Interested to know if anyone here has had solar panels installed and/or is sleeping electricity back to EDF.
There’s a new grant scheme for low income households, but I’m rather concerned about the service lives of the panels and the inverter/s required.
I had EDF ENR around last week to make an assessment and give me a quote Guy. I’ve also looked at Ikea. but need to look again.
EDF was about 19K for 4 kW crête with a payback period of about seven years. An assessment on the IKEA installer’s website gave me a price of 10K for 4.6 kWc 0r 11K for 4.8 kWc with better panels that would improve overall performance. I don’t know if the IKEA system feeds back into the grid, so maybe a battery would be needed to get the best benefit.
I’m quite keen but have too much on at the moment to focus. Plus research leads me to believe panel efficiency could double (from 10ish to 20ish percent) in the not too distant future.
BTW, there seems to be an inverter per panel with the EDF installation.
If you are handy with tools, you can save a lot of money, but won’t be able to sell excess back to EDF. But it probably isn’t worthwhile.
https://www.monkitsolaire.fr
Average panel is 18-22% now, lab results for the Oxford panels is 27%
I had panels installed 10 years ago. Cost €16k of which I got back €8k from a govt grant. Ever since I get a cheque for near enough €2k every year, tax-free, from selling the electricity to the EDRF. Best investment I ever made.
Hi NotALot,
Were you successful in your solar project? The reason why I ask, as I am interested in installing solar energy in my house.
Kind regards
Paul Kearsley
Alas, it never happened as the roof I had thought of having the panels mounted on wasn’t suitably beefy to support the extra weight.
Adding the cost of a new roof to the outlay made it a non-starter.
Thanks for your reply.
I was thinking of putting the panels on my roof (old roof), but then thought of going for garden installation, as I have the space.
Paul
Recent reading suggests that to benefit from EDF sell back the panels must be on a roof. I was thinking of a garden installation myself - when I actually get around to buying.
Interesting how so far people mention selling back rather than using ones self, is everyone a capitalist?
We have a (half) need of a pergola - just for summer lunchtime shade, but I was thinking of one with solar panels on top, which would make the idea more attractive. We’re in a highly visible site in a mediaeval village, but I think the terrace that the pergola would shade would be sufficiently high up for its roof to be out of sight. Obviously would consult the mairie aforehand. Through the year, the panels would probably get sunlight from sunrise to late afternoon
Any thoughts or advice, anyone?
Yes!
Actually used that illustration to explain to OH.
The inclination of the panels in the image would not be ideal. You would generate very little in winter and lots at midday in summer when you probably don’t want the electricity (except to run a washing machine or dishwasher). Personally I would optimise the panels for winter sun if you intend using your electricity and not exporting it.
After 8 panels, your installation will exceed 3kW and then you pay tax and social charges if you export it
Installing a home battery makes more sense so you can use your power rather than some pawltry feed in/ taxable tariff.
Or cheaper than a battery, a virtual battery
After using their special team of installers and “specially” selected products I wonder if it really would be cheaper than your own battery?
I intend to go off grid but with an automatic changover switch should there not be enough battery/solar available. That said the 2 large UPS’s I removed from a company who wanted rid will potentially supply 18kwh.
Would the potential to connect to the grid not mean you would have to jump through all the hoops Energis lays out? Plus you would still have the standing charges.
Would your inverters have a problem since they are designed to switch off if they do not detect power from the grid? Energis want to see the certificates to prove this is the case. How could you address that?
Would it not be simpler/cheaper to have a small backup generator? Or an electric car that could provide power to your house in an emergency? Or a UPS mounted on a trailer which you can charge elsewhere 
I was recently looking at an ‘all in one’ battery solution that I could take with me on any trips and came across the company Bluetti. I was interested in their small unit, but then when I delved further, saw that they also manufacture a whole range of other sizes, with some of them being expandable and capable of powering a house. For me, what stood out was that a)they use LiFe batteries so far far more charging cycles vs regular Lithium and b)it’s an all in one solution, so if you want the battery charging direct with solar you can, plus a host of other benefits. Their folding solar panels are more expensive per Watt versus ‘standard’ panels, but I guess they are portable versus permanent.
So from going to looking at the small battery pack, I’ve suddenly made that quantum leap to the larger units and reviewing powering the house by solar again!
