Interesting article about PV panels in tomorrow's FT

The gist - China is selling panels cheaper and cheaper, as they have way too much manufacturing capacity. But installation costs (in the UK) are still rising. Some in Europe have found a solution!

There are plenty of vertical installations around the UK and throughout the world, in locations where it is suitable. So wrong, not a European thing.

Solar panel prices fell before about 2018, but price of around £100 is stable since, so not news, and all-time low price statement is misleading. Graph is price per watt, but in 2018 you would have got a 250W panel for your £100 whereas today it would be a 425W panel. Efficiency has only improved slightly, increased power is due to larger size (and weight). Judging by the size of the panels, the image is at least 5 years old.

The image shown is a boundary dispute waiting to happen. Would be better to build the wall to full height and fix panels to either side of the wall, but that would increase cost.

Cannot see any earthing arrangement in the image. The frames need to be bonded together and connected to an earth rod because somebody standing on the ground could touch the panels and get a shock.

Many UK gardens are too small and would be badly affected by shading.

Rubikcube good point re the earth.

Remembering the conversation about someone washing their panels with a long pole and getting zapped. 🤣

Rubikcube Efficiency has only improved slightly

There's supposedly a step-change in efficiency coming in the next 3-5 years which will take efficiency up to around 28% - that's from memory of an article in an electronics journal last year. I guess its probably going to be patented (much like LiFePo batteries were until fairly recently) so probably limited manufacture at first.

Not much use to anyone who's just installed but for anyone looking to replace panels in the next few years then keep a close eye on things as those sort of efficiency gains would boost a 425W panel to 550W.

In the UK a fence like that would be vandalised/graffiti'd inside a couple of months. Just because....

Not much use if we fall out with China. We should be making stuff in the UK!

Boy, if you guys hated that picture, you are going to REALLY hate the slightly bigger version showing what the panels are next to ...

Good to see I bought my panels right at the peak in January 23 🤪

And I do admit to having jetwashed the roof around the panels whilst the scaffolding was still up (my jet wash broke half way through doing the roof before the panels were fitted before anybody asks), got the roof clean but of course the muck went on the panels which I gently washed down (no power wash), and yes, I did get zapped.