LDK Solar Panels / Price question

[ibby]

I have the chance to aquire 14 x 235Watt at a good price.

How do people rate LDK solar panels?
(they are brandnew).

What is the average price of paying an installer to install the complete system?

Thanks

 

[sedgy34]

can you explain what you mean by aquire??

 

[ibby]

Well, They are up for sale, and I have agreed a price.
But before I commit to paying for them, I thought i should ask the guys on the forums about their views!

thanks

 

[sedgy34]

never fitted any

 

[sedgy34]

it depends on where you are in the country for them to produce really well ive heard

 

[Earthstore]

Is there not a problem here though?
my understanding is that as an MCS installer you have to have a paper trail from beginning to end, so of the customer supplies their own panels then the install would be non compliant, therefore putting FIT payments at risk.
I have some LDK panels installed on one of my jobs and they appear to be producing well.

 

[ibby]

Iam in Wakefield
how can i check to see if they suitable?

 

[whinmoor]

Will they still be around to honour any warranty?

http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...els-green-energy-forum/57839-ldk-trouble.html

 

[sedgy34]

Iam in Wakefield
how can i check to see if they suitable?

serial numbers will help to put in the software for a design it will calculate how good and production from them

 

[FB.]

As mentioned earlier: In would be concerned that buying your own kit will forfeit your right to receive the generous Feed-in-Tariff subsidy payments.

Regarding LDK

I have a friend with rent-a-roof (HomeSun?) and they have 14x235W LDK Poly panels which seem to be performing satisfactorily and there must be a reason why the rent-a-roof businesses decide to use them; they're a business with profit from Feed-in-Tariff subsidies as their only motivation.

 

[FB.]

Will they still be around to honour any warranty?

http://www.electriciansforums.net/p...els-green-energy-forum/57839-ldk-trouble.html

But what is a warranty worth?
Given dirty panels, erratic weather and other factors, how can the average solar owner tell the difference between 1% annual degradation and 2% annual degradation even if they bothered to regularly monitor system performance?
How would most customers ever realise that they've lost a panel, or lost a subsection of a panel, or a bypass diode?

What if the installer has ceased trading (I think that post-August will see many solar installers throw in the towel). How would the customer go about dealing with a warranty claim if their installer was no longer around?

 

[ibby]

Is there not a problem here though?
my understanding is that as an MCS installer you have to have a paper trail from beginning to end, so of the customer supplies their own panels then the install would be non compliant, therefore putting FIT payments at risk.
I have some LDK panels installed on one of my jobs and they appear to be producing well.

That doesnt make sense!


The Panels them self are MCS certified and so will be the invertor.

If the panels are compliant and so are all the bits then why cant the customer get FIT payments?

 

[Earthstore]

I believe the rules changed on this, as I understand from your post you were going to buy the panels and pay an installer to fit them.
The mcs installer has to supply the the key components, so the paper trail is complete from beginning to end.
This was put in place to protect MCS companies, as non MCS companies were selling jobs, installing them then paying an MCS company to sign them off.
i hope you understand.

 

[ibby]

I believe the rules changed on this, as I understand from your post you were going to buy the panels and pay an installer to fit them.
The mcs installer has to supply the the key components, so the paper trail is complete from beginning to end.
This was put in place to protect MCS companies, as non MCS companies were selling jobs, installing them then paying an MCS company to sign them off.
i hope you understand.

I understand that,
But leaves the customer with a bigger bill!

 

[SolarCity]

I understand that,
But leaves the customer with a bigger bill!

A bigger bill? For what reason?

 

[pww]

I get the feeling the op is looking for the cheapest option with little interest in how good an install he will get. 'Aquiring' panels, potentially non MCS installer....Good Luck with that!

 

[ibby]

A bigger bill? For what reason?

what i meant to say,

eg.

I have been looking at MCS panels off ebay and other sites and a 235watt panel would cost around 130 to 160£ each.
The invertor is half of the retail price 500£

I would always use a MCS certified installer, but dont like the clause of we wont fit your items!

doing it this way, would shave around 2k off the price of a solar install.

 

[sedgy34]

to recieve the fit you need a paid invoice for the job and an mcs certificate and a epc certificate

if you get an accredited installer he wont know you have aquired the panels and wont want to get involved with it

 

[SolarCity]

So basically what you are saying is that you would rather tap the expertise of a forum like this where advice is offered in good faith than have to pay for it?

I don't mind helping Joe Public out but I think you're having a laugh.

 

[moggy1968]

there is a long and illustrious hisotry of people buying counterfeit (and sometimes dangerous) kit of ebay. Now, I have sold spare kit on ebay, but I would suggest using caution.
There is a good reason why stuff costs more if youget it from the supplier.