Would you have a solar panel?

There has been talk of making solar panels compulsory on new build houses. Would you choose to have one on your house?

[Simon]

Depends on how much they cost and whether I'd get a return on my investment in a reasonable time frame. Good idea in principal though.

[MarkuisMellvile]

It also depends what sort of "solar panel" you are asking about Emz.

Photovoltaics (PV) produce elctricity from the sun; solar hot water systems are self-explanatory. PV is much more expensive than Solar thermal systems.

For British households hot water systems are the least cost option for including solar technology in our homes. They reduce energy bills by pre-heating the water used for taps and showers. In hot weather they can cupply the entire needs of a house, but are usually installed in combination with immersion heaters to ensure high water temperatures year round.

The energy bill savings make them a sensible investment for anyone not planning on moving house for a few years.

Sorry MM, I'm not that clued up on the lingo. I meant a panel on your roof that helped provide energy to your home but I guess it can mean any kind of solar panel.

[MarkuisMellvile]

Then the answer is YES. Tenants should ask their landlords if they can mount a hot water panel on the roof, and homeowners should look into buying one for their homes. The really commited among us can also buy PV panels wherever we live.

[Andrea]

How much does a solar panel cost MM?

[Bilby]

Originally Posted by Andrea

How much does a solar panel cost MM?

If you are talking about PV solar panels then it depneds on the how many watts output it has. For a 60W one about AUS $500.There are different types PV solar panel such as the monocrystalline, polycrstalline and amporphous panels .
You need many panels to make any difference.You also need many deep cycle lead acid batteries.These are the type used in taxis and delivery vehicles.

I have read about alternatives to lead acid batteries but cannot locate any info at the moment.

I have a solar panel on my roof and it has saved me a fortune. A real bargain!

[MarkuisMellvile]

Hi 007,

Care to tell us how much you spent buying your panel and how much you reckon to have saved year on year in not using electricity to heat all the water you use?

Andrea, take a look at the manufacters websites, or the solar heating association site for some figures of different sizes of panels. There's no one answer to such a braod question I'm afraid.

Whatever the cost upfront of a panel is, if you can afford to buy one then your electric bill throughout the life of the panel (around 20 years) will be cut by however much power is saved by the panel pre-heating/ heating all your hot water for free. The actual savings also depend on how much water your household uses of course!

[chrissie]

you can actually apply for a grant in the uk if your planning to buy a solar panel for heating your water you can get a £500 grant.