We prepare dozens of quotes every day, but this one was a little different. Why? Because we’d quoted for exactly the same property almost a year earlier…
In 2011 the feed-in tariff was 43.3p per unit. It was the year when everyone started talking about solar, and PV systems were hailed as a smart new alternative to investing in banks and building societies.
Fast forward one year, and the feed-in tariff has fallen to 21p after a lengthy and confusing court case. Media interest has waned and news stories have mainly taken a negative slant, focusing on government’s mishandling of the tariff change and the resulting challenges for industry.
In fact, solar is still just as wise an investment now as it ever was – and our two quotes prove it. Here’s a look at how the figures compare:
In both quotes, we designed a 2.94 kWp system using 12 x 245W panels, both being almost identical in performance.
As you can see, the biggest changes here are the feed-in tariff (FIT) payments and the cost of the system. While FIT payments have obviously fallen, the fact that system costs have fallen too has not been quite as well documented. Take both these factors into account and the return on investment has actually increased.
Ten weeks to go…
New prices mean the technology’s more accessible than ever before. And with energy prices increasing steadily, it’s a great time to invest. Just one word of caution – the feed-in tariff will fall again in July, so there are now only ten weeks to get your quote, arrange a site survey and schedule your installation. Be quick, and you could benefit from returns of up to 11.7%