[Peter Adamson]

The solar panel I'm having installed will take about 10 years to break even on.
NB This is what I did:
1) Get in contact with solar installation firm
2) They do a free "internet survey", so look at your house from google maps, and have a bit of a guess as to how many panels you can get on / what your options are.
3) Give you a pdf of the various estimated costs / how much electricity they think it will make, etc.
Now all of that was free.
I then decided to go ahead with it, and a proper survey guy came around (I think again that was free).
I then went with the best electricity making option I had. It's going to be well worth it I think...

 

[Peter Adamson]

Can you keep me posted on that peter please

sure

 

[Peter Adamson]

Leaf depreciation probably wouldn't be as bad!

Anyone know roughly how long panels can last for? Design life of 10 years? Do they reduce in efficiency or does a whole panel simply fail outright.
...

I was told that the panels I was getting would outlast me. There would be reduction in output over time, but not by much (I can't remember the exact figure). However the inverter should need replacing after about 10-12 years, for a few hundred.

 

[Peter Adamson]

Can you keep me posted on that peter please

Ok so the panels have now been fitted.
The system is only a 2.69kw system, since that's all I could fit on the roof.
It's going to cost about £7K, but that includes the more expensive hybrid panels,
It's currently generating about 800-1,600W, and varies since it's a cloudy overcast day, with some fairly big clouds going by.
It's just saved the it's first Kg of CO2 (that was quick!)....
And my PC is now solar powered!