Chatting > Chatting on the Plot

Super Summer!!

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arh:
Just an indication of the super summer of this year. The FIT payment was over £100 pounds more this year, compared to last year, even after being adjusted due to the price readjustment, (if one gets my drift).

JayG:
Thought I was missing out on payments for being fit, although I fear I wouldn't qualify anyway!

Having gurgled it, I see the feed-in supplements for solar energy end in April next year, so you've definitely made hay while the sun shone.  ;)

John:

--- Quote from: JayG on September 21, 2018, 08:03 ---Having gurgled it, I see the feed-in supplements for solar energy end in April next year, so you've definitely made hay while the sun shone.  ;)

--- End quote ---
Those who signed up for it early got the highest rate which the government has progressively lowered. Happily, if you get it you get it for 25 years from installation. We made it into the system one day before the rate dropped!
Our last FIT payment which covered the summer basically was the highest we've had. On average over the last 6 years we've generated 3,485 Kwh pa. Since March we've generated 2,982 Kwh to date and expect to end up around 3,700 Kwh Our best year so far was 2013/14 at 3,613 Kwh.
Financially it took just under 6 years to recoup the investment of £8,500 - that's taking into account we could have invested the money at a nominal 2%.
The FIT is inflation adjusted .. currently I don't know of a risk-free investment that pays equal to inflation.
It's not totally free power - we'll probably have to replace the inverter at some point and the panel efficiency falls as they age. However, the cost of inverters has fallen and continues to do so whilst their efficiency improves. By the time the panels need replacing they'll most likely be a lot cheaper and far more efficient than they are now. If we had the same system installed today, I think it would cost between £5,000 and ££6,000!
My prediction is that in 20 years time every house could be fully powered by solar panels for less cost than big power stations. The real breakthrough we need is in storage. Cheap batteries would revolutionise our power systems.

JayG:
Be interesting to see what the economics of if all look like when the subsidies stop for new installations, especially if the price goes up because the demand for them has fallen off a cliff... :unsure:

John:

--- Quote from: JayG on September 21, 2018, 15:30 ---Be interesting to see what the economics of if all look like when the subsidies stop for new installations, especially if the price goes up because the demand for them has fallen off a cliff... :unsure:

--- End quote ---
Sadly even the current level of FIT doesn't make financial sense. I think it's stupid and shortsighted of the government who seem committed to nuclear even if viable alternatives are available. The Swansea barrage is another example of that.
I'm not rabidly anti-nuclear power but I've never heard of a solar panel meltdown.

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