Consultation for photovoltaic systems

I don't consume that much electricity per month after all, and the feed-in tariff is continuously decreasing. It has now been announced to the neighbor at 5.6 cents.

I don't understand something here. The feed-in tariff is fixed for 20 years from the start of operation, isn't it!? Why should it decrease for your neighbor if it is the same one who has been operating the system for two years?

It was not presented that way to us. With us, (within the framework of the KFW loan) a maximum of 10 years was mentioned (we wanted to pay it off sooner and aimed for 6 years). The system, as mentioned, would have cost 18k back then (subsidies already deducted, but I believe they no longer exist). We did not want a storage system. Our feed-in tariff has been just under 6 cents for 2 years.

That is very strange and does not correspond to what a buyer of a photovoltaic system expects. If there really is only 6ct/kWh feed-in tariff for 10 years for the neighbor, then someone in between must be taking a big cut. The feed-in tariff is uniform nationwide regarding duration (20 years) and amount (decreasing from month to month but still significantly above 6ct/kWh).
With the desire for quick loan repayment, you have scored an own goal.

Where do the wrong feed-in tariff rates come from? In October, for example, it’s 7.14 cents for the first 10 kWp. Then up to 40 kWp, 6.94 cents. Two years ago, the rates were around 11 cents. Someone here has been talking nonsense.
And why would someone want to quickly pay off a loan that comfortably pays itself off over 15 years (or 10 if you put in some equity)? What’s the hurry?

I can’t tell you. He showed me his bill back then. It was 6 cents. The threat of a further reduction came a month ago. I don’t know exactly what kind of contract he negotiated there. I have to grill him about it sometime.

But in my opinion he has a strangely sized system anyway. 8 kWh with a storage (I don’t know the size) but he always goes on about how much he saves. From the feed-in tariff he has earned 200€ in the last 3 years (as of July). Either he has a sensational self-consumption (he works during the day just like we do) or he calculates strangely.

Loan: I don’t like it when small loans run for a long time. That stresses me out. I always get a little worried that another one comes along and then another. Loans make it so easy to spend money.
We are now also rapidly paying off my husband’s new teeth (+ the remainder of the refinancing). In 5 years we’ll have it done and really only have our house loan left... well, until a new car looms.

I don’t understand something here. The feed-in tariff is fixed for 20 years from the time the system is commissioned, right!?
Why should it decrease for your neighbor, if it’s the same person who has been operating the system for two years?

If I remember correctly, he got the system from a smaller energy supplier. Allegedly THAT was the offer of the century. I don’t know the exact conditions and prices. He surely told me, but I didn’t remember.

So I don't know what kind of contract this is. But he should urgently try to cancel it. With "normal" self-consumption, a two-year 8 kWp system should have brought in about €1000. If it was actually three years (your posts were a bit unclear to me there), of course correspondingly more. Let me be very clear again: The feed-in tariff for self-generated electricity is legally guaranteed for at least 20 years. It is set on the day of commissioning and then never changes - until the end of the 20th year after commissioning.

Furthermore, no contract is necessary for feeding in solar energy. Everything relevant is stipulated by the Renewable Energy Act. If you do sign one, then only if you get more than the statutory minimum tariff (which can be quickly googled). (Tip: These contracts don’t exist ;-)

He may have concluded a so-called cloud contract with assignment of the remuneration. Those are all bad --> cancel as soon as possible.

I can well understand that loans are a burden – I have some too. However, a loan that legally guarantees to pay itself off would hurt me much less than a car loan. Among other things because a car loan incurs follow-up costs – a photovoltaic loan results in follow-up savings through cheap electricity from the roof. You can run it through a separate account, so you don’t notice it at all. The grid operator transfers the feed-in tariff. It goes directly to the lending institution. However, at some point the money accumulates in the account – you just have to watch out for that. ;-)

Feeding in electricity no longer makes any sense at all. 7 cents feed-in tariff no longer even remotely covers the costs. The goal must be, in view of exploding electricity prices, to generate as much self-consumption as possible.

I built a photovoltaic system myself. 7.2 kWp and a 10 kW battery attached. The system will go into operation in March.

Our current electricity consumption is about 5000 kWh annually. The hot water is generated by an electric 80 l boiler. So far, I had an electricity price of 25.8 cents. Yesterday, an increase from the electricity provider arrived. New price from March will be 37.8 cents. That is an increase in the electricity price of almost 50 percent. Incredible!

My forecast regarding the photovoltaic system looks like this. Feeding into the grid will be waived. Zero feed-in.

The system should generate about 7000 kWh of electricity per year. About 2000 kWh can be used directly. 2000 kWh should be covered by the battery. Base load and cloudy days, night consumption.

Without the battery, I could use part of the generated electricity in the best case. And the higher the electricity price, the more worthwhile the battery becomes. My goal remains to consume only 1000 - 1500 kWh over the 3 low-yield winter months. Then everything would pay off very well. I now expect electricity prices to continue rising sharply.

The system cost me a total of 11,000 euros. Including the 10 kW battery from Huawei. The system should have paid for itself after 8 - 9 years. Probably even earlier.

I am planning to build a closed terrace roof. An air conditioning unit is also to be installed here. However, I only need it when it is hot and the sun is shining. Optimal to use the self-produced solar power.

If you don’t buy any nonsense, the seven cents are enough to pay off the system completely once. You can easily calculate that:
7000 kWh * 0.07 * 20 = 9800,- €
That’s how much I have available if I want to build 7 kWp.
Every kWh I use myself saves me another ~10-15 cents. Depending on the electricity price.

Admittedly: In the current market situation, it’s not easy to buy that cheaply. The best lever for a good price is the size of the system.
But on the horizon, two positive developments are taking shape: On the one hand, more and more electricity is being sold directly because stock market prices are now above 7 cents. In the future, it is therefore likely that you will get more for your electricity without [Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz] remuneration. For small systems, cooperatives or something like that will probably still have to be founded.
And then Habeck might still come up with something in the middle of the year. We’ll see...

Two more things: E-cars start charging at about 1.6 kW. They don’t start before that. In bad weather, it’s usually around 10% peak power. Now everyone can do the math themselves.

And the absolute biggest, most antisocial nonsense is zero feed-in. Whoever doesn’t want the feed-in tariff simply rejects it and feeds in for free. The paperwork is the same. But simply destroying generated green electricity is the absolute stupidest thing you could do. Sorry.

But you shouldn’t just complain: You are right that storage systems can eventually pay off with rising electricity prices. If you currently buy an average storage, it can pay off with a little luck at an electricity price of ~55 cents and up.