Replacing FIT solar panels

[richbee]

Could do with some advice -

My parents have FIT solar pv which was installed in 2013.
They have now been told they need a new roof, and they will obviously need to have the pv panels removed and then replaced.
Is it possible / worth it to replace them with new panels, as new ones will be more powerful /efficient?
Does this mess with the fit tariff?

If so, would it be better to add more new panels with a second inverter outside of the fit system?

[resybaby]

Ive done both, replaced FIT with 'repowering' with better panels and added a separate standalone system.

Thread on here somewhere

Edit. this is the thread (if ive worked out how to link correctly)
https://camelot-forum.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... =32&t=3324

[Stinsy]

Could do with some advice -

My parents have FIT solar pv which was installed in 2013.
They have now been told they need a new roof, and they will obviously need to have the pv panels removed and then replaced.
Is it possible / worth it to replace them with new panels, as new ones will be more powerful /efficient?
Does this mess with the fit tariff?

If so, would it be better to add more new panels with a second inverter outside of the fit system?

Absolutely they can, and they should!

They need to swap the existing panels for an array of a similar size. If it is bigger, don’t stress you can do a pro-rata adjustment. So if the old array is 9x 254Wp panels (making 2.286kWp) and you replace them with 6x 415Wp panels (making 2.490kWp) then they’ll take your generation and multiply it by 0.918 to calculate your FiT payment.

Your parents should also fit a separate non-Fit system on the rest of the roof. Don’t discount north-facing aspects…

If you’re re-roofing then in-roof is a no-brainier. You fund the cost of the panels in savings made using fewer tiles…

[shirehorse99]

yes, we have done it, exactly as Resybaby did - you can also change deemed export to octopus outgoing if your panel upgrade makes it worth it(no doubt more panels will generate more outgoing power) . leave the original FIT with existing provider if you want.

[richbee]

Thanks guys - good to know it can be done.
They've had a, solar company out to quote and they said it can't be done!
Presumably either don't know how or can't be bothered.
The in-roof panels would be great as they've had loads of problems with pigeons nesting under their current panels

[AE-NMidlands]

Thanks guys - good to know it can be done.
They've had a, solar company out to quote and they said it can't be done!
Presumably either don't know how or can't be bothered.
The in-roof panels would be great as they've had loads of problems with pigeons nesting under their current panels

There are quite a few posts about this somewhere, with chapter and verse about the regs and a link to Ofgems explanatory document...

[Mart]

Thanks guys - good to know it can be done.
They've had a, solar company out to quote and they said it can't be done!
Presumably either don't know how or can't be bothered.
The in-roof panels would be great as they've had loads of problems with pigeons nesting under their current panels

Hi, just to say I rang EDF (yesterday) just to check if everything was complete after my changes, and it's all done, and fine. They will now apportion my FiT readings accordingly.

[Edit - My FiT readings will now be multiplied by the original FiT size, divided by the new total. So FiT reading x (3.58 / 6.725).]

This relates to my ESE FiT system. I left the original panels on the main roof alone, I changed the five 235Wp panels on the low roof for 440Wp panels, and I added a ground mount of four 530Wp panels (SSW). So that may be "FiT Bingo", in the fact that I've done everything possible (I think), assuming that swapping a panel like for like scenario is also covered by my panel upgrade example.


But, as I always say, whilst this is all allowed and covered in the rules/regs, I'd e-mail your FiT provider and get confirmation in writing (hence the e-mail v's phone). I then, over the years, found different ways to ask the same question, to get confirmation in duplicate, triplicate etc, as so, so many people will tell you with 100% certainty, that you can't make any changes to a FiT system. The guidance has been improved and clarified.