Associate
I had a 5.2kWp system installed last month, so in time for the FIT. The biggest saving it will offer is reduced grid consumption, I have an R710 running all the time on top of more normal usage so use about 1500kWh / quarter. Tentative figures based on one month suggest instead of 500kWh of grid consumption I've used about 200kWh. I have been running some things like the dishwasher and washing machine when it's sunny though so have changed my own usage patterns. That's about £50/month saving, before the feed in and export tariff (which I've calculated at about £33) So, if we say that's an average based soley on it being around an equinox, £80/month = £960/year = after six years the panels will have paid for themselves. Without the feed in and export tariffs it would take about 9-10 years, but my electricity consumption is higher than most. For low consumers of daytime electricity the economics won't necessarily work.
Next step is a battery, which is more expensive but will both further reduce grid consumption and provide the opportunity to use cheap overnight electric to charge it up if the sun doesn't. And the added bonus of being a monster sized UPS rather than the various smaller ones I have on devices with mechanical disks.
What I'd like to see is a way for consumers with local storage to export it when grid demand is high and be compensated at the grid rate, but whether that will ever reach the domestic market remains to be seen.
Next step is a battery, which is more expensive but will both further reduce grid consumption and provide the opportunity to use cheap overnight electric to charge it up if the sun doesn't. And the added bonus of being a monster sized UPS rather than the various smaller ones I have on devices with mechanical disks.
What I'd like to see is a way for consumers with local storage to export it when grid demand is high and be compensated at the grid rate, but whether that will ever reach the domestic market remains to be seen.