Calculator Disclaimer:

Ploughcroft provides this Estimator in good faith as an indication of likely system costs and payback from them, in accordance with the published UK Government figures for the Feed in Tariff.
Whilst we believe in the accuracy of our system, Ploughcroft will not bear any legal responsibility for decisions made, financial or otherwise, on the basis of the information contained-in or provided-by our clean energy cashback calculator. All indications of prices and paybacks given on our website are covered by the caveat that we recommend a site-specific survey is done for every potential renewable energy installation.

Solar Products

Solar Easy Steps

Solar PV Panel ROI & Payback

With returns of up to 9% even on NEW FiT Rate

Payback time

It’s not often the Government gives us a great deal, so don’t miss out on this initiative. Just consider, if someone offered to pay you almost £1000 a year, tax-free and index-linked for the next 25 years in return for an up-front payment of around £10,000, you would be very tempted. Well, that’s pretty much the deal on offer after the government revealed what the Feed-in-Tariff rates would be from 12th Dec 2011 onwards. What is more, you will be doing something positive to help the environment. Call Ploughcroft for more information about solar pv costs, payback, FiT, government grants and ROI and we will be pleased to quote or advise.

The Solar PV Feed-in Tariff (FiT)

The feed-in tariff is a government-backed scheme that gives financial rewards to households who install solar pv panels and generate their own green electricity. This is because the government would like to reduce the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels and increase our use of renewable energy sources like solar power.

Solar panels cost

Ploughcroft will visit your home free of charge and give you a full feasibility study. Included in this is exactly how much it will cost to have your system installed. We have no hidden costs and tell you everything you need to know about solar panels.

Solar panels grants

This 4kWp system will receive generation and export feed-in tariff savings of £980 a year on electricity bills (based on the 21p feed-in-Tariff). In this example, the return on investment or ROI on your solar pv system will be over 9%.

Solar Panel Feed-in Tariff rates at a glance.

The feed-in tariff (FiT) is available for businesses as well as homes, and the amount you’ll receive depends on the size of your system. The payments are tax-free, increase in line with inflation and are guaranteed for 25 years. In fact, the ROI and financial benefits are so good that many people are choosing to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems as an alternative to investing their money with a bank or building society where interest rates are currently very low.

Scale for installs after Dec 12th 2011	Tariff for new installations in Period (p/kWh)	Tariff Lifetime
<4 kW (new build**)	21p	25 years
<4 kW (retrofit**)	21p	25 years
>4-10 kW	16.8p	25 years

** New Build means where installed on a new build before first occupation
Retrofit means installed on a building which is already occupied

Calculation of a benefit

Example: using the government’s official figures for a typical 4kW PV system on a south-facing roof

Solar Panel Manufacturer: JA Solar

Solar PV Panel: JAM6-60-250

Number of panels: 16

Tilt of panel: < 30 deg – 45 deg

% of shading: none to very little < 20%

% Proportion of Generated : 50%

Power Exported:

	Electrical Generation	Value of Energy
Energy used on site	1717kWh/year	£206 at 12p per kWh
Energy Exported	1717kWh/year	£52 at 3.01p per kWh
FiT (Feed in Tariff)	3434kWh/year	£721 at 21p per kWh

Solar PV panel Annual Benefits

If you have a solar PV system installed at home, there are three principle ways in which you will benefit:

Receive payment for all the electricity your solar panels produce

This is known as the generation tariff. Your energy provider will pay you a fixed rate of 21p for systems below or equal to 4kWp for every kWh you generate.

You will be paid for any electricity you don’t use

This is called the export tariff. You probably won’t use all the energy you generate, especially in the summer, so any excess will be sold back to the grid. Your payback from your electricity provider will be an extra 3.1p for every unit.

You’ll reduce the cost of your energy bills

You will save on your electricity bills, because your solar panels mean you don’t have to buy as much electricity from your energy supplier. The amount you save will vary depending how much of the electricity you use in your home.

Solar offers a unique investment opportunity that not only provides you with an opportunity to invest your money wisely but you can help the environment at the same time!
For your FREE consultation click here

Electricity Output: 3434

Cost Saving: £980

Return on Investment : 9%

Carbon Benefit : 1.8t CO2

**These figures are based on a 4kW JA solar panel system as of 3/11/2011.