Beware the terms of the contractors providing the service, I have heard reports of people being unable to sell their houses, because the contacting company have a claim to your roof (or some such stuff).
My main objection to solar panels on the roof is that they look hideous and you have to live to be about 150 to recoup the cost.:dunno:
(or both of those urban myths?)
There is a deal where a company will fit panels for nowt, you get the free electric generatored but the company gets the feed in tariff, which is by far the better side of the deal. You are then correct, if you come to sell the property the new owner must sign to say they'll take over agreement, if not yer fecked.
Again yer correct, they look horrendous and are a mighty blot on the landscape, a bit like stone cladding in it's day. There is a better option, which is for new build, and that is solar tiles. They look a lot better but the cost for retro fit by far out weighs the savings.
Now the bit where yer wrong, if we work the figures to average and allowing for drop off ( panels are expected to by 30% less efficient in 20 years time) My system will cost ?5k, total free electric and feed in tariff and allowing 20% for bullshit from manurfactures allows me a generated ?490, so roughly speaking thats 11 years to recoup my up front costs. Even when taking in to account interest lost on the ?5k cost it's a good deal.
I use 6666kwh per anum so a dent in that is handy, coupled with unlimited free wood for the woodburner, and the oil boiler consuming only ?132pa, I can run a large six bedroom bungalow for under ?630 pa
