60W Solar Power Kit at Maplins - £199.99, minus £15 via voucher, minus 4% quidco

Scribbles

I see the patio heater, planet killer brigade are out tonight lol

Jefft

No these are just useless.

splender

At 60 Watts of power generated , when used everyday for 12 hrs, assuming maximum power 60 watts for all 12 hours, saves £26.28 per year at 10 pence per KWhr. OK, the electricity price has gone up quite a bit recently in the last few months. Say 15 pence per kilo watt hour. So if you used it 12 hours every day and generates 60 watts full whack all the time. Then max. saving is £40 per year. So you will have to use it continously for 4.5 years to break even at full output. And then in winter time you have there is little sunlight .. so all in all , you are looking at 10 years to break even to recover your £185 + interest! It does have it specialised use thought.

Jefft · *Last edited by Jefft : 20-06-2008 at 18:11.*

12hrs a day is a very big assumption, in the winter even on a bright day the output will be not far off zero.
Also you didn't take into account the cost of a decent battery, £60-£100.

Scribbles

The merits of the product itself are irrelevent, the fact is that this is £150 cheaper than the nearest competition.
Therefore, it's hot. Unless I mistook what HUKD was all about??

tonyd19565

It is only hot if the members think it is regardless of savings

Scribbles

splender:
At 60 Watts of power generated , when used everyday for 12 hrs, assuming maximum power 60 watts for all 12 hours, saves £26.28 per year at 10 pence per KWhr. OK, the electricity price has gone up quite a bit recently in the last few months. Say 15 pence per kilo watt hour. So if you used it 12 hours every day and generates 60 watts full whack all the time. Then max. saving is £40 per year. So you will have to use it continously for 4.5 years to break even at full output. And then in winter time you have there is little sunlight .. so all in all , you are looking at 10 years to break even to recover your £185 + interest! It does have it specialised use thought.

You are quite right, and I too get annoyed at the high outlay for solar tech. But, compared to the normal price of these panels, 4 years is quite good really. A professional install will take nearer 15 years to break even. These can be put up in the garden and connected up to a bank of batteries for a brill little emergency backup solution. What's the price on TV and lighting during a power cut?

splender

It will unlikely to pay for itself in most cases as the payback is far too long, chances are that the metal contacts will probably corrode in less than 10 year unless it is kept dry and not exposed to the all weather conditions. However it is good when there is no ready source of mains supply (e.g. sea).

Scribbles

I'll bump this one more time, for those who are not so obtuse that they can see this as a bargain and may actual want one.
That ain't at you splendor, as you put forward a sensible arguement.

Jefft

Scribbles:
You are quite right, and I too get annoyed at the high outlay for solar tech. But, compared to the normal price of these panels, 4 years is quite good really. A professional install will take nearer 15 years to break even. These can be put up in the garden and connected up to a bank of batteries for a brill little emergency backup solution. What's the price on TV and lighting during a power cut?

You missed the point there is virtually no useable output during the winter and the cost of batteries has not been factored in. The payback is more likely to be over 20 years bearing in mind the battery will need to be replaced every 5-6 years and 4 or 5 lead acid batteries over the lifetime is not exactly "green".

madmanfree

I am keeping my eye on these to power a laptop in the attic room. As you put though in Winter no use at all. This country is maybe not quite the place for these. Maybe we could get one to work on dark light?

Scribbles

madmanfree:
I am keeping my eye on these to power a laptop in the attic room. As you put though in Winter no use at all. This country is maybe not quite the place for these. Maybe we could get one to work on dark light?

"Amorphous solar panel works even in cloudy and overcast weather conditions"

I plan to connect mine up to a Freecharge Weza

Jefft

Scribbles:
"Amorphous solar panel works even in cloudy and overcast weather conditions"

Yes they do but at a "very" much reduced output I would estimate around 5-10%

Scribbles

Any power during a power cut is better than none

And no-one has yet shown me where this can be had cheaper.

60W Solar Power Kit at Maplins - £199.99, minus £15 via voucher, minus 4% quidco

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