Ecobuild...What did you learn?

[tlsambo]

Just on our way back from Ecobuild and it seemed like a much more confident and settled vibe compared to last year. Did anyone learn anything interesting?

 

[trebormint]

There didn't seem to be many attending &, talking to a few reps, nobodies very busy.

 

[SolarCity]

I'm going this morning - anything to look out for?

 

[Earthstore]

Check out if the blonde is still working for Canadian solar,
She is a babe........

 

[Somecamel]

And the German bird at es solar

 

[Echo]

We're also there today, currently stuck in traffic though on the M1!!!

Other than the birds is there anything else of interest?

Also if anyone from the forums is there and see us, do come say hello.

 

[tlsambo]

we did manage to pick up several bottles of maple syrup from Canadian Solar. There's all the usual stuff really, I didn't notice anything ground breaking. The usual attempts to convince me that PV-T will work.... Quite a few stands manned by Chinese/East Asian people who couldn't sell anything to installers and couldn't speak much English either!

 

[SolarCity]

I hoped to see a few more products which would intelligently use the generated power - seems like there is still a big gap in the market for that.

Optimism everywhere, but I suppose suppliers have to be.

One bluntly told me that after July I would have to be installing a 4kWp system for £6k to give a good enough return for the customer.

Everyone seems to be basing returns based on south facing/unshaded 4kWp systems.

Met a few more suppliers and it'll be interesting to see what prices come back.

 

[SRE]

One bluntly told me that after July I would have to be installing a 4kWp system for £6k to give a good enough return for the customer.
QUOTE]

Costs are going to have to come down drastically to get anywhere near that! I'm not really seeing any price reductions in inverters or roof kit and the cost of labour is bound to increase it's been pegged down for so long.

 

[tlsambo]

There is going to be a new product that can help automatically utilise the power you're generating coming out in the next couple of months. I think the lack of products is driven by the patent that I believe these guys own.

As for prices, it's got to happen, we need to get the industry off of subsidy ASAP, it's time that us PV installers were in a solar industry that stands on it's own two feet.

 

[babba]

Prices are going through the floor £6500 to £7000 for a 4KW...how low can they go...

 

[JulianC]

Just got back. Got sick of gawping a modules and inverters after the first five minutes so went on a freebie pen hunt instead. Got loads. Spoke to the chaps at K2 about their new, UK specific, roof hooks - fixable with M6 screws in accordance with MCS and Eurocode wotsits - nice. Went to poke fun at my mate on the Redland stand 'cos he was in a suit (good pens though). Had what appeared to be two different conversations simultaneously with some Chinese inverter manufacturer. Her English was better than my Chinese though, so shouldn't complain. Met a few suppliers and put names to faces, which was nice but really had no inclination to talk to the dozens of other wholesalers all offering identical kit. Asked the guy on the Elecsa stand a question he couldn't answer but promised he would look into and get back to me, so it's nice to now I'm getting something something for my annual fee.

Did manage to find two very interesting things to concentrate efforts on in the future. Neither of them involve PV, which is something of a relief.

 

[SRE]

Just got back. Got sick of gawping a modules QUOTE]

Thought it said models lol

 

[JulianC]

Never!

 

[BruceB]

Met Andy at Sibert so put a face to a name and David again at Power-One.
Power-One are due to be introducing micro-inverters and optimisers this year.
SMA released some new firmware for the Tripower last Friday apparently, which has Optitrac Global Peak. I look forward to getting it by email.
I liked the BIPV roofed greenhouse.