I'm not aware of any legal requirement to do so - however I know the suppliers do 'sanity check' meter readings (i.e. check your numbers against other similar sized systems in comparable geographical areas and against your own historic readings) - so expect alarm bells to ring as soon as the FIT meter readings diverge from normal. So it's probably a good idea to let your supplier know in advance what's happening - the worst they can say is that they don't care.

    - Andy.

Personally, I would keep quiet about it and avoid any hassle.

I think that I shall vote with Simon.

What if a couple of panels were damaged in a storm? Would you report that?

A couple of panels might just fail and you would only become aware when your next bill arrives.

I suggest that you look at your contract. If it is silent on the matter, you have no obligation to do anything.

davidwalker2 said:

I have a solar installation comprising 17 panels dating from 2010

As a side note.  Might be worth looking at the old panels and check the Peak Power.  As the panels are 14 years old they may only be producing 100 - 150W.  Newer panels Peak Power Output are in the 380 - 450W range.  The panels in themselves are not that expensive but the labour and the scaffolding is.

Have a look at Trina panels on a supplier web site like

https://midsummerwholesale.co.uk/buy/trina

The increased energy production could be offset against the price paid to buy in energy to the property.  Maybe battery storage could be factored in?  As always if you intend to make changes to your PV install check with your local MCS approved installer that all is well with the proposed design changes.  Eg will the inverter work with the newer panels and such.

The trouble with buying new ones is that you lose the FIT subsidy for the old ones.  My old panels are rated at 190W each, while new ones can be anything up to 450W.  But the FIT payments are tied to a particular set of panels.  Take them off your roof, and the payments stop.

as the original poster  presumably will have 10 or 15 years of payments left to come based on the 2010 start year, the incentive to not break that original contract is quite high  ;-)
At least for now,  2010 installation is worth a lot more than a modern one of the same roof area, even if that the new one would generate 3 times as much . In ten years time, that may not be the case.

It does make one wonder though, if a panel fails, does it have to be replaced with an old style one..
Mike

Sergio Fernandez said:

The panels in themselves are not that expensive but the labour and the scaffolding is.

I am surprised how cheap they are.

What would be a ballpark cost for a complete system please? From a personal perspective, it might be cost-effective to undertake approved training and do my own installation.

Hi Chris

I am not a Solar PV installer myself but you could speak with someone like

Mark Aliison

Power Sonic Ltd

Unit 12 Kellythorpe Industrial Estate YO25 9DJ, Driffield, East Riding Of Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Tel: 01377 272651

or

Sam Fetherstone

     http://www.ovalrenewables.com

Both do good work and they also post a lot on YouTube to show people the quality of their work.

You'd want to think twice about that Chris! I got my MCS accreditation and I nearly lost the will to live. The MCS manual itself was about two inches thick and there were several other "essential" courses to attend like "working at height", manual handling, I've forgotten the others but they were all a gravy train for local centres. And it cost over £5k even back then.

It's actually more than your graph suggests - I think that's the initial unit price when joining the scheme in those years - it's then index linked, so 'class of 2010' are currently paid something like 68.3p/kWh generated.

   - Andy.