In summary, yes! But you probably shouldn’t. Here’s why:
Reason 1: Costs
For many installations, it would be fair to say that labour time and scaffolding take up anywhere from 15% to 40% of the total cost. These costs re-appear when you want to move your panels. You have to hire an MCS-accredited crew to take them off and re-install them, and of course, they have to be able to get up and down from the old roof and the new roof, necessitating scaffolding. This means that you would be paying half of what a system costs in the first place to move them.
|
Estimated costs associated with moving solar panels |
|
|
Scaffolding |
~£1,600 upwards based on roof complexity |
|
Labour |
~£3,500 (~8 panel system) upwards based on system size |
|
MCS re-registration |
£30 |
|
Temporary Storage |
~£150 |
|
Total |
~£5,280 |
This is for an on-roof system; if the system in question is in-roof, the labour costs will rise significantly due to the relatively high complexity of in-roof mounting systems.
Reason 2: Property Value
What people don’t often consider when installing solar (at least if they didn’t receive a financial analysis from Spirit!) is the impact solar has on house prices. Prospective homeowners are becoming increasingly interested in houses with good EPC ratings and ‘green’ features as a whole. Research by Admiral [Green Appeal - Admiral] reported that solar increases a home's value by an average of 25%. Making it the biggest boost in property value among 'green' features. We would note however that we would typically see this top out at higher value properties at around £75,000 - £100,000.
|
Green Investment |
Average % uplift in value vs. similar properties in the same area |
|
Solar Panel |
25%+ |
|
Insulation |
22% |
|
Heat Pumps |
10% |
|
Hive/smart systems |
7% |
|
Triple glazing |
2% |
From our own experience, we don’t find this number surprising. Although we have noticed that many estate agents aren’t fully aware of the value that solar has to a property, slashing electricity costs, earning the owner money, and increasing self-sufficiency. For this reason, when you sell a property with solar, make sure the estate agent is clued up on the benefits of solar, making sure you get the right price for your property.
Conclusion
The reasons in tandem mean that it would almost always be a better financial decision to leave the current system as it is, increasing the property value, and then installing a brand new system with a refreshed warranty and more modern technology at the new property. In such a case, you would come out net positive just from the increased sale value, making solar a brilliant investment!
To learn more about how solar could affect your property's value, along with receiving a free quote for a system for your new house, contact our technical design experts at Spirit Energy.
