PV Solar Panel installation

Looking for information or help in the field of DIY and home improvement. Post your questions, suggestions and comments here.
McT
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:13 pm
Location: Rincón de la Victoria

PV Solar Panel installation

Postby McT » Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:14 pm

Hi all

I am considering a 5kW PV system without batteries, with panels on an easily accessible roof and short cable runs to the distribution panel. Various suppliers will deliver all the hardware required (panels, support structure, inverter, power meter, cable, etc.) for around 4,000€ including IVA, which doesn't seem unreasonable. However, once you add installation and the paperwork to legalise everything, the price jumps to 7,500€ or more.

3,500€ for installation is somewhat of a rip-off. I'm sure it could be fitted by two people in two days. Has anyone had solar panels installed recently? I would be interested in hearing your experiences and any recommendation of an installer in Málaga province.

User avatar
Enrique
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 9488
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:47 am
Location: Mytchett/Alcala La Real

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby Enrique » Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:57 pm

Hi McT,

Have a Search on A.com ..........solar,....... author spanish_lad ,as he fitted some recently.

Brings up this Thread............

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41420&hilit=Solar

If you can get a Battery for a reasonable price would recomend this.........not done this in Spain as Installer wanted silly price.

Works great on our UK setup............ :D
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

olive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 4501
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:13 pm
Location: Poniente, Granada

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby olive » Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:44 pm

You might be eligible for a grant but dont hold your breath. The good news is there is 70 billion of our EU money. The bad is that there are an awful lot of people in front of you with bigger begging bowls.

Don’t forget the instal includes support.

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby spanish_lad » Sat Apr 01, 2023 4:43 pm

Enrique wrote: Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:57 pm Hi McT,

Have a Search on A.com ..........solar,....... author spanish_lad ,as he fitted some recently.

Brings up this Thread............

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41420&hilit=Solar

If you can get a Battery for a reasonable price would recomend this.........not done this in Spain as Installer wanted silly price.
As Enrique said - we are fully off grid, and i fitted it all myself in an afternoon. It might not be the prettiest, but its safe and works - I´ve got some electrical back ground so i sorta knew what i was doing, and i´ve had a 12v solar shed for years. This is my first delve into running my house from it.

We have two litium pylontec batteries and 4x 455w panels which runs our house. We´ve gas hot water, gas cooker and a wood burner.

You can get everything you need from bricomart in malaga (now obramart). For 3k you could get everything. Panels are €165 ish, batteries are €950. Inverter is €500 ish. Then you need cable, some breakers.. bits and bobs.

I ordered everything from https://www.rebacas.com/kit-solar-con-b ... 48kwh.html

- it was a grand cheaper at the time, and came with a different inverter (the Axpert2, i belive - which has a lovely round touch screen on the front full of information too) They delivered it by courior.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby spanish_lad » Sat Apr 01, 2023 4:45 pm

olive wrote: Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:44 pm You might be eligible for a grant but dont hold your breath.
As with everything - the grant is only avaliable if its installed by an accredited supplier. And theres a fair bit of paperwork involved too. Licences from the town hall, certificates etc.

We decided against it cos the quotes we were getting were ridiculous.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

McT
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:13 pm
Location: Rincón de la Victoria

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby McT » Fri Apr 28, 2023 8:40 am

Update.

Eventually found a Málaga company that supplied and installed a 5.4kWp system, including the paperwork, for 6,000€. It was all done in a day - two guys did the grunt work and later in the day a different two guys did all the electrical connections.

I had imagined that a 5.4kWp system would only produce this output in theoretical ideal conditions, but even with our less than ideal 16 degree roof pitch we are getting 5kW when the sun is highest in the sky.

PM me if you want to know the name of the company.

McT

User avatar
Enrique
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 9488
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:47 am
Location: Mytchett/Alcala La Real

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby Enrique » Fri Apr 28, 2023 9:47 am

Hi McT,

"for 6,000€"............sounds a good price , did this include a Battery....... :?:

What is your current Potencia ............. :?: this can be issue regarding the ' setup ' of the system.

Have you setup Exporting to the Grid with your energy supplier..........if so which one......... :?:

This last bit can be problamatic with some suppliers.

Which App are you using to Monitor your Installation...... :?:

Thanks
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

McT
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:13 pm
Location: Rincón de la Victoria

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby McT » Fri Apr 28, 2023 12:00 pm

Hi Enrique

No battery, I don't think they are worth it unless you want to go off grid.

My potencia is 5.5kW.

As for exporting - yes and no. I am exporting, but not yet getting paid for it. Just yesterday I switched to Octopus Solar. Most suppliers pay 10c / kWh, but only against energy bought from them during the same billing period. Octopus have what they call a Solar Wallet - they pay 11c and this can be used against all aspects of the bill, including standing charges and tax. It doesn't expire and can be used for the current bill or future bills. I've see this kind of deal referred to as a "virtual battery".

The inverter is from SAJ and their monitoring app is called eSolar Air. It gives all the info I need, with graphs showing solar production and solar production with load, import, export, and self consumption. On a typical day last week the panels generated 37kWh of which 10kWh were used and 27kWh were exported. Total consumption was 14kWh, so I imported 4kWh during the evening and night. We don't have aircon or use electricity for cooking (apart from the oven), but we do have electric water heating. At the moment we only switch that on when the sun is shining and I will fit a timer soon.

User avatar
spanish_lad
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 6218
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:13 pm
Location: Alhaurin el Grande since 99, cartama campo since 2022

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby spanish_lad » Sat Apr 29, 2023 1:49 pm

McT wrote: Fri Apr 28, 2023 12:00 pmOn a typical day last week the panels generated 37kWh of which 10kWh were used and 27kWh were exported. Total consumption was 14kWh, so I imported 4kWh during the evening and night. We don't have aircon or use electricity for cooking (apart from the oven), but we do have electric water heating. At the moment we only switch that on when the sun is shining and I will fit a timer soon.
well there you go, welcome to the future ! you´ll see a massive difference in your bills.
Alhaurin el Grande since 99, working at the airport since 2011.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby El Cid » Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:34 am

I think it is true that the solar companies are making generous profits off the back of the grants on offer. Basically, it is the EU and the Spanish government who are providing the opportunity for "optimistic" pricing!

That said, the paperwork involved in getting all the grants and legalising the installation is pretty huge and beyond most customers' ability to do it. The solar companies do it all as part of the price, often using specialist third party companies to do it for them.

Almost all of the electricity suppliers now offer a "solar wallet" where they pay you for any surplus energy you produce and apply that against your monthly invoice, allowing any unused excess to be carried forward to future invoices. Typically they pay €0.10 for the excess and charge you around €0.14 for energy they supply.

The grants available are extremely generous. The main grant comes from the EU "Next Generation" fund, via the regional government. This can be 60% of the total cost of the installation. You can also claim up to 60% of the cost as a deduction from any income tax you pay. So, in an ideal case they will pay you 120% of the total cost. The EU grant can take a long time to appear, possibly a year or more, but the income tax deduction is under your control and will come off your next tax bill. If you want to claim the tax deduction you must provide two energy certificates (EPC) which show the reduction in fossil fuel usage. These are provided by the solar company (for a small fee).

Other members have mentioned using batteries. Unless you are off grid there is little point in having one. They are pretty expensive and have a limited capacity for the price. The cost savings vs the "solar wallet" are not going to justify the additional cost.

With the grants available, it's really not difficult to justify changing over to a solar PV system, which is why there has been a huge proliferation of PV suppliers over the last couple of years. In fact, almost all the major electricity suppliers now offer systems at competitive prices.

Sid

McT
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:13 pm
Location: Rincón de la Victoria

Re: PV Solar Panel installation

Postby McT » Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:36 pm

spanish_lad wrote: Sat Apr 29, 2023 1:49 pm
well there you go, welcome to the future ! you´ll see a massive difference in your bills.
Massive difference indeed. 10 months on we have paid precisely nothing for electricity. The credit that built up in the "solar wallet" during the summer has paid for the central heating (air source heat pump) this winter and I expect what's left will cover the last month that it will be needed. I reckon that the initial outlay will be saved over about 5 years.

McT


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests