Getting FITS III

- experiences of fitting household solar energy – Getting FITS III is part of a series of blog posts by Limu on the attempt to install solar power at home with the help of the UK Feed in Tariff.

I need to choose between solar PV (Photovoltaic that generate electricity) and solar thermal (that heat water pumped through tubes) or both. I’d like to do both, it would seem to spread the payback and risk. Thermal because our hot water comes straight from a gas boiler, and I think the risk of future gas price rises is greater than for electricity prices (because in the long term electricity has more substitutes). However, thermal won’t fill the roof space, so PV will increase the financial payback.

The payback on thermal may improve significantly. Apparently government is considering a similar subsidy scheme for thermal as the current FITS for PV. And they’ve said it will be back-dated to cover systems installed now (otherwise investment might stall while people await the policy change).

I’ve had 3 visits from assessors. I’m getting very good at helping them measure the house, and have taken a closer look at the loft. Quite a difference in prices between the first two quotes (one is 25% more, partly because they don’t view certain bits of kit as reliable). They each try to emphasise the quality of the panels they would install – makes me suspect that there is some variation in the quality of panels available -  a reflection of global manufacturing variations I guess.

One quote is from an ‘ethical’ firm – interesting to see such product differentiation in this market. These claimed credentials are based on their use of solar PV panels either manufactured using hydro-electricity in Scandinavia, or re-furbished (using rejects from the initial manufacturing process). They also run their vans on bio-ethanol apparently. In part IV, I’ll have to decide how to borrow the money and choose between quotes.