heat and electricity in any weather. A little like your ability to start an argument in an empty room AtW!

Indeed. Far be it from any of us to ever contradict AtWat with facts, but there is a lot of development in solar cell technology and my advice having looked into it at great length would be to wait a couple of years (no good for the OP of course).

They've been around for a few years now, but infra-red solar cells look exciting. I've seen one a few months ago, and it is similar to tin foil. Efficiencies of around 65% instead of the 35-40% you can get from the current generation.

Something to keep an eye on methinks...

[chicane]

Also, what are the statutory rights to cancel?

Thanks

I'm not sure of the circumstances in which your mother made the purchase. If it came about as a result of a salesman visit, she's well within her rights to cancel, even if she arranged the visit herself rather than responding to a sales call. See link below for more info:

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/bef...orstep-selling

Thankfully the doorstep selling regs have swung more in favour of the customer in recent times - one of the Labour Government's more worthwhile changes!

[AtW]

Newer solar panels will generate heat and electricity in any weather.

Yes, they will. In fact if I remember correctly solar panel on my micro calculator back in early 90s was also working in any weather. Problem was that it did not generate enough power to run it in all conditions

Dropping 15 grand on solar panels is crazy - better invest into house insulation, not sexy but it works and much lower risks of it stopping working in 5 years with manufacturer of solar panels out of business.

[MarillionFan]

£15k into solar panels in UKs climate?

IMO it's better to wait 2-3 years for solar market to deliver stuff that won't be obsolete next year.

Newer solar panels will generate heat and electricity in any weather. A little like your ability to start an argument in an empty room AtW!

[AtW]

£15k into solar panels in UKs climate?

IMO it's better to wait 2-3 years for solar market to deliver stuff that won't be obsolete next year.

[MarillionFan]

Sorry the 30 year thing was until recently.

At the end of the day I think it's not a bad idea.

There is a new initiative http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/art...e-tenfold.html which has been in the press recently.
Guy doing it here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...html?t=1838505

Basically, you can start to sell back to the Grid as well as reduce your output.

Also a grant is available.

Effectively, I've seen 7% per annum bandied about as the return(APR) on such a project. I've been interested in putting something together around Solar Panels and to be honest it has been in my list of Plan B's for sometime.

Personally, I would do a little more research before getting your mum to cancel. For all you know, she may just be the trendiest one on the street!

[Ruprect]

thanks mf. Well the figure's in that ballpark, but I've persuaded her to cancal the cheque and send cancellation Recorded delivery to the company. Shysters.

[MarillionFan]

Hi all

Has anyone here got solar panels? How much did you pay?

I think my elderly mother's been fleeced on them.

Let me know please guys

thanks

Ive looked at it.normally comes in at about 15k. Takes 30 years to pay for itself. Decide on that basis if she's been fleeced