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Do I wait to get new solar system?
Do I wait to get new solar system?
Hi guys with China improving panels yearly and getting cheaper . Do you think it’s best to wait a year or 2 or get them now . Will prices dramatically decrease ?!. Or any new grants for non-benefits residents in future?! Will governments ever cover them !?
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22 Replies
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May as well wait 10 years then they’ll be 4x better than the ones in 2 years’ time!
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not when you paid 60% more 5 years ago
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But then in a year or two, you could just wait another year or two for even better ones.
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No chance price ALWAYS GOES up . And more the fact if inflation will out rip anything
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No.
All tech like this follows a J shaped learning curve; solar panels are a long way down the curve and won’t get much cheaper nor much more efficient unless something unexpected is discovered. Maybe 5% gains per year, and that will decrease.
The costs of installation, shipping etc will go up in the meantime.
And every year you wait is a year you don’t have, or whatever, your energy costs.
I’d absolutely do panels now (maybe wait a month to see if GBE start offering the low interest loans if you need to borrow them money).
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Isn’t China stopping their financial tariff support for the Chinese company’s exporting
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The best time to get solar was yesterday. The next best time is today.
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The longer you wait the longer until you benefit and the more you’ll pay.
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On a serious note mate .
The government can’t be trusted for future projections . They pull and charge stuff daily so wouldn’t count on that
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I read that China is trying to close down some manufacturing because prices have come so low. Commodity prices do not move in a straight line forever.
They may fall further they may go up.
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Panels have already dropped massively in price over the last few years because China scaled up production so much. A lot of the big reductions have probably already happened.
About 5–6 years ago I was quoted over £14k for a system, but a couple of years later it was nearly half that price so I went ahead and installed it. Prices now seem a bit cheaper again, but with the cost of living rising – along with materials and labour – I doubt systems will fall dramatically in the next few years.
If the numbers make sense now, it’s usually better to install and start generating and saving rather than waiting for prices that may not drop much further.
Also worth remembering that every year you wait is a year of savings you miss out on, which can easily be £500–£1,000+ depending on the system.
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As well as all the comments about costs and improvements, there is another aspect (apologies if it has been mentioned). That is that the price you get for exporting is likely to fall over time. This is a significant benefit ( over half of my gains) so I would not wait too long
BTW, if cost is a factor, don’t jump on a battery straight away. Run panels for a year so you can work out your new energy usage and make a better informed decision. I did this, and found a battery would never give a return on investment. Although, of course, tariffs can change, in which case I still have the option
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VAT will be reintroduced at some point
The sooner your array and/or battery are fitted, the sooner you reap the benefits
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Panel prices are going up 20% in the next few months. This is well documented and a result of removal of Chinese state subsidies. Some panels we were buying for almost £40 each in Q4 2025 are now back up to £50-£55 wholesale.
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0% loans should start coming through – talk to your mortgage lender first. I think prices may drop – but performance will also improve.
But my 2011 panels are still producing as if they were new – just occupying more roof space than my 2024.
Just do it. With batteries.
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Small improvements mostly. Probably 0.5-2% efficiency. The prices might also go up or down. Some OEM are operating on razor thin profit and may push up prices. Solar prices around start of Ukraine invasion was £150+ per panel. Lots cheaper now.
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Steels gone up 30% this month china will follow suit . Imports and allocations have been cut by 90% by Keir Starmer for steel outside of imports from TATA
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Warm homes plan has just been announced which includes funding and low interest loans to support domestic solar and batteries. Details are thin on the ground but expect announcements soon. Aimed at all salary brackets not just disadvantaged but just high level details released as yet
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I have not been following tech lately, but perovskite was the next big thing a while back. Potentially worth waiting for those to become common, but weigh up buying 25+% efficient mono panels, the costs might favour them
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Not anymore. It is true that solar panels have gotten better and is still continuing and there are new ones reputed to harness energy even at night and improvements in areas where some panels have more shade etc. However, Chinese subsidies to promote R&D have come to an end, the cost of transport have increased since fuel cost has increased. Inflation thus has increased. Solar panels will not be getting cheaper. Most stuff you get will be getting more expensive for the next year. Worth doing now and get more savings through solar as energy prices go up.
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Prices have gone up since I bought mine over a year ago. Just get them now. The sooner you start saving on bills, the sooner you’ll be quids in.
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