O/T - Ecovision and their FREE solar panel offer

Does anyone have any experience of this company, or know of any reason why their current offer of installing FREE solar panels to the roofing of your house is a bad idea?

They claim to fit it all (£15000's worth of solar panel) and maintain it free for 25yrs (grants from the government to use natural energy sources) and to make the country more eco-friendly.....

I have been accepted provisionally - and have a surveyor coming around this afternoon to check the property out.

I just wanted to know if anyone has heard or experienced any bad press, meetings, info on them? etc etc before I make any decisions myself.

here is their website - http://www.ecovisionenergy.com/

and their FAQ here:

Free solar energy

Q. What's the catch?

There is no catch! Ecovision supplies, installs and maintains (for 25 years) a solar electricity generating system at your home completely free of charge. We can do this for free because we receive payments from the Feed In Tariff, which was set up by the Government in 2010. The payments we receive are for the electricity that is generated by the system on your roof (irrespective of how much of the electricity you use or don’t use).

The only thing you need to do is to sign a 25 year lease, which means that you are renting your roof to us for 25 years-there’s no catch there either and we have produced a plain English version for you too. There aren’t any catches. You rent us your roof for 25 years, we receive the Feed in Tariff payments set up by the Government, we install a £12,000-£15,000 system on your roof and you receive all the electricity that the solar panel system produces for the next 25 years and beyond. And it doesn’t cost you anything!

Q. How do I get free electricity?

Launched in April 2010, the UK Government’s Feed In Tariff scheme allows Ecovision to install and maintain solar power systems free of charge if homes meet certain criteria. During the hours of daylight, the Ecovision solar panel generates free electricity that can be used by your home. And whilst you’re using free electricity, you don’t have to buy electricity from your normal electricity supplier. Learn more about how our system works.

Q. How much will an Ecovision solar panel system save me?

Depending on the location of your home and the way in which you use electrical appliances, Ecovision solar panel systems can save householders up to 50% on their annual electricity bill. And if your home meets certain criteria, then we will install the entire system for free.

Q. Are there any additional costs with your free solar electricity package?

With Ecovision, free means free. If your home meets the criteria for one of our free solar panel systems, then we will install it free of charge. Furthermore, we will also maintain the system free of charge for 25 years.

Q. Will I be able to run all of my electrical appliances?

Absolutely. There will be no change to your daily life whatsoever. Your electrical appliances will function correctly, and there is no need to purchase any special electrical equipment or lighting. If you use more electricity than your Ecovision solar panels are generating, then the solar power systems automatically draws the additional electricity that you need from your normal energy supplier.

Q. What will happen to my electricity bills and do I need to notify anyone?

The beauty of our system is that you don’t need to do a thing. You will continue to receive bills from your normal electricity supplier because you will still be using their electricity during non-daylight hours and at any point during the day that you use more electricity than the Ecovision solar panel is generating. The only thing you will notice is smaller electricity bills!

Q. How do I make the most of free electricity?

Simple. Try to schedule activities such as running dishwashers, washing machines and dryers whilst your Ecovision solar panel is generating electricity during the day. You can set timers for these electrical appliances if you are not at home.

Q. What if I don’t use all the electricity that my Ecovision solar panel generates?

Any electricity that our solar panel systems generate that is not used in your home will be safely exported to the national grid so that it doesn’t go to waste.

Q. How can Ecovision afford to install free solar power systems?

In April 2010, the UK Government launched a Feed In Tariff scheme. For homes that meet certain criteria, we are able to install our solar power systems free of charge. That means you save up to £15,000 on the installation cost, in addition to receiving all the free electricity generated by the Ecovision solar panel. In return, Ecovision will receive the Feed In Tariff for 25 years, which covers the cost of installation. Learn more about free solar electricity from Ecovision.

Q. Will I own the freely installed solar panel system?

Ecovision receives the Feed In Tariff for 25 years to cover the cost of solar power systems and their installation. After that 25-year period, you will own your system outright.

Q. If I am eligible after the online process what do I do next?

There is no need to do anything else. You will be called by us to arrange a site survey.

Q. Do I have to pay anything during the lifetime of the contract?

Installation, maintenance and administration is all carried out free of charge for the lifetime of the contract.

Solar Energy

Q. What is renewable energy?

The planet’s reserves of oil, coal and gas are gradually being depleted to meet our energy demands. Using renewable energy sources such as solar power doesn’t compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own energy needs. Examples of other renewable energy sources include wind, sea waves and currents, hydro power, bio mass and heat from the earth.

Installation

Q. Is my home suitable for an Ecovision solar panel?

For an Ecovision solar panel to work effectively, the ideal roof is south facing (between southeast and southwest) and unshaded, particularly from trees or other buildings. There needs to be approximately 19 to 30 square metres of clear roof space. The roof must also have a 30 to 45 degree angle, which is fairly typical in the UK. The quickest way to determine whether your home is suitable for an Ecovision solar panel is to enter your postcode in the box provided. Simply place the pin on the map to identify your house and we will respond with an initial assessment. Alternatively, you can call us on 0845 003 8001.

Q. Will my roof take the weight of an Ecovision solar panel?

Most roofs are more than able to support an Ecovision solar panel, which only weighs approximately 20-25kg. However, we will make a thorough assessment of your roof during our survey visit. If we have any concerns, then these will be made clear to you. We never install solar power systems until we are absolutely sure that the installation can be completed safely and to your complete satisfaction.

Q. Is planning permission required for an Ecovision solar panel?

Planning permission is generally not required for an Ecovision solar panel installation, except on listed buildings.

Q. How long do solar power systems take to install?

Our nationwide installation company works to the very highest standards of safety and quality when installing solar power systems. Weather permitting, we can usually complete installations in a single day. The only disruption to your daily life will be a brief period during which we need to turn your electricity off whilst we connect the system.

Q. What happens if I move house?

Solar power systems can increase the value of your home. Recent surveys show that a growing number of people are interested in buying or renting homes that have renewable energy systems such as a solar panels pre-installed.

Q. Can Solar Panels be fitted only on the roof?

Solar Panels (photovoltaics), have to be placed in a South facing direction in order to benefit from maximum sunlight exposure. We only install on roofs (unfortunately not on flat roofs).

Solar Power Systems

Q. What type of solar power systems do Ecovision install?

There are two types of solar panel available. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sun’s energy into electricity, whilst solar thermal panels convert the sun’s energy into heat. Ecovision will install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that generate electricity. This electricity can be used in your home to power your electrical appliances.

Q. How do solar power systems work?

In brief, the Ecovision solar panels on your roof will convert the sun’s energy into direct current (DC) electricity. This is subsequently converted into alternating current (AC) electricity using an inverter so that it can be used in your home. A meter monitors how much electricity your Ecovision solar panel is generating. Learn more about how our solar power systems work.

Q. Do I need to switch my Ecovision solar panel on and off?

Our solar power systems are completely automatic. As soon as it is daylight, your Ecovision solar panel will be generating free electricity and feeding it directly into your home.

Q. Does an Ecovision solar panel work all year round?

Yes. Your Ecovision solar panel will generate electricity whenever there is daylight. However, the amount of electricity a solar panel generates will depend on the weather and season. The solar panel will generate more electricity on sunny days than on cloudier days. The duration that electricity is generated will be less in winter than in summer because of the shorter days. Homes in the South of the UK usually get more sun than those in the North. In fact, the only situation in when an Ecovision solar panel will generate little or no electricity during daylight hours is if it is covered in snow!

Q. What if my solar power system requires maintenance?

Ecovision’s solar power systems are reliable and hard-wearing. In the unlikely event that maintenance is required, then homeowners with our free solar electricity package will receive it free of charge for 25 years. Furthermore, our solar power systems feature an automatic alert that notifies us of any maintenance issues immediately. If this happens, then we will contact you and arrange a convenient time for our engineer to visit. Ecovision even insures the system for 25 years. Learn more about free solar electricity from Ecovision.

Q. Do Solar Panels work in overcast weather?

Yes they do, but the efficiency will be slightly lower.



About Ecovision

Q. What are Ecovision’s credentials?

Ecovision has extensive experience in the installation and maintenance of solar power systems. We have been successfully installing renewable energy solutions since 2005. Furthermore, both Ecovision and our installation company are Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) approved. This is an independent scheme that certifies products and installers of small scale energy producing equipment. Learn more about Ecovision, our track record and our team. You can also read more about the MCS scheme.

Thats a good bit of info, been thinking about it myself, if you buy, they recon you could make £1500 per annum. £15000 to buy is a lot of money, out of most of our reach, but if you can heat your house during the day that to me seems a good save.

I've been thinking about doing this because it looks such s good offer. There are a couple of this to check in my opinion and firstly that is if the generated electricty is "Free" and not discounted at any time during the 25 year lease and that the system will generate between 2.5kWp and 3 kWp.

Also check the maintenance agreement, if the inverter fails after 10 years who pays to replace it, if the wiring develops a fault who replaces it. There is more to maintaining these systems than the panels themselves.Make sure the equipment is not being loaned to you and that it will remain the property of the company for the fullterm of the lease. If at the end of the lease who pays to remove the equipment, it is probably unlikely you would do this but if you did who would pay to repair the roof.

Also remember you should inform the mortgage company before going ahead as they could come back in 5 years and say please remove these panels as you didn't ask permission, who pays? What if you want to sell the house and the new owners don't want the system? Who pays to remove it.

Sounds too good to be true-but I'll be interested to learn how you got on.

There was something on watchdog last week about solar panels and how the system works, (you can probably still see it on bbc iplayer) they did say something about making sure the company you use is registered with the Renewable Energy Association, their website is [url]www.r-e-a.net[/url]

Hi Merlin

I work as an inspector for the MCS which is the body that accredits these companies to do PV work etc.

I'm not saying this company is dodgy at all, but I would seriously look into the small print on this.

Most companies over estimate the saving to the potential customer for these 'free PV' schemes.
The reason they do it is to collect the Feed-in-tariff for generation, (which is due to reduce a bit in April, so there are salesmen everywhere trying to get you to sign up).

I've worked in the energy field for 10 years, some of these companies have only been around a year or 2 - busniessmen/opportunists.

The likelyhood is that you will save about £140 a year on a typical property. you have this kit on your roof which is not yours. You may have to increase your insurance as,if its not installed correctly, a good wind can rip it off. If you sell your home - you might be liable to pay for the installation if the new buyers dont want it too.

Look at the small print and make your own decision.
The best thing here is to buy one yourself and claim the Feed-in-tariff for generation, if you have the money to invest the payback is between 7 and 10 years - then you get the approx £1100 a year generation and grid money in your pocket . If you sell in between, the new owner gets it.

If its too good to be true, usually it aint!

Thats a good bit of info, been thinking about it myself, if you buy, they recon you could make £1500 per annum. £15000 to buy is a lot of money, out of most of our reach, but if you can heat your house during the day that to me seems a good save.

PV doesnt heat your home, it provides a very small amount of electricity to supplement what you use. It usually costs between £10,000 to £13,000 thesedays (depending on circumstances etc)

2.5kWp or 3kWp means it will generate 2.5 kW in the peak condition. That is south facing, 35degree pitched roof and on the sunniest day of they year.
The rest of the year the average generation is up to half that or less. The money here is in the Feed-in Tariff -not the amount you use.
If you are at work all day - and not home till evening - the time you use it could be minimal.

I'm regarded as an expert in my field and I'm not in favour of the free PV options but, if i had the money I would buy one and have it installed/comissioned before next april.

my house is all electric i pay about 1200 a year in electric


what would be my benefits if any???

So who would advise against it? And before I sign anything what are the most important questions I should ask?

Thanks for the replies!

So who would advise against it? And before I sign anything what are the most important questions I should ask?

Thanks for the replies!

does it come in blue?? and can i sunbathe on it naked!!! ????

My wife and I had a survey about a month ago, the guy that did it said we will get a contract to sign if succesful but to take it to a solicitor as it's about 25 pages long and it's best to know what we were signing for so there's no misunderstandings once it's fitted. Ultimately we were turned down, but for anyone considering this option READ THE CONTRACT THOROUGHLY, as the saying goes "buy in haste repent at your leisure".

UPDATE: - I have been accepted for FREE solar panels - and will be the first house in my area.... I haven't signed the documents yet, as I wanted to be clear of everything before I do and to be happy with my decision. But in what way can I be at a disadvantage financially?? It's all free, including repairs and maintenance, it WILL save me some money, I'm not planning on moving any time soon, it will run the power in my house during daylight hours, if I did move house why would any potential new buyer NOT want to take on free solar panels that provide them with free electricity?

Surely this is the way forward an Eco friendly way the government are rewarding this type of company by generating electricity and transferring the unused back to the national grid (where they make their money)

Wouldn't mind someone with proper experience on this to weigh up the pro's & cons as all I have to do now is get authorisation from my mortgage lender (who are aware of the scheme!) and inform my buildings insurance broker.

Decisions decisions.....??

Why are they offering Solar Panels free ?

Because the Government signed up to the charter that we will produce 25% renewable energy by i think 2020. Now they were never going to achieve this as wind power just does not work as good as they claim, in fact no where near.
So they are trying any way they can to get to that 25% mark even giving it away free

Who is paying for this free Solar Panels ?

We all are. We are all subsidising wind power to the tune of around £200 each per year in our Electric bills, and we are all subsidising these free solar panels. Remember nothing is really free.

How long do they last ?

Well I was told they loose about 10-20% of efficiency after 10 years.

Can you sell electricity back to the grid ?

Yes you can but in reality you will only generate enough electricity to heat your Boiler and for your Water. So in reality you will never be able to make any money.

But i would be very careful as when those panels are no good and i cant see them really lasting 25 years as there will be better models by then, which could be enough to power your whole home.
But when the time comes to say goodbye to those Panels will they remove them and fix your roof free of charge ? I dont think so. I would go very steady and read every piece of the small print.

Steve - read my OP again mate, I put their FAQ on there, it kind of answers alot of the questions you just asked.

The Solar Panels last 25yrs as they are maintained free of charge for the whole duration - basically the company is renting the air space from you above your roof for 25yrs, any UNUSED electricity is sent back to the grid - which is obviously where they make their money and cover the costs in fitting and supplying these panels.

Obviously your home runs on the generated electricty during daylight hours in which time you take advantage and run all your high consuming electrics eg. dishwasher, dryer, washing machine etc etc - then at night time it switches back over to your usual supplier. which SHOULD result in lower bills.

I cant see there being much UNUSED electricity from my house being sent back to the grid as we have a working home with 3 active children, washing machine dryer and dishwasher on constantly as is the shower and combi-boiler!

But even if it saves me just a little off my bill surely its got to be worth it if its all FREE! and as mentioned above - I have been accpeted where alot of people i know have been declined?!?! So i just want to be 100% sure before I agree to anything,...

Steve - read my OP again mate, I put their FAQ on there, it kind of answers alot of the questions you just asked.

The Solar Panels last 25yrs as they are maintained free of charge for the whole duration - basically the company is renting the air space from you above your roof for 25yrs, any UNUSED electricity is sent back to the grid - which is obviously where they make their money and cover the costs in fitting and supplying these panels.

Obviously your home runs on the generated electricty during daylight hours in which time you take advantage and run all your high consuming electrics eg. dishwasher, dryer, washing machine etc etc - then at night time it switches back over to your usual supplier. which SHOULD result in lower bills.

I cant see there being much UNUSED electricity from my house being sent back to the grid as we have a working home with 3 active children, washing machine dryer and dishwasher on constantly as is the shower and combi-boiler!

But even if it saves me just a little off my bill surely its got to be worth it if its all FREE! and as mentioned above - I have been accpeted where alot of people i know have been declined?!?! So i just want to be 100% sure before I agree to anything,...

Merlin i am led to believe that they don't need maintaining. (From someone in work who has had them fitted himself) And he told me they loose efficiency after around ten years. Yes Craig it should save you Money but it doesn't provide you with enough to completely stop using Grid Electricity. You have to remember a lot of the info comes from the same mouthpiece that says wind power is the bees knees of which it is total nonsense as it has to be subsidised by us.
I bet you now you will send nothing back to the grid unless you move out of your house and dont use it All i am saying is go careful Chief and dont believe all that Government propaganda.

If it loses any efficiency then obviously I would report a fault if the meter shows any unusual readings? I also understand I won't be sending anything back to the grid either as my house hold is a high consumer in electricity.... If there ever was any unused electric going back to the grid I wouldn't be the beneficiary anyway - Eco-vision would. I am only interested in lowering my bill each year - so if this only saves me £100-200 a year then surely it's worth having. If you use more electricity than the panels are generating then it will just drain the energy from your usual supplier - so what's the difference. It won't cost me anything to have it installed or maintained so why would/should I be worried?

Any input from anyone else as well as steve will be grateful....

Merls, go for it mate. My only word of caution is if something is free etc from a company then there must be a catch somewhere.

Merls, go for it mate. My only word of caution is if something is free etc from a company then there must be a catch somewhere.

Well the catch is they get paid for any unused electricity going back to the grid.... But in all honesty there won't be much if any!! But why would I be bothered anyway! I was never going to get that money anyway even now as I sit in my npower supplied home!!

they said my roof is not big enough, i have f*cking 3 alltogether

Merls, go for it mate. My only word of caution is if something is free etc from a company then there must be a catch somewhere.

Well the catch is they get paid for any unused electricity going back to the grid.... But in all honesty there won't be much if any!! But why would I be bothered anyway! I was never going to get that money anyway even now as I sit in my npower supplied home!!

Well go for it then....Eco-Warrior.

Merls, go for it mate. My only word of caution is if something is free etc from a company then there must be a catch somewhere.

They are also paid a grant from the government for each unit they install, as to pave the way for a more Eco friendly future - I'm all for trying to help towards it....

No other house in my area has had it yet so also a good bit of advertising for this area.

Click the website in my OP and check out if you qualify???

they said my roof is not big enough, i have f*cking 3 alltogether

Youve checked the website on the "flagging your roof" option have you Baz?

yep e mail back to say they google earthed my house and its a no goer

Most of these panels are enough to create enough Electricity to heat your water and that is it. The catch is you would need more panels to meet your everyday needs but on the average house there isn't enough space. But if you had a bigger house you would require more Electricity so again your roof would not be big enough.
As time goes on these panels can only get better so they do need to continue with them but that is a long time away as the Electricity giants are all so powerful and they make shed loads of money so dont expect anything so soon. Just like with Oil dont expect anything new to power your car as the Oil companies are just to big. And even the Governments make so much money themselves that nothing new will happen in my life time.
But hey Merlin i am not saying it isn't worth it, take advantage as it is government funded. Just dont expect miracles. Let us know how you get on with them.

I will think about it over the next few days - maybe some experienced people on here can find a reason not to bother??

The company is doing a right one. They are producing electricity through solar panels at free of cost. Providing them for free and tariff for 25 years really it is a good deal. As we all know energy resources are limited so try to use renewable energy resources such as solar power, wind, sea waves, biomass and heat from the earth. I am ready to this offer in soon I am going to install this at my home.

The company is doing a right one. They are producing electricity through solar panels at free of cost. Providing them for free and tariff for 25 years really it is a good deal. As we all know energy resources are limited so try to use renewable energy resources such as solar power, wind, sea waves, biomass and heat from the earth. I am ready to this offer in soon I am going to install this at my home.

you live in a cardboard box ya big issue selling gobshite

The only catch I can see with solar panels is that they make your house look extremely ugly. Someone's just had them fitted in our street on the front, and it looks bloody awful, really sticks out, completely inappropriate for the type of house/street.

It can't be that difficult to design them to be a lot more discreet.

The only catch I can see with solar panels is that they make your house look extremely ugly. Someone's just had them fitted in our street on the front, and it looks bloody awful, really sticks out, completely inappropriate for the type of house/street.

It can't be that difficult to design them to be a lot more discreet.

Who cares? I'm watching the LCD tv on my living room wall not sat across the street staring at my roof!

The added bonus is - its saving me £25-£30 a month on my electricity bill!

Merlin,

The only thing I would check is who gets first dibs on the energy produced. I doubt it will be a case that you get to use as much as you want and then whatever is left over goes to EcoVision who get a refund from the Grid.

You may find that the first few kw's go to EcoVision and you then get what's left. This may then mean that you only subsidise your electric by about 20% and not the 50% they are quoting. They will be trying to maximise the return fron their install.