Do you have or would you invest in Solar Panels on your property.

we only have 2 panels which just heat the hot water BUT we don't need any gas to heat the water during april to October . They are not even south facing . If you can afford it then get a battery for your solar panels .

We had them installed in our last house, and we had them installed when we moved into this house (about 6 years ago). We have had no problems with them.

If the bye-laws allowed us to install them on our fairly flat garage roof, I certainly would look into whether it would pay to do so.

DH is more dubious, but I feel solar energy would allow us to heat the garage that he uses as a workshop and the passage leading to it (both without any form of heating right now). This would be better for the property as a whole and make the adjacent rooms (bathroom and wash-kitchen) cheaper to heat. We could presumably also use solar generated electricity to re-charge our bikes, and perhaps power the washing-machine and tumble dryer.

Whether we would get our money back or not I don't know, but having partial green energy would be a selling-point if we decide to sell later on, and if we don't, I doubt it will concern me on my death-bed if I haven't recouped the investment.

Cambia

We have had them over ten years and although expensive at the time, they were worth the investment. We get a cheque every quarter and use a lot of the solar provided to charge our car etc. We are just having a battery fitted to conserve the energy and be able to use it later in the evening.
Quite comforting to think that we can store our own electric and still have power if the supply goes off as we are in a rural area and don’t have gas.

I was under the impression than unless one is completely off-grid then power cuts will be just the same.

No - The ones I see around at the moment are hideous!
I will wait until the newer ones are available that just look like roof tiles. I've seen them on some newer developments.

That said, we have a very low energy property A listed, with multiple energy conservation devices and unbelievable insulation.

A quick scroll through, and it seems that OP has not clarified whether they mean solar thermal (which heats water) or photovoltaic cells which generate electricity. Responses have been about both.
We had both installed when we built our house 10 years ago. The photovoltaic cells are on track to repay themselves well within 20 years. This was the estimated time frame at the time, and depends on energy prices in the future. Feed in Tariffs have changed, and you need to check them and do your sums.
The solar thermal have, we estimate, repaid themselves easily. However, retrofitting them carries difficulties. Installing them into a new build or major renovation is relatively easy. They heat a central core, around which the water runs, so is heated. They heat out underfloor heating, and hot water. They sit flush with the roof and look like velux style windows from a distance.
Our photovoltaic panels stand proud - trying to fit them flush with tiles or using tiles is less efficient - although that is changing. We don't have a problem with birds nesting. I personally don't care what they look like.

There were solar panels already installed when we bought this house about 7 years ago. We moved from the Berkshire area to Northampton because the house prices are so much cheaper. However the previous owner was apparently having trouble selling so he had the solar panels fitted to aid his sale. He was a financial advisor so I guess he knew what he was doing. We are in a detached 4 bed with a large south facing roof. To be honest we didn't even realise there were solar panels until we looked at the particulars. We usually get a pay back from Shell energy of about £500 and a few smaller payments a year. I believe we are on the higher pay back tariff. We haven't had and problems with birds ( touch wood) and we are on a hill and have had no wind problems. We were extremely fortunate when a mini tornado went through our estate taking chunks out of the top of a lot of our neighbours houses1 However how often do they occur in the UK! I use my washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher when the sun is shining as it is a lot cheaper. It is a bit of a pain waiting for the sun to come around to the back to shine on the panels during the autumn and winter before I use any electrical devices. When there is heavy cloud cover or rain I may as well forget it. I think the tariff we are on lasts until we are in our 80's but we may have moved by then!

Is London the only place that is doing this? It would seem sensible to make use of as many roofs as possible. Even if it has less return, with prices going up it must make sense to feed it into the grid - if only to help with energy security.

Standardising provision on new homes certainly makes sense.

Had ours installed Autumn 2013. Has been good. South roof, not shaded. Look to see if sun is shining before washing machine or tumble drier used. Good FIT. Figured, even then, better return on investment than if we hadn’t bothered.

Sorry, my quoted post disappeared. It was about London and fitting for free.

My local council asked for residents' interest with the promise they'd find the best quote for a group bid. I don't know who may be hoping to do well out of this, but the 'best bid' was higher than quotes we've found for ourselves independently. Yes, we hope too that a more environmentally friendly government will offer assistance for those with suitable roofs to have them fitted.

If I was in my 30's I would have solar panels but I'm far too old now

No. We couldn't afford them and I don't like the look of them, they're really ugly. Our house has two large roofs, both south facing and not shaded but I still wouldn't have them.

I said, at the start of the thread, that we have Solar Panels. Earlier this year, we bought a Solar iBoost, that is connected to the immersion heater. This takes excess power and heats the hot water, so since having it, we have not had the boiler heating our water, which gets very hot.
I have included a picture of the one we have, all except the iBoost Buddy. (The little unit on the right).
We ordered one, but it never arrived, and we son't need it at all.

My son aged 73 has just had them fitted cost £5600. Very pleased as they are paying for all their hot water and underfloor heating throughout the house.
Telling my niece in Barbados this made her laugh because all the electricity throughout the island is solar.

I’m not so interested in solar panels as an investment as a backup in case of power cuts. If we can afford it we’ll have as many panels as we can get on the south facing part of our roof and then the most cost efficient battery we can buy.

In fact, if we can buyTesla roof tiles which look like slates we’ll go for that, despite the fact that the rest of the roof is red clay tile and it would be somewhat jarring. However, the panels are so hideous they would affect the street scene very adversely and devalue the house.

I find this conversation very informative and amazing. Not many people around here have them. I guess I hate them because they are so ugly. In any case, we now don't have enough roof line to make it pay, plus our age makes it hard to recoup what we would invest. This is just me crabbing, too, but we're so busy shoveling money out for the contents of a grocery cart and our current power bills that we can't think about letting go of a large chunk of money.

An old lady we knew when we lived in Kent in the 1970s had solar panels on her bungalow roof. Her friends and neighbours were surprised that she spent so much money which she would not recoup- it was many thousands and no grants back then - but she said she believed it was better for the planet and for the future.
I was impressed by her altruism though I was never able to afford them myself.

We'd like to invest in solar, alas the roof is not suitable.

We had them fitted about 15 years ago (the repayment rate was better then than it is now) and they have been great, electricity used while they are producing is free so I try to use the washing machine etc during these times. We have also had air source heating installed, it is brilliant, hybrid cars with chargers that harvest power from the solar panels and next might be battery storage but the jury is still out on that one.

Lilyflower

I’m not so interested in solar panels as an investment as a backup in case of power cuts. If we can afford it we’ll have as many panels as we can get on the south facing part of our roof and then the most cost efficient battery we can buy.

In fact, if we can buyTesla roof tiles which look like slates we’ll go for that, despite the fact that the rest of the roof is red clay tile and it would be somewhat jarring. However, the panels are so hideous they would affect the street scene very adversely and devalue the house.

Unfortunately, the way they are set up means you cannot do that.

I looked into it but my roof wasn't best suited. If I move I'd like to do it, even if it doesn't end up financially best as it would help the environment. But I need the right sort of roof - mine faces the wrong way!

indo notunderstand why some people say they would not have solar panels fitted because it isn't economic at their advanced age.

If the reason is that you won't get your money back because the probabilty is that you will die before then, then you will not get it back anyway, or if your worry is that your children will not inherit the money you have spent, then you are failing to take account that the solar panels will add value to your house, so the money will be recouped back that way. Even if you just downsize, you will get the money back through an enhanced price for the house because solar panels. have been installed.

If the reason is that you feel you cannor cope with organising it at your age, that is a valid reason.

Is this because you plan to spend the money on other things?

DaisyAnne, the Mayor of London's scheme is just for Greater London, but it's worth contacting your local council and power provider to see if they offer anything.

Is this because you plan to spend the money on other things?

Maybe they are keeping it for their care costs?