Cheaper to make a fence from PV

[SteamyTea]

Heard this on the BBC News this morning and instantly thought of @JohnMo.

 

Did a bit of searching but nothing showing up on the Today website.  So had to scroll though the broadcast.

06:10 AM

 

Seems to be based on this FT article.

 

https://www.ft.com/content/2ea6bf6d-04e9-453b-a35f-cd6431cfc7bf

 

Which I managed to read without registering.

Edited April 2, 2024 by SteamyTea

[MortarThePoint]

Interesting concept, amazing state of affairs when solar panels are cheap enough for that

 

I can quickly see panels for £50/m2 (500W panels, 2.1m x 1.1m) which is only about double the cost of plain clay tiles.

Edited April 2, 2024 by MortarThePoint

[JohnMo]

  On 02/04/2024 at 06:49, MortarThePoint said:

quickly see panels for £50/m2

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City plumbing has panels at £35/m2 incl. Vat. That's cheaper than people selling second hand.

[ToughButterCup]

I bet very few people do the area / price calculation. But when you do so 🫣

 

BTW: How @SteamyTea ? Without incriminating yourself ......

  On 02/04/2024 at 06:33, SteamyTea said:

... Which I managed to read without registering.

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[SteamyTea]

  On 02/04/2024 at 07:58, ToughButterCup said:

BTW: How

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Just did a DuckDuckGo search and clicked on the link

[ProDave]

Ok can everyone start posting links to the cheapest panels they can see on sale?  Might be time to buy some more ready to go on my car port when I build it, hopefully later this year.

 

I am more interested in cheapest ££ per watt,  £/m2 does not bother me.

[MortarThePoint]

  On 02/04/2024 at 07:10, JohnMo said:

City plumbing has panels at £35/m2 incl. Vat. That's cheaper than people selling second hand.

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That's amazing

 

  On 02/04/2024 at 08:06, ProDave said:

I am more interested in cheapest ££ per watt,  £/m2 does not bother me.

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That's the normal way of looking at it but if you a considering it's cost Vs other roofing/cladding/etc it's very relevant. It's about the same cost as European Oak timber cladding so you could even put it on the walls of an outbuilding as well as the roof.

[saveasteading]

  On 02/04/2024 at 06:33, SteamyTea said:

managed to read without registering.

 

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I can't get knto it. Any hints? Or cut and paste for we lessee mortals?

[MortarThePoint]

Is there much more to the article that how cheap panels have become?

[ProDave]

  On 02/04/2024 at 08:33, saveasteading said:

I can't get knto it. Any hints? Or cut and paste for we lessee mortals?

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I have the browser add on "Bypass paywalls Clean" installed  Which might be what allows me in.

[GavH]

best £/watt i have found presently

 

425W JA Solar Mono PERC Half-Cell MBB LR Black Frame Solar Panel – ITS Technologies

[ProDave]

This is the best value PV panel on City plumbings website https://www.cityplumbing.co.uk/p/longi-solar-hi-mo-5m-410wp-full-black-pv-module-lr5-54hpb-410m/p/787545

 

(without this thread I would not even have gone looking a a plumbing merchants site for PV)

 

Technical specification

Width1134 mmSTC Maximum power Pmax/W410Panel TypeFull BlackNOCT Maximum power Pmax/W410Length1722 mmHeight30 mmCertifications MetMCS: BABT8771-29/00Manufacturer Model NoLR5-54HPB-410MBrand NameLongi

 

 

So that's £158.14 per kWp

 

I would probably want 10 of those for a second 4kW PV system to that would be £648.40

 

Getting tempting.  Anyone find anything cheaper?

 

These are much larger panels than the ones I used a few years ago on my solar shed.

[ProDave]

These from Bimble Solar  https://www.bimblesolar.com/solar/large-panels/RCM405-BLUE

 

Buy 10 for £49 plus VAT each = £588  plus delivery.  Similar large size panels.  I bought my first lot from bimble.

[MR10]

  On 02/04/2024 at 08:33, saveasteading said:

I can't get knto it. Any hints? Or cut and paste for we lessee mortals?

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I use www.archive.ph to get past paywalls. Copy the link of the restricted article and paste into the search bar in archive.ph. 

 

If archive.ph is taking time to open try turning off your wifi and use mobile data only (assuming you're using your phone).

[bassanclan]

  On 02/04/2024 at 09:00, ProDave said:

These from Bimble Solar  https://www.bimblesolar.com/solar/large-panels/RCM405-BLUE

 

Buy 10 for £49 plus VAT each = £588  plus delivery.  Similar large size panels.  I bought my first lot from bimble.

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The joy of City Plumbing is that it is free delivery. Bimble passes the total cost of delivery on m, which varies up to £210 for a full pallet.

[bassanclan]

https://theecosupermarket.co.uk/product-category/solar-inverters/

 

Anyone used them?

 

Looks reasonable prices for inverters.

When you use City Plumbing solar kit build tool you realise they are making their money on the add ons.

 

[SteamyTea]

  On 02/04/2024 at 08:42, MortarThePoint said:

Is there much more to the article that how cheap panels have become?

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Not really.

Only skimmed it this morning.

[Jenki]

I used longi 410w panels on my build from city plumbing and paid around £105 / panel delivered late 2023. I'm tempted to buy more and put them on the steel building planned for this year. Possibly off grid.

 

I like the idea of batteries to try to get the heating and DHW plus running the cabins all off grid. But ironically the house running costs being low hinder the cost justification.

[JohnMo]

  On 03/04/2024 at 10:43, Jenki said:

house running costs being low hinder the cost justification.

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My justification was, I am earning, if I don't spend on this, it will go on rubbish elsewhere.  The spend now, while I can afford it, is a reduced utility bill when I can least afford it - retirement. It's a better return than a same money in a pension pot.

[ProDave]

  On 03/04/2024 at 10:43, Jenki said:

I used longi 410w panels on my build from city plumbing and paid around £105 / panel delivered late 2023. I'm tempted to buy more and put them on the steel building planned for this year. Possibly off grid.

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Did they honour their free delivery or was there a charge?

 

I am tempted to buy some of these currently cheap panels from City, they are so cheap, even compared to others they have, part of me thinks it might be a mistake.

[JohnMo]

  On 03/04/2024 at 11:40, ProDave said:

part of me thinks it might be a mistake

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They have been that price for quite some time.

[Dillsue]

  On 03/04/2024 at 11:40, ProDave said:

 part of me thinks it might be a mistake.

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I don't think so. Seems to me that low 400 watt panels, 405's etc, aren't in vogue so prices have dropped and maybe being cleared??

[Jenki]

  On 03/04/2024 at 11:40, ProDave said:

Did they honour their free delivery or was there a charge?

 

I am tempted to buy some of these currently cheap panels from City, they are so cheap, even compared to others they have, part of me thinks it might be a mistake.

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Yep, no delivery, and at the time I used the app and got extra discount but this is no longer available on solar.

[sam]

Wholesale prices are currently below £100/Kwp for really big projects. Pricing depends somewhat on which parts of China you want them to be made in as many of the larger buyers are restricted by their ESG rules.

[NandM]

Is this price drop temporary? I'll be needing approx 15-18 panels around this time next year