Ferdinand

I'd think about getting your own. *But* if it is flat enough consider a motorised (electric?) up-and-down platform. You could then use that later for windows and gutters etc. Ferdinand

What do they mean by "small sites". Would that apply to building eg 2 or 4 houses on a third of an acre? Ferdinand

I'd like to see a site location plan of that. Are you build on old garages or an L-shaped garden or something? F

To me that looks like £650 up - £1250 that you would have paid minus £600 that you had to pay. My (10kw mainly east-facing) array has generated around 1500 kwh since mid-Jan, before the relevant shading 2 large trees were removed by my neighbour. I hope to get 6000-6500 kwh for the year, but we'll see. At my FIT of (iirc) 10.9p/kwh, that will be around £650 plus the electicity saved plus the export, perhaps very approximately £1100-1200 in toto. Perfectly acceptable even in financial terms for a 12k investment. Ferdinand

I think you need specific advice from your experienced solicitor for your particular situation. In my opinion it sounds as though you have damaged an electricity supply which has an easement with the previous landowner's agreement, or has been there for a long time thereby establishing the right to be there. Having damaged it you are probably liable for the repair, and potentially compensation for interrupting their service. If you have insurance it may cover it, or legal insurance may cover taking advice. Ferdinand

For a detailed answer we would need a more detailed question, but here are a few pointers. There are different types of wayleaves, for service providers (eg BT) supplying services to third parties etc, private ones for the house next door etc. It may also be the case that you are dealing with an "easement", which is slightly different. AIUI an easement constitutes an interest in the land; a wayleave is an agreement with the owner. You can look at your, and your neighbours', deeds, nicluding any docs referenced by the record from the Land Registry, which you can obtain by submitting a form. Their phone helpline is usually good. You can also talk to the Wayleaves department of any service provider involved. I have just posted an article about Wayleaves on larger building sites here, which may have some relevant material: There may also be more material on the Gardenlaw forums. Ferdinand

Usage reduction is automatic when the panels are generating. As I understand it the solar panels generate a slightly higher voltage than the grid, so when they are generating power it flows from there before drawing on the grid. If there is an excess after you have used some, that then flows into the grid due to the higher voltage. That can probably be illustrated using Prof Heinz Wolff, bathtubs on piles of bricks with connecting pipes and jugs of water to use pressure as an analogue for voltage, your ever-loving partner, and a bicycle pump. But you risk a Great Crested Newt infestation of your bathtubs. Ferdinand

@Bitpipe > balcony glass obscurity That's interesting. Is that the glass in the balcony balustrade to be obscure or something else? I'm sitting here thinking of delicate blossom neighbours who would have their public decency outraged by your nobbly knees if you went on your balcony in the nud. Tell me it isn't so. Please. Ferdinand

Disappointed. Thought it said overdrinking.

Welcome.

TBH if you want that sort of effect you are better off creating a design using full / half / quarters to suit and buying the appropriate sizes in full packs, or even a variety of shades. Can look quite cool and 1970s retro. Or I just used 2 sizes of Pressed Council Slabs, which look great 2 years on with moss and lichen etc. The one thing about imprinted concrete is that weeds don't grow through the gaps from below. Ferdinand

> Rumsfiled Rumsfeld is actually spelt like ... er .. "Blofeld". Do you want to know where this cat has been, Mr Rumsfeld, or would you prefer it remain unknown?

Presumably there is still money in sheep-under-solar as a second crop. Ferdinand

Just to note that if you have a company owning your house the HMRC have some detailed rules about differences between "development" and "investment" properties. I am sure it can be done, but advice is needed. Ferdinand

We just applied Occam's Razor and banished the lawn, to be replaced mainly with a "grass garden" of exotic shapes and colours, which the cat now eats and sits on in turn each morning as a digestif aperitif before breakfast.

Off-topic. Slightly. I quite like the sound of scythes, but I have a few problems with this particular gentlemen, Simon Fairlie, who seems to have a habit of campaigning for extreme versions of causes that only the rich world can afford, then coming somewhat to his senses years later when he has done quite a lot of damage. For many years he was a vegan campaigner who then decided it was acceptable to eat sustainable meat. Now he is happy to support anti-GM campaigners, who have imo a *hell* of a lot to answer for in terms of making it more difficult to feed the world. Fortunately the only continent where this madness has really taken hold is Europe; most of the others are rather closer to reality by dint of not being able to afford the luxury of those opinions. >" Scythes are an ideal tool for making it clear to sowers of experimental GM crops that the majority of UK residents do not want them in this country. I am happy to loan scythes for anti-GM protests. " I will not do business with people who promote the commission of criminal damage, particularly when I think the relevant opinion is squarely based on conspiracy theories. And I hate to think what such protestors could be charged with; you can probably cut a leg off with a well-sharpened scythe. is there a recommended alternative source? Ferdinand (PS If anyone wants to debate the politics of this I suggest a new thread in the Housing Politics forum.)

Cheers. Best of luck. Think the Range can be zero rated if you build it out of bricks so it is part of the house :-o , eg a Fachongle Furnace.

> due the overun on our budgets we can't stretch to a Britania (although I am sold on it for the built in rotissiere) Where are you on your budget, and what is the price of that Britannia? Can we help you save some money? Take the "Britannia RC-11XGI-DE-S Delphi XG 110cm Electric Range Cooker With Induction Hob" I mentioned above. Price at Curry's (2 year guarantee included). Currently priced at £4799: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/cookers/britannia-delphi-110-xg-electric-induction-range-cooker-gloss-cream-stainless-steel-10025652-pdt.html Currys currently offering £300 cashback on Briitannia Delphi range via this page: http://www.britannialiving.co.uk/currys Worth £300. Quidco currently offering 3% cashback plus free delivery on Range Cookers at Currys. (Perhaps Currys do free delivery anyway) See: http://www.quidco.com/currys/ Worth £130 or so. Pay for it with Currys Gift Vouchers purchased under Morrisons Petrol Saver: http://www.morrisonsfuelsaver.co.uk/gift-card-partners/currys-pc-world That scheme gives you 1p a litre off fuel for each £10 of gift cards you buy at face value=, and they stack up to 100% of the fuel value. Spend £1000 on gift cards and you get £1 a litre off up to 100 litres of fuel. ie a bonus of up to 10% of the value of the gift card. For 4k of gift cards that would be worth up to £400 plus a bit more if you have a big fuel tank (or the max allowed amount of cans), depending on the exact price. Yuo need to be in the Morrisons loyalty scheme, but for £4k of gift voucher purchases (buy in £500 or £1k batches with some groceries), you will probably get £40 or so of shopping vouchers back in due course. Worth £400 plus £40. Buy the Gift Vouchers with a cashback American Express card or other reward card. Morrisons take Amex I think. The right Amex Card will give you 5% cashback on the first £2-2.5k of purchases as a golden hello, then 1.25%. Worth about £140. (With a different card that would take you most of the way to a "free companion" air ticket plus 8000 air miles, which could be worth thousands cashed in on long haul business class). There is also a £100 off Range Cookers voucher code floating around at the moment until late May: http://www.dealslands.co.uk/stores/currys-discount-code/ Worth £100. I make that £1120 off, or reducing the price to £3679 if it all stacks, and I think 80-90% at least will stack. Is that cheap enough? You would probably need to "click and collect" to make the Quidco cashback track. And because most of it is your side of the transaction not theirs, there's nothing to stop you price matching them to another website as well if you can find one. Others more versed in financing self-build may have a route for having it zero-rated for VAT, or some more ideas. Perhaps you can do that as well? Ferdinand

Don't know about the links from Peter, but mine has 67 110cm wide induction hob electric range cookers on their website :-). The price for the Britannia Rotisserie jobby (probably Britannia RC-11XGI-DE-S Delphi XG 110cm Electric Range Cooker With Induction Hob) is £4798.97. Ferdinand

If you are in that neck of the woods, add Appliances Direct at South Normanton. http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/st/range-cookers-with-induction-hob Though I got mine from Currys in a 30% off Christmas Sale. Ferdinand

I've done a test with a floor sponge, and I think it will work with tap water x 20 or possibly mild detergent mix followed by many rinses. The next step is to obtain an appropriate cleaning device. I'm thinking about one of these water fed extending mops for window cleaners: http://www.hgpromotions.com/products/6/Solar_Panel_CleanerIdeal_for_removing_salt_spray_seagull_mess_in_coastal_locations_Water_Fed_Pole Just need to decide on the 17ft version or the 26ft version :-). Both cost roughly the same as one and a bit cleanings of all the solar panels. Ferdinand

I was going to say that I can't see the solder lines on mine without binoculars. But having looked I reckon they are the other type :-). Ferdinand

Incidentally, do we need the terms "Rip (down-grain)" and "Cross-cut (cross-grain)" in the Glossary. Ferdinand

One problem with Rough Sawn is that I think it is not graded, either Visually (VSG) or by Machine (MSG). Amongst other things, that means your building may not stand up, and may not be insurable or be able to be protected by guarantee, or you may use more or better timber than you actually need. Obviously rough sawn would be fine for something cosmetic like a floor or wall finish (!) or non-structural. Ferdinand

Some of the trees shading our solar pv have now been removed or pollarded. Now I can see better that some of our panels covered in pigeon productions. How to clean them? What do people here do? Our window cleaner offers a service using an extended wand, but his price is £2 per panel for a warm water clean, and for 35 panels that is a lot - even for the 15 or so with pigeon poo it is a lot. Suspect his prices are set for 8 panels on a house roof - ours are effectively on a bungalow roof and easier to reach. My current thought is for some kind of extending telescopic sponge mop following up a hose or power jet spraying an arc to avoid spraying under the tiles. Ideas would be most welcome. Thanks. Ferdinand