The made in Britain is very very misleading. Perhaps better term would be assembled in GB. When the main meat your product is made in China made in GB/UK is simply just not true.
Even assembled in the UK is a stretch with the vast majority of the unit being modules made and assembled in China (or Asia as they like to put it as it sounds nicer). The case is made in the UK....and maybe the cardboard box that its shipped in.
Made in the UK, we taped the packaging shut and added the address label. Then took a huge mark up on other peoples work. It is fairly standard everywhere these days. Old Dragon's Den. I drew this thing, China worked it all out and made it for pennies, I sell it for hundreds of pounds as I am 'designer', that is the difficult bit, wielding a crayon. The west is actually on the path to collapse. Too used to easy money for trivial nonsense, and rarely actually making a thing. Perhaps when we can buy our own robots to do the work for us, we will be able to make stuff again! We can get paid for dusting the robot once a day.
@@nicholaspostlethwaite9554 The UK is primarily a service industry - we pay extortionate prices to have someone else do everything for us as we are incapable or too lazy to do anything ourselves. Even much of our manufacturing is more a service industry in the sense that you describe - China working it all out and we mainly rebadge and resell it with service provider features.
Maybe this product should have the honesty of the Marin mountain bike makers - the packing of my bike had printed on it (over a huge Stars and Stripes logo) Made in Taiwan, Assembled with pride in the USA…………… Also let’s be honest about calling a spade a spade - Asian origin batteries aren’t Asian, they are Oriental but also Chinese. China is not Asia these days.
I was quoted a 6kw system with stacked 7.5kw batteries €13k installed. I have a flat roof with a staircase to it, so installation was as easy as it gets. It is 2.5m from inverter to the mains box into house. Bought a Deye 6kw E.U. hybrid inverter and a 7.5kw lithium stackable battery, direct from china for €2.4k delivered. Plus 13 x 440w solar panels for approx €1.7k euros (Leroy Merlin bought before the prices tumbled) built my roof storeage for €200, moveable timber frames for the panels €100, plus additional miscellaneous control boxes etc. €250. So the total price for materials and storage etc is approx €4.7k Instalation " connecting and checking equipment and paperwork by a Spanish qualified electrician. €700. Total €5.47k saving €7.53k by doing 5 days work myself.
'Box made in UK' would be more accurate. To me assembled in UK means the bulk of everything, right down to PCB's, should be made in UK - but nope, a few complete modules made and assembled in China are plugged into each other into a metal cabinet - which was made in the UK.
In 2012 I had a 3.9kW array plus inverter installed for £5750 - that included a pre-installation building survey, house energy efficiency survey, commissioning and certification. The system has run continuously without fault since (barring the generation meter (made in the UK!) failing). I have been getting quotes to add a similar sized array on the other side of the roof and excluding the cost of the battery storage the cost of just the solar is now 2x the cost of the original…………… The original system was bought from IKEA and was installed by a local installer who were sub-contracted to IKEA and had previously quoted me in excess of £25000 for the same system in 2011. It doesn’t look to me like the price of solar panels has come down at all, looks like it’s gone the other way!
Just install it yourself and find a electrician to connect it. The installer will just squeeze the earning of the solar system leving you only ~5% return on your investment without considering the risk of hardware failure after warranty.
The price of solar equipment has dropped by a lot so prices of installed systems need to follow, some installers still think they can massively mark up the equipment some dont, customers are more informed in what the equipment really costs now and the mystery behind solar has gone.
made in the UK is a very very lose term as to what "Made" means. if you get a power supply and a box, and put the power supply in the box, that is "Made in the UK" even when the two parts are made in China. that little bit of assembly allows the "made in the UK" claim. or in this case put a made in china battery in a made in china box, that is then "Made in the UK". "Made in the UK" really isn't what is used to be. these days it really doesn't mean anything and really isn't worth the badge.
Biggest issue with renewable industry is no regulation on common "plug socket" for EV's. Standard format like how our normal sockets are, tech going to USB-C.
@@kemots455 the Italian government force Alfa Romeo to change the naming of car Milano as it was made in Poland I believe they called it Junior in the end But you see this with Cornish pasties have to be made in the Cornwall area . The same for Champagne
The worst thing is the configurators and installers. The best thing is the technology but will be the worst thing as the industry keeps leap frogging itself and no standards.
Only problem with this technology is that its evolving so quick its difficult to know if you are getting value for money. You could spend a fortune today for something that might be considered a dinosaur in a year or two. Also how will these systems effect to cost of home insurance. If the quality of installs is generally as poor as your video suggests then insurers are going to have to factor in the increased risk.
Yes, inevitable, in less time than any supposed pay back, if that ever happens, a new system will be two or three times better, and already hogging your available roof space, cost more to update etc. Never will the customers win that much. All the money pours into the 'industry'. But we are all dead in the end.
@@tmyersf4 Exactly. The worst bit is most of these systems want to lock you into a proprietary setup. Can't mix and match. You could (will) be buying equivalent of Betamax vs VHS. The batteries are vastly overpriced. The top quality (Chinese) batteries almost everyone use cost less than $100kWh. Companies slap a bit of tin around them, add a few cables, bits and bobs and turn around and sell $400-$800kWh - it's insanely profitable - that's why every Tom, Dick and Harry is jumping in.
Can't believe that the heat shrink break out boots are a new idea to the public here in the UK. Used these almost twice a week down in New Zealand when I moved there in 2006. Made by Raychem. even brought back a shit load when I moved back in 2021. Funny though, I used these on Naval warships and subs back in the 80's, again made by Raychem.
Worst thing about solar is dealing with sparkys thinking there job is complicated and hard to learn. Charging more money than a Dr. Your Sparky's not brain surgeons.
Don’t have solar probably too old now for investing in a solar scenario for my house , obviously it’s got my interest though , watching your videos they tend to be common sense with the practicality of experience and knowledge, plus you keep it simple that even I can understand, I was thinking about getting a portable unit to see if it would help with the ever increasing electricity bills , one fact is for certain bills never seem to go down, with that fact of life in mind thought about getting a portable battery that I could use for cooking or heating a room that I could have foldable panels in the garden to power the portable battery that would help with the cost of everyday life , Do you have any plans in the future to do some videos on this concept , I have a large garden so space not a problem, many people who live in flats with a balcony would also benefit from the concept = every little helps , sorry Tesco quite a good slogan , could of course used a different slogan = maybe a song = Don’t let the sun go down on me = George Michael , sorry tend to digress a lot ,
Enphase is dead - at least in central europe. Far too expensive and unreliable, inefficient too. Far better to work with optimizers where needed and not in general. Anyone who had thought they were good has left them after 12 years or so when the real world issue kicked in: dying or dead enphase crap.
Would be great to see pre-event promos as I didn't know about this event but may have been interested (assuming they welcome consumers). Lots of great content though on video!
Trouble is looks are just skin deep, I had a solar install 5 years ago, not good had to get another company to put it right. Needless to say the company I used when into liquidation and no doubt started up under another name. Now all is good but after those repairs and not one but four car charge points and two inverters fortunately all changed in warranty.
Greed by the installers is a huge problem. Just the attitude of that man in the intro 'I know what we are worth', basically arrogant and greedy. I expect to be very very well paid. As I 'can' extort it. The problem is not just the cowboy types. Good work should cost no more than bad. Do it right first time. None of it is that hard, it is only assembling other people's components, pretty basic. Basic Lego really. Ok yes it needs some tech electricians knowledge not denying that. But as a craftsman that made goods from scratch, sheet and wire, made patterns for shapes to be cast, actually making things, not merely assembling bits like plumbing parts or electrical work, the actual work is really basic not that 'valuable' or difficult really. This is why people used to DIY, the work is very very very easy, the problem only comes with the knowledge to connect correctly, safely etc.
Were Oxford PV at this event? I heard they have just released there first perovskite panels, would have been good to hear from them and see the new panels.
Whilst I am very impressed with solar, and the legislation that goes with it, I am amazed that the industry does not standardise the size of the panels to enable roofs to be integrated into the roof fitting blank modules if not wanted on new builds.
"Don't join the race to the bottom" = I know I am expensive but I claim my customer service is better and I don't want to compete on price. Well that's what the next decade is all about - it's becoming commoditised. If you install my solar I never want to see you again unless I want something - which means everything works and there are no repeat visits. I had 3.5kw solar installed in 2015 for £4,200 - never missed a beat. Don't kid yourselves that competitive pricing means poor - it doesn't. No one should be paying more than £4,500 for a 5kw install today and you should be doing that in a day including paperwork. If you're more expensive than that you're not in the game. Consumers are getting savvy to you now.
Any sign of the expected drop in home storage prices? At this stage its pretty hard to see a ROI on buying/selling split vs battery warranted hours. Once that gap closes up a bit more I think there will be a huge uptake in storage, poss even without solar.
This is the problem with the solar and battery storage industry, too many people focus on what they will get back rather than what they system will do for them in the long run. People will quite happily spend £40k on a car which loses it's value as soon as you drive it out of the showroom. 3 years later it worth less than half what you paid for it, that loss pays for the solar and battery storage system. Energy prices will always increase if you can install a system where you don't rely on the grid what do you think is more financially viable?
Given BYD can sell a 50+kwh car for say 15k or Euros, but a home battery of 8-10 kwh capacity is upto what £3,500 speaks volumes. Home battery overly expensive
@@kjc728 Yes but I believe the pay back stuff will turn out to be nonsense anyway as it only takes a drop in power prices, that all this renewables is supposed to bring about, and all that guessing and assuming of the future is gone. I am basically as you put it doing it as I like the idea of my own power, and the security of power supply. I was unconcerned about pay back and it confuses the devil out of installers pitches. lol But battery prices are clearly a rip off relative to cars, and all the electronics boxes. Installers, scaffolders, charges for a day's work etc. But as I am old I will be dead before it pays off. Labour will only steal any money I have left as IT. So 🤷♂
@@stuartburns8657 But you can't sell to the grid your car battery, you can make up to £1,000 a year selling your solar generated battery. EV cars drop dramatically in prices after a few years you lose more money that way. Solar and battery storage can get a payback in about 8 years. When does a car ever get a payback?
As a potential customer in the near future looking for a solar/battery system, all this new tech means what? What is worth waiting a few months more for compared to say jumping in now? If you are a domestic customer, what do you look for? What questions should I be asking to make sure no cowboys get a look in? It isn’t about money, it’s about value for money.
We have within the last month had a solar/battery install completed. Figure out from your own usage what size installation and battery storage capacity you require. Don’t oversize and waste money when it’s not required.
@@WillEclipse It’s about much more than that. It needs enough information about the actual kit, devices, connectivity, hardware, software etc to enable a MoSCoW Analysis to be done. I know what my electrical needs are, but what actual hardware/software is needed to meet that need. It’s not just a battery and a set of panels connected with wires. What else must, should, could or won’t be required. When quotes are created how does a consumer know when it’s platinum plated but actually rubbish when the plating is scratched off?
I honestly don't think the tech is moving all that quick really, there are only a few new items. It's just got much bigger as more businesses joining in. Panels: Just get type N bifacial panels now as pricing has narrowed to almost nothing. Hybrid inverters: Very much the same. It's usually the software that is better or worse. Some people want the best software because managing their solar/battery is like a second job to them. Others literally never log in and just leave it. Batteries: Mainly software again and which glossy case you like. But there are outliers. Powerwall 3 for example. High output and 3x MPPT so worth the extra if you need those things. But equally don't pay for what you don't need. If you have had 3 short power cuts in the last 7 years you probably shouldn't be all that bothered about house backup options. Remember costs work both ways. Don't necessarily pay Rolls-Royce prices when at the end of the day the installers are buying the same panels, inverter, and batteries (Nissan Micra). You want a fair price not an expensive price. Everybody wants to earn a fair wage. Get an itemised quote with products and labour. If people aren't willing to itemise labour with their day rate then look for another quote.
Drive to the bottom, this is happening in every industry which is killing uk independents who provide great service. Problem is as the cheap bang out systems people take over the market, good hardworking people disappear, and getting a good electrician to fix a problem will become impossible in certain areas, leading to DIY attempts to fix from Facebook hacks which can be dangerous
Interesting to hear you say you use JA solar panels, in the last Sheffield Hallam uni report (Nov 23) JA solar were rated Very High in exposure to Uyghur forced labour camps. Panels maybe cheap but I would urge you to look in to why that is Jordan. Maxeon, Meyer Burger, REC group N peak and Alpha were the only ones rated as likely free from the forced labour camps.
Do we really need a Backup Gateway? All that extra tech and cost for something that probably won't ever be needed? Here in North Wales, the last powercut I had was over 15 years ago and that only lasted for less than 1 day! I also don't know about the 'drive to the bottom'? If panels are so cheap these days, why are installs so expensive (sometimes)? Also, when systems are designed to be able to be placed outside, sometimes I look at their specs and the lowest operating temp isn't that low! No good for a North Welsh winter!
Solar doesn't work in the winter in the UK anyway - I know because I have it; but yep we don't need all this backup stuff, American's claim they need it, but I looked up their power cut stats and they don't have power cuts much worse than we do - just a lot of Americans have too much money to spend.
Went to that show last year, very good day but was full of Chinese suppliers ( very pushy and in your face) its was more a wholesaler installer show that end user.
Well just about to give up on your video, that ain't solar, so far just batteries for storage, as for made in Britain, no it's not, really not much use,
I can see why the made in Britain badge is earned. Ultimately the cells are just the energy storage medium. The case, engineering of the electronics and the software are where the work is. Most of the steel that goes into UK cars is probably supplied from China, but it wouldn’t be a car without the engineering and assembly.
Armour can serve as convenient path for the functional earth from inverter to array frame. You know the one we are all supposed to install according to the CoP as a minimum.
