Talk Morgan Forums Community General Photo Gallery Solar PV at the N-M ranch

I know that one or two of the TM regulars are also micro generators, so I thought I would post our new installation up for anyone interested.
It's a 4KW system and it went live at the end of last week, but with so little bright weather over the last few days we have not generated very much electricity so far.
Cheers,
N-M

Hi John, thanks for the encouragement. I can tell you I am still trying to convince myself that I have done the right thing.....though apart from last Saturday, when the sun came out for the scaffolders return visit, it's been quite foggy at times, so they have been hidden from view......they don't, of course generate well in fog, so it's not quite the plan I had in mind.....good job I still have the box of candles and an open fire !

Hi Easter,
If I can generate something with this thing, I might even be able to afford to buy the electric fence..

Cheers,
N-M

I know what you mean. Yesterday I made 2.37 kWh and my worst has been 0.425 kWh. But the average is 10.8 kWh and I need 8.3 kWh to deliver the quoted savings. Keep the faith when the sun comes out you will get your money back.

I am thinking about a new boiler next year but will also look at the heat pump route.

Thanks for your words of encouragement Simon. It is reasuring that I am not alone in my thoughts.

I care a great deal about the future of this building, it's past history is important too.
I regard myself as a custodian of it rather than an owner with total say as to what I can do to it. As a custodian I feel it is my duty to do the right thing long term after all it will be here long after I am three feet under. It needs to be lived in or it will decay so it needs to be powered in affordable way in the future.

If we don't buy into the technology we will kill it off. We have to start somewhere and in the future, as you have mentioned, new solar products will hopefully disguise such installations.

It's a tough logic for me because I am passionate about craftsmanship and traditional engineering etc...but I am trained as a forward thinking designer.
As a design consultant I am paid to create new, advanced products. I don't want to get rid of 'old' in preference of 'new' so they have to fit together somehow, but it's not always an easy thing to do....that brings us back to talking about Morgans, I guess.

Interesting thread N-M and it has certainly drawn some divergent views. As we have already down-sized to an apartment we don't have an opportunity to use SOLAR PV, but I think that I have to agree with your own justification and I could certainly live with the end result

Looking forward to hearing whether it produces the required savings, John +4's definitely seems to be a success in this regard.

Yes, it is. But they would lose a lot in tax revenue... So is it likely??? 'Fraid I don't trust the blighters...

N-M I do do keep an eye out for developments in these fields. The technology advances over the last few years has been very interesting.

Graham,
I agree it was a crass act to cut the FIT drastically. I & guess everyone who has a system already is waiting for them to welch on the deal.
Of course the extra cost we all pay the power companies for renewables won't be cut. I wonder where that is going. Bit like road & petrol tax.

John

The system was installed by a great friend of mine. We go back a long way.
He has a building company and he has worked on this house for me in past years.
He has just invested a substantial sum of money in training his men to achieve MCS approval with a view of adopting the solar installation business as a key activity for his future business.

Retro-fit was his main target but the new rules over feed-in tariff looks as though it will kill off all of that business in a single stroke.

In the small print of the new rules, if the property is energy rated 'C' or below, no energy subsidy will be paid (ie No feed-in tariff). Most UK homes are 'D' and below. The cost to bring them up to 'B' will be far too expensive for the average householder to contemplate. Solar after the 12th of next month will now only be for the wealthy and the new eco-builders.

My point is that I predict that the solar industry and it's growing infrastructure will now die off considerably here in the UK and many people will be out of a job in the short term.
The people who made the original policy regarding feed-in tariff payments got their figures wrong and then failed to re-adjust it in time before the projected costs spiraled out of control. They have now made a knee jerk reaction that will create all sorts of problems for the industry and the future householders' energy bills..etc...

Ok, that's my ranting for the day.....Nuclear power anyone ?

Yes, at least it will provide a steady level of power, which isn't going to happen with wind (must keep off those beans ) and solar, plus it can fill in on demand peaks...

Cheers,

I can imagine how difficult the soul searching was. And yes you are right its only a bit of plastic and can easily be removed at later date.
Seeing you are in Yorkshire, did the upper window configuration of shape and light have anything to do with the woollen weaving industry. You can see my passions are not only reserved for Morgans but architecture also.