Solar panels.

[xmilkr]

Where would l go for advice on wether l should go for solar panels, present electric spend is 40K annually and rising, thanks for any help.

 

[How much]

I would imagine it would stack up assuming your energy is used during daylight hrs and ideally in the summer months there is no benefit in PV these days unless you are using the energy.
precisely how cost effective it would be depends on you install I guess but get a few quotes

 

[Doing it for the kids]

NFu energy?

 

[Only]

Where would l go for advice on wether l should go for solar panels, present electric spend is 40K annually and rising, thanks for any help.

What you farming to use so much

 

[xmilkr]

What you farming to use so much

This amount is just for the Farmshop, the farm is on another system, when we built the new shop we went electric for everything knowing at some future date we could go for panels or turbines, just looking for the cost to go for panels without replying to one of the many adds, many members seem to have gone on to panels, so looking for advice.

 

[upnortheast]

When the gov was paying a FIT of over 10p installing solar was a "no brainer " Now it needs careful consideration Worth spending a bit of time working out your usage over 24 hours. Sounds you have a big supply, if you are on half hourly metering that data should be available on your electric account. or read your meter , 8 in the morning & 8 at night for a few days. More frequently if you can. Assume your shop has significant cold storage which will run 24 hours. . Remember solar gives you nothing at night & bugger all during the winter. Plenty calculators on line will give you the prediction & profile of solar panel output which you can compare against your own useage.. Before you ask battery storage is not currently economically viable . Another thing to look at, heat recovery from your fridge compressors. Ours gets water to 50 - 55 degrees. About right for hand wash or fill boilers with preheated water giving a saving on heating costs & reduction in compressor running time.
Cost of installing solar. Ballpark figure used to be £1000 kw but I think it may be less than that now. As a guide our 30 kw array produces about 27000 kw / year. With no FIT the trick is to use as much yourself as you can for the project to be viable

 

[Exfarmer]

Where would l go for advice on wether l should go for solar panels, present electric spend is 40K annually and rising, thanks for any help.

You can certainly justify buying some solar. The trick will be buying just enough so you use most of the production.
Realisticly solar costs about 8 p per unit to generate. This is costing set ups over 20 years.
Export is currently worth 6p so you have to use enough to subsidise the waste through the export.
Depends on your import price whether you feel it is worth the bother , but for £40k you must have some room to play.