Solar Panels

[quizzywig]

Anyone had any dealings with or heard of A Shade Greener? They want to fit solar panels to our roof for free (and also others in the street). Apparently its to do with the government and conserving energy. Wondered if anyone else had come across them?

[factor-fiction]

What benefit are they offering for you?
I understood that there had been big financial incentives to install these but time has pretty much run out for this offer- I recall that the deadline is 30th November for panels to be installed and an agreement to be signed with an energy company/the grid for buying back electricity

[rockyracoon]

Be careful, I was reading about this the other day, little benefit for you plus they rent your roof for many years, prospective purchasers of your house if you were to sell would have to agree to the panels being there for the rest of the contract. When I'm on the pc and not my phone I'll try to find a link.

[Mosaic]

Working on the basis that they are unlikely to be offering you completely free gifts....
There has been a feeding-frenzy of solar panels telesales over the last 6-8 weeks, which seems thankfully to be drying up now. So there must have been some grant-aid benefit that has made it worth setting up a company and a telesales team.
Questions to ask: what eveidence is there that this will be cost effective in my location - bear in mind aspect of house, slope of roof and amount of annual sunshine. Who will install, and how will I be compensated for structural damage resulting? Many firms concentrate on getting contracts then subcontract the work out to Tonto and the Lone Ranger, who saw through joists and beggar off. And thirdly, why do I need your company to do this, if I can buy solar panels and install them myself?
Be wary with the 'free' offer - they will want money one way or another.

[Mosaic]

Tiarticle refers to the firm you name amongst others:
http://www.guardian.c.../14/free-solar-panels

[quizzywig]

Thanks so muc for your views. Mr Q and I will give it loads of thought before the rep turns up in a couple of weeks. (Sounds too good to be true in my opinion!)

[buildersmate]

The way these people make money is by selling the excess electricity that you do not use back to the Grid. If you buy the panels, you own the right to sell the electricity back to the grid. So think of it as an interest-free loan to buy the panels, the repayment of which is enabled through them taking your right away to resell the excess electricity. The contract period is typically 25 years.
As some others have pointed out above, these schemes will become a lot less attractive for the rental companies after the end of November when the price guaranteed by the Government to buy back excess electricity reduces - it is believed that these schemes may be killed dead.
Even if companies continue to market them, be very clear about who is responsible for MAINTENANCE of the panels over 25 years - you or them. Others above have warned of problems controlling the quality of the installation - if you were paying and the installation was poor, you could put pressure on to resolve by denying payment. You are not going to have that opportunity.
Finally, think very carefully about whether anyone would want to buy your house with these things stuck on the roof.
All-in-all, not worth the risk IMHO.
If you really want solar electricity even the reduced payments from December 2011, consider buying the panels outright

[quizzywig]

Thanks buildersmate, we'll bear that in mind.