solar panel quote

[njm]

hi just been quoted £9500, for 16 yingli panda panels, +enphase micro inverters. by trident energy solutions
is this a good deal ?
bungalow,tiled roof,iv125nz

 

[Worcester]

Sounds high, however it also depends on what other work is involved, roof strengthening, scaffolding, existing roof covering etc.

Best to do is to get someone on here that is local to you, put up your postcode, check for private messages in your inbox, and if you got some photos put them on flikr or picasaweb and post the link in your next post.

 

[JulianC]

Sounds like they're trying to rip you off to be honest.

 

[Green]

Agree with both of the above - too high unless there is some serious additional work and pesky access.

 

[wersolaruk]

I will install it for 7500 depending were u are in the country!

 

[Berneray]

Good kit. High price.

First question. Was this the result of a cold call either on the phone or your front door.

If so.....its overpriced by at least 20%. Because they need that amount to cover their sales commission and marketing costs.

the only way to judge if its a high price is to get another three quotes from locally based MCS accredited companies....

I have a feeling you'll get a pleasant surprise and save yourself a good deal of money...

 

[The Solar King]

Have PM'd you.
hope this is useful.

 

[njm]

iv12 5nz nairn highlands

 

[SRE]

We're installing Panasonic, Solaredge & Immersun for significantly less than that on a house - overpriced imho.

 

[Gavin A]

iv12 5nz nairn highlands

That explains it - we've actually installed a fair amount (around 60kWp) in the inverness area due to family connnections and the high prices being charged up there which some how means we can still seriously undercut the local prices despite travel costs, particularly if we can do 2-3 together.

I'd expect even up there we could Install solarworld mono-black 250Wp German panels with the enphase (if needed) for more like £7.5-8k, maybe less if we can manage to arrange another install in the area at the same time. We're up there about once a quarter usually.

 

[njm]

hi just been quoted £9500, for 16 yingli panda panels, +enphase micro inverters. by trident energy solutions
is this a good deal ?
bungalow,tiled roof,iv125nz

3 more quotes
green moray renewables
renesola 250w mono panels
samil solar river 3680tl 3.68kw inverter
£5981.30

scottish solar
pangea 833 gallium panels
powerone aurora 3.6tl inverter
£5995

solar kingdom
winaico wsp-260 p6 panels
eltek theia 3.8 he-t inverter
£6500

any comments on installers or kit which is best

 

[Worcester]

Not sure what Scottish prices (especially for scaffolding) are like, they look reasonable, I'd go for the 833's and power-one, others may choose another, do you have a hot water cylinder? If so you might be able to twist their arm and get them to include an ImmerSUN or similar, if not as it's a bungalow, you might be a ble to squeeze a little more from the 833/power-one price.

Find out how they are intending to install it, to be safe it should be off either towers or scaffolding, both with edge protection.

Then don't let them skimp and try and do it from ladders, it's not safe, if they question you, refer them to the latest H&S guidelines for installating Solar Panels. see here: http://www.cskills.org/uploads/GS001_Safe solar panel installation_tcm17-33755.pdf

Also ask them how they are proposing to connect the PV system into your existing system and what size cable they will use.

The only difference between a price for here and where you are will be the scaffolding cost - Towers will be the same price, to put up and take down a tower, the installer should have a PASMA licence.

 

[wersolaruk]

We're abouts are you???

 

[jason121]

I have to complete with prices around the £5500 using all Chinese equipment.
I spoke to one guy who signed up the deal and said he wasn't bothered about the equipment. I have to quote against these installers every week.
Which panel and inverter are popular with every body nowadays

 

[MATsolar]

Come on, here in Spain, installers can get European equipment (panels+inverter) for less than 0,7 €/Wp (+VAT). That's less than 0,6 GBP/Wp.
But of course not with microinverters, has to be string inverter. Anyway, I don't see the advantage of the micros, maybe when there are extreme partial shading conditions, but for normal roofs, why should I install micro-inverters? In normal conditions it means you pay more (the micros are more expensive and the installation takes more time) for harvesting less energy...

 

[Gavin A]

I have to complete with prices around the £5500 using all Chinese equipment.
I spoke to one guy who signed up the deal and said he wasn't bothered about the equipment. I have to quote against these installers every week.
Which panel and inverter are popular with every body nowadays

why compete at the bottom end of the market?

We're fully booked til 2014 with mono-black SolarWorld + Steca / power-one / SMA installs, or LG Neon, or viridian, some of which would probably be in your area.

I'm finding we're actually competing quite a bit now with the national sales companies trying to charge £8-12k for 4kWp at one end, plus a few still going the dirt cheap route at the bottom end.

We used to do a value range, and hi spec, but generally the vast majority would end up going for the higher priced range, wanting quality rather than the absolute bottom end price, so I figured we may as well just focus on that end of the market and leave those who're constantly trying to bargain us down on price to others.

 

[jason121]

interesting. We use similar kit to yourselves, but some do prefer the cheap quotes. Out of interest how do you source the enquires. To be booked up we would need 1 solar job a day.

 

[SRE]

I'd rather do one job properly a week than 3 jobs dirt cheap for the same margin. We decided not to enter the rush to the bottom because it meant we were going to have to cut corners. Not sure how Gordon can squeeze an Immersun out of the gallium price that's like offering a 5% discount without taking into account the extra labour.

Not for me I'm afraid, there's no margin for error and no future sustainability in those prices. I now avoid people who go for more than 3 quotes, if it's price they are interested in then it's rarely a quality installation they're concerned about. In January we're re-installing panels for a customer who went down the cheap route and now has to replace his roof - that's usually enough to persuade our customers to pay proper roofers to do the job.

 

[jason121]

Its not about cutting corners. Inverters like Samil and panels suntellite make a cheap installation. Add to that a easi dec scaffold which has been paid for in the 2011 -2012 rush, prices can be low. I would rather do 3 PV a week than rewire someone's house. Started a bungalow today finish at 2pm. 16 panels.

 

[SRE]

Fair do's if that's all it takes you, but we have one spark & 2 roofers and never get it done in a day. Not sure why, although we never put inverters in the loft and that often creates quite a bit more work. Roof work if it's a tiled roof is often done in 5 - 6 hours but electrics always longer and most of our roofs are slate. Today's job - Panasonic cross rail, Immersun , solaredge on slate. Happy days

 

[whinmoor]

Fair do's if that's all it takes you, but we have one spark & 2 roofers and never get it done in a day. Not sure why, although we never put inverters in the loft and that often creates quite a bit more work. Roof work if it's a tiled roof is often done in 5 - 6 hours but electrics always longer and most of our roofs are slate. Today's job - Panasonic cross rail, Immersun , solaredge on slate. Happy days

No, I wouldn't expect to do that in a single day in December. That's asking far too much.

We had 16 panels in 2 rows of 8 up by 1pm on a flat tiled roof today.

 

[jason121]

Slate tiles add extra day. I prefer inverters in Garage but sometimes just no space.

 

[SRE]

Dear Santa - please can I have lots customers in plain tile large bungalows who value quality service and installation . Fingers crossed!

 

[SibertSolar]

OP - would choose either the P1 or the Eltek inverter, both offer good value. If comparing the Eltek HE-t with the Samil, I would have to say that they are not evenly matched. The HE-t performs similarly but has a number of added benefits - 10yrs warranty, HF transformer topology, wider range of compatible modules, DC switch (Santon), convection cooling (that Samil unit is fan-cooled I believe), wider operating temp range and, perhaps most importantly, a built-in webserver.

The P1 unit does offer twin MPP trackers so that's certainly something to bear in mind.

As others have said though, focus on the value, not the cost. That goes for the whole package, installer & equipment. Good luck with your choice though, I hope it works out for you.

 

[wersolaruk]

We are booked up til jan the 14th, a job a day is very achievable, all out inverters are per wired on a ply board, just connect strings in and ac. Run cable in conduit outside , then 1 way unit at mains with gen and ac isolator, if earthing is to do we leave it for the spark to pick up on a Saturday instead of paying all the lads to be on job. It's organisation which is key we hold weekly meetings to organise the week ahead and make sure every1 knows there jobs. A good survey report with details of inverter location and array layout saves the guys time to. We complete 6-7 installs a week.

 

[SRE]

I did hear recently about a firm in NE boasting about installing 3 a day. They were in training for one of the products and the manufacturer wasn't keen to supply.

Our slate install as suspected turned into a nightmare - wouldn't recommend Alpha for cross railing - really fiddly. Lesson learned it's back to K2 for us.

 

[wersolaruk]

Well it was not my firm. Maybe another. We work weekends. No more than 1 a day. No company in north east is installing 3 a day I can pretty much guarantee that.

 

[SRE]

Sometimes people get carried away ;-) definitely claiming 3 tho and not even particularly close Consett, Durham and somewhere else I can't quite remember ...

 

[wersolaruk]

There is a few company's round here claiming all sorts crazy. We are what we are at the end of the day size to medium size who do 1 a day don't want anymore to be fair it's a nice flow, not to stressful

 

[Berneray]

We are up in the North of Fife in Scotland. No way can you do two a day up here. Unless you are working wearing miners hats with lights.....

We are managing five a week....but then there are only the two of us and as we are in our late 50's we have granddad duties at the weekend.

It is just us ......or are we all having rather busy time just now..

 

[wersolaruk]

You only have two people doing 1 a day? U surely must employ sales/ installers?

 

[SRE]

I was thinking that - there's only 2 of us one in the office and one a sparky. We sub scaffolding and to our fab roofers (2 of them) and roofing takes between 1/2 and 1 1/2 days (tricky slate, cross rail at the minute ) and electrics just over a day. I do everything apart from installation. There's no way we'd be able to do one a day especially when it's dark at 3.30 at the minute!

 

[wersolaruk]

Well we have our own install team, spark and two roofers, one in office and 2 out surveying, we also have our own epc guy slash paperwork man!!!!

 

[SRE]

That explains one a day - well almost Still can't get my partner/spark in a day but we do mostly install Immersun & Solaredge too so not really a surprise.

 

[SolarCity]

We can do an install in a day, but they often run into two.

Impressed by any firm which can pull in 5 jobs a week. We're happy if we can get two.

 

[wersolaruk]

Yeah bang loads of solar edge in pretty easy to do nice kit with good warranty, nadav is a great character to love arguing with him on the phone! He is good crack. We have been using the I boost really simple to install nice quality to

 

[Gavin A]

we seem to get a lot of more complex jobs, got one this week a 4kWish retrofit roof integrated across 3 roofs on slate using viridian solar, which I've scheduled for 3 days, as it's going to take at least a day just to strip the slates.

Another we're on with is a 16kWp flat roof mounted system across 4 roof faces on a grand designs type house, which is up to 4 days now with all panels on, have of which was handballing panels, ballast, mounting kit etc into position as the telehandler we were promised could only actually reach the first roof. just got to run the DC cables and commission... I think we should apologise for the storm last week, which was really just us wind testing the ballast on the flat roof mounting system.